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“Oh man, you came to the wrong park!”

Not exactly what one expects to hear when driving up to a national park, but the ranger at the front gate of Zion had good reason for his humorous remark.

TheTravel took a trip to Zion National Park in Utah this week to ask park rangers where to find a quiet place in the notoriously popular destination. Upon entering, we asked the park rangers, “Where do you go to find some peace in Zion? Where do you go to get away from the crowds?”

TheTravel spoke with three rangers around Zion National Park, asking the same question: How do you escape in a park that sees up to 10,000 visitors a day? The answers not only revealed each ranger’s love for the landscape itself but also unique insights into how to have a quiet experience in Zion National Park, even amongst thousands of one’s closest friends.

Why Zion Feels Like The “Wrong Park” To Escape The Crowds

The park ranger at the gate had good reason to doubt the idea of “quiet” in Zion National Park. According to visitation statistics for 2025, Zion was the second-most-visited national park in the U.S., with 4,984,525 visitors. That’s more than even the original national park, Yellowstone.

Like any national park, there is a peak season. For Zion National Park, that is the summer months. Memorial Day weekend 2025 saw more than 82,000 visitors ​​​​​​over three days, with most of those people concentrated in the narrow Zion Canyon along the Virgin River.

With such staggering numbers, it’s no surprise that a park ranger’s first instinct is to laugh when asked for a “quiet place” to exist in Zion. Despite his skepticism, he and several other park rangers were able to point TheTravel in a more peaceful direction.

Park Rangers Say These Are The Quietest Hiking Trails In Zion National Park

While Zion National Park has some of the most famous hiking trails in U.S. national parks, the park rangers revealed that not every trail gets the same amount of love. Even as guests fight over limited lottery slots to hike Angels Landing or rent water shoes to trudge up the Narrows, the ranger at the information desk suggests these alternatives.

East Rim Trail

Rim overlooks are some of the most popular spots in Zion National Park. However, the park ranger explained to TheTravel that “not many people know about” the East Rim Trail. As the name implies, the East Rim Trail is near the east entrance of Zion, far from the central hub by the West Springdale entrance. As a result, visitors are unlikely to see many other hikers along the way.

“Hike one mile, five miles, ten miles. Make a day of it or just an afternoon; you’ll have the whole place to yourself.”

The full East Rim Trail is 10.4 miles one way, but the park ranger emphasized you don’t have to do the whole thing to enjoy the trail.

Sand Bench Trail

While getting away from the main attraction in Zion National Park is a great way to escape the crowds, the ranger shared that there are a few quiet spots in Zion Canyon itself. Of those, the Sand Bench Trail is perhaps the most overlooked and, therefore, the quietest. The Sand Bench Trail follows the Virgin River, similar to the much more popular Riverside Walk that leads to the Narrows.

The Sand Bench Trail also has a loop that leads to spectacular views of the Court of the Patriarchs for those who don’t want the quiet hiking experience in Zion to end.

The Sand Bench Trail tends to go unnoticed because it doesn’t lead to the dramatic Narrows, and it doubles as a horseback riding trail, so there are occasionally some droppings to maneuver through. For a secluded trail right in Zion Canyon, however, a few horse droppings might be worth walking around.

Zion Grotto Trail

According to the park ranger, there isn’t a lot to see along the Zion Grotto Trail, as it works mostly as a connecting trail between two of the shuttle stops. He pointed out that every view from inside Zion Canyon is magnificent, though, and a view unobstructed by thousands of other hikers is even better.

Paralleling the river, the flat and easy Zion Grotto Trail is a great way to enjoy the dramatic cliffs of Zion Canyon from below while also staying out of the desert sun.

Quietest Hiking Trails In Zion National Park

Hiking Isn’t The Only Way To Get Alone Time In Zion National Park, Park Rangers Say

One thing all three park rangers agreed on was that Zion National Park’s traffic is heavily concentrated in a few famous pockets; there are plenty of spaces that are less trafficked, no hiking required.

Kolob Canyon Is Zion’s Hidden Oasis

One of those quiet places is Kolob Canyon. The hidden third entrance of Zion National Park, Kolob Canyon, is disconnected from the main area, making it less accessible for those staying in or near Springdale (the primary gateway town). The park ranger at the Springdale entrance suggested that if one is really looking for peace and quiet in Zion, taking the time to head to Kolob Canyon is the way to go.

With its own scenic drive and several hiking trails ranging from easy to very hard, Kolob Canyon’s parking lots are rarely full, even on weekends. The overlooks are just as dramatic, and the canyon even has its own arch for those looking for a different natural formation.

Kolob Canyon also has its own visitor center and picnic areas, so even those not looking for a hike can experience Zion views without Zion crowds, if they are willing to make the drive.

The East Side Of Zion Is Riddled With Hidden Turnouts

Zion National Park’s scenic drive, Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, includes two historic tunnels built in the early 1900s. The drive is the centerpiece of many Instagram reels and is the location of one of Zion’s most popular easy hikes, the Zion Canyon Overlook Trail. While that trail is always plenty busy, the park ranger at Zion’s walk-up entrance explained that the rest of the east side’s turnouts tend to be pretty low-key.

While the East Rim Trail is one of the longest and most intensive hikes in Zion, many of the eastern turnouts require no hiking at all. Petrified sand dunes, the Checkerboard Mesa, and various volcanic remnants make the east side a very different color experience and a much less crowded one.

The Pa’rus Trail Has A Variety Of River Access Points

The Pa’rus Trail is a very popular hiking trail right at the Springdale Visitor Center, but the park ranger revealed that while the trail is well visited, river access points often go ignored. One river access point right behind the first shuttle stop often sees more frogs than people, as almost everyone is too busy waiting in line to detour to the river.

The park ranger at the information center shared that the Pa’rus Trail is ideal for those who don’t want to do a lot of hiking but want to experience all of Zion. Finding the right river turnout means getting in the Virgin River, enjoying the Zion Canyon views, and detouring away from the crowds without a 2,000-foot incline.

Final Thoughts: What Park Rangers Say About Escaping The Crowds In Zion National Park

“You came to the wrong park!”

“There aren’t many secrets left in Zion.”

“How far are you willing to go?”

Each park ranger who spoke with TheTravel shared some variation of the same sentiment: Zion National Park is a busy place. Crowds are everywhere, and they are constant. If visitors stick to the popular beats, they are going to have a lot of company, no matter what day of the week or time of day they start hiking.

All three, however, could think of at least one place to go in the park to “get away” from the crowds. Some places require an extra drive, and others involve an all-day hike, but many just require knowing where to look. It might mean getting off on a less popular shuttle stop or parking at an unnamed turnout.

Zion National Park may not have many secrets left, but even at its busiest, park rangers have found that there are still quiet places to escape the crowds, no matter the season.