Skip to main content
Hop Valley Overnight permit

Hop Valley Overnight Gear Checklist

Hop Valley is a flat, sandy valley with two designated camps tucked into ponderosa pines, and the park says to take no water from it because cattle graze upstream. The people we read solved that with water caches at the Hop Valley trailhead, a second treatment step, sand gaiters, and in one case a head net for the gnats on the ridge. Their regrets are about chasing a spring that was never on the trail, trusting boot prints at the valley's end, and facing the long climb out in the heat.

What shapes your gear on Hop Valley

The two camps
The Park Service puts both Hop Valley camps at the far end of the valley, just before the steep drop to La Verkin Creek. Site A is a stock and large-group camp for up to 12 people and 6 stock animals, booked on the online calendar. Site B holds up to 7 and is walk-in only, in tall pines about 100 yards from the park boundary fence. Both sit under ponderosa pines.

From Zion National Park (National Park Service): Hop Valley Trail

Walking the valley
The flat part lasts about 2.5 miles, and the trail crosses Hop Creek at least a half dozen times. Hikers describe the sand as deep and soft, heavy going with a full pack, and the climb out toward the trailhead as long and rocky.

From Road Trip Addict and Taming the Mile Monster

Water
The Park Service lists Hop Valley as having no reliable sources and says not to take water there, because a private cattle ranch lies inside the park. The nearest dependable spring is Beatty Spring on La Verkin Creek, between camps 10 and 11. The agency also warns against drinking in-stream water anywhere in Zion because of cyanotoxins.

From Zion National Park (National Park Service): Water Sources in Zion and Zion National Park (National Park Service): Backpacking Safety and Regulations

The trailhead end
The Hop Valley trailhead on Kolob Terrace Road has pit toilets and trash cans, and one hiker says it has no water. Parties left water jugs there for the next leg, and one shuttle company stashed jugs for its customers.

From Little Grunts, Road Trip Addict and WildPathsAZ

What the agency requires on Hop Valley

What hikers carry on Hop Valley

  • Water cached at the Hop Valley trailhead

    One group left several gallons and a lunch there and shared the cache with a hiker who had run dry and two runners who were low. The writer urged others to cache, saying the 7 miles to Wildcat Spring would be dangerous in midday heat without it. Another group had a shuttle driver leave jugs.

    A hiker adds that unattended food needs a canister because of rock squirrels, not bears.

    From Road Trip Addict and WildPathsAZ

  • Sand gaiters

    One hiker followed the park practice of walking single file down the middle of the sand, and said gaiters made that bearable. Another party reported muddy creek crossings and no way to keep feet dry.

    From Road Trip Addict and Little Grunts

  • A filter and a second treatment step

    One pair filtered from Hop Creek and added drops to be safe from cow dung. A traverse guide author advises a filter plus iodine tablets and says to avoid Hop Valley water entirely. The Park Service still says to take no water in this valley.

    People are reporting what they did. The agency position above is the rule.

    From Little Grunts, Backpacker's Review and Zion National Park (National Park Service): Water Sources in Zion

  • A head net for the gnats

    On the ridge between the valley and the trailhead, swarms of black flies kept hikers from stopping. One member of a party put a bucket-style net over her head, and the group said a paint strainer bag worked well for that.

    From Road Trip Addict

  • Glasses or goggles for wind and sand

    A strong headwind in the valley blew dirt into a hiker's eyes while she wore contacts, and she stopped to blink several times. A passing couple warned them of forecast gusts up to 65 miles per hour that night.

    From Taming the Mile Monster

  • A trail map you check at every junction

    The creek turns left between two walls at the end of the valley while the trail seems to run straight and the marker seems to point uphill. A hiker advises keeping the trail in view and walking by the water instead of following boot prints. The same pair wished they had stopped to read the map at the creek junction before climbing the wrong way.

    From Taming the Mile Monster

12 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.

Plan a trip here

What hikers regret or leave behind on Hop Valley

  • Hunting for Beatty Spring on the wrong trail

    One pair climbed for close to an hour looking for the spring on the Hop Valley side, with less than 2 liters each. They then dropped their packs, walked back down to La Verkin Creek for water, and hauled about 10 pounds of extra weight up the hill. The spring sits on La Verkin Creek between camps 10 and 11.

    From Taming the Mile Monster and Zion National Park (National Park Service): Water Sources in Zion

  • Following boot prints at the end of the valley

    Boot prints lead several ways, and a few lead nowhere. The writer found the way out confusing because the creek and trail split, with private property limits nearby.

    From Taming the Mile Monster

  • Facing the climb out in afternoon heat

    One hiker found the final stretch from the private land boundary up to the trailhead the longest mile and a half of her trip, hot and seemingly endless. Another party warned of false summits on the same climb.

    From Little Grunts and Road Trip Addict

  • Hauling more than 5 liters on a cool-season trip

    A warning from a friend about dry springs sent one pair out with more than 5 liters most days in March, and they later called that unnecessary. Hop Creek ran clear and cow-free that early, though the Park Service still advises against drinking it.

    From Little Grunts and Zion National Park (National Park Service): Water Sources in Zion

Gear questions for Hop Valley

Can you drink the water at Hop Valley?

The Park Service says not to take water in Hop Valley, citing a private cattle ranch inside the park. Hikers have filtered it and added chemical treatment anyway, but the agency's position is to carry water from Beatty Spring on La Verkin Creek or from a cache.

From Zion National Park (National Park Service): Water Sources in Zion and Little Grunts

How big can a group be at the Hop Valley campsites?

Site A takes up to 12 people and 6 stock animals and is booked online. Site B takes up to 7 and is walk-in only.

From Zion National Park (National Park Service): Hop Valley Trail

Is there water at the Hop Valley trailhead?

Hikers report none, only pit toilets and trash cans. Parties cached their own jugs there or had a shuttle company leave them.

From Little Grunts, WildPathsAZ and Road Trip Addict

Can you build a campfire at Hop Valley?

No. Campfires are prohibited in the Zion Wilderness. Use a fuel stove lit on bare ground away from plants.

From Zion National Park (National Park Service): Backpacking Safety and Regulations

Sources

  1. Hop Valley Trail · Zion National Park (National Park Service) · Agency
  2. Water Sources in Zion · Zion National Park (National Park Service) · Agency
  3. Backpacking Safety and Regulations · Zion National Park (National Park Service) · Agency
  4. Day One on the Zion Traverse: Lee Pass to Hop Valley · Little Grunts, Paulina Dao · Trip report
  5. Zion National Park- Hop Valley Trail Part 1 · Taming the Mile Monster, Erika Saunders · Trip report
  6. Backpacking the Zion Traverse: Hop Valley to Wildcat Canyon · Road Trip Addict, Stephanie · Trip report
  7. Zion Traverse (Trans Zion Trek) backpacking trip report · Backpacker's Review · Blog
  8. Guide to an incredible backpacking trip on the Zion Traverse · WildPathsAZ · Blog