Zion National Park has quickly become one of the most popular national parks in the country. Although almost all national parks have seen an increase in attendance over the past decade, Zion’s location (just 160 miles from Las Vegas) and beautiful geography has rocketed it to the fourth most visited park in 2018. With over 4 million visitors a year, the park can feel very crowded, especially in the summer months. However, with some planning you can still have an amazing experience!

Hiking the Narrows

There was really just one thing our family HAD to do in Zion, and that was to hike the Narrows. The Virgin River flows through Zion Canyon, creating a beautiful gorge with thousand foot walls. The narrowest part of this gorge has been aptly named The Narrows, and it is one of the most popular locations in the park. This hike is unique because the river is the trail. Hikers must enter the river and wade over slippery rocks through flowing water to experience the beautiful views in the canyon. With the right equipment and preparation it can be an unforgettable experience! Here are our tips for a successful hike in the Narrows.

#1: Rent equipment

Hiking through a river can be challenging to begin with, but without the proper equipment it can be dangerous. Several outfitters in the nearby town of Springdale offer rental packages. The items and prices vary with the season, but we opted for the warm weather rental from Zion Outfitter for $25. This price included the sweet red canyon boots that the boys are wearing in the picture (they come in adult sizes, which look equally ridiculous), neoprene socks, and a hiking stick with a wrist strap. Many people try to hike the Narrows in bare feet or old sneakers, but that could easily turn into a sprained ankle. The canyon boots have a thick rubber bottom that grips the rocks and is designed for the purpose of hiking in water. They aren’t waterproof, so the water does get in and squish around as you hike. I guess this is all part of the fun though, right? At first, I didn’t think the walking sticks would be all that necessary, but after experiencing this hike, I wouldn’t go without one. They prevented so many falls and helped us keep our balance while navigating the rocks and currents. And Zion Outfitter allowed us to pick up the equipment the day before our hike without an extra fee, which helped us get an early start. I also suggest getting a waterproof case or pouch for your cell phone or camera. It allowed me to capture these photos without fear of dropping my phone into the river!

#2: Get there EARLY

I can’t emphasize this point enough. The Narrows is absolutely beautiful, but it is one of the most popular locations in the park. Because the river isn’t wide, the space for hikers is limited. We woke up at 5:00am, quickly dressed, put on our crazy canyon boots, ate a quick breakfast and grabbed our supplies. We were lucky enough to be camping in the park, so we only had a short walk to the shuttle stop at the Visitors Center. The first shuttle leaves at 6:00am. I don’t think we made it for the first one, but we were close. The ride to the Temple of Sinawava stop was about 40 minutes so we arrived a little before 7:00am. The shuttle was pretty full, even at this time of the morning, but there is a one mile walk on a paved trail to get to the start of the Narrows. We entered the Virgin River at the same time as a handful of other families. After hiking for about an hour, there were no other people in sight. For about 4 of the 6 hours that we hiked, we saw very few people. However, as we were leaving the Narrows around 1:00, hikers were shoulder to shoulder coming in. We heard someone describe it as, “more crowded than Disney World.” I heard another person say, “Can you imagine how cool this would be if we were the only ones here?!” You can! It’s possible to experience the Narrows as a quiet, solitary hike if you’re willing to lose a little sleep.

#3: Take it slow

This is a hike that is definitely more about the journey than the destination. To hike the entire Narrows is around ten miles round trip. Very few people set out to complete that, partly because walking in water isn’t easy and partly because there’s no need to hike that far to experience the beauty of the gorge. Along the way are walls of rocks, little waterfalls streaming down, boulders to climb, patches of earth to take a rest on, and chest high water to swim in. I suggest you take it slow and steady, be cautious to prevent injuries, and enjoy the natural surroundings.

#4: Hike as far as possible

The further you go, the fewer people you see. But also, the canyon becomes even more narrow. Very little sunlight can reach the bottom unless the sun is directly overheard, and the canyon walls take on some beautiful curves. It took us about three hours to reach the most narrow point, and I have to give props to my boys because we didn’t see any other children this far in. They were troopers, and they were rewarded with an unforgettable hike!

#5: Soak it all in

I’ve completed many hikes in my day, but the Narrows is a special experience. There’s something about hiking in the cool water, surrounded by rock walls that have been there for millennia, listening to the birds, and eventually feeling the warm rays of the sun that awakens all of the senses. As I mentioned before, this hike is about the journey. It’s difficult to walk quickly in water, and there’s no reason to rush. There’s really no destination to seek or goal to achieve. This allowed us to slow down and soak in the experience, and I just kept thinking about how grateful I was to be there with my family.

Hiking the Narrows was another check off on my bucket list, and it completely lived up to my expectations. Hopefully these tips will help someone else to have a good experience! And this definitely won’t our last trip to Zion National Park. If you know anything about Zion, you might be wondering how we skipped the Bright Angel Trail. (Look it up if you haven’t heard of it!). We decided the boys, especially Liam, were a little too young to navigate the steep drop-offs and chains. So I’ll be back to complete that some day, most likely with my daredevil Jack at my side!