We recently spent a long weekend exploring Zion National Park in Utah. Over the course of three days, we went on epic hikes, took amazing pictures, and thoroughly tired ourselves out. On our third day, we hiked Angels Landing. By far the coolest thing we’ve ever done! Check out the post about our first day (Emerald Pools, Mt. Carmel Tunnel, and Kolob Canyons) here and the post about our second day (hiking The Narrows) here.
The Bottom Line
This hike is AMAZING and completely worth the effort. That said, it was the most difficult hike – both mentally and physically – that I’ve ever done. You do not have to be in tip top shape to do this hike (we certainly aren’t), but be prepared to take it slow on your way up. Don’t forget to bring tons of water – we brought 3 liters each and we drank all of it. You will probably also want a snack to eat when you reach your turn around point, wherever that may be!
The 6 a.m. Shuttle
As we’ve mentioned, you have to take a shuttle to navigate around Zion National Park. The first shuttle leaves the visitor center at 6 a.m. If you plan to take a shuttle from Springdale to the visitor’s center, prepare for a later start. That shuttle begins at 7 a.m.
The trailhead to hike Angels Landing is at stop number 6, The Grotto.
When we arrived at the visitor’s center, we were surprised by the number of people in the park. It was packed. We were not alone in our desire to get an early start! Thankfully, we were able to hop on the first shuttle … with about 50 of our closest friends. But it gets worse… Unfortunately, the park does not stagger the shuttles. Instead, shuttle after shuttle filled with people headed up the canyon. Everyone got off at The Grotto, intending to hike Angels Landing.
Suffice it to say that you will be doing this hike with a lot of other people. Every time we decided to stop and wait for the crowd to pass, another crowd materialized behind it. Honestly, I was so frustrated by the crowds. No one wants to huff and puff up a mountain with a group of people hot on your heels. I regretted starting at 6 a.m., and considered whether a later start would have been better. At the end of the hike, I was thankful that we started early, more on that later.
The Switchbacks to Scout’s Lookout
Most people who head out on this hike stop at Scout’s Lookout. It about 2 miles from the bus stop and about 1/2 mile below the summit of Angels Landing.
The day before, another tourist told me that the hike to Scout’s Lookout (where the chains start) was easy because it was paved. He was right about the paved part… Not so much about the easy part…
As I mentioned earlier, the hike to Scout’s Lookout is about 2 miles. Most of those two miles are on grueling and relentless switchbacks. When you finish the first set of switchbacks, you will find some relief on a gorgeous and semi-flat portion of the hike. That relief is quickly interrupted by another set of even steeper switchbacks.
We took a lot of breaks but we eventually made it! Once you get to the top of that second set of switchbacks, you made it!! You are at Scout’s Lookout. Now, what will do you? Enjoy the view or head up the chains?
The Chains
From Scout’s Lookout, it is about 1/2 mile to the top of Angels Landing. Or so the signs say! I swear it felt so much longer. I spent a lot of time staring at my shoes, trying not to look at the canyon floor, thousands of feet below us. I also spent a lot of time looking at the chain, confirming that I had a tight grasp.
About the chains… there are gaps in them! In other words, there are parts that do not have chains. Usually those portions were short and felt relatively safe. I also felt sure-footed on the rock most of the time. In other words, it was not slippery and I did not feel like I was about to slip and fall. That’s very important when the consequence of slipping is falling thousands of feet!! Overall, I kept it together pretty well and never got completely freaked out. I am not sure how that happened, as we were literally on the edge of a cliff most of the time.
This portion of the trail didn’t seem as physically demanding as the switchbacks, likely due to our adrenaline. As we neared the top, the adrenaline wore off and I started to realize how tired my body was. Those last few steps were tough and my legs were literally shaking. I was so glad to be at the top!
The main complaint I’ve heard about the chains is that they can be very crowded. (That’s actually a complaint about Zion National Park in general.) On this hike, however, the crowds can be dangerous. Because you go down this trail the same way you go up, there may be times when two people – one going up and one going down – are trying to use the same section of chain. That requires one of the people to let go of the chain, which can be very dangerous.
This is precisely why we started the hike at 6 a.m. Even though there were a ton of people hiking up with us, there was no one hiking down. In other words, while we were going up the chains, we didn’t have to worry about anyone coming towards us. The crowds annoyed me a lot, but I’d use this strategy again because it made the ascent so much more pleasant. And it made it feel so much safer.
What comes up, must come down. Honestly, I was super freaked out for the descent! But it ended up being easier/less terrifying than I expected. We didn’t hang out at the summit for very long, because I didn’t want there to be too many people coming up the chains as we were going down. For the most part, that plan worked. It seemed as though most people started this hike at either 6 a.m. or a few hours later. So, there was a small period of time when there were fewer people hiking up. We took advantage of that gap and did our descent before the later-rising tourists got to the chains. We only had to stop a handful of times for people heading up. For the most part, those people were polite and had good trail etiquette.
Was it Worth it?
YES, YES, YES! Even if you’re a little intimidated by this hike, I’d encourage you to give it a shot. You’ll never see another hike like it!
