How long is the narrows hike in zion

Orderville Canyon is one of the most popular destinations for bottom-up Narrows hikers. You can hike 0. Near the junction with Orderville Canyon, the Narrows passes through a particularly narrow section known as Wall Street.

In places, the walls are just 20 feet apart. Exploring this roughly one-mile corridor feels like stepping into a grand, natural cathedral. Located on the left west bank of the Virgin River, this gushing spring is a lush oasis of vegetation and serene waterfalls.

Day hikers must turn around at this point. Take a moment to enjoy the scenery, then start the long, beautiful hike back. The 1 Zion guidebook. Full-color and filled with insider tips. Plan the ultimate Zion adventure! My name is James Kaiser , and I believe travel should be fun, affordable and enlightening—especially in national parks, where there's so much to experience. Pro tip: use the bathrooms at the Temple of Sinawava; there are no bathrooms in The Narrows.

Hiking Gear for The Narrows The Narrows bottom-up presents unique challenges above and beyond normal hiking trails. Narrows Hiking Permits At this time, permits are not required for bottom-up day hikers. What are your thoughts? Hi Lynne! So glad you got your questions answered!!

It would also be cold. I would try to wait until mid-May if possible, and if not, I would risk it anyway! You only need a Wilderness Permit to hike the Narrows top down. Hope that helps!! Yeah, since the p andemic begin to help control the crowds on the shuttles! Thanks for the information. How long is the shuttle drive from entrance to trailhead drop off? Thank you! Hi Diana! Your email address will not be published. Share Pin 1. Table of Contents. What a Week — Nepal Blog Post 2.

Join the List Stay up to date with the latest adventures and travel guides. Comments Great article. Is it worth it just to hike the Riverside Walk trail to just put your feet in and get the pic?

Do you have to get a permit to hike the Narrows or just snag a shuttle ticket?? Shuttle tickets? Since when do you need tickets to get on the shuttle? We also saw a few American Dippers about 3 miles into the hike. A new bird for me, being from Texas! Trail is definitely a must do in Zion. You will spend the entire hike in and out of the water so be prepared. I started at noon and completed the whole thing by about As long as you take your time, it offers something for everyone.

Arrived at the park around AM, got my parking space, picked up my gear from Zion Outfitter pants, boots, stick , and walked right on the shuttle at 8 AM no wait. I don't think the ride to the narrows stop last one was more than 35 minutes.

The water was mostly between ankle and thigh level I am 5' 8" with one section at waist level. I didn't think the water was particularly cold but I still highly recommend renting the gear--boots added nice extra grip on the rocks and the stick was great for balance. The return shuttle was right there on the way back as well.

I think Zion is doing a good job with the shuttle service. Overall a really really cool experience! Super great hike. Rented water proof gear from Zion Guru in town but also saw people just do it in there regular shoes.

Super fun! Now I do. As a city guy, I felt like an adventurer with my wooden pole, plotting the next 10 yards of travel to avoid stronger currents, and at one point wading through waist high water. Equipment: we rented the dry pants package from Zion Outfitters. It comes with water shoes, special socks, pants, and a wooden walking stick. Most of the time the water only goes as high s your thighs only 2 points did it reach our waist.

So you can get there, rent, get on the shuttle, hike, shuttle back, and return the equipment. You can also pay online in advance to save time. You take a 45 min ride to the last stop 9 - Temple of Sinawava. We made it about 20 min from Big Springs but decided to turn around because we were tired. In all we were on the trail for 6 hours which includes a 15 min break for lunch. It was about 3. AllTrails definitely had some trouble tracking this activity! My Apple Watch clocked it at 8. We tried to make it out to Big Springs, but ultimately fell a mile or so short of reaching it.

The return trip was faster, but not by much. Not only did fatigue start to set in, but having the river current pushing you made it harder to balance at points. The first high point was the end of Wall Street, which is marked by large mossy boulders on either side of the widening river.

After passing through, we realized that there is a way to scramble up and over one of the boulders to avoid the water, but it is a steep and tricky way to go.

The second high point was after reaching the large boulder that's in the center of the river with a log that you have to use as a balance beam. There are rocks that you can very carefully walk across at this point to avoid being completely submerged, but it is tricky to find them. It seemed like most people stopped at the log as we found the river to be much more slippery past this point.

RE: Equipment - We rented the "dry pants" package from Zion Outfitters and were happy with our choice. The majority of people we saw had this same equipment. A handful of people had bibs, which felt like overkill besides navigating two previously-mentioned points. Some people had zero equipment With the neoprene socks, your feet will be wet but will stay surprisingly warm!

And do not skimp on a walking stick. I relied so much on mine to balance on as well as to feel out the tricky spots. I dont think my GPS was tracking properly, I somehow logged like double the distance and a huge vertical? Definitely rent the stuff from Zion Outfitters, get the bib if you want to go all the way to the end. I turned around at the second set of big rocks in the middle of the pathway, which I think is close to the end but not quite. Definitely a workout, the stick saved me from falling more than once.

Did this back in august, it was a unique fun hike! It was great to cool off after packing out of an overnight trip. Highly recommend checking it out.

Did it early yesterday morning with few people at Get the dry pants and boots! Did a 6 mile out and back and water was never higher than mid thigh. Velocity was 42 very comfortable never saw anyone fall in. Just a fun unique experience. Caught the shuttle around 9am which gave us plenty of time in the narrows.

We rented the full suit from Zion Adventure Company which ended up not being necessary but it was nice to not have to worry about getting your clothes wet and cold.

Definitely a unique experience! Did this in August the same day as Angels Landing. Was a great way to cool down but admittedly not my favorite hike ever. However, looking back it was pretty fun. It was all still wet but not as bad as it could have been. Fair warning: trail is unmarked and washed out in many places. The Narrows can be closed during the spring when snowmelt raises the river over CFS. Fall brings more stable weather, but days get shorter and the water temperature drops.

Zion Weather and Climate. How high is the water? Water level fluctuates greatly from year to year and day to day depending on many factors such as rainfall and snowmelt. When the river is running below 70 cubic feet per second CFS , walking is moderately difficult, with knee deep crossings on the slippery and uneven river bottom with frequent pools up to waist deep.

When the current goes above 70 CFS, walking against the current becomes challenging and crossings of mid-thigh deep are frequent with pools that can be chest deep. The Narrows also closes when a Flash Flood Warning is issued by the National Weather Service, and remains closed for two hours after the warning is lifted. Current River Flow. What about flash floods? The Narrows are susceptible to flash flooding because much of the surrounding area is bare rock that does not absorb water.

During storms, runoff is funneled rapidly into the Narrows. During a flash flood the water level rises almost instantly--within seconds or minutes. Flash floods are common in Zion and hikers have been stranded, injured, and even killed by venturing into narrow, flood prone canyons.

Always check the weather forecast and the flash flood potential before you start your trip. Despite the forecast, flooding is possible at any time, and floods have occurred on days they were not expected. Your safety is your responsibility.