Big Bend - Giants All Around
A stop on Zion Canyon, a free self-guided tour.
At Big Bend the river swings in a wide curve, and the canyon's giants line up around you. Look for the Great White Throne, a massive pale dome; Angels Landing, the narrow ridge you saw from the Grotto; the Organ, a rock formation at Angels Landing's base; and Cable Mountain.
Cable Mountain is named for a real machine. In the early 1900s, settler David Flanigan rigged a cable system from its rim to lower lumber from the forests on top down to the canyon floor, saving days of hauling by wagon. Parts of the old draw works still stand on the rim.
In cooler months, scan the walls for rock climbers spending days on the big faces. In summer, look for peregrine falcons and California condors riding the air. Bring binoculars if you have them, and stay off the road while you look.
Getting here: Big Bend is shuttle stop 8, but up-canyon buses often pass it by; check nps.gov for current stops, or plan to get off here on your way back down after the Temple of Sinawava.
Did you know?: The cable on Cable Mountain once lowered lumber about 2,000 feet from the plateau to the canyon floor.
Photo op: From the riverside viewpoint, frame the Great White Throne with the bend in the river below it.
Nearby: No restrooms or water here; the nearest are at the Temple of Sinawava or the Grotto.
More on Wikipedia: Great White Throne · Angels Landing
Stops on this tour
- Zion Canyon Visitor Center - Gateway to the Canyon
- Pa'rus Trail - Walking with the Watchman
- Zion Human History Museum - People of the Canyon
- Canyon Junction - Where the River Meets the Road
- Court of the Patriarchs - Three Stone Fathers
- Zion Lodge - A Hotel Rebuilt in 100 Days
- Emerald Pools - Waterfalls in the Desert
- The Grotto - Base Camp for Angels Landing
- Weeping Rock - The Cliff That Cries
- Big Bend - Giants All Around
- Temple of Sinawava - Where the Canyon Narrows