The Narrows

I was hesitant when I heard about the Narrows. I mean hiking through a river meant we would need to bring extra items on our first trip to Zion. It was SO WORTH IT! Hiked it on a day that the afternoon temps hit 104 degrees, so the cool water felt great. Our family, including 2 teens, all agreed we would do this one again and all recommend it. Take or rent: one hiking pole and shoes that can get wet. We also took waterproof phone pouches so our phones could be used for taking photos, a dry sack for snacks, water and clothes that could get wet. Take the minimum and have fun!

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“ Amazing water hike!”

Alex W (94 reviews)

We went in July so the park was pretty full. We tried to take the first bus at 6am but there was already a long line and we did not get into a bus until about 7am especially since buses are not as frequent in the early morning hours.

The water is cold but it was not very deep. The deepest we had to cross was slightly above waist for our 8 year old. Keep in mind that it can be cold in the canyon since you are hiking in the shade most of the time.

There were lots of people but most turn around at Orderville Canyon which is about 2.5 miles from the shuttle stop. I would recommend hiking another 0.5 mile so that you can enjoy Wall Street with very few people. Definitely hike in the early morning as it was a total traffic jam on our way back with hundreds and hundreds of people on the river.

Bring a hat, sunscreen, long-sleeve hiking shirt, and plenty of water. We hiked with the NRS 0.5 wet socks, water shoes and hiking stick. The current can be strong at some places so the hiking stick really helps.

Hiking the Narrows has been on my husband's bucketlist for a while, so when we made a family trip to Zion (hubs, daughter and I) he insisted on it. We rented canyoneering shoes, neoprene sock and a hiking stick for us all the evening before we set out. ($23/each at Zion Adventure Co in town) also a dry bag for our daughter's digita 35mm camera Totally worth it. The water is murky and changes depth frequently, you have no idea where you are stepping. The stick helps check things out and keep your balance. The socks are like feet wetsuits and the shoes keeps your toes safe. We all have sport sandals and we saw alot of people wearing them, however, we also saw alot of people running their toes into things and wearing your Nikes (also saw alot of that) is just sad and uncomfortable, wet socks. ew. We also wore swim shorts and tank tops for comfort, with sunscreen and hats. We arrived early 7:30-ish but the shuttle line was huge, so we had to wait. Wasn't too bad, but we didn't start as early as we had hoped. We we arrived at shuttle stop 9 (the last one) we made the paved mile walk in about 20 minutes (this is NOT the Narrows, it is only a river walk) not a difficult walk. At the end are a few steps, then into the river and the actual Narrows. There were plenty of people heading out when we arrived, but we were ready to go and started out right away. We were all very happy to have our comfortable socks, shoes and the sticks. We all thought they made our hike easier and more enjoyable. We packed ALOT of water, actually more than we drank, but we saw many hiking with just a small water bottle from a case you can buy at a store. We had plans to go to Wall Street, and didn't want to be thirsty. We also packed a lunch and snacks, highly recommended it you plan on going very far. It was nice to take a break when we made it to Wall Street for lunch and relaxing. As you go up the narrows, the scenery is beautiful. My daughter was constantly reaching for her camera. The water on July 3rd never reached above my hips, but I know it can change from day to day and a couple of places were deeper, but there were alternative routes. As we went further up the river, the number of people diminished sharply, there was often only a handful of us around which definitely made it more enjoyable. On the way back however, the number of people increased dramatically, so that by the time we were almost to the start, it was crazy busy! I would highly recommend starting in the morning, it's cool, there is lots of shade and we thought the canyon walls were much prettier in the morning light than the afternoon. Not to mention all the people that can intrude on your enjoyment. We started up the Narrows at about 9:45am and returned about 3:30pm. We weren't super slow, we didn't rush, we took alot of picture stops. The last bit is quite a slog because of all the people, the sun, and basically you're just ready to be done! Absolutely beautiful, fun and worth every step. So glad we did it. Take lots of water and rent some equipment, you won't regret it!!

“ Crowded but beautiful! Footwear recommendations below!”

Laura F (13 reviews)

Our family of four, (husband, myself, and two boys ages 8 and 10) hiked bottom up one Thursday morning in late June. We started the hike, actually setting foot in the river about 8:45am. The day we went the flow was about 50-55 CFS. Temps were hotter than usual that week, but the morning was still cool. We all hiked in the closed toe Keen sandals and each had one REI collapsible hiking pole and did just fine! We saw many other people with the rented boots, socks and sticks. The river was pretty cool, but not cold enough to warrant the neoprene socks - in June anyway. I do definitely recommend some type of hiking pole/stick and a shoe that protects your toes! Even starting the hike before 9am it was still crowded. We did not make it to Wall Street - we hiked up for about 2 hours at leisurely pace and turned back as our boys were getting tired. It was still a beautiful hike and our favorite of the trip. A side note on the shuttle: from our experience the two days we visited, if you do not get to the visitor's center by 6am you will wait in line for a shuttle for 20-30 minutes or longer. We arrived one day at 6:40am and waited to get on shuttle about 30 minutes, the next day arrived 7am and waited about 45 minutes. This was on a Thursday and Friday morning.

“ Great trail. ”

Bella71486 (59 reviews)

This is a paved and pretty EZ Trail. It's just slightly over a mile there and a mile back. It could even be done by someone in a wheelchair if they had plenty of arm power behind them. This is a great way to explore the canyon floor and look up and see the beauty of these Majestic rocks as you're walking. The river is on one side and the Cliff face is on the other. At the end of the pavement there is water and a pool so if you'd like to go swimming make sure you bring a change of clothes because you can hardly not be tempted by the water. If you can't do any of the more strenuous hikes this is the one you should see it's not to be missed.

“ An awesome hike with friends”

Dev_undone (8 reviews)

I visited the narrows with my friends. We were group of ten. We followed Bottom up hike. We started the hiking at 3:00 pm so could not complete the entire stretch as it needed at least 6 hours both the ways. We did it half and returned as the last shuttle time is 9:15 pm. We visited the narrows in the month of July, so the water was not that cold. I would recommend to get the hiking gear (shoes etc.) from the rental shop near the visitor center at the entrance of Zion national park. These gears are not compulsory but will make your hike much easier. Now regarding the hike. The difficulty level of the hike is easy and doesn't need much training or expertise. The view while hiking the river is awesome, you will see different canyon structures formed by Virgin river. Be careful as the water level is deep at some places. Overall a very nice hike. Can be enjoyed more if you are with a group of friends or family.

“ Hike you will always remember ”

Suzanne E (33 reviews)

Burlington, North Carolina

Beautiful scenery is the backdrop for this hike in the water. We did it on a warm day and did not rent water shoes or walking sticks. We had tevas and chaccos and did just fine. Bring a light lunch and eat on a rock. Be prepared for crowds for a good two miles - then it gets lighter. We started at 10.30am and finished around 5.30pm. It is so enjoyable and loved every minute of it. Would definitely do it again.

“ Gorgeous but CROWDED!”

G2557MGjenniferj (51 reviews)

We knew ahead of time that you need to start hiking the narrows early in the day. However, nothing can prepare you for the craziness of hundreds of people lumbering through this water hike. We rolled the dice and found a parking spot just outside of the entrance to the road the shuttle takes you back to trailhead around 7a.m. This put us at shuttle stop 3 inside the park and saved us a TON of time. We jumped on the already crowded shuttle that was standing room only. Our family of 5 with kids ages 17, 13, and 9 held onto the metal poles. As we continued to shuttle stop 9 to hike the narrows, the bus became worse than a NYC Subway. At one point two people who were in the stairwell refused to move and the driver kept telling them to get off the bus, but they tried to hide and sit on the steps. she told them that she could still see them and they finally got off and waited for the next shuttle. We held on through 5 more grueling stops where some people got off to hike other trails and more people tried to enter. The whole ordeal lasted 30 minutes. It was like being on a Disney bus. We tried to stay positive as we got off the bus and started our hike. We were SO thankful that we didn't wait even one more minute. At 7:40 a.m. it was already packed. We did not rent any shoes. We wore water shoes and were just fine. We packed snacks and water in a small backpack that my husband wore. As we stopped to take a photo, we looked behind us and were cracking up because it looked like a zombie movie where hundreds of people were lumbering through the water slowing coming towards us. We walked to Wall Street and decided to head back. It didn't really feel like you were in nature when you are surrounded by so many people. The way back was pretty bad. any trail on land was completely soaked, muddy and slippery. people were not really polite as we were heading the opposite direction as them. I think this would be a fantastic hike once school begins. I don't regret hiking it. but I think that the crowds make you feel like you are in a water park and not in a national park.

Questions & Answers

“ I am thinking of flying into Las Vegas and then driving to. ”

Two and a half hours- three. We have done.

“ Hello! I want to plan a trip to zion in mid June. Is that a. ”

If you're physically fit, try Angel's.

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