Zion Ultras

Get ready for an overdose of awesome. The soaring red-and-white cliffs of Zion Canyon, one of southern Utah’s most dramatic natural wonders, rise high over the Virgin River. Hiking downriver through the Narrows or peering beyond Angels Landing after a 1400ft ascent is indeed amazing. But, for all its awe-inspiring majesty, the park also holds more delicate beauties: weeping rocks, tiny grottoes, hanging gardens and meadows of mesa-top wildflowers. Lush vegetation and low elevation give the magnificent rock formations here a whole different feel from the barren parks in the east. These are sights to be seen while traversing Zion 100 course.

To be more specific, this is a challenging, scenic run through the southern Utah desert adjacent to Zion National Park. Expect steep climbs onto the mesas that offer incredible views of the diverse geological features in the area. 

It’s a figure 8 loop course with a lot of variation in the trail with smooth and fast sections, technical slick rock, steep rocky scrambles, and even a little sand. Overall, about half of the course is on technical sections and half is pretty mild. The course puts most of its miles in on top of three gorgeous mesas near Zion National Park and actually cuts through a corner of the park for about a mile and a half. It’s an open desert in the lower elevations between the mesas which will throw in an added challenge for runners.