The Narrows is one of the most well-known hikes in Zion National Park. It is also one of the more unique hikes. The path consists of walking through a narrowing canyon (hence the name). This canyon was made by the Virgin River, and during most of the hike, you are trekking in the river upstream. The beauty and grand nature of the canyon make this hike a must-do to any Zion National Park Itinerary. The unique hiking situation only adds to the experience and accomplishment felt at the end of the hike. The following is a guide to hiking The Narrows at Zion National Park including an overview of the hike, how to get to the trailhead, and what equipment is necessary to make the hike successful.
Hike Profile
The Zion Narrows hike will stand out as it is very unique compared to most other hikes that you may have done. The hike starts at the furthest point north of the visitor center on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. From the trailhead here, hikers must take the 1-mile Riverside Walk to the entrance to The Narrows. The Riverside Walk is a paved and maintained trail that runs alongside the Virgin River. The hike is fairly easy; however, most people embarking on this hike don’t realize there is a 1-mile trek from the shuttle stop to the real start of The Narrows. The Narrow is an out-and-back style hike meaning that visitors walk out and back to the start on the same path. However, this is a great hike for anyone since the total distance is solely dependent on how far each hiker wants to go. Visitors are able to turn back at any point in the hike.
The Gateway to Orderville Canyon
At the end of the Riverside Walk is the “Gateway to The Narrows”. This rocky shoreline provides a nice spot for hikers to prepare to enter the water. During popular travel times, there will be a large gathering of people here. Many regroup here before heading into The Narrows or wait for party members when exiting. It is at this point that you will have your first entrance into the water. While there are several riverside banks that can be walked on during the early portion of the hike, the initial entrance into the water is required at the Gateway to The Narrows.
The first three miles are spent between winding canyon walls. The vast majority of this portion of the hike is between ankle and shin depth. With that being said, deeper pools can be found in the river. These are great if you need to cool off, but make sure to use your hiking stick to find and avoid these if you aren’t wanting to go for a full swim. At the end of the 3-mile journey upstream, hikers will arrive at Orderville Canyon. The average hiker takes between 1.5 and 2 hours to get to this junction.
Orderville Canyon
Orderville Canyon joins Zion Canyon from the right. Hikers can go up Orderville Canyon if they desire. This very narrow slot canyon has some great scenery. However, be prepared as Orderville Canyon can get much deeper than Zion Canyon at many points. Hikers will need to swim across deep pools and scramble over rocks to make it up this fork. Orderville Canyon becomes impassible approximately 0.5 miles away from the fork with the Virgin River at a waterfall.
Many will choose to turn around at the fork with Orderville Canyon. This fork is about two hours into the hike, and a return trip of two hours would be required from this point. If hikers only want a half-day journey, this is the appropriate turnaround point. For those wanting to go further or make a full day hike of The Narrows, continue up the Virgin River canyon.
Wall Street
The next section of The Narrows is very famous and goes by the nickname “Wall Street”. The name comes from the sheer vertical and very high canyon sides that appear as walls. It is highly recommended that hikers see some of this section of The Narrows. Except at the mid-point of the day, the bottom of this part of the canyon sees very little sunlight. After hiking a few minutes into the Wall Street section of The Narrows, the crowds will significantly thin. If hikers are running short on time, this is an appropriate location to turn around as you have seen the grandest sights The Narrows have to offer. However, if you want to hike The Narrows without as many people around continue north in the Virgin River.
The Wall Street section extends for approximately one mile. At the end of the mile, the walls start to become shorter and the canyon starts to open up again. At this point, hikers are about one mile from Big Springs. Big Springs is a fern-covered waterfall that marks the furthest point allowable for bottom-up day hikers. Big Springs is located a total of five miles from the Temple of Sinawava bus stop. Most will need four hours to get to this point. Zion National Park requires everyone to turn around here and return to the trailhead at Temple of Sinawava to exit. Therefore, those who hike to Big Springs are in for a day of at least eight hours of hiking when taking the return into account. For even more detailed information on this hike and other reviews, use the AllTrails app.
Accessing the Trailhead
All-day hikes of The Narrows from the bottom start at the Temple of Sinawava bus stop. The temple is not an actual temple but rather the opening to the narrowing canyon. The Temple of Sinawava is located at the northernmost terminus of Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. As with all other stops on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive in the summer, a park shuttle is the only method of access. These shuttles can be boarded at the Zion National Park Visitor Center in Springdale, UT. The journey from the visitor center to the Temple of Sinawava stop is about 25 minutes. Without taking the shuttle, the nearest public parking is a little over 6 miles. Therefore, I highly recommend taking the shuttle.
A quick note on permits: A permit is not required for this hike if you are starting from the Temple of Sinawava. Zion National Park requires permits for hikers and backpackers who start at the northernmost end of The Narrows above Big Springs.
Equipment for Hike
The following is a list of equipment and preparation suggested for day hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park. Everyone chooses to hike differently, but these are my personal tips after doing the hike myself:
- Water Shoes/Boots
- Water Appropriate Socks
- Hiking Stick(s)
- Quick-Dry Clothing
- Water
- Snacks/Lunch
- Water Proof Bag
Clothing/Shoes
You will constantly be in the water so I suggest quick-dry clothing. During the beginning of the hike, hikers are exposed to the sun. However, after about the first 45 minutes of hiking, the sun no longer becomes an issue due to the large canyon walls.
The majority of people on this hike will wear a boot made for walking in water. There isn’t anything too special about the boots except that they dry quickly and don’t retain water. Any boot that wouldn’t be damaged by water and has some vents to let water in and out would work. That being said, you should wear boots. Sandals like Chacos or Crocs don’t give you the same support on the uneven river bottom and protection from sharp rocks.
Neoprene socks are by far the most popular socks on this trail which is what the outfitters provide. Neoprene socks are designed to get wet and retain water. The primary feature of retaining the water is to let your body warm the water in the sock, which will preserve your body’s heat (rather than water from the river continuously running through your socks which would pull away heat). Other water-appropriate socks (such as wool) will work as well. However, please do not wear cotton socks. Cotton is not made for getting wet.
Other Personal Equipment
The bottom of the Virgin River is rocky and uneven. A hiking stick or two is a huge help in navigating the river. Make sure the hiking sticks are sturdy. It would be easy for one of the thinner, fiberglass versions to get caught between two rocks and break on the river bottom.
A wet bag or other waterproof bag is recommended for anyone taking this trail. While the water level seldom gets above thigh height, there are locations where it can get up to one’s chest. In addition, there is always the possibility of tripping and falling into the water. For all the above reasons, it is helpful to have a waterproof bag to hold all the valuables that can’t get wet.
The Narrows hike will take all day if you choose to go as far as Big Springs. Bring plenty of water for that amount of time. It is recommended to bring two-three liters of water per person. Depending on how long your group plans to hike, make sure to bring snacks and/or lunch to enjoy at a pit stop along the way too.
Equipment Outfitters
Many will read the above equipment list and wonder if they need to buy all this equipment to enjoy The Narrows. The vast majority of people won’t have shoes and socks appropriate for water. More people are likely to have hiking sticks, but there will be a large percentage of the population without those as well. If you plan to do a lot of water-based hikes and would use the equipment three to four times over its lifetime, purchasing these items makes financial sense. However, if doing these specialized hikes is a rare occurrence for you, consider picking them up from an outfitter.
There are many outfitters in Springdale that offer rental packages for this equipment. The equipment offered is generally pretty similar so there isn’t much differentiation here. The only real differences are the price and location of the outfitter. During the summer, all outfitters will offer shoes/boots, neoprene socks, and a hiking stick as a package. I have only found a $3 – $5/package difference in the price between outfitters. At the time of writing, the cheapest option is about $29, and the most expensive is $32. For that little of a difference in price, I would recommend going to the most convenient outfitter.
What Outfitter to Use?
If one of the cheap outfitters is near your lodging, go there on the way to the park. If none of those are nearby, I recommend going to Zion Outfitter. Zion Outfitter is located at the gate of Zion National Park. This is very convenient since most will be parking at the visitor center. A simple 5-minute walk from the Zion Visitor Center parking lot across the main pedestrian bridge will place you in front of Zion Outfitter.
Getting the rental package takes about 10 – 15 minutes to get the correct size shoe, fill out the liability waiver paperwork, and pay. Zion Outfitter opens at 7 AM. This will be early enough for most, but if you want to get an earlier start or beat the morning rush at the shuttles, Zion Outfitter will allow you to pick up the gear the night before at no additional charge. Simply come to Zion Outfitter after 4 PM but before closing to pick up the gear for the next day.
Safety
Finally, it’s worth reviewing some safety tips associated with hiking the Narrows. As the Narrows is a small canyon, it will naturally be the place that water wants to go when it rains or there is significant ice melt. This means that the Narrows will flood at times like this. It is a good idea to check the water level and forecast before going on this hike. The park visitor center and many of the outfitters will have boards that provide updates on the current conditions at the Narrows. Visiting the US Geological Service website for the North Fork of the Virgin River is also a great way to see current and historical water levels.
In addition to monitoring the water conditions yourself, the park rangers also monitor the conditions at the Narrows. The trailhead is closed when water flow is above 150 cubic feet per second. The Narrows is also closed when the National Weather Service issues a flash flood warning. In the case of flash flood warnings, the Narrows will remain closed for two days after the warning is issued. While closures are inconvenient for your trip, safety needs to be the number one priority. The canyon provides little to no protection from floods and there isn’t much a rescue group could do until the water subsides. Please enjoy the Narrows responsibly.
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