Are you planning to visit Zion National Park this year? If so, chances are you may hope to experience The Narrows during your visit. And for good reason! Today we share what it’s like hiking The Narrows. It’s a unique experience, one that you won’t forget.
Turns out hiking (mostly) in water calls for some extra planning. But don’t worry!
We’ve got you covered with a survival guide so you know how to prepare and enjoy your experience.
What is The Narrows?
The Narrows is one of the most popular hikes in Zion National Park, along with Angel’s Landing. This unique experience takes you through the narrowest sections of Zion Canyon as you hike in the Virgin River. The canyon is only 20-30 feet wide at times, and the thousand foot plus gorge walls tower above you.
The most common way to hike The Narrows is to do the “bottom up” route, which is what I share today. Take the park shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop, and begin your hike on Riverside Walk, which is a paved, 1-mile trail along the Virgin River. The paved trail leads right to the Virgin River. The fun starts as you enter the river and continue hiking in the riverbed and through the canyon.
One nice thing about this hike is you can make it what you want it to be. You can walk along Riverside Walk and turn around without getting your feet wet. Or, you can plan to continue on into the river and up the canyon.
Once you enter the Virgin River, you’ll quickly experience the narrowing canyon and the unbelievable views.
Our Experience Hiking The Narrows
Getting There & The First Mile
Based on how my feet felt after hiking Angel’s Landing (despite a great pair of hiking boots), I was very concerned about hiking The Narrows the very next morning. I knew we’d be hiking over what was described as, “bowling balls.” I was relieved to wake up and find my feet significantly recovered.
We grabbed our coffee, prepped PB&J lunches with snacks and plenty of water, and headed to the Visitor Center with all our gear. To get an earlier start, we picked up our rental gear (more on that below) from Zion Outfitter the night before.
During our visit to Zion NP cars were not permitted to drive in Zion Canyon. This required us to take a shuttle from the Visitor Center into the canyon. Be sure to research the shuttle schedule based on when you plan to visit Zion NP.
The shuttle bus arrived at 7:15a, and we enjoyed the 45-minute ride to the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop. Pro-tip: Use the bathroom at the shuttle stop!
During the shuttle ride, we noticed many people were already wearing their wet gear. We decided to wear our hiking boots on Riverside Walk (about 1-mile) because I didn’t know how the neoprene socks and canyoneering boots would treat my feet.
Apprehensive to get our Narrows adventure started, we quickly walked to the end of Riverside Walk, which is a mostly flat trail.
Then, it was time! We changed into our neoprene socks, cayoneering boots, walking sticks, dry pants for my husband (he runs cold), and packed up our waterproof backpack.
I know people have strong opinions about whether or not to rent gear, but it was 100% the right decision and worth the rental fees for us!
Hitting the Water
At 8:30a, we walked into the river. It’s a very odd feeling as you begin to hike into the river, since we always seem to try to avoid getting wet!
In mid-September the water temperature was 64 degrees, with a forecasted high of 79 degrees, and the river flowing at 40.1 CFS (cubic feet per second).
The water felt cold! One of my biggest questions as we planned for this hike was, “How wet will we get?” The answer came quickly because not even 20 minutes into the hike we waded through a section of the river that was above my thighs (I’m 5’3). Luckily the water was never much deeper than that as we continued. I was amazed though at how dry and comfortable my feet were given my socks and boots were fully submerged in water.
What is it like to hike in the river? Most of the time we waded through ankle to knee-high water. Some sections have calm, flowing water over a sandy bed, and are easier to traverse. Other sections are very rocky with water flowing faster and deeper, where it’s much easier to loose your footing or feel unstable. I was grateful for the walking stick. And, I can confirm it does feel a bit like walking on bowling balls at times. Close-toed shoes are 100% non-negotiable for this hike!
As we made our way up the canyon, we learned to watch people in front of us to help us decide where to walk, as some parts of the river were shallow while others were deeper.
To my surprise, there were even sections where you could walk on dry land and avoid the river. But no worries! All paths lead back to the river.
Reaching Orderville Canyon & Wall Street
As you approach the Orderville Canyon junction you’ll notice the canyon narrows. After two hours of hiking we reached the junction around 10:30a, and decided to hike up Orderville Canyon a bit. This is an even narrower canyon, and requires a bit of scrambling. We reached a waterfall and decided we didn’t need to go any further.
Around this time we decided to eat our lunch, and found a large, flat rock to enjoy our sandwiches and snacks. It was crazy to think we were literally out in the middle of a tiny slot canyon in Utah, with no one around. It was so peaceful listening to the flowing water.
Afterwards we hiked back to the junction and decided to go up just a bit further to enjoy Wall Street, one of the narrowest sections of The Narrows. The views were incredible!
By this time we were getting tired. It was around noon so we had been out for 3.5 hours. We also noticed the water was consistently flowing a bit stronger in this area with lots of big rocks, taking more concentration and energy. Soon after, we decided we had gone far enough and needed to turn around. We had quite a ways to go to get back to Riverside Walk!
Making our Way Back
I’m glad we turned around when we did.
By this time the sun was overhead and helped to warm up the canyon. Because the canyon is so narrow, sunlight doesn’t reach the bottom until mid-day when it’s directly overhead. For that reason, the canyon is cool all day long. I didn’t take off my jacket until we nearly arrived back at Riverside Walk (which I’m always hot).
The other dynamic as we made our way back was the direction the water was flowing. We had been hiking against the river, and now we were hiking with the river flow. Getting our footing was even more important. We had made it this far without falling!
As we made our way back to Riverside Walk, it was much more crowded. I was so happy we did this hike early to avoid the big crowds.
After five full hours, we arrived back at the end of Riverside Walk at 1:30. The people there greeted us like heroes as we exited the water. Folks were clapping and asked us how long we had been out and what it was like.
Ready to be out of our wet boots, we changed into our dry hiking boots and trekked back to the shuttle stop. Success!
From our Narrows experience, I only made one mistake…. I strongly regretted not bring a pair of dry pants to change into as we rode the 45-minute long shuttle ride back to the Visitor Center, and then the 15-minute ride back to our hotel. My bike shorts were soaked. I felt bad for the people sitting next to me as my shorts dripped all over. Oops!
Pro tip: bring dry clothes to change into!
To celebrate our successful Narrows hike we slammed salad, pizza, and beer at Zion Noodle & Pizza Co. Needless to say after all that hiking, we were ravenous! This meal was a perfect way to finish off the day.
The Narrows Survival Guide
Okay, so you hike in water, in a narrow canyon, on top of large rocks…. This is not your typical hike! We have some advice on how to prepare.
As you prepare for this hike, be sure to review and follow Leave No Trace Principles.
Can You Stay Dry?
In a word, no. The question is how much of your body will get wet, which depends on how far you go, the gear you wear, the season you visit, and the flow of the river.
We completed this hike in mid-September and the water flow was 40.1 (CFS). The water came as high as right below my hips (I’m 5’3).
What you can do is rent or have the appropriate gear to help you stay dry.
What Do I Wear?
As I mentioned above, in my opinion close-toed shoes are a must for this hike. I know people who hiked The Narrows in their hiking boots or athletic sandals and didn’t have any issues. For us, we wanted to keep our feet as dry and comfortable as possible, and so it made sense for us to rent the neoprene socks and canyoneering boots from an outfitter right outside the park. While our feet still got wet, the neoprene socks helped keep us comfortable. The boots also helped keep us stable and protected our feet from all the rocks and rough surfaces.
If you run cold or plan to hike The Narrows in the shoulder seasons when its cooler, consider renting and/or wearing dry pants. He wore dry pants and his athletic shorts underneath didn’t get wet at all. I didn’t mind hiking in bike shorts, but I regretted not bringing a change of dry bottoms once we were out of the river.
I suggest wicking fabric and wearing layers for this hike. The canyon doesn’t get much sunlight until the sun is directly overhead, and even then it’s cooler than you’d expect. Combine that with hiking in cold water and you may find yourself wanting an extra layer or two.
Pack extra clothing in case you fall in the water and get your clothes wet. Luckily we did not fall, but it was nice to know we had dry options if we needed them (besides dry bottoms for me!).
What Do I Bring?
Assume everything will get wet as you consider what to bring. Also consider how long you plan to hike.
Plastic Bags: we put all our belongings in plastic bags so if we fell everything would had a higher chance of staying dry.
Backpack (preferably waterproof): When we picked up our rental socks and boots, we decided to rent a waterproof backpack from the outfitter to give us more peace of mind. I hiked with our trusty, non-waterproof hiking backpack, and he stored our clothing, food, etc. in the waterproof backpack as an extra layer of protection.
Food & Water: based on how long you plan to hike, pack salty snacks, even a lunch, and plenty of water. We packed our go-to PB&J sandwiches, beef jerky, energy bars, Cheese-Its, and water.
Hygiene Supplies: Let’s face it, depending on how long you are out, you may need to use the bathroom. There are no bathroom facilities beyond the shuttle stop! Plan accordingly to bring toilet paper, human waste bags, and any other necessary items if nature calls while you’re hiking. Be sure to pack out all your solid waste!
Related: Did you know in 2020 Zion National Park rangers collected nine pounds of human waste from The Narrows?! Hike responsibly! Don’t be that person who poops and leaves it for others to step in, or park rangers to pick up.
Extra Clothing & Sun Protection: Pack extra clothes to add or remove layers, or if your clothes get wet! The sun doesn’t reach the canyon until mid-day, but you will want a hat and/or sunscreen once it does, especially if you are hiking when the sun is more intense.
Technology Protection: you will definitely want to take pictures and video while you’re out on the trail. We brought waterproof pouches to store our phones in while we hiked. I wore mine around my neck so I had quick, easy access to my phone.
Walking Stick: bring a hiking pole or walking stick to help keep you stable. Our rental package included walking sticks, which we were happy to have in retrospect.
What About the Weather?
Talk with park rangers either the day of or day before you hike The Narrows to learn more about the trail and expected weather conditions. During certain times of the year The Narrows closes due to high river flow.
Because The Narrows is a canyon, flash flooding is a real danger. Be sure to understand the flash flood rating before you start your hike.
You can find more great information about how to stay safe during your Narrows hike from the National Park Service here.
You’re Ready!
Now that you have an idea of what it’s like to hike The Narrows and how to prepare, it’s time to decide when you will visit Zion National Park for this unique hike!
But there’s more to see and experience in Zion National Park, including Angel’s Landing, more incredible hiking, and amazing scenery.
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