Angels Landing? The Narrows?

Planning Your Family Hikes in Zion

We get more inquiries about visiting Utah's "Mighty 5" Parks, including Zion, than we do for anywhere else in the country. Zion features two of the most famous hikes in any National Park: Angel's Landing and The Narrows. Both of these hikes present unique challenges, and may or may not be right for your family trip.

At Wandersaurus we mainly work with traveling families, which means various ages, various fitness levels, and various experience levels. Anyone searching for "best hikes in Zion" is going to read about both of these, so the focus of this article is on providing enough information to see if either (or both) make sense for your group, and what alternative hikes could be a better fit.

Angels Landing

Routinely appearing on lists of the top day hikes in the country, if not the world, Angel's Landing offers a great ratio of amazing views compared to the effort required to reach those views. It's not that it's a low effort, it's that the trail offers a bird's eye view (or perhaps angel's eye view) over the Virgin River gorge at the heart of Zion.

The summit of Angels Landing is an uneven stone platform only a few feet wide. It was named for the idea that it's so small and perched so high that only angels could set foot there. In reality there is room for about a dozen people, all of whom will have hiked up from the valley floor after securing a permit from the park service. The permits are required because the trail became so popular that it was creating unsafe crowding conditions at the summit and along the final ridge. Given the narrow and challenging trail, backups were common, with hikers having to wait in line to traverse some sections.

Trail Description and Physical Challenge

We'll be up front about it: this is a hard hike. From the trailhead you'll have to climb over 1,700 feet in just under 2.5 miles. (The net gain is about 1,500 but the ridge has some extra ups and downs.) The first 2 miles, to a junction called Scout Lookout, is on a very well-maintained, mostly paved trail. It's steep but otherwise it's an uphill walk with a nice view. There is not a lot of shade. On the final approach to the junction you'll climb "Walter's Wiggles," a set of very steep switchbacks that continue the trend of ever-improving vistas.

From Scout Lookout the trail changes dramatically. This is the point where a ranger will check for your permit (more on that below) because from here on out the trail is a narrow set of rocky ledges, often with steep drop-offs on one or both sides. The image above gives you an idea of what you'll be facing. Large metal chains have been installed to posts or bolted directly into cliff face to provide handholds. The climbing is not really steeper here, the issue is that the footpath is uneven and inconsistent. Over a dozen people have fallen to their deaths from this trail since 2000. If conditions are wet (or worse, icy), the trail is particularly hazardous. After about 0.4 miles along the rocky spine you'll arrive at the landing itself. Enjoy the 360-degree views from atop a set of 1,000+ foot cliffs before returning back the way you came. You have to be just as careful on the way back as you were on the first half of the trip.

Permitting and Logistics

The hike to Scout Lookout is open to all Zion visitors, but to continue to Angel's Landing requires a permit.

Obtaining a permit is based on a lottery system. The hike remains open year-round, and tickets are released for 3-month blocks, several times throughout the year. For example, the lottery for December 2025 - February 2026 took place in October 2025, so you'll want to check the official website at least 6 months before your trip to determine the lottery details relevant to you. There is a second-chance lottery window open from noon to 3pm for tickets the very next day as well. In both cases, a lottery entry is $6 for the group and you'll pay $3/hiker if you win.

On the day of your hike, it is generally advised to start early. Unless visiting in winter months you'll want to avoid the afternoon heat, as well as any risk of afternoon thunderstorms which peaks from mid-July through September. Unless staying in the park lodge, you'll need to take the park shuttle to the trailhead. The shuttles are free and frequent, but it still can involve a bit of planning. The official shuttle website is your best source of up-to-date details on the schedule, which varies by season. Get off at stop #6 (The Grotto), cross the road, and walk over the footbridge across the Virgin River to find the trailhead sign.

Should You Do It?

There are several reasons your trip to Zion may not include Angel's Landing. Perhaps you wanted to do it but couldn't get a permit. Or perhaps someone in your group isn't physically or psychologically prepared for the unique hazards of the hike.

Anyone with fear of heights will not enjoy it. Anyone without the stamina for the steep trail will not enjoy it, and may be tired enough by Scout Lookout that it would compromise their safety on the final ridge. If you have any kids with you who do not have meaningful hiking experience, or who cannot be trusted to maintain enough focus to watch their foot placement and use the handholds, this trail is not a safe idea.

Alternative Hikes

If you still want to see the canyon from above, but aren't doing Angel's Landing, these are our top three recommendations:

Scout Lookout: 4 mile round-trip, 1,000 foot gain. This isn't much less strenuous than the whole hike, but doesn't need a permit and doesn't have any sketchy sections. Plus, you can continue uphill past the junction up to the West Rim for as far as you'd like (the trail continues many miles into the park backcountry) for additional views.

Observation Point via East Mesa Trail: 7 mile round-trip, 700 foot gain. Most of this trail is a shaded walk through pine forest with occasional canyon overlooks until you arrive at the end on the east rim of the canyon. The final view actually looks down on Angel's Landing, so it's arguably better. The main challenge with this trail is access, as the trailhead is an hour from the visitor center (traveling outside the park), at the end of a dirt road, with limited parking. A nearby resort, the Zion Ponderosa Ranch, runs a shuttle to cover the last few miles if you find the lot full but are committed to the hike.

Canyon Overlook Trail: 1 mile round-trip, 160 foot gain. This is the easy option! The trailhead is right across the street from the small parking lot just east of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel on Highway 9. While the lot is small, the hike is short enough that it turns over reasonably quickly, and it's not so far out of the way that you couldn't circle back at another time. The trail is short but still feels a bit adventurous, with boardwalks and sandstone steps, and features views up the canyon, although from a lower elevation than the other trails listed here.

The Narrows

The desert southwest, and Utah in particular, have a lot of slot canyons, but Zion's Narrows stands as one of the most impressive, in large part due to its sheer size. The walls are typically at least 1000 feet tall and the river sometimes only 20-30 feet wide. The "trail" goes right up the floor of the gorge, typically walking in the flow of the river, and watching your step becomes harder when you're distracted by the beauty above and around you. This is one of the most popular areas in Zion National Park, and just like Angel's Landing it is also routinely cited as one of the top hikes in the country. There simply aren't many places in the world where you can safely experience views like this.

Trail Description and Physical Challenge

Hiking the Narrows is challenging, but for very different reasons than Angel's Landing. While you're technically walking uphill, that isn't really an issue. You gain perhaps 100 vertical feet per mile. The issue, instead, is the walking surface. Once you reach the official Narrows section (1 mile past the last shuttle stop), you'll find yourself actually walking IN the Virgin River most of the time. Sometimes there are gravelly riverbanks to walk on, but often there are not.

Depending on recent rainfall in the area, you may get lucky and only encounter ankle-to-knee-deep water for the first mile or two... or you might not get lucky. The Narrows closes when flow rates increase beyond 150 cubic feet per second, but even at half that amount you may find yourself struggling a bit against the current in places. And of course when you are walking in the river, you will be walking on the uneven stony bottom, possibly without good visibility of your feet. Having appropriate footwear, a sturdy hiking stick (wood is generally preferred over fancy collapsible ones), and possibly cold water gear, will all reduce risk of an unpleasant experience.

We don't mean to scare you! There are a lot of elements of this hike that most people wouldn't view as positive. But the good news is that you can try it, go exactly as far as you feel like, and then turn around and head back downstream to where you started. The full round trip walk up to Big Springs (as far as you can go without a permit) is over 9 miles, but many people are fully satisfied with a 5-6 mile round-trip that takes you to the famous Wall Street section, where the gorge is at its highest and narrowest, which is in the image above.

Permitting and Logistics

Good news: for an upstream hike, as long as you don't pass Big Springs, you don't need a permit! (If you wish to do a challenging one-way "top-down" trip starting outside the park, descending into the canyon, and working your way downstream, you will need a permit.) You can simply take the Zion park shuttle, or a rental ebike, which are becoming more common in the park, to the last stop, Temple of Sinawava, and start walking.

The lack of permits does NOT mean you shouldn't still do some advanced planning. Most people will rent the gear they need from one of many vendors in Springdale. The vendor will be aware of recent river conditions and be able to advice on weather wetsuits, waders, or other equipment make sense for your hike. If you rent ebikes, most have attached slots to easily carry your walking stick with you.

You should also always check the forecast before heading out and evaluate whether there is a flash flood risk. Given the nature of slot canyons, rainstorms many miles away can still funnel into the Virgin River and rapidly increase the flow, creating unsafe conditions. If you're not sure, ask a park ranger or your outfitter for more detailed and timely information. This USGS website publishes up to date flow rates.

Should You Do It?

If you're an adult in generally good condition with no balance issues, and if the water level is safe, then yes. At minimum, you should head up to the approach trail and take the riverside walk to the entrance.

If anyone in your party has mobility issues, and is likely to lose their footing on uneven surfaces, this is not the trail for them. (The approach is still pretty accessible, but turn around after that.) Realistically, most kids younger than 6 are simply going to struggle. Walking in the river will be much more challenging for them. In deeper sections they may effectively be forced to swim upstream, and while the cold water may feel refreshing at first on a summer day, prolonged exposure to kid-sized bodies can quickly become uncomfortable.

Alternative Hikes

As was suggested several times above, the easiest "alternative" is just to make this a shorter hike. Take the riverside trail up from the last shuttle stop, and then continue a short distance upstream. Even within a few hundred yards you'll get a sense of what the gorge is like, and although your feet will be wet you won't be taking any significant risks.

Kanarra Falls: About an hour's drive from Springdale is the trailhead for Kanarra Falls. Located on private land, tickets are required and often sell out several weeks in advance. The trail starts through a forest before entering a narrow slot canyon around the 1 mile mark. From here walk upstream in Kanarra Creek (much smaller than the Virgin River) to a pair of waterfalls just shy of 2 miles back. The gorge is not nearly as big as the Narrows, but it does feature waterfalls and streambed hiking with smaller crowds and a slightly lower degree of difficulty.

Emerald Pools: There are a set of three Emerald Pools (upper, middle, and lower) accessed by a network of trails that depart from the Zion lodge (shuttle stop 5). These include some short steep sections, but are mostly an easier way to explore the bottom of the canyon, get up close to the walls, all without leaving the well-maintained trails. Lower Emerald Pool is only 0.6 miles from the trailhead, and a loop of all three pools is just over 3 miles total.

The Subway: If you want a strenuous hike but don't want to walk upstream, consider getting a permit for The Subway. Located in a tributary to the Virgin River, this rocky passageway will require a no-shade rugged cross-country walk for about 3 miles each way. The "good stuff" at the end is a twisty hollowed out section of canyon, with several (swimmable) pools and small waterfalls to explore before retracing your steps. Overall this is harder than hiking in the Narrows, but if you want something further off the beaten path, it's worth considering.

More questions about Zion? Want to include this in a bigger trip to Utah and/or Grand Canyon? We love helping you plan a trip that’s customized to meet the interests and abilities of your family. Reach out to us at Wandersaurus Travel and we’ll start planning your adventure today!

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