Zion National Park Hikes Trail Guide

December 30, 2020 The Virtual Sherpa Comments 1 comment

Zion National Park hikes vary from easy to strenuous but the park has something for everyone. The beautiful National Park is one of 5 located in the state of Utah. Located less than 20 miles from the Arizona border, this park is home to some of the most famous hikes in the US. The Narrows and Angels Landing attract thousands of visitors each year and are extremely worthwhile hikes if you can deal with the crowds. Zion is open year round and typically sees the largest crowds June – September. Winter in hiking trails in Zion typically see less crowds than the packed summer months. Zion truly is a beautiful spot to hike and has some of the most unique hiking I have ever done.

Zion National Park Hikes Quick Facts

Trail Guide: The Narrows

Trail Guide: Angels Landing

Zion National Park Hiking Trails Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Distance: Various – most trails under 10 miles RT – View Park Map Here

Elevation Start: Most Hikes Start Around 4,500ft

Highest Point: 5,789ft (Angels Landing)

Total Elevation Gain: Various – Most Hikes Under 500ft of gain (besides Angels Landing – 1,500ft or so)

Estimated Time to Complete: Various – Angels Landing 4-6 Hours RT, Narrows 5-10 Hours RT

Difficulty: Moderate Difficulty System Explained

Class: Class 3 (Angels Landing) – most other hikes Class 1 What does this mean?

Season: Year Round – expect seasonal closures depending on hike

Weather: Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Zion National Park

Trailhead: Zion Canyon Visitor Center

Getting Here: There are two main ways to get to Zion National Park, the Zion Canyon Visitor Center or Kolob Visitor Center. Both can be entered into GPS. Zion Canyon requires a shuttle to get around the park while Kolob allows hikers to drive around in their own vehicles. Both areas are great to bike as well. The most popular hikes in Zion National Park are located at the South (Zion Canyon) entrance point.

Fees: View this page for the most up to date information on Zion National Park fees.

Parking: Zion National Park has different parking situations depending on the entrance point. If you enter through Kolob (North), parking is much easier as you can drive through the park. If you are entering through the Zion Canyon Entrance point, you will need to park at the visitor center and take a shuttle into the park. There is a fee to park here ($25 as of 2020). If you don’t want to shell out for this, you can bike into the park or take a free Springdale town shuttle to the visitor’s center.

Summary

Camping: Camping in Zion National Park comes in two forms: campgrounds and backcountry camping. Read more about both of them here.

Dogs: Zion National Park hiking trails are not dog friendly for the most part. However, the one trail dogs are allowed on is the Pa’rus trail which is a pretty neat walk if you have the time.

Make it a Loop: Most hikes in Zion National Park are out and back hikes. View Zion National Park hiking trails map here to plan your trip today.

Park X Factors: Crowds

There is no way to get around it, Zion National Park is crowded. It’s beautiful, has world famous hiking and is super accessible by major airports. If you visit during the summer, expect popular hikes to be LOADED with people. Hundreds of people in The Narrows and long bottlenecks on Angels Landing. Fall and Winter are quieter in the park, but still attract thousands of visitors per day. There are ways around these crowds, but you have to be willing to get up VERY early or do some hiking in the dark.

Hike Tip(s): When choosing between Zion National Park hiking trails, it’s key to have a game plan. The park has A LOT of logistics (renting gear, shuttle times etc.) so it’s important to do your research beforehand. Know the first and last shuttle times so that you don’t get stranded with a long ass walk out. Pick the hikes that are most important to you and do those early to avoid crowds. Understand the dangers of floods in The Narrows, be aware of the high exposure and crowds on Angels Landing and know that there is always tomorrow to explore that next hike. During my time in Zion, I ended up biking around the park which was an amazing way to experience the canyon.

Best Views: Nearly everywhere in Zion is beautiful. The spanning views from the top of Angels Landing, the dark lighting on The Highway of the Narrows, the beautiful Virgin River which snakes through the park – you really cannot go wrong. Visiting in the fall or winter gives an extra layer of color with white snow blanketing the ground or yellow foliage throughout the park.

Trail Route: Angels Landing & The Narrows

Gear Needed

Hiking Boots or Trail Runners
Backpack
Protection from Sun

LOTS of water – At least 2+ liters
Optional: Map of Park or GPS – I use the Garmin inReach
Optional: Hiking Poles

Optional: Headlamp
Optional: Canyoneering Gear for The Narrows (I recommend renting waterproof pants, Neoprene Socks and Boots if visiting during cold months – There are many spots in town who do this for about $40)
Optional: Camera

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My Trip to Zion National Park: November 2020

Zion National Park was not on my radar until 2020. I have to admit, that I am generally not a HUGE fan of National Parks here in the US. I think they are generally very pretty but also full of people who just want to hike “for the gram” which can be extremely annoying. However, with a world of free time on my hands, I hit the road and made the drive down to Springdale, UT. I decided to bring my bike to get around the park which turned out to be a great decision. I ended up hiking Zion’s two most popular hikes: The Narrows and Angels Landing which were both awesome, even with the crowds. Read a full trail guide on The Narrows here and Angels Landing here. Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Zion National Park and would absolutely revisit to explore more of the park.