Pa'rus Trail Hiking Guide
The Pa'rus is a wide paved path along the Virgin River between the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and Canyon Junction. It's the one trail in Zion where your leashed dog can come along, and it's open to bikes and wheelchairs too. The name is Paiute for bubbling water, and the views of the Watchman at the south end are some of the best in the canyon.
Permit: The Pa'rus starts inside the park, so you'll need a Zion pass to use it. Walking or biking in from Springdale costs $20 per person 16 and older; a private vehicle is $35 for up to 7 days; the Zion annual pass is $70. Non-US residents 16 and over owe an extra $100 each unless they enter on an annual or America the Beautiful pass. No other permit is required.
Distance and Surface
AllTrails maps it as a 3.3-mile out-and-back with 131 feet of gain, which AllTrails pegs at 60 to 90 minutes. The park's figures don't quite agree with each other: its accessibility survey measured 1.6 miles one way with about 150 feet of gain, while its trail page calls it 3.5 miles from one end to the other. In practice it's an easy hour or so on foot. The surface is pavement and wooden decking about 10 feet wide, with five bridges, a typical grade under 3 percent and a few small bumps and seams.
Bringing a Dog
The park allows pets on this trail and nowhere else on Zion's trail system: not on other trails, in the wilderness, on shuttle buses or in public buildings. Leashes can be no longer than 6 feet, so retractable leads that run longer are out. Bag and carry out waste. Keep dogs out of the river, because they can swallow toxic cyanobacteria, and never leave one in a parked car: the park says interiors heat dangerously fast for most of the year and that doing so is prohibited. Violations can bring a citation with a $100 minimum fine.
Bikes and Wheelchairs
Bicycles share the path, so walkers should keep right and keep dogs close. The park rates the Pa'rus as its most accessible trail. One caveat: the short unpaved connector to the Zion Human History Museum, about halfway along, isn't built for wheelchairs and isn't open to bikes or pets.
Where to Start
From the visitor center (Shuttle Stop 1), walk through the plaza past the shuttle stop to the bridge, cross, and use the crosswalk to the trailhead beside South Campground. You can also start at Canyon Junction (Stop 3) and walk south under the road bridge, toward the Watchman. Restrooms and water are at the visitor center. Visitor center lots fill early; Springdale has paid parking and a free town shuttle that stops at the pedestrian entrance.
When to Walk It
The open path has little shade, and the park notes that summer days regularly top 100 degrees, so walk it early or in the evening, especially with a dog on hot pavement. The park recommends the Pa'rus for sunsets, stargazing and night photography, and deer often graze the meadows beside it. Winter days that run from about 30 to 60 degrees make it a pleasant off-season stroll.
Hiking tips for Pa'rus Trail
- Test the pavement with your palm before walking a dog on a summer afternoon.
- Carry a collapsible bowl and water for your dog; the river is off-limits for drinking.
- Ring a bell or call out when passing on a bike; walkers often have earbuds in.
- Skip the museum connector if you have a dog, bike or wheelchair; it's not approved for any of them.
- Stay for dusk; the park singles out the Pa'rus as a spot for sunsets and stargazing.
Nearby trails to explore
- Riverside Walk (Zion)
- Watchman Trail (Zion)
- Emerald Pools Trail (Zion)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
The Pa'rus is the place to walk a dog in Zion, and it's better with company. Use TrailMates to find Zion hikers and dog owners near Springdale. Download the TrailMates app to connect.