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Spectacular Active Weekend in Zion

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If you're fit and adventuresome and have a few days to explore Zion for the first time, these two hikes are the ones to do. The Zion Narrows are famous for many reasons, mostly their incredible beauty and the unique aspect of actually hiking in the Virgin River the whole way. The Narrows are so-named because they are cut through Navajo sandstone by millennia of water action. The surrounding walls get as high as 2000 feet and as narrow as 20 feet across. Angels Landing has spectacular views, because you are really high up there! You'll experience all aspects of the Park, from shaded canyons to exposed trail. Both hikes require good preparation; check out the Park's website at http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm for specific information to help you have the best trip possible.

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Author: Julie Trevelyan

Day 1 - Zion National Park, Springdale

Angels Landing is perhaps the Park's best-known hike after the Zion Narrows. This jaunt is not for the faint-of heart, the weak-of-knee, nor the fearful-of-heights. Scout Lookout (also unofficially dubbed “Chicken-Out Point”), which you might think is the top until you reach it and see the stomach-droppingly skinny spine you must ascend in order to reach Angels Landing, is a great place for pictures, a deep breath, and an honest assessment of your hiking skills. The 5-mile round-trip trail is best started early in the day during hot months, as it's fairly exposed. Bring water and sturdy hiking shoes (sneakers with good tread will suffice), and trekking poles for the descent if your joints are iffy. Leave little kids, unfit hikers, and show-offs behind (no balancing on the edge; you're flirting with a fatal fall if you do). But the view is beyond description and worth the climb. End your day with homemade pizza at Zion Pizza & Noodle Co. in Springdale, which also features surprisingly good Utah microbrews.

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Zion Shuttle

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Zion National Park
Zion National Park, UT 84767

Phone:

(435) 772-3256

Angels Landing

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Zion National Park
Zion National Park, UT 84767

Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre

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145 Zion Park Blvd.
Springdale, UT 84767

Phone:

888-256-3456

Watchman Campground

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Zion National Park, UT 84779

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(877) 444-6777

Zion Lodge

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Highway 9
Zion National Park, UT 84767

Phone:

435.772.7700

Day 2 - Springdale, Zion National Park

Fill up with a hearty breakfast, load up the daypacks, and take the shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava stop. Riverside Walk to Zion Narrows is often crowded, but foot traffic stops at the river. But your intrepid and well-prepared souls venture right into the water for the experience of a lifetime! Trekking poles or sturdy walking sticks are a must, as are durable and ready-to-get-wet shoes. Your trail is the river. Important: Check with the visitor center (1-435-772-3256) before your trip to make sure the river is open for hiking. Flash flood season (mid-summer to early fall) is tricky. Water flows during the spring can be too high to allow safe entry. Bring your common sense, your river navigation skills, and your appetite for adventure! Walk as long as you want—many people make Orderville Canyon an end destination—before turning back to head to dinner at the Zion Lodge Red Rock Grill. *Note: Take a class or rent gear at Zion Rock & Mountain Guides if you'd like to learn some basic canyoneering skills; that way, you can explore even deeper into the Narrows and come back with great street cred as you regale your friends and family about dangling from ropes over otherwise impassable pour-offs.

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