Hiking the Archaeology in Zion National Park
Distance: 0.4 miles / 0.6 km
The Archaeology Trail in Zion National Park is a very short out-and-back day hike near the Zion Visitor Center that climbs up a small hill to the site of a few prehistoric storage buildings built by the Ancestral Puebloan people.
That said, the buildings at the top of the hill are not present today, but their outlines can still be subtly seen at the very end.
This is all to say that the Archaeology Trail may be one of the shortest adventures in Zion National Park, but it is also one of the least trafficked, as most who park at the Zion Visitor Center are there for either the Watchman Trail, the Pa'rus Trail, or to park and ride the Zion Canyon Shuttle to all the different trailheads off Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.
Archaeology Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Archaeology Trail is located at the Zion Visitor Center, the same parking area that visitors use to ride the shuttle up Zion Canyon.
This is exactly why the Zion Visitor Center is one of the most difficult places to find parking throughout most of the year in Zion National Park, as the lot typically fills completely by 7:30 a.m., with nearby parking spots filling shortly thereafter.
Google Maps Directions: Archaeology Trailhead (Zion Visitor Center)
Hiking Checklist - Zion
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Zion National Park.
Hiking the Archaeology Trail
The Archaeology Trailhead is a bit hidden in the large parking lot that surrounds the Zion Visitor Center.
That said, the trailhead is adjacent to the first entrance into the parking lot, the same entrance where most cars turn in off Watchman Campground Road.
Google Maps Directions: Archaeology Trailhead
Watchman Campground Road
Immediately after beginning the hike, the Archaeology Trail crosses Watchman Campground Road.
This is where the Archaeology Trail begins the very short but steep ascent to the top of the hill.
When the Archaeology Trail reaches the top of the hill, the path splits, with both a trail to the left that continues higher on the adjacent ridgeline and a path to the right that leads to the end of the Archaeology Trail.
Once here, go right to reach the historic site at the end of the trail, but if you are interested in hiking farther, be sure to read my thoughts at the end.
End of the Archaeology Trail
This is the end of the very short Archaeology Trail and the site of a few now-gone Ancestral Puebloan food-storage structures, whose faint outlines can still be seen on the hillside.
On other trails across the Southwest, such as the Aztec Butte Trail in Canyonlands National Park, these structures are called granaries, but I could not find any evidence of the same for this site at the top of the hill.
To learn more about archaeology in Zion National Park, including a well-preserved hidden granary above the popular Weeping Rock Trail, be sure to read the National Park Service article linked below.
National Park Service: Archeology in Zion
Hiking Farther
What may or may not be obvious is that the hike doesn’t necessarily have to end at the summit of the first hill.
This is because there is a somewhat obvious path that continues past the end of the maintained trail to the highest point on the adjacent ridgeline.
However, I have hiked to the top in the past, and my conclusion is that it’s not worth the effort. The best views are still quite a bit lower than the Watchman Trail across the wash, which I highly recommend hiking over putting in the effort for a less-rewarding view here.
