Explore the Belly of the Upper East Canyon:
There aren't very many official trails in the Upper East Canyon, but who says you can't wander around and do your own exploring? Clear Creek is the main dry streambed that follows Route 9 throughout the entire Upper East Canyon. If you can ignore the occasional sounds of vehicles coming from above, this is really quite a beautiful canyon to explore. Many sections actually do loop away from the road, so you can get that sense of being away from it all in only a few minutes.
This is one of the few hikes that I have written about that doesn't have an official starting point or destination to reach. While you can hike Clear Creek in its entirety from the east entrance of the park to the Canyon Overlook Trail parking lot, the most interesting section is arguably between the two tunnels; this allows you to see several interesting slots as well as the now famous "Hobbit Hole" arch formation.
Hiking in Clear Creek:
While you can enjoy hiking Clear Creek from any roadside pullout where you can find an easy trail-of-use down into the streambed, this description will focus on the hike between the two tunnels. A good place to start is just to the west of the little tunnel, roughly 1.3 miles east of the larger Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. There is room for a few cars on both the north and south sides of the road.
From the parking area, look south of the road for a trail-of-use that takes you down a side drainage that quickly joins up with Clear Creek. The hiking in Clear Creek is usually dry and relatively easy with sections of sand alternating with sections littered with rocks and boulders. While this initial stretch of canyon is mostly open, there is a nice "Subwayish" section about half a mile west of the little tunnel.
Roughly one mile into the hike is the first slot canyon section marked by a little arch formation that is unofficially referred to as the "Hobbit Hole." You can crawl right through the opening of the arch to continue hiking down Clear Creek.
After this beautiful little slot section, you will pass a drainage tunnel on the north side of the canyon; this is the confluence with Upper Pine Creek; downstream from this point, the drainage is officially named Pine Creek.
For the final mile in the canyon, there are two more slot sections, each progressively deeper and more interesting than the previous. Take your time and enjoy the scenery here; this is the golden sction of the hike.
When you see road bridge above you at the mouth of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel, it is time to turn around or scramble up to the road. At this point, you might consider tacking on a hike along the Canyon Overlook Trail. If you plan on walking the road back to your car, take great care and step aside to safety as vehicles pass.
Hiking Conditions in Clear Creek:
Most times of year, Clear Creek will be completely dry and easy to navigate, but during spring runoff on high snowfall years, Clear Creek can actually have flowing water, making it feel like a mini Zion Narrows. And after big rainstorms and flash floods, pools of mud and logjams can often collect in the narrow slot sections, especially the final turn of the slot just before the bridge. If you encounter these conditions, it is best to turn around.
Keeping Clear Creek Clean:
Clear Creek is easily accessible to casual tourists, so we must all do our part to keep things looking nice for the people who visit after us. Please do not stack rocks or carve your name or anything else into the canyon walls. Doing so is an act of graffiti and vandalism, and volunteers have to come back later and clean up the mess. If you see somebody doing the wrong thing, please tell them to stop and consider reporting the incident.
More Information on Hobbit Hole:
The little arch in Clear Creek doesn't have an official NPS name, but the unofficially coined name of "Hobbit Hole" started trending in the late 2010s and has been a random tourist destination ever since. While I'm not sure I would put it on a "Top 10 Things to See in Zion" list, it is a cool little spot.
If you are looking for a shorter hike to Hobbit Hole than the complete hike described above, you can find closer roadside parking roughly .56 miles east of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. On the north side of the road is a pullout spot that fits 3-4 cars. Directly across the road from the little parking area, hike down a trail-of-use that heads southwest and joins up with Clear Creek right at the Hobbit Hole arch and the start of the little slot canyon behind it.
For a short little loop hike, you can continue down the slot for roughly .2 miles until Clear Creek opens up again. Then hike through the little drainage tunnel at Upper Pine Creek and then scramble up the trail-of-use back up to the road and hike the road back to your car.
Joe's Spin:
While Clear Creek might not be the most exciting hike on the planet, it is a perfect opportunity for anybody to take a little stroll that is as short or as long as you wish. It's quite easy for many non-hikers to experience the joy of canyon hiking without wandering too far from the car.
