Hiking the Narrows at Zion National Park

The most popular hike in Zion Park travels into the Narrows of the canyon via the Virgin River.  That is, the canyon narrows as you head north...first becoming too narrow for shuttle buses, then too narrow for a paved or improved trail, then too narrow for virtually any trail at all...the river spans the width of the canyon walls and the Virgin River becomes the trail.  The first mile of the trail after the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop is easy; it is paved and passes hanging gardens and scenic streamlets via the paved Riverside Walk Trail. Casual hikers can continue beyond the pavement, hiking right up the river, going as far as they feel comfortable. Serious hikers can tackle the entire 16 miles of the canyon, beneath walls that are 2,000 feet high and only 30 feet apart in some spots. A permit is required to hike the entire Narrows. You do not need a permit to casually hike into the bottom.

Orderville Gulch is an attractive waypoint to turn around and avoid to doing the entire 16-mile Narrows. Orderville Gulch is a tributary that is more narrow, more exciting and perhaps more beautiful than even the Virgin River.  We hiked a little past Orderville Gulch, about a two hour hike upstream, ate lunch, then headed back downstream.  Here are some pictures of our hike.

Here I am as we walk along the paved, fairly level Riverside Walk.


So far I'm smiling, and unlike at the Grand Canyon, do not yet believe I has been left out to die.

We made it to the end of the trail, grabbed a walking stick and waded into the river.  Here is Sueshan waist deep a short distance upstream.

I couldn't help myself and as soon as I reached a spot that was fairly deep submerged myself in the cool refreshing water.

The air temperature was again virtually perfect today, cool enough to easily hike during the midday without becoming too hot.  If you got a bit warm, simply submerge yourself in very cool waters of the river, which we'd estimate to be around 70 degrees.

Approximately halfway upriver, I spotted this small cave just above the water's edge, which I quickly determined "this is nicer than my house, man!"

Here, I'm sitting on my front stoop.

View of me and river from inside my new "house."

Spacious interior of my new "house."

As the National Park Service likely wouldn't approve of my new residence, we continued upstream.

As we traveled upstream, the canyon became narrower and narrower, until the walls felt as if they were no more than 30-40 feet apart.

Going for a swim in the Narrows


Because of the natural springs and rivulets that trickle down the canyon walls, the sides of the canyon are packed with beautiful emerald green trees and plants, especially near the canyon rim where they receive the most sunlight.  The pictures don't do the emerald green painted against the red-gold rock any justice.

After a long day of sometimes slippery and treacherous river hiking, we weren't quite ready to give it up and elected to stick to the river to hike back to the shuttle stop, avoiding the paved Riverside Walk trail.  In the end, however, we were glad to get our wet boots off and our feet dry, as we headed out of the park and back to the same camp spot just outside the park from the night before.  We concluded, however, that the Narrows hike in the Virgin River of Zion National Park has been one of our favorite experiences on our trip thus far.

Zion National Park, UT

After we left Las Vegas we drove northeast on I-15 towards Utah.

Our first destination in Utah was Zion National Park.  Designated in 1919, Zion is Utah's oldest National Park.  Zion National Park is one of the most uniquely beautiful places on the planet. The park consists of very distinct geographic landforms, like massive monoliths, arches, waterfalls, springs, rivers, and staggeringly tall sandstone cliffs.  The park is known for its incredible canyons and spectacular views. 

As soon as we arrived we reviewed the park newspaper and decided to hike the Emerald Pools Trail.  The Emerald Pools is one of Zion's signature trails and is generously endowed with breathtaking scenery. Waterfalls, pools and a dazzling display of monoliths create the Emerald Pools Trail System.

Picture below is at Upper Emerald Pool.

After reaching the Upper Emerald Pool we backtracked to the Middle Emerald Pool and took the Kayenta Trail back to the Grotto Picnic area.  The Kayenta Trail travels along the west wall of the canyon along the foothills of Mount Moroni.

The pictures where taken around 7 in the evening, so in person the views were magnificent but the photos show up low-lit with shadows.  The temperature in the park was perfect that evening...we could hike level portions of the trails barely breaking a sweat.

After arriving at the Grotto picnic area, we caught a park shuttle bus further into the canyon to the final stop at Temple of Sinawava.  Here we hiked the Riverside Walk at the Temple of Sinawava Trail.  Also called the Gateway to the Narrows, Cottonwood trees cover the majority of the path throughout the day, creating a comfortable shade that is complimented by the crisp waters of the North Fork of the Virgin River. There are hanging gardens along the sloped walls of the trail, fed by trickling falls of water, home to many of Zion's exotic forms of wildlife.  The trail is surrounded by the slowly encroaching walls of the canyon, offering a small taste of the Narrows ahead.  The end of the hike is the entrance to the Narrows.

The Virgin River has gnawed through native sandstone to create the incredible scenery found in Zion Canyon.

The river itself now serves as a natural corridor for exploring the park.  You can actually hike through the river upstream into the canyon in what is known as the Narrows.  We weren't wearing the proper footwear to hike into the water this evening.

Upon returning to the Riverside Walk to head back to the shuttle bus we encountered this mule deer with large felt-covered antlers in the midst of his dinner.

We rode the park shuttle bus back to the visitors center, and found a camp spot just outside the park a few minutes after dark.

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