If you’re flying to visit Zion National Park, there are a few airport options:
This week-long itinerary included The Mighty 5 National Parks (Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion), Dead Horse Point State Park, kayaking, horseback riding, and canyoneering. You can find the full details here.
Our morning began with horseback riding at Bryce Canyon National Park. After our rainy ride and changing into dry clothes, we made the 1.5-hour drive to Zion National Park.
When we arrived at Zion, we drove to the Visitor Center to park (most trailheads in Zion are only accessible by shuttle bus). It was a Wednesday, so parking was easy. If you go on a weekend or during high season, its unlikely that you’ll find parking in the afternoon. Once on the shuttle, we rode to the Emerald Pools stop, which is right in front of the Zion Lodge. We hiked the lower, middle, and upper pools. This is a beautiful and very popular hike, so be patient on the narrow parts.
Alltrails stats for Emerald Pools: Length – 3 mi; Elevation Gain – 620 ft; Route Type – Loop; Difficulty – Moderate
After our hike, we checked into our Airbnb and had dinner at Meme’s Cafe.
Our next day plans were up in the air due to the rain at Bryce Canyon. The rain created possible flash flooding conditions in Zion so The Narrows ended up being closed for the day, but we didn’t know that until we arrived and spoke to a Ranger. We opted for the Angel’s Landing hike that morning instead. A permit is required to hike Angel’s Landing. You can apply in the seasonal lottery or the day-before lottery.
Of all the videos you watch about Angel’s Landing, they mostly show the parts that are very narrow and have a chain built-in so that you have something to hold onto. But no one mentions the switchbacks to get to Scout Lookout before the chains begin! Getting from the viewpoint to the actual landing was easy after the 1,400 feet of elevation gain on the switchback part of the trail.
While out on the landing, watch out for the chipmunks! They are super cute and sweet but I kept worrying that I was going to trip on one.
Alltrails stats for Angels Landing: Length – 4.3 mi; Elevation Gain – 1,827 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Hard
After the hike, we left the park and had a late breakfast / early lunch at Deep Creek Coffee Company and then waited for our canyoneering guide to pick us up!
Canyoneering was so much fun and I would do it again. Our guide did all of the work, and we got to enjoy repelling down 40, 60, 80, and 100-foot rocks on a beautiful day. He recommended Bit & Spur for dinner and we were glad we followed that recommendation!
The next morning, The Narrows trail was open! We left our Airbnb at 6:15 AM both mornings (the first shuttles start running at 6:00 AM). The Narrows is the last stop on the shuttle route. Once you arrive, there is a 1-mile walk to where you enter the water. After that, you can go as far as you’d like. The total length (Top Down) is 15.5 miles. We went about 2 miles in after the Riverwalk and turned around at that point, for a total of about 6 miles to and from the shuttle.
Depending on the time of year, you’ll need different gear. With warm temperatures, we were comfortable in shorts and long sleeves. There are several places right outside of the park entrance where you can rent waterproof boots, but we opted to wear our regular hiking shoes.
Alltrails stats for The Narrows (Top Down): Length – 16.1 mi; Elevation Gain – 2,076 ft; Route Type – Point to Point; Difficulty – Hard
Alltrails stats for The Narrows (Riverside Walk): Length – 1.9 mi; Elevation Gain – 193 ft; Route Type – Out & Back – Difficulty – Easy
Alltrails has 250 trails listed for Zion National Park:
64 have a review rating of 4.5+
