Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Zion - The Narrows

My hiking group is going to Zion Park next September. We are considering hiking The Narrows. I don't think all in my group can hike it in a day and not all are backpackers. Can we do half of it as a day hike? I guess we could start at the bottom and go up and back but I'd rather shuttle about a 7 or 8 mile section. Is there access to the middle part of that hike?

Ah, The Narrows! Good memories of a great hike. I did it over 10 years ago. We were going to backpack it and spend a night, but we had taken mountain bikes, and one in our party didn't feel comfortable with his bike locked up a night at the car while he was out on the trail. It was crazy that we had hauled backpacks and gear from home, but didn't use it. But the dayhike worked out just fine.

To answer your questions: Unfortunately, there is no middle ground. It is a long (> 1 hour) drive to the trail head. We hired a shuttle service with a rattly van -- rattly because the gravel road goes for miles. We hiked it in September, since that was statistically the best time to be free of any storm/flood issues. And water level was lowest, so hiking was easiest.

The NPS controls the permits tightly, day hike and overnight. Overnight sites are assigned. When we went, you could only get them the day before in the park. I got up super early to make sure I was first in line (at 7 AM I think) to get the next day's permits. They will not issue any permits if weather forecasts are questionable. (You don't want to be caught in some of that hike if there is high water.)

As for the hike, you wade in water about a third of the distance. Some of the river bed has larger (pumpkin sized) boulders, so you are searching for good footing with your feet. Hiking poles are a big help. I wore old hiking boots for the hike and retired them afterwards. Trail runners might withstand the water better, but have less ankle support. In the town just outside the park, you can rent water boots if you want to go that route. One short spot was chest deep in water, others found a ledge to hang on around the pool. Call the park service and ask about all of this.

As for those who might not be up to the 16 miles, they should just hike up from the bottom and meet you. That way, they could go as far as they felt comfortable. I think the hike took 10 - 11 hours for us.

It is a fantastic and memorable hike. Would love to see pictures from it if you go.

Thanks Steve for the info. It's looking like we will probably all do a day hike up The Narrows and back. It sounds like a side trip up Orderville canyon will be good. Was the cold water in September a problem?

Frank, I want to urge you to consider doing the entire length! It is not as strenuous as Half Dome, it is really a worthwhile adventure of a hike.

As for the water, it was not cold at all in September. The water temp was not something I even noticed or remember, so it had to be ok. I do recall, though, that the air temp was chilly for the first half hour, until we warmed up with the hiking. The only thing that is unusual is that you really need to embrace walking right through the water.

It was funny, I was in a group of 6, and four blasted ahead in the first few miles where it was all dry. But as soon as we hit the parts where we waded, they really slowed down. Timid, I guess. We caught up with them, and then were waiting for them often. By the end of the day, they were tramping along at the same speed. I think they finally adjusted to the different style of "hiking".

I looked up my post in the "Ten US DayHikes" thread. I nominated The Narrows in that thread, and included a number of links. You should definitely browse all of them.

    "The Narrows" in Zion National Park

While you're there, consider Angel's Landing too. Short dayhike but big payoff - unless you're out on the fin with some vertically-challenged hiker who's frozen with fear.

I have done Angels Landing and it may be my all time favorite hike. I enjoy being in Zion seeing the towering red sandstone cliffs.

also consider the trail up to Observation Point - absolutely stunning, including a slot canyon, and huge views up Zion Valley. I actually prefer this to Angels Landing. It gets you right to the rim.

Yes, Observation Point is another great hike. Backpackers Magazine listed Observation Point as the best view in Utah. This trip I plan on hiking up there on the East Rim Trail that starts at the east entrance to the park and ends down at the Weeping Rock trail head.