On a fall day in October of 2005, we hiked this splendid, strenuous trail to Observation Point, one of Zion National Park's most rewarding scenic spots. Starting at the Weeping Rock trailhead, which is right by one of the canyon shuttle's seven stops, this day hike takes you a total of 8 miles out and back, and more than 2,100 feet above the Zion Canyon floor.

It was a chilly autumn morning in the shadows of the valley as we hiked up the switchbacks at the foot of Cable Mountain. Further up, we entered Echo Canyon with its towering, striated walls and deep, dark crevices. Then the trail opened up as it wound around the mountainside, offering views of towering granite faces rising up from the canyon floor a thousand feet below.

Here the trail turned precipitous with sheer, thousand-foot drops to the left with only a three-foot-wide trail to walk on. To the right is a solid wall of granite with not much to hold on to. (A friendly warning to the acrophobic hiker!)

After a long, three-hour hike uphill, we arrived at Observation Point, and beheld a king's view of the Zion Canyon floor graced by the southwest sun. A misty film of light was cast over the mountains, and the Virgin River coursed its way down the canyon it carved, sunshine bouncing off its frigid October waters.

Click on the first picture to view the slideshow. Play, Rewind and Slideshow buttons are on the top right corner of each slide.