Hiking The Narrows in Zion
A first-timer's guide to hiking The Narrows — the bottom-up day hike, gear rentals, flash-flood safety, and the best season to go.
Hiking The Narrows in Zion
The Narrows is a hike in the Virgin River — you wade, and sometimes swim, through a soaring slot canyon where the walls close to 20–30 feet apart and rise a thousand feet. It's one of Zion's signature experiences, about an hour from St. George.
Bottom-up (no permit)
- Ride the shuttle to the last stop, Temple of Sinawava, then walk the paved Riverside Walk one mile to the river
- From there you hike upstream as far as you like and turn around — many go to Wall Street and back
- No permit is required for this day-hike section
Top-down is a 16-mile through-hike that does require a wilderness permit.
Know before you go
- Flash floods are deadly — check the forecast and the park's flash-flood potential every day; the canyon closes when the river runs high
- Spring runoff often closes the Narrows into early summer; late summer through fall is prime
- Gear matters: most hikers rent canyoneering boots, neoprene socks, and a sturdy walking stick (or a drysuit in cold months) from outfitters in Springdale
- The water is cold and the rocks are slick — go slow
Even an hour upstream is worth the trip.