Lower Tier Rock Climbing

The Lower Tier is larger than it appears from the parking area - the bottom 2/3 of all the walls are hidden in the trees. It is broken into several sections, with an upper face perched above the East Wall and the Recessed Slab on the left side. This upper face allows for a few high-quality 2-pitch routes. Many of the climbs at the Lower Tiers are characterized by low cruxes. In some cases, the crux is just getting off the ground....

The Lower Tier gets direct sun only in the afternoons, but in the summer, the sun can break over the ridge line above at midday and shine directly down the lines of ascent, making it hard to look up at your next holds when you're climbing or at your partner above you when you're belaying. It is a bit of an annoyance, but the effect only lasts for an hour or so.

The Lower Tier has a narrow strip of terrain that hugs the base of the walls, but after that the ground drops off steeply. Thus, it is not the safest place for bringing small children.

Per Jonah S: in 2023, the Boulder Climbing Community (BCC)'s Trail Crew built and improved the climber access trails at the Lower Tiers of Zion, and in 2024, BCC's Anchor Replacement Program rebolted most of the routes here. You can help fund this work here, contribute specifically to the Bolt Replacement Fund here, or volunteer with the BCC here.