Overlooks and Forest: Hiking the Virgin River Rim Trail

In the market for another relatively flat (= less than 1,000 feet in elevation gain) hike, I suggested Tom and I hike one of the prettier sections of the Virgin River Rim Trail on a day when Terry had to go into work. The 32 mile trail is intended for backpacking, but with multiple entrance points, it’s possible to hike a distance of any length.

Abby and I had hiked the section east from the Cascade Falls Trailhead towards Strawberry Point a couple years ago and very much enjoyed the multiple lookouts over the rim of the Markagunt Plateau down the Grand Staircase towards Zion. Where the trail veers away from the rim is an equally nice forest, full of deer and pika. On my first trip we hiked 11 or 12 miles roundtrip but this time we did closer to 10 due to the impending storms, turning around at one of the prominent peninsulas that provide excellent lunch spots and spectacular views.