Located roughly 2.8 miles east of the Zion National Park border, "Poverty Trail" is a nickname for an old cattle trail that heads south from Route 9 into BLM land to reach the East Fork of the Virgin River. These days, it is part of a network of ATV tracks that wander around the edge of the White Cliffs with the final mile being limited to foot and horse travel only. This route may be considered a shortcut versus hiking in from Mt. Carmel Junction, but it is still a long trek and admittedly the least interesting route into the Barracks.
Roughly 2.8 miles east of the Zion National Park border along Route 9, Poverty Trail is a meandering dirt road that heads south into the White Cliffs above Parunuweap Canyon. It is roughly 7.5 miles to the bottom of Parunuweap Canyon, but while regular vehicles can typically handle the first mile, things quickly get rough as the track descends and crosses over the Poverty Wash drainage. Driving beyond in anything less than a high-clearance 4WD vehicle is not recommended. Continuing south beyond the edge of the White Cliffs, the pitted road will stop all but ATVs and hikers. Take care with your vehicle and don't press your luck; this would be a horrible place to get stranded.
Once clear of the White Cliffs, the track turns to deep sand and starts heading west. Look for a roadside trailhead of sorts on the south/left side with an "Entering Wilderness Study Area" sign. This is the final leg of Poverty Trail. While this used to be an ATV track back in ye olden times, it is now only open to hikers and horseback riding. This last mile is marked by a sandy and steeper final descent south down to the river.
If traveling by foot, it would take an average hiker roughly three hours to get to the bottom of Parunuweap. If hiking out, allow much more time as the deep sand of the lower few miles makes for very slow going. There are, however, no climbing or scrambling obstacles along this route. Aside from being an alternate start to hiking Parunuweap from Mt. Carmel Junction, this route should be kept in mind as a possible emergency escape route should you need to abort a hike through Parunuweap or find a dependable way out of the canyon. For more information on hiking this area, please see the descriptions for The Barracks and Mineral Gulch.
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Poverty Trail Map #1: Route 9 to the White Cliffs Note: While viewing the map, click on the map to return to this page. |
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Poverty Trail Map #2: White Cliffs to Parunuweap Note: While viewing the map, click on the map to return to this page. |
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