How to Make the Most of Your Zion Narrows Day Hike
The Zion Narrows day hike is one of Zion National Park’s most popular trails for a reason: With the Virgin River underfoot and thousand-foot sandstone walls towering on either side, it’s hard to find a more impressive spot. But its popularity has a downside: treacherous terrain, clueless hikers, and crowds that might make you wonder how you ended up in Disneyland.
After road tripping all the way to Zion while daydreaming about hiking the Narrows, we wanted to be sure to make the most of our day in the canyon. A little planning and extra effort made all the difference between fighting through a sea of tourists and having the trail blissfully to ourselves. Here’s what we recommend from personal experience:
Know Where You’re Going
It’s hard to get turned around in the Narrows, since you just follow the river bed between the canyon walls, but you still need to know where you’re headed. The trail starts at the Temple of Sinawava, the last stop on the shuttle bus. The first mile of the hike is the paved Riverside Walk, which terminates in the Virgin River where it’s time to get your feet wet.
The Zion Narrows is an out-and-back hike so you can turn around whenever you’ve had enough, but intrepid hikers are only allowed to travel as far as Big Spring, a gorgeous stopping point about five miles upriver. Go any farther and you risk getting fined by a park ranger. (To see the rest of the Narrows, dedicated hikers can enter the lottery for a permit to camp inside and take the entire 16-mile hike from the top down, coming the opposite direction from the day hike.)
There’s no sign at Big Spring telling hikers to turn around, so you’ll want to know what you’re looking for: A wide waterfall emerging from the canyon wall on your left-hand side. It’s a picturesque spot to rest and congratulate yourself before starting the hike back downriver.
We recommend using the AllTrails app for the Narrows day hike (and really all hikes)! You can download the trail map ahead of time so it’s right on your phone if you want to be sure of exactly where you are.
Big Spring. There’s no sign telling you to stop here, but this is where day hikers are required to turn around.
Rent Gear
Sure, you can do the Narrows in your regular hiking boots. But it’s a million times more enjoyable with the right gear.
You’ll spend the vast majority of the hike wading through the Virgin River over slick, uneven river rocks. In our rented canyon shoes, we moved twice as fast as hikers carefully maneuvering their way down the river in sandals, tennis shoes, or hiking boots – and we spent more time enjoying the view and less time staring at our feet.
In warm weather from May through September, a rental package with canyon shoes, neoprene socks, and a walking stick is all you’ll need. (We got ours from Zion Outfitter, just down the road from the park entrance, for $24 a day –worth every penny.) If you’re braving the Narrows in colder weather, you can also rent dry pants. Be sure to rent your gear the day before your hike if you’re hoping to be the crowds to the trail!
Canyon boots, neoprene socks, and a walking stick make hiking the Narrows 100 times more enjoyable.
Waterproof Your Electronics
Just to be safe, assume you’re going to fall flat on your ass in the river at some point. Even with canyon boots, it’s easy to take a wrong step! Shops that rent Narrows hiking gear also carry dry bags and waterproof phone and camera cases. (We brought along our favorite little day pack.)
Aaron was so sure he wouldn’t slip that he ignored our own advice and risked carrying his DSLR in his hand all the way through the Narrows. (It survived!)
Pack Water and Snacks
Since you’re keeping cool by hiking through the river, it’s easy to forget how much fluid you’re losing throughout the day. Bring more water than you think you need. The National Park Service recommends carrying two liters per person for the Zion Narrows day hike. (And please, invest in a reusable water bottle so you’re not contributing to plastic pollution!)
And pack a snack! Make no mistake, this hike is a workout if you take it all the way to Big Spring and back. Eight of the ten miles are spent walking on uneven river rocks, and half of those miles you’ll be walking upstream, so expect to be done for the day afterward. We left the trail overjoyed but exhausted and had one of those downright heavenly post-hike meals in town at Cafe Soleil.
Check Weather Conditions
The water level in the Narrows fluctuates greatly. When we visited in early July, most of the time the river came to our ankles, with a few small spots up to waist-deep. Summer brings low water levels, but also the risk of flash floods. Be sure to check the weather forecast and condition updates before you set foot on the trail – it may be clear skies in Zion but a storm upriver could mean a life-threatening flood.
Check the water temperature, too, so that you make sure to come dressed appropriately. Despite hiking during a scorching summer day, we found ourselves a bit chilly with our feet in the cold river, in the shade of the canyon walls early in the morning. Layers are always a good idea! Zion Outfitter, where we picked up our gear the day before our hike, had daily water temp and flash flood risk posted, and weather information is also displayed in the Zion shuttle line.
Start your Zion Narrows day hike early!
No, I mean really early.
Most of Zion National Park is only accessible by shuttle buses that ferry visitors from the entrance to various points throughout the park. The first shuttle leaves from the visitors center at 6 AM, and if you’re not there to line up before it gets there, you won’t be on it. We left our car in the parking lot at 5:30 AM and were among the first in line, but a crowd showed up within minutes. If we’d been just a little later, we would have had to wait for the next one.
Of course, another shuttle will come along every 6-15 minutes (you can check the shuttle schedule here), but that just means there’s a busload full of people who may have beat you to the Narrows. When our alarm went off the morning of our hike at a horrific hour, we both looked at each other like, Are we seriously doing this? But we’re so incredibly glad we did.
Catching the first shuttle and making good time down the first mile of the hike (which is paved) meant that we had the Narrows completely to ourselves for most of the hike in. The feeling of walking through that canyon alone, listening to the river rush over the rocks as the sun began to crest the sandstone walls – it’s indescribable.
By the time we hiked back downriver the canyon was packed with people, their shouts echoing off the walls, kids leaping off of rocks into the deeper pools, and everybody angling to get a shot without a dozen strangers in the frame (impossible). We felt so incredibly grateful for the privilege of having a few short hours when the Narrows belonged only to us.
Ethical travel tip: Recognize the Indigenous peoples of the lands you’re traveling on! In Zion National Park, they’re the Southern Paiute.
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