Zion National Park: All You Need to Know
- Patrick Cetina
- Jul 17, 2021
- 10 min read
Situated just outside the town of Springdale, Utah, Zion National Park makes up 229 square miles of unbelievable and breathtaking terrain. After seeing for yourself the natural beauty of the Zion Canyon, the Narrows, and the amazing views from the park's main hikes, it's no wonder that Zion National Park is Utah's most visited park, and one of the nation's most popular. Due to the increasing popularity of National Parks during this post-pandemic era and particularly the popularity of both Angels Landing and the Narrows at Zion, it's crucial that you plan ahead if adventuring to the park. Below are some tips and tricks if planning a trip to Zion National Park as well as some of the main points of interest and hikes that you don't want to miss!
The Shuttle System:
The first thing you need to know about Zion is that they utilize a shuttle system to get around anywhere in the park. Due to this fact, you are unable to drive through the park, instead you must park in the main parking lots and take the shuttle to any points of interest around the park. The problem with this currently, is that the parking lot fills up often by 7 AM or earlier most days. When we arrived to the parking lot at 6 AM there were only about 100 or so parking spots left and the line for the first shuttle at 6 AM was already multiple hundreds of people deep. Some of those people at the front of the line had arrived to the park at 4:45 AM to try and get onto the first shuttle and to beat the crowds out to the trails.
We were lucky and had a shuttle pass which the park was utilizing earlier this year; however, they have since discontinued this system and it's now a first come first serve system. The park was still honoring the shuttle passes when we went this past June, if you were lucky to have already had one, so we were able to skip the line and get right onto the first shuttle as our passes were for the 6-7 AM time window. Without the pass system in place, your best bet is to arrive to the park as early as possible.
Once the parking lot fills, your only other option is to park in the nearby town of Springdale and ride the shuttle from there into the park. This free shuttle service stops at 9 locations in the town and picks up and drops off visitors at the park's pedestrian and bike entrance only. Once in the park you will still need to then wait for the Zion Park shuttle. The Zion Park shuttle runs from the visitor center up the Scenic Drive to destinations like the Zion Lodge and trailheads, including Emerald Pools, West Rim Trail, and Temple of Sinawava where hikers depart for the Narrows. Don't forget, as of this writing, face masks must still be worn on the shuttle buses and in queue lines.
The Trails:
Angels Landing: One of the most popular hikes in Utah and one of the top hikes in all of the U.S., Angels Landing offers some of the most amazing views any hike can offer! It is considered to be a strenuous or difficult hike. The hike itself is a nearly 5 mile out and back, round trip trek through some of the most rugged terrain you'll encounter on a hike in the mainland U.S. You begin the hike at the Grotto Trailhead via the shuttle. The hike to Angels Landing follows the longer West Rim Trail backpacking route up and out of the west side of the main canyon. The hike begins as a paved path as it leads you up a set of 21 steep switchbacks known as Walter's Wiggles. Once you conquer this stretch, you reach Scout’s Lookout. Scout’s Lookout offers beautiful views from high above the canyon. If you decide to go all the way up Angel’s Landing, you will be treated to some of the most magnificent views you'll ever encounter. The trek to the top becomes progressively more challenging as you move further and further into the hike. The elevation gain throughout the hike is ~1600 feet. Throughout the first ~2 miles you gain about 1000 ft or so, but it's that last half mile where you encounter the final ~500 ft of elevation which leads to steep, towering climbs that can be daunting. The final ascent to reach the top is a bit nerve-racking. As you trek through that last stretch there are sections where you have some steep climbs up the rocky terrain. A big portion of the final stretch has chains at least on 1 side to help give you something to grip as you navigate the rough and narrow terrain. Some of the sections of the trail along the last half mile or so are only a couple feet wide with one to two thousand foot drop offs on either side of you! Once reaching the top, the views from Angels Landing are undeniably gorgeous. This hike is not recommended for small children or anyone with a fear of heights.
The Narrows: The Narrows is quite a unique hike for many reasons. Perhaps the most challenging hike in the park, this route meanders through a network of beautiful canyons that have been carved out by the Virgin River over the past few thousand years. The scenery is outstanding, but expect to get wet. More than half of the trail involves wading, walking, and sometimes even swimming in the stream depending on the time of year and weather conditions. How often do you get to hike through massive slot canyons while also having to wade through a river of water throughout a majority of the hike? It is also the narrowest section of the larger Zion Canyon. In order to get to the Narrows you must take the shuttle out to the Temple of Sinawava. From here you have two options. First you can walk along the paved and well maintained Riverside Walk for about a mile or so before coming to the point where the paved trail ends. At this point you then must make the decision to either turn back here or secondly, continue on through the water and down into the Narrows. To hike any further past the paved portion of the Riverwalk you must wade through the Virgin River itself which then curves its way through the narrowest part of Zion Canyon (hence the name "Narrows") through some jaw-dropping slot canyons. There are two ways to ultimately hike the Narrows. The first is the bottom up approach from the Temple of Sinawava as mentioned above. Here you can hike upstream as far as Big Spring. Hiking beyond this point requires a permit. Doing the hike this way allows you to see some of the most spectacular and narrowest parts of the canyon. You can hike in the river for an hour and have a great experience, or you can hike as far as Big Spring, a strenuous, ten-mile round trip, all-day adventure. The other option is for the even more adventurous. This option is a 16 mile through hike which starts at Chamberlain's Ranch and ends at the Temple of Sinawava. Permits are required for this option and you must arrange for your own transportation to the Chamberlain's Ranch Trailhead.
Lower Emerald Pool Trail: Starting at Zion Lodge, this 1.2 mile trail leads through rather simple terrain to the gorgeous Emerald Pool and waterfalls. It is an easy hike that typically takes an hour or less to complete. If you are more adventurous there are connections to other more challenging hikes along this trail including to Kayenta and the Upper Emerald Pool trails.
Watchman Trail: This 2 hour, 2.7 mile hike departs from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center where you can find the trailhead to get started on this moderate level hike. This hike allows for expansive views of the lower Zion Canyon and Towers of the Virgin. You will encounter varying terrain and moderate elevation changes while hiking along moderate drop offs throughout this trek.
Observation Point (via East Rim Trail): This 8 mile, strenuous hike can be started at the trailhead located at Weeping Rock. This hike takes you through the Echo Canyon to an amazing viewpoint of Zion Canyon. This hike is not easy and includes navigation of some narrow stretches and challenging descents. This hike can take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours depending on hiker experience.
West Rim Trail: The trailhead for this hike is located near Lava Point. This trail is a 14.2 mile hike which leads you through a challenging ascent along a series of canyon rims. It is a steep ascent before eventually leveling off and descending back down again. Total elevation change is roughly 3400 ft. This is a more strenuous hike as well and will likely take a good portion of the day to complete.
La Verkin Creek Trail: Another 14+ mile hike that departs the trailhead at Lee Pass. This trail passes through open canyones along Timber Creek with amazing views of the canyon and acess to Kalob Arch which is one of the largest free standing arches in the world.
Zion National Park is a hikers haven! In addition to the above mentioned trails, there are countless of other day hikes and shorter hikes available throughout the park. You can explore more trails by visiting the National Park Services website and finding what trails work best for you!
Other Activities:
Rock Climbing: Zion is a popular location for rock climbers. With short walls like Spaceshot, Moonlight Buttress, Prodigal Son, Ashtar Command, and Touchstone being the most popular spots for those adventure seekers looking for some unique rock climbing experiences.
Horseback Riding: Guided trips are available from late March to early November. You’ll see many natural wonders including the Beehives, the Three Patriarchs, and the cactus gardens. For a more relaxing horseback tour, a 1 hour ride is available and will follow the Virgin River for about one mile to the Court of the Patriarchs and return you back to the loading corral. For a more adventurous horseback ride, a three hour trip will take you around the Sandbench Trail, gradually ascending 500 feet giving you a spectacular view of the Southern end of Zion National Park.
Junior Ranger Program: For ages 6–12. The program is active from Memorial Day through Labor Day at the Zion Nature Center. Rangers at the visitor centers in Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyons can help visitors with more information regarding this program and related activities.
Camping & Lodging: Lodging in the park is available via the Zion Lodge, located approximately half way into the Zion Canyon, or via three different campground sites. Two of the campgrounds, South and Watchman, are located at the southern edge of the park while the other more primitive, Lava Point, sits in the middle of the park off the Kolob Terrace Road. If looking for more adventurous accommodations, any overnight camping in the backcountry does require a permit through the National Park Service.
Tips & Tricks:
Below are a few pointers to help make your trip to Zion as memorable and stress free as possible while maximizing your time in the park.
A bookstore attached to the Zion Canyon visitor center offers books, maps, and souvenirs as well as some essentials just in case you forgot a few items at home or at the hotel.
Pack a lunch and/or dinner. We had picked up some subs from subway the night before and packed them for lunch. This saved us some time not having to worry about how and where we could find food. We broke out our sandwiches back at The Grotto picnic area following our Angels Landing hike before heading over to the Narrows for the remainder of our day. Picnic areas are available at The Grotto in Zion Canyon, the visitor center, and the viewpoint at the end of Kolob Canyons Road. The Red Rock Grill and Zion Brew Pub are also available for food options nearby. We grabbed some food and a beer at the Zion Brew Pub following the rest of our hiking in the Narrows.
Be weather ready! Depending on the time of year and current weather conditions be prepared for a variety of conditions. Essentials include sunscreen and a hat for those sunny days. If it looks like rain or is raining be sure to check in with a ranger. Zion is prone to flash flooding when it rains due to it's unique terrain and landscape. The last thing you want to be doing is hiking down in the Narrows during a pop up rainstorm, you may find yourself stranded in rapidly rising water levels and a fast flowing river which can be deadly under extreme conditions.
The best time to hike Angels landing is really anytime during spring, summer, or fall.
The Narrows is best navigated during late Spring or Summer when the water is warmer and the water levels are typically at their lowest.
Pack plenty of water and stay hydrated! It can get extremely hot during the summer months and you are often exposed to the sun throughout a lot of these hikes. We also took along some Gatorade and a few salty snacks including some sea salt chips and some beef jerky to keep us hydrated, maintain adequate sodium levels, and help keep our energy level up throughout the hike.
Arrive early to the park if possible, especially if planning on hiking Angels Landing or the Narrows as both tend to get crowded early and fast! Even though we arrived to Angels Landing early in the morning and the hike up was not too crowded, the hike back down became rather crowded and due to the narrow stretches leading to Angels Landing bottlenecks formed often slowing us down on our way back to the trailhead. If this happens to you just be considerate and be patient. Most everyone was very nice and practiced good manners while allowing groups of people to pass at times when able.
If you hike the Narrows, try and hike all the way through to Wall Street. Here the slot canyons are the narrowest. About 2.5 to 3 miles into your hike through the Narrows you will come to a split. If you continue forward, this is the section most refer to as the beginning of Wall Street. If you hike a couple more miles down this stretch you will encounter some of the most outstanding views and once in a lifetime experiences that you can't find anywhere else. If you venture off to the right, this is Orderville Canyon. This stretch is a little more strenuous as you encounter multiple small waterfalls and rocky terrain which you must navigate to continue further. I would recommend Wall Street of the two if you only have time for one direction. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!
If hiking the Narrows, don't forget to be prepared to get wet! You need a solid pair of hiking shoes or boots as the river bed bottom is extremely rocky and it's easy to slip or trip if not wearing a good pair of shoes. Many people utilized walking poles to help with some stability, but they aren't necessary as we completed the hike without them and did ok.
One of the most important tips I can give is to make sure that you enjoy the views! Take your time along these hikes to enjoy the scenery and the breathtaking views. We spent 30-40 minutes at the top of Angels Landing enjoying the views, resting a bit, and meeting other hikers. If you rush through these hikes you will miss some amazing scenery and gorgeous views.
I hope some of these tips and pointers help you when planning your next trip to Zion National Park. Zion is one of my favorite parks for so many reasons. I hope you too enjoy the views and the experience that is Zion National Park. Remember to be prepared for changing weather conditions, stay hydrated, and rest when needed to avoid injury or any heat related illnesses. But most importantly, have fun and safe travels!
Be sure to check out our photo album here for more photos from our time in Zion National Park!
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