- jcath1
The Narrows - Zion National Park
Updated: May 3, 2023
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Hiking the Narrows was on my bucket list for a long time. September of '21 I was able to make that dream come true. What an amazing day!
At the time of this writing, there are no permits necessary to hike the narrows. You do need to do a little advanced planning though. I did a lot of research before I left home.
I had bought my shoes and socks at least 2 years in advance, not knowing when I would be able to go. I bought special hiking shoes for hiking in rivers and other wet areas. Neoprene socks are all so a must. I think my feet would have frozen from walking in water for 8 hours had I not had those socks. (Don't freak out because of the 8 hours I took. The hike was so amazing I spent a ridiculous amount of time taking in the views. You can take a short hike or long hike - it's up to you.) Other equipment I used was a long wooden hiking stick. You can get one in the park store. You really need to use a wooden one because the little aluminum ones don't cut it. They get caught in rocks, they're not long enough, and I saw more than one person break their trekking poles while on the river. If you don't want to buy your own boots and neoprene socks, there are a number of outfitters in the area. I listed some at the end of this post. If you choose to rent your equipment, for the love of God please lace up the boots and secure the straps and make them tight. I cannot tell you how many people I saw with the rented waterproof boots on but not secured. What is the point of renting boots if you're leaving yourself open for sprained ankles? I used one wooden walking stick about 6 ft long. I would absolutely recommend a long wooden walking stick if not two. The water is not clear and it came in very handy for navigating around obstacles under the water, as well as deep spots. There was one time when I almost ran into a large rock and would have lost my balance as well as another time when I put the walking stick down in front of me and the walking stick kept going. I managed to walk around that deep area by using that stick as a guide.
I used my regular day pack for this hike however if I were to do it again I would get a special waterproof pack like this one
so I didn't have to worry about lifting the backpack over my head in the deep spots. That was a pain. I would highly recommend a waterproof case for your phone because taking the phone in and out of the waterproof case to get good pictures was again, a pain in the neck. I had a waterproof camera with me but the battery for some reason was not holding a charge. I should have checked that more closely before I left or had a spare. I had my Canon with me and again it was a pain to keep taking it out of the waterproof container to take pictures, but I got a lot of pictures and at the end of the day it was worth it to keep taking the camera and phone out for pictures. I took way too many (is there such a thing?)
I had a quick dry bathing suit top on under my clothes. My shorts were quick dry as well. My top was an athletic top that you would use for running for other sports that was lightweight and again quick dry. There is no sun in the canyon and even though it was warm out it can be chilly in the canyon and I did not want to be wet for the entire day. It worked out well. I had a hat and sunglasses with me but I did not use them. I saw people hiking in blue jeans. Don't do that. Also keep an eye on the weather and check the National Park Site to make sure the hike is open. High water and fast water may cause them to close it. Also make sure there are no storms in the area as flash floods are a real danger - there's no place to go if one comes.
To start your hike take the shuttle bus all the way to the last stop, the Temple of Sinawava. You'll have a mile to walk on the Riverside Walk.
The Riverside Walk to the start of the Narrows
The hike was amazing. Pictures do not do it justice. My initial plan was to hike all the way to Big Springs. I didn't quite make it that far. There were a lot of people turning around just after a spot where you actually had to swim through the water. GPS doesn't work in the canyon so I have no idea where I really was or how far I'd gone. There were a number of very large young men who said they didn't go all the way because there were too many obstacles in the way. My thought was if a strapping, young 30-year-old couldn't climb over the fallen trees and other obstacles, this 58-year-old wasn't going to do it. And I was okay with that decision because the hike was just so amazing. There was a large Boulder in the middle of the river at the spot where people were turning around so I climbed to the top of the boulder and had my lunch there. I didn't take a picture of my lunch spot, don't know what I was thinking.
After lunch I turned around and went the other way and it's like a whole new hike with all new scenery.
This little unassuming side canyon in the picture above looked fun to hike upriver for a little bit. Nope, didn't make it. A couple warned me that just under the waterfall the water was very deep. Of course I had to check it out and they were correct. My walking stick got submerged so all I have is this picture of a benign looking waterfall.
At some point in time I want to go back and do the hike 'top down', starting on the rim above and hiking all the way to the walkway but that's either a very long one day trip or an overnighter. I'll be doing the overnight trip so I will go with a backwoods company that has tours because I don't want to rush and I'm not doing it alone!
Outfitters in the area to rent equipment:
What I'm drinking today:
Prairie Fire coffee has the most fragrant coffee! What I love about them is their large selection of decaf! Based out of Kansas you can find them here:
In case you were wondering, the mug is from Plymouth Rock.
Staying in Vegas? Take a day trip to Zion and Bryce National Parks here!
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