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 second day, we hiked The Narrows, an infamous hike through a canyon. It was the coolest hike I’d ever done. Click here to read about our first day in the park!
Preparing for the Hike
If you do any research before you head to Zion, you will see that people take this hike very seriously. And that is for good reason – hiking through a canyon can be very dangerous. Water levels can rapidly change, flash floods are possible, and you can get hypothermia if it is too cold. So, make sure you do your research and head into the canyon only if you’re prepared!
First, check the weather. If there have been recent rains (even if they were miles away), or if there is rain in the forecast on the day of your hike, this may be a hike to skip. Rain can lead to flash floods, which can lead to a rapid rise in the water level. And that is very dangerous. If the National Weather Service issues a flash flood warning, the Narrows will be closed.
For the most up to date weather forecast, check with a park ranger at the visitor’s center.
Second, get the gear. You will need waterproof shoes and a trekking pole (or two) for this hike. We’d also recommend a dry bag, although you don’t need one if you choose to leave all non-waterproof items in the car or at home.
For shoes, we used our scuba diving booties. Overall, they worked well for us. They kept our feet warm and protected us from most of the sharp rocks. They do not have the same stiff sole as regular shoes, so they did a poor job of protecting us against stubbed toes or very sharp underfoot rocks. But, we managed! For the best protection, you may want to rent boots from one of the nearby outfitters. Zion Outfitter is right outside the entrance to the park, but there are other options in Springdale. Zion Outfitter offers shoes and a trekking pole for $29.00.
Speaking of trekking poles, we brought our own. We used Eddie Bauer trekking poles, but any would work. We did have a few people question whether these poles would be strong enough in the water… they were! I’d recommend bringing poles that collapse and fit in your backpack, because you probably won’t want them for the 1 mile hike to and from the water. If you choose to use Zion Outfitter, they will give you a large stick instead of trekking poles. It looked very sturdy but also bulky. And I really liked having two poles, but many people seemed happy with the large walking stick!
What NOT to do. We noticed several people in the water with open toed shoes, like flip flops or other sandals. If you are serious about this hike, don’t do that! You will come out with bleeding toes and very uncomfortable feet.
The Hike
This is not a hike that you need to do at 6 a.m. In fact, it would probably be very cold at 6 a.m.! We started at around 9 a.m., which was perfect. We got to the water before many of the crowds arrived, giving us a much more pleasant experience. Although it was still busy! It is Zion, after all…
As we mentioned before, you cannot drive a car through most of Zion. So, you will need to park at the visitor’s center (or in town) and take the shuttle to the last stop – Temple of Sinawava. Be patient, the ride is about 45 minutes long! Just enjoy the view!
When you arrive at the Temple of Sinawava, you will begin the one mile hike to the water. The hike is relatively easy and is paved the entire way. I think it is even wheelchair accessible for the first 1/2 mile! Many people came this far, put their feet in for a few minutes, and walked back. If you’re looking for a relatively easy way to experience something beautiful, that would be a great hike.
Once we got in the water, we walked about 35 minutes before the river made a large bend to the left. That is where most people turned back. Of course, we used this as an opportunity to hang out in the canyon without any crowds!
Overall, we walked about 2-3 hours into the canyon before we turned back. As we kept walking, the canyon got more and more narrow – which was so cool! It was difficult to turn around, because every corner revealed a new breathtaking view.
At the end of the day, my watch said that we’d hiked 7.79 miles over the course of 4 hours and 13 minutes. The overall distance is likely somewhat inaccurate, since we were hiking in a canyon. Regardless, it was a very cool hike and we’d highly recommend it. If you are not an experienced canyoneer, don’t worry! Neither are we. Check the weather, grab the correct gear, and have fun!
After the Hike
Once we finished this epic hike, we took the bus one stop – to Big Bend. We brought a homemade backpackers’ lunch and enjoyed a picnic with stunning views. There isn’t much to see or do at Big Bend, so most tourists skip it. We were completely alone for this entire lunch! If you’re in Zion and looking for some solitude, this is the spot for you!
After lunch, we returned to our hotel in Springdale and enjoyed some much needed R&R. We had the biggest adventure of our trip the following day, a hike up Angel’s Landing!! Check back next week to see if we made it!
