BOOKS AND OTHER RESOURCES:

Here are some of my favorite books on Zion National Park that have a wealth of information for visiting and hiking in and around Zion National Park:

	Hiking Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks 4th Edition (A Falcon Guide), Erik Molvar (2021), Falcon Guides. A great book with descriptions and maps of all of the standard hikes in and around Zion as well as many interesting backcountry routes. If you want to buy only one Zion hiking book, this is the one. (It doesn't cover any routes that require technical climbing or rappelling gear.)
	National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map for Zion National Park. GET THIS MAP! It is a wonderful resource to finding your way along the trails of Zion National Park and it may open your eyes to new hiking possibilities in the backcountry. Versions of the map since 2005 also show a fair amount of the BLM land bordering the park as well as the UTM grid (useful for working with a GPS). Only the USGS topo maps show more detail than this.
	Zion National Park: Summit Routes Courtney Purcell (2015). The second edition of Courtney Purcell's book is a Zion masterwork covering an amazing number of peak-bagging routes ranging from fairly moderate scrambles to more obscure and difficult climbs in remote territory. This book should be in the collection of everybody who is interested in off-trail exploration of Zion's amazing backcountry.
	Favorite Hikes In and Around Zion National Park Bo Beck and Tanya Milligan (2012), Sharp End Publishing. A wonderful guidebook written by two of my good friends. It includes route descriptions and photos for many of the best hikes in the greater Zion area, including Bryce, Cedar Breaks, Paria Canyon, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
	Photographing & Sightseeing in the Zion Narrows Nico Debarmore (2016), Olds Publishing Press. "A Guide to Finding the Glow." An amazingly thorough guidebook for dayhiking and photographing the Zion Narrows. If you are looking for a step-by-step photography book with specific instructions and specific locations, you will love this book.
	Ron Kay's Guide to Zion National Park Ron Kay (2008), The Countryman Press. One of the more recent homegrown publications from somebody who knows and loves Zion, this is an updated version of Ron's self-published 2002 release. Includes the official trails and off-trail hiking routes, including many interesting cracks in the East Canyon as well as a glossary of terms. Very cool! Warning: The descriptions of many of the technical backcountry hikes are a little too vague to be of much use.
	Zion: Canyoneering Tom Jones (2006), Canyoneering USA. Tom's eagerly-awaited canyoneering book featuring write-ups of many standard Zion canyoneering routes and a handful of relatively unknown canyons like Coral Hollow, Spearhead Canyon, Oak Creek, and Boundary Canyon. A great read for anybody who loves exploring Zion.
	Exploring the Backcountry of Zion National Park: Off-Trail Routes Thomas Brereton and James Dunaway (1996), Zion Natural History Association. While it is now out of print and some of the info is now outdated, this is still a great little book that includes good information for several of the more difficult backcountry/backpacking routes, including the Right Fork of North Creek, Bridge Mountain, and lower Kolob Canyon. Note: Pre-1996 editions included info on the Barracks, the Beartrap Canyon Loop and Camp Creek; this info is now sadly missing. (Land access issues are sure to have influenced the removal.)

Best Hikes in Zion National Park