Zion: East Rim Jeep Tour with Checkerboard Mesa & Jolley Gulch

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.92 (264 reviews) 94% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/22

Duration1h

GroupUp to 8

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Checkerboard Mesa views & Jolley Gulch descent on a quick Zion adventure

You’ll ride through Zion’s pine forests by Jeep, catch your breath at Checkerboard Mesa’s wild patterns, then descend into Jolley Gulch for an optional short hike above its deep slot canyon. Local guides share stories and snacks along the way—it’s fast-paced but leaves you with these odd flashes of silence and awe you might not expect.

Step-by-step itinerary

Jeep tour to Zion landmarks

Travel in loop to Checkerboard Overlook
Stop at Checkerboard Mesa viewpoint
Descend into Jolley Gulch
Optional short hike to slot canyon view
Climb out crossing river bed
Return to starting point

The Experience

I hopped into the Jeep still brushing pine needles off my jacket, not really knowing what to expect from this East Rim tour. Our guide, Tyler—who grew up around Zion—tossed us bottles of water and grinned like he knew something we didn’t. The engine rumbled as we bumped through the forest, sunlight flickering through tall ponderosas. There was this sharp, clean smell in the air—almost like cold stone after rain. I tried to take a photo out the window but gave up; you kind of have to be there for that first look at Checkerboard Mesa. The lines on the rock are so weirdly perfect, almost like someone carved them with a giant ruler.

Tyler stopped and pointed out where his dad used to take him hiking as a kid. He told us how locals call it “the checkerboard” because of those crisscross grooves (I tried repeating the Paiute name and totally butchered it—he laughed). From there we started down toward Jolley Gulch, which is steeper than I thought. The Jeep rattled so much my teeth felt loose for a second. When we stopped again, Tyler said if anyone wanted to walk over for a top-down view of the slot canyon, now’s the time. It’s only two minutes but my legs were jelly from gripping the seat so hard—I went anyway. Looking down into that narrow crack, 200 feet deep and silent except for some distant bird noise… I still think about that moment sometimes.

The climb back up was slower; we crossed dry riverbeds and I kept spotting little animal tracks in the dust (maybe coyote? Tyler said probably). Snacks tasted better than usual after all that bumping around—just trail mix but somehow saltier in the cold air. We rolled back onto the plateau with our hair full of dust and everyone kind of quiet for a minute, which felt right somehow.

What’s included

Your experience includes bottled water and snacks along the route as you travel by Jeep with a local guide through Zion’s East Rim to Checkerboard Mesa and Jolley Gulch before looping back to your starting point.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by East Zion Adventures