Angels Landing & The Narrows – Adventuring through Zion National Park
Steep climbs, racing hearts, aggressive switchbacks, vertical drop-offs, breathtaking views, and a hiker’s determination.
Angels Landing is one of the most exhilarating hikes in the United States.
The Narrows is a hiking trail that’s flowing with a river for most of it’s 16 mile stretch.
For someone who loves a good workout but hasn’t done too many hikes in their life (ah-hem, that’s me), this one was definitely a battle.
Adventuring through The Narrows the day after hiking Angels Landing was such a refreshing way to experience a few of Zion’s coolest hikes. I documented a good portion of our trip and I am excited to share it with you!
[Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.]
Details of Angels Landing:
- The trail was cut into solid rock in 1926, creating one of the world’s most popular hikes.
- It is 5.4 miles in its entirety, from base to peak and back.
- Peak elevation: 5,790 feet. (Over 1,400 feet of elevation gain while climbing.)
- Includes 5 trail sections: The Grotto Picnic area (trail-head), Refrigerator Canyon, Walter’s Wiggles, Scout Lookout, and finally, the Ridge of Angels Landing.
- The section called Walter’s Wiggles intimidates hikers with a crazy amount of switchbacks! (21 in total!)
- 1,000 foot drops-offs on either side of you during the 1/2 mile climb up to the peak.
- Once at the peak, daring hikers will be rewarded with a 360-view of Zion Canyon.
Hiking Angels Landing for the first time
My husband (along with my father-in-law and a good family friend of ours) decided to make it a tradition to head to Utah’s Zion National Park every summer. This was their sixth year making the trip, and I was so excited to join them this year for my first time!
[I went into this trip with some kind of sinus infection, which made my breathing sound like Darth Vader for the whole hike. (No joke, my lungs were screaming the whole time!) It was NOT an easy climb, but I pushed through and eventually made it to the top!]
When you first come into the park, you walk over the the tram stop and wait for the next shuttle bus to pick you up. (They come and go pretty frequently, so don’t panic if you miss the first one you see). Angels Landing is located at the Grotto, which is stop #6 on the route.
I sat on the left side of the shuttle so I would get a nice view of the canyon as it made it’s stops along the road. Once we got to our stop, we filled our reusable bottles one more time and headed across the bridge to begin our hike!
I was nervous about the climb, but I was looking forward to the views at the top! (FYI: There are multiple water-filling stations all over the park, so take advantage! You’ll definitely need more than one water bottle to stay hydrated during this hike. My Nalgene worked great for me because I was able to have plenty of water with me, and I never wasted a single-use plastic bottle!)
Crossing the Bridge
The beginning of the trail is a fairly simple walk in soft dirt, and from there, you can see the top of Angels Landing ahead of you.
Refrigerator Canyon
I don’t want to discourage you by saying this, but it is literally an uphill battle once you get to the paved area of the trail. Your next point of relief is about half way up the path, where you reach the section known as Refrigerator Canyon.
This section got the name ‘Refrigerator Canyon’ because it is typically shaded all year round, providing a nice, cool area to get a break from all of the sunlight. Fortunately, this section is also fairly flat. (That was great news while it lasted!)
When you’re not enjoying the shade of this canyon, you will absolutely need some sun protection. Earthley’s all-natural Sun Shield is my FAVORITE, and I use it anytime I’m out in the sun for longer periods of time. Not only does it work great for protection against free radical damage, it smells nice and it’ll hardly take up any room in your backpack. I promise you, I wouldn’t recommend a product that I don’t trust. This stuff is amazing!
One more tip for while you’re in this canyon… if you listen closely while making your way along this part of the trail, you might hear some cool birds or other wildlife down in the canyon below!
I’ve heard that there used to be signs posted to encourage hikers to lower their voices here, in an attempt to keep a quieter environment for the local Owls and other wildlife. Unfortunately, we didn’t see those signs this time.
I was either too focused on making it to the shade and I didn’t notice them, or they have been removed for one reason or another. Regardless, you still want to be respectful of the native wildlife that call the canyon their home!
Walter’s Wiggles
This next section is the last major uphill battle that leads you to Scout Lookout. It is comprised of 21 steep, sharp-turning switchbacks which ascend to a scenic plateau.
Walter wasn’t messing around with the wiggles, that’s for sure.
My advice would be to take steady breaks of 15-20 seconds at the curve of every 3-4 switchbacks. Just pace yourself, and do what you need to do. If you’re anything like my husband, you might not need to take breaks. But he’s kind of a superhuman when it comes to hiking, so it’s a whole different story for him. 🙂
So whether you paced yourself or you sprinted up the curves, you’ve made it to the top! (Kind of…)
Scout Lookout
Here at Scout Lookout, you’ll find bathrooms (if they’re working on that particular day), and a flat gathering point for hikers to make pit stops. Since this is the last stop before heading to the peak, many hikers will make this their farthest point before turning around to head back down the hill.
From here, several other trails and roads can be seen down below. The views are impressive!
If you wish to journey farther, you’ll be on your way to reaching the peak.
California Condors can be spotted soaring near the cliffs of the canyon, and Scout Lookout is a great place to try to see some for yourself! For some more info regarding the newest Condor Chick in Zion, check out the link below from Saint George News!
Angels Landing – Getting to the Peak
This next stretch of the hike is only a little over half a mile one-way, but it is by far the most treacherous.
You will be climbing on the rocky narrow ridge of the trail, with 1,000 foot plummets on either side of you. At this point some might say, “Don’t look down”.
For extra grip, there are anchored support chains attached along most sections of the sandstone ridge. This comes in handy for beginner and seasoned hikers alike, but it can get tricky when the trail is busy. Be kind and courteous of everyone around you, and work together as much as possible. (You might even make some new friends while you’re at it!)
As I said before, this was my very first time hiking this trail. At first, it’s a little hard to figure out where to put your feet before taking your next step. But once you get the hang of it, things will go much smoother. After you get over the fact that you’re practically rock climbing 1,000 feet in the air, things get fun! Fellow hikers will tell you how close you are, reminding you that you’ve come so far and that you’re doing great. (On your way down, feel free to return the favor!)
I know the views can be intimidating, but just keep your focus and pay attention to what you’re doing. One careless slip of the foot could mean bad news for you or someone next to you. They don’t call it dangerous for nothing!
You know you’re close when you pass a shaded tree that’s providing much needed coverage for tired hikers. Just a few more minutes and you’ll reach the top!
[One quick thing to take note of is the Chipmunks that live on the ridge. Although they are totally adorable, it is in their best interest that you don’t feed them. They are fearless little dudes and they’re not afraid to scurry right up to you to steal a snack from your hand or to climb into a bag of food that’s leaning on the ground next to your backpack. There is a $100 fine for feeding the animals, and multiple signs are posted along the trail. Take all the pictures you want, but please don’t feed the wildlife!]
And finally, you have made it to the peak of Angels Landing. The 360 degree view of Zion National Park is a beautiful reward for conquering such a treacherous hike. It’s just incredible!
It took me a minute or two (or 6 or 7) to catch my breath and to wipe the sweat off of my face before taking it all in. As painful as the hike can be, the feeling you get at the top is unlike any other. I had a mix of emotions, especially thoughts like “Wow, I can’t believe I made it!” & “How in the world am I getting down from here?!”
Bring some lunch (or snacks), lots of extra water, a sweat rag, and enjoy yourself at the top for a little while before making your way back down the trail.
If you bring food along with you to eat at the top, DON’T FORGET to bring an extra bag for your trash! There are no trash cans on the trail, so plan accordingly and make sure to pack your trash out with you.
Making Your Descent
The hike back down is actually a lot easier than it might seem as you’re climbing up. You still want to take your time to prevent a fall or injury, but momentum and gravity will naturally speed you up. Before you know it, you’ll be back down at the base of the trail, and your first stop should be the bottle refill station.
I was so exhausted by the end of the hike, I didn’t think all of the water in the world could satisfy my level of thirst. But I survived, and was able to fill my bottle up again before catching the shuttle back to the visitor’s center.
The feeling of accomplishment was so great for me, and even though I said I would never hike it again (which were during the most exhausting parts of the hike), I have a feeling that I’ll be determined to do it again the next time we’re in Zion.
Now that you read all about our hike up Angels Landing, I’ll tell you a bit about what we did on our second day in Zion – The Narrows.
The Narrows
- One of the narrowest hikes in Zion, with walls upwards of a thousand feet tall. (The scenery is incredible!)
- There is no continuous dirt trail, which means you’ll be walking through the Virgin River. (It can be 20-30 feet wide at some points!)
- Most of the time you’ll be knee-deep in water, but some parts are waist-deep, and there are also some great spots for taking a nice swim!
- Difficulty Level: easy – strenuous.
- Absolute must-have for this hike: Sturdy shoes that you don’t mind getting wet. If you don’t have your own, they can be rented at the Visitor’s Center. (I wore my old water shoes, and they worked great for me.)
- Highly Recommended: a walking stick, which can also be rented. We used our homemade recycled PVC pipe walking sticks, and everyone seemed to get a kick out of them! They worked out great, though!
Getting there
The shuttle will take you to stop #9, The Temple of Sinawava. From there, you will make the walk to the entrance of the Narrows. It’s about one mile on a flat, mostly paved sidewalk.
And just like that, you’re in the water! It’s pretty cold when you first step in, but you quickly acclimate to it. The trail itself goes back as far as 16 miles, but chances are, you’ll only venture back a few miles, which is what we did. After hiking for a while, you’ll hit a fork in the river, which is a great resting spot to rehydrate and have a snack. (Again, don’t forget to bring a bag for your trash!)
I recommend using a walking stick to help you navigate over the large rocks present throughout your hike. Remember that you’re walking through a river! This will help you to keep your balance, and you can also use it to check the depth of the water in front of you when it gets harder to see the bottom!
Tip for a first timer: If you have a good quality camera and you want to take pictures during the hike, my biggest suggestion would be to make sure you have a reliable water-proof camera bag with you. I packed my camera for the trip, but I left it at the hotel during this hike for fear of getting it wet.
Now that I know what to expect, I’m going to bring my camera with me next time. As long as you’re careful, you (and your camera) will be fine!
I absolutely loved this hike, and I can’t wait to do it again soon. The views of the canyon walls are spectacular, and it’s such a refreshing experience making your way through the Virgin river throughout the majority of this hike.
Were these two hikes reasonable to fit into my short time in Zion?
Yes, yes, YES!! I was definitely sore after conquering Angles Landing on Thursday, but since The Narrows is mainly a flat walk (with the exception of some bigger rocks along the way), it was totally do-able.
Since we only had two full days in Zion, we didn’t get to explore the other stops in the park, but it wont be long before we go back to adventure some more!
Zion is an amazing place that I would recommend to everyone. Regardless of your hiking ability, there is still plenty to experience and you won’t regret it.
Time to plan your trip so you can check this National Park off of your travel bucket list!
Have you ever been to Zion National Park? Were you one of the brave hikers who made it to the top of Angels Landing? Have you made your way through chilly waters of The Narrows? Leave a comment below to share about your experience!
Loved your Zion blog! That’s one of my favorite places!!