Visit Zion National Park

Zion National Park (NP) is a famous park based in Utah. Zion is one of five national parks in Utah and one of the most famous in the country. It is conveniently close to many airports and major destinations as Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, or the Grand Canyon.  It became a NP in 1919 in order to preserve its incredible geology and landscape. As with all national parks, you have an entry fee, this one is $35 per vehicle but if you go to at least two or three national parks in a year then you should consider buying the “America the Beautiful” pass which is $80 per year but gets you into all national parks and monuments. I think it is pretty awesome and cheap considering!

Here is some information if you are planning on visiting Zion. In this park, you can hike, climb, backpack, and plenty more! A major draw is its world-renowned canyoneering experience, which allows you to rappel down through canyons and waterways.  I personally enjoy the views and hikes when I go. I’ve been to the park three times; in May, October, and January. The summer months (June, July, and August) can get very busy with tourists and some trails can get congested leading to some extra risks on certain hikes. Between Feb-Nov you cannot actually drive your own personal vehicle along the main road in the park. You park near the visitor center (sometimes further away!) and take a free shuttle. Makes traveling in the park easier but you need to plan well with your food, water and times. During the winter months, the road is opened up to vehicles.

Here are, two of my favorite hikes:

1 – The Narrow

The Narrows is a famous hike in Zion. It is a trail that follows the river for about 1 mile and then continues upstream through the Virgin River! Most people are doing this hike in late spring and summer as the water is warmer. Canyoneering is also a way to see the narrows, but if you are a beginner you will need a guide. The Narrows may close if it rains because flash floods can happen in an instant and these are extremely dangerous to anyone in the canyon.

I did this hike in winter time and I loved it. We had to rent a drysuit package because the water was freezing (around 34F/3C), we rented them at Zion Outfitters. They provided us the drysuits, gloves, shoes, and a map.

Once we had our gear, we took the bus to the last stop: 9! We hiked a mile and then arrived at the river. We suited up and started walking in the water. At first, the water fills into our shoes, which is freezing, but because you are wearing special socks it gets warm really fast! Now begins the most beautiful part of the hike! It is really fun to walk in the water and see the beautiful walls on each side. The water height fluctuates during the hike, it can be as low as your feet but as high as over your neck! Because I went there in the wintertime we were able to see some cool ice formation on the walls as well as on the rocks.

You can hike the Narrows for 1 hour, 4 hours, or more because this hike is 16 miles/26 km! However, make sure to plan your hike because if you are going only for a day remember that you will have to hike back! Because it is such a beautiful place it is easy to lose track of time!

If you decide to visit the Narrow in the winter you will almost have it all to yourself, which is awesome. During the summer there will be a lot more people, however, after the first mile or two, the trail will be less crowded.

I think The Narrows was by far the most unique hike I have done. Going there in the winter made it more magical and I really felt like I was on an adventure!

2 – Angel’s Landing

Angel Landing is one of the most famous hikes in the park! I’ve done it twice and both times were before permits were required. Since 2019 a permit is now mandatory: more info

This hike is “only” 5.4 miles/8.7 km long round trip, which doesn’t seem like that much… however the elevation gain is 1500 feet/460m. It normally takes around 4 h to do it from the bottom.

I remember the first time I did this hike, it was in October 2017. At first, the hike starts along a small river and a slight incline, but then comes the switchbacks – which I personally don’t enjoy!! It gets steep but you get glimpses of an amazing view of the Zion Valley and this is motivation to keep going. After the switchbacks, you go behind the mountain in order to continue up. You eventually arrive at a flat area where some people prefer to stop because the last part of the hike can be scary, especially if you are scared of heights!

The Spine (on the right) is the most critical part of the hike which can be deadly if you’re not careful. It is a narrow single-lane trail with a lot of exposure, and you have to go up it to get to the top. Chains are installed along the

spine and I highly recommend holding on. This is the part that now requires a permit. Because of so many people on this trail at the same time, traffic was actually a big issue! This section is very narrow and with only one chain people were getting stuck in line in the middle of it.

The first time I did it I was really impressed by how dangerous it can be. I am not scared of heights and I was never in a bad situation but I was really surprised it was allowed unguided. After I made it back down I learned that 17 people died on this hike from accidents, I was glad to learn that after the hike. None of this information is to dissuade you from doing it, it is to help you be prepared and always focus on safety. Plus now that the permits are in order there will be fewer people on the trail! I returned to Zion in 2019 and hiked angels landing a second time with my parents. I was able to enjoy the view once again!

Leave your questions in the comments, and I will answer them.

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