Destination Peak - Zion National Park

Located immediately on your right as you emerge from the long 1.1 mile Zion Tunnel is a small parking lot and restroom. This is the parking lot for the Zion Overlook trail and also holds the only restroom facilities on this side of the park. If this parking lot is full, use the Overlook trail - overflow parking lot further down the road on the North side and walk back.

Standing in the small parking lot (next to the restroom) look up Pine Creek and locate the dryfall entering Pine Creek from the South, this is Gifford Canyon and the direction of travel.

Alongside the bridge is an established trail that will drop you down into Pine Creek. Turn left upon entering the creek bed and hike the short 75 feet or so to the dry fall. Negotiate the dryfall by following the well beaten path on the left side, over steep but manageable slickrock until you are standing in Gifford Canyon creek bottom above the dryfall.

Gifford Canyon is a common hiking area for people interested in a little more than an established trail. The wash is wide, with nice slickrock falls and fallen trees. Walk along Gifford Canyon until you find a very large sandy area below a dryfall that enters the canyon from a shear dropoff on the East side (about 3/4 mile). Walk toward the solid red sandstone wall and continue up the creek bed. Look for an actual wash that enters Gifford Canyon on your right, best noted by a large pine tree that splits Gifford Canyon to the left and the wash to your right. There are a couple of slickrock dryfalls also on the right but you are looking for an actual wash as noted above.

Hiking up this new wash for a short distance you will be greeted with a buttress wall about 30 feet high. Continue to follow the stream bed until you emerge onto a hillside of slickrock. Sparse trees and bushes dot the hillside. Toward the skyline to your right is a very prominent cliff and to your left is a series of cliff faces with pine trees lining the ridges. Work your way up the hillside staying toward the right side as the sandstone is less steep on this side. Eventually turn to your left and aim for the now sizable cliff face with pine trees on top.

Continue to work your way higher until you reach the cliff and shelf system on the South side of the hillside. From here look for the ridge heading higher off to your left, this is the direction of travel. I looked for cairns and any other trail markers but did not find one until reaching the top. There is a lot of animal activity in the area from the amount of droppings and tracks which made trail identification more difficult.

I would rank this portion of the hike class 3 scramble with one particular chute climb class 4 only because all the sand and rock has been stripped away down to the bare rock. There are good hand holds with a nice belay station above to help weaker climbers. Fifty (50) feet of rope or webbing should be enough. The climb is accented with prominent large rocks that project out every 20 feet or so and would make for nice belay points.

The scramble ends by topping out into a high tree filled meadow, punctuated with a golden wall at the rear, the wash to your left and the most interesting Hoodoo I've seen on your right. A cairn greets you at the top of one of the cliffs and lets you know your on the right track. Continue left through the wash until you reach the large (very large) sandstone bowl.

Upon entering the sandstone bowl avoid the temptation of hiking down into the bowl. Instead work your way along the inside rim, where the red sandstone meets the white rock creating a nice walkway. Once inside the bowl pick the easiest route to the top. The closer you are to the path the water takes the easier it will be to climb up and out (about 1/2 way around the bowl) this will cause you to backtrack once on the plateau above. The steeper you want to climb, the less you'll have to backtrack.

A nice walk waits upon reaching the Plateau. Head North. Looking East you will see the Twin Hoodoo Peak on your Right and Peak 6310 on your left. Only 1/4 mile separates the two peaks. The saddle between the two is part of the Parunuweap Pass
hike. To the West is a beautiful view of a seldom seen part of Zion National Park. Hidden behind Bridge Mountain and the other recognizable mountains along the main Zion Canyon is Hepworth Canyon.

Continue your stroll along the plateau, headed North. Your next goal is to skirt around the head of the massive East - West canyon below.

As you continue North on the Plateau begin to look for a way to descend slowly into the canyon. By dropping down a few hundred yards from the ridge and continue to work your way North, you will be rewarded with a series of "sliced" Hoodoos and steep but negotiable ledge systems. Looking at Destination Peak you will notice a massive 100+ foot shear face on the lower right hand side near the base of the mountain. Allow your eye to move left horizontally from the lowest point on this face until you locate a "fan" shape wall (40') between the mountain and the East - West Canyon. This is your goal.

About half way down the shelf systems into the East-West canyon you will be greeted with an interesting split in one of the walls. The natural decision is turn right at the wall and move higher in an attempt to go around. Or, turn left and bushwack your way around below. Go directly through the needle and proceed to the sandy gully below.

Once the Fan shaped 40' foot high wall is reached, walk around to the South side for a spectacular view into the East - West Canyon.

Now, backtrack about halfway along the Fan shaped wall and look at the ledge system. You need to work the weakness in the face and arrive at the top to begin your Ascent of Destination Peak.

The ledge systems provide ample footing, and the solid bushes on the left side allow for firm grip and good foot holds. The view from the top into the East-West canyon present an excellent reason to rest and take in some nourishment before starting your ascent of Destination Peak.

From your current advantage spot sitting on top of the "Fan" shaped wall, it is easy to spot your course of travel. Looking North, just to the left of your current ridge line is a steep scramble / slickrock combination leading to a vegetative chute near the "V" shape. To the left is a small peak. To your right is the prominent "false summit" that extends to a sharp point.

Use caution and patience as this 3rd class scramble over loose rock and sand takes you slowly higher toward the peak.

Just below the shoulder where the canyon squeeze's to it's narrowest point is a short 13' feet 5th class climb. To the right is a sand filled ledge about 10' below which is a good place to tie off your pack if you wish to pull it up the hazard. Work your way to the left and make the short climb to a level spot just above. The climb is short with very good hand and feet positions. The level spot is directly above the sand filled ledge and packs can be pulled up easily. The ledge also make a good belay station to help weaker climbers.

The Shoulder is reached after a painfully slow hike through 200 feet of sand. Turn right and begin the much easier climb to the Summit following just to the right of the ridge line. Caution loose rock. The "false summit" continues to tease your eye as it stretches to the right. As you emerge from your last obstacle, the true summit is obvious and to your left.

Carry your stone the last few steps and add it to the meager pile surrounding the glass jar. Sign the registration and enjoy the breathtaking views into an area of the park few will ever witness. And I do mean few, I was the eighth person to sign the registration since the first signing in 2007.