Zion National Park: A Wanderers Guide

In the southwest corner of Utah, Zion National Park covers 229 square-miles. It is one of the most well-known national parks in Utah and in the country. It has more than 35 hiking trails, cliffs towering more than 2,000 feet above the canyon floor, and more species of plants than the Hawaiian Islands.

I came to Zion on a Utah-Arizona road trip – check out the other places to see on your journey!

The first stop should be to the Visitor’s Center to grab a map and catch the shuttle to the following destination.

Wade Through the Narrows

The highlight of Zion National Park was the Narrows. As the name suggests, this gorge is the narrowest section of Zion Canyon where the Virgin River weaves its way through rock walls thousands of feet up in the air. Areas of the river get as narrow as 20 feet wide.

Tip: Make sure you rent some waterproof booties (if you don’t have any already) and a walking stick before you trek the Narrows, you’ll need it. Make sure you grab your gear and are ready to start first thing in the morning.

Zion has a convenient shuttle to get you around the park. We grabbed the first one at 7:00 to beat the crowd. It can get very crowded so the earlier the better.

The Narrows starts with the 1-mile Riverside Walk on a paved trail. After the paving ends, the real experience begins. The first bit was dry because the water was a bit lower than other times of the year. After about 20 minutes walking in-between the rocky behemoths on the left and right, our feet start to get wet.

As we wade through the water, the rocky walls on either side are like skyscrapers, thousands of feet up. Water levels change day to day depending on rainfall and snowmelt. The water levels can determine how far you can go down and how difficult it is. You could definitely find yourself wading through waist-deep waters, if you want.

Get Scared Angels Landing

If you’re up for a challenge, not afraid of heights and want some incredible views, head to the 5-mile, strenuous Angels Landing hike- the most adrenaline pumping hike in Zion National Park. Grab the shuttle at the visitor center and get off at stop 6 – Grotto. It’s partially paved, but the last bit gets about 4 feet wide, and you’ll find some steep zig-zag steps to reach Scout’s Lookout. There’re chains to grab onto in some areas, guard-rails, and carved steps to help you get through. With cliffs on both sides, it’s not for kids and not for the faint of heart. Bring lots of water, snacks and sunscreen.

Starting April 2022, permits are required for Angels Landing due to its popularity. Go to the National Parks Service website for the permit and for more info about hiking Angels Landing.

See Observation Point

If you’ve seen a panoramic of Zion National Park, it was probably from Observation Point. The 8-mile hike (4 there, 4 back) takes you 2,100 feet up mostly paved pathways, then back down. It’s not as strenuous as Angel’s Landing, but it is still ranked strenuous.

Get Not as Scared at Hidden Canyon

A less known (meaning less crowded) and good addition to the Observation Point hike is Hidden Canyon. This 3-mile, moderate hike starts at the Weeping Rock Trailhead and gives you some of the cliff-side hiking adrenaline you get at Angel’s Landing, with less risk. But if you’re afraid of heights, skip this one.

Stroll Riverside Trail

An easy hike! Take the shuttle to stop 9 – The Temple of Sinawava. This 2.2-mile hike takes you along a river with different spots to access it.

Hike the Emerald Pools

The Emerald Pools hike takes you along a stream that collects in 3 different pools, the lower, middle and upper. You can choose to hike to either or all of the pools; it’s 2.5 miles to hit all three. To get there, take the shuttle to the Historic Zion Lodge, it’s directly across from the lodge.

If you’ve been to Zion National Park, let me know what I missed in the comments!

Want more U.S. National Parks? Check out my itineraries!