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Zion National Park Sand
Beach Hike
The Sand Beach Trail is a flat, sandy path shared
with horses. It's possible to avoid horses by hiking before 7 am or after 5 pm.
The trail runs along the Virgin River and crosses a tributary. It is a good path
for trail runners who do not mind soft sand. Views of the massive stone peaks
of the Patriarchs, Sentinal, Streaked Wall, Twin Brothers, Mountain of the Sun,
East Temple, Bridge Mountain, The Watchman, and Johnson Mountain all seem to be
within a stones throw. This trail offers a stroll along Birch Creek to the west
and then ascends the plateau to the south known as Sand Bench.
The trail is 3.6 miles round-trip
with an elevation gain of 500 feet. The trailhead is across the street from the
Court of the Patriarchs shuttle stop. Follow the service road and cross over the
bridge. Click any picture to see a bigger version.

Kelly's thoughts - I went on this trail
by myself in the evening. I got a little nervous being by myself with absolutely
no one around if I came across a crazy person, a cat, or just got hurt. That said,
I did not run or walk the loop, which I desperately wanted to do. I started from
the Emerald Pools trailhead. I walked about 1/8 mile only of the loop and then
returned to the loop junction, and ended at the Court of the Patriarchs. I did
run most of it. When I wasn't running I was catching my breath due to the extremely
deep sand. Map location of Zion
National Park. Click for main Zion National
Park or full-time rv diary. Visit San
Francisco for unending entertainment.
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