from a website:
Weeping Rock This trail is a half-mile round-trip which is the shortest trail in the park, but the broken pavement and moderately steep climb make it unsuitable for wheelchairs and strollers. To begin walk the footpath crossing over a drainage stream that is lined with cottonwood, ash and maple trees. The trail is well traveled due to its beauty, location and short length. At the top be prepared for slippery moss on the rocks and walkway as well as water dripping on the path. Steps culminate at a large eroded carved out area, something like a sponge soaking up water then releasing it slowly to feed the hanging gardens and dripping excess into the water hole below. When I met my hiking partner, Bo Beck, I told him I was going to hike every "trail" in Zion. I had no clue what that actually meant until we began to explore. With everything I have seen over the many years I still am partial to this little corner of the park that I visited so many times as a child.
Day Hike: Yes
Distance: .5-miles
Average Hiking Time: 1-hour round-trip
Difficulty: Easy and short trail, but it is steep.
Permits: Not required.
Trail Conditions: This is a well-maintained trail, but incline and broken pavement in places makes it tough for strollers and wheelchairs. The steep incline of the path would also make it difficult to push a stroller or wheelchair. This is a cooler hike even in the hottest parts of the day. Water seeps down from above the Weeping Rock alcove onto metal steps and it does get slippery. Be prepared to get a little wet.
Trailhead: Begin at the Weeping Rock parking lot, then cross the stream on the footbridge. The trailhead breaks off to the left, opposite Hidden Canyon, East Rim and Observation Point Trailheads.
Trailend: Same as trailhead.
Trail Access: Usually from April 1st until October 30th Zion Canyon is accessed via the shuttle. Private cars are allowed in Zion Canyon the rest of the year. Park at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center to ride the shuttle and get off at the Weeping Rock shuttle stop. The rest of the year, when the shuttles are not operating, drive into the canyon and park at the Weeping Rock parking lot.
Off the Beaten Path: No, this is one of the two most traveled trails the park. Stay on the trail as tempting as it is to wander off the path and down into the pool of water beneath the trail. Straying from the trail damages the delicate desert environment and andstone is slippery so never walk or stand at the edge of a cliff.
Classic Zion Hike: Yes
Best Season: March to October is the best time to hike this path. This trail might be closed for short periods in winter during icy conditions and shady areas that get little or no sun. Ice sickles might also form in the alcove forcing its closure. In the summer expect a gentle wall of water to trickle from the rocks, but in the winter there is often a flood of water pouring from above.
Elevation gain: 98 feet
Restrooms: Vault toilet at the trailhead.
Where does the "weeping" come from?
Continuous water "weeps" out of the Weeping Rock alcove, keeping lush hanging gardens moist. The weeping is from above where Echo Canyon, one of the parks many slot canyons is located. Sections of Echo Canyon can be seen along the shared path of the Observation Point and East Rim Trails. There are other seepage areas resulting from the "spring line" between the two rock strata, kayenta and Navajo sandstone, but Weeping Rock is an impressive one. An impermeable shal, the Kayenta layer, makes up the floor of the slot canyon that prevents water from absorbing into the ground and forces it to find a place it can penetrate, such as at Weeping Rock. This is not a quick process. The water has been in the rocks for a very long time, about 1200 years in fact.
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