Best Trails in Zion National Park

This is a great easy little-used trail outside of the shuttle-only canyon. But finding the trailhead is tricky. You park on the south side of road and follow the trail down, it then goes under the road to head north of the road. Lots of space for kids to climb and roam off trail.

My review for this trail is start early early morning. The crowds are thick and make it in unenjoyable later in the day. It was by far the most stunning hike I ever done. Around every corner I was awe struck by the natural beauty of this area!!!! It’s breathtaking!

Definitely do this hike. You can go as far as you want since it’s an out and back. Went about 3 miles and the further you go the less crowded it is. Start early!

Great hike that’s easy. Nice pay off with an amazing view over the canyon

Good first hike in Zion. Isn’t too bad and nice view looking over Springdale. There are other better hikes though

Have to do it if you’re visiting Zion. Catch the early bus (6am) in the morning. Earlier you go the less packed it is

Absolutely amazing hike! We took first shuttle and started our hike about 6:45, we didn’t have to worry about sharing chains going up but coming down it was starting to get congested. We didn’t mind though we just would take in the views when we had to stop and wait. Hike took us 3 hrs total. Not an easy trail so not for everyone, but that’s ok there are a lot of great hikes in Zion.

This is a great trail to take, and if you want a good full day of hiking, you can do Weeping Rock, Hidden Canyon, and Observation Point all in one day. Hidden Canyon has some spots with good shade, so it's a good one to do on a hot day. There are a couple places where you have to shimmy along a cliff face holding onto chains - it can be nerve-racking and there isn't enough room to deal with traffic.

This is part of the trail that branches off to go to Hidden Canyon and Observation Point. This is a good, very short trail that you can use as a warmup before you take on either HC or OP (or both). It's not worth taking the ride out purely for this trail, though.

We hiked this when it was about 75 degrees out, and we were very hot the whole way up and back. There are very few shade spots. The trail goes on and on with innumerable switchbacks, but the views from the end are just phenomenal. Be certain to bring plenty of water for this one - it is pretty draining, but absolutely worth it. If you want to take on two trails in a day, hit the Hidden Canyon trail in the morning, and do this after an early lunch.

If your legs are sore after more strenuous hikes, this is a great trail to take. There's little to no elevation gain and you're always close to a shuttle. You can wander along close to the Virgin River, or take the trail up to another shuttle stop.

This was the first trail that we did in Zion and it was a bit of a let-down. If you have a half-day to explore after arriving late, it's not a bad trail to take, but I don't think you should go out of your way to walk it.

Rocky with no side trails at first, but then the side trails come. I needed my walking sticks but some with good balance didn't. Just go! Too many awesome views to show them all on here!

Very nice walk

Unforgettable hike up the river. Went in May and the water wasn't too high or too cold. Rent the waiters, they are worth it. Be careful with your footing, you can't see where you are stepping. Some great opportunities to get some amazing photos.

Most memorable hike to date, though I can't say I would recommend it during peak tourist season.

So they say it takes 5 hours to hike up and back down, but me and my cousin got up in 1h27 and down in 45m

Great walk, but very busy on weekends!
Recommend to visit on weekdays with less people!!

I just got back from backpacking through (top to bottom) of the Narrows. It was gorgeous. We camped overnight to enjoy the peaceful views and to allow more time to relax in the refreshing river. I would suggest renting neoprene socks and boots that drain from a place in Springdale. They really came in handy and were comfortable. This 16 Mile hike includes climbing over or between large fallen rocks, swimming with your pack in deep water areas, switchbacks through the river and every step takes navigating since it is very rocky. I have to say that I was ready for a break when we got to camp 10 miles in due to the extras (listed above) that you navigate through. About 6 miles in there is a waterfall and was a good place to take a lunch break. Overall, this was a wonderful experience that I’m so fortunate I was able to do! Permits are required and check the weather. If there is any sign of rain or flash flood warnings do not go. In Wall St. there is no place to climb for higher ground! Happy hiking!!

Shuttle bus!!!! Not sure why I didn’t see the bus mentioned in any of the other reviews. Most might ‘ass’ume it’s a known fact, for me it was a huge surprise. For any, I say again ANY of the trails in Zion you must take the free shuttle bus. You can either park in Springdale or if lucky inside the park but you still must take the shuttle. The Narrows is stop 9, you walk a mile then enter the water. It is very, very rocky. Easy to walk, just slow. We used our water shoes and the sole was not thick enough to accommodate the rocks. Very pretty, crowded. Totally worth it. Again - shuttle!!!

Not a hard hike but definitely some sections with steep drop offs and narrow paths. Beautiful views at the end for such a short hike. A must-do while at Zion

Extremely afraid of heights but I decided to give it a go. You have wonderful views pretty much the entire hike. Steep in some sections but definitely do able. Once I reached the section with chains I continued on for about fifteen minutes until I freaked myself out and had to turn around. Lots of people on the chains and sometimes your stuck in line waiting for people to move. Glad I made it as far as I did and got plenty of views of the park on the way up.

Great hike but crowded!!!! The first part is easily doable without interference from others but up to the landing be prepared. We had people who shouldn’t have been there, people frozen on the lower chains that you had to go around, even a guy trying to carry a baby in a front sling thing. This isn’t a bad hike if you are in shape if not it will take you a bit but stop to enjoy the views too. Bring water if can get warm. Also good god wear good shoes!! We saw everything from flops to toms and girls wearing those crap flat shoes. You are walking on rock. People have fallen and died on this hike so don’t be a statistic. Enjoy the hike and remember trail etiquette.

Amazing views! Too dangerous for kids.

Crowd was thick (think hundreds) at the beginning of the narrows. Check weather and water levels with info centre due to flash flooding risk. The further you walk, the less people. Once we had passed the crowds it was absolutely incredible and I just wanted to keep going! River forks after a while. Both left and right forks are worth exploring if you have time. Didn’t use sticks and wore our own steady hiking boots.

Just do it!! Leave early and you will be in shade for a lot of it (leave late and you will get roasted!!) The hike itself is very scenic (you even walk through a slot canyon for a little bit). Views from the top are absolutely sensational. Look out over the whole canyon and look down on Angels Landing! Took 4.5 hours including 40min on top and lots of little breaks. Gradual incline but lots of switchbacks. Trail in pretty good condition but there is quite a lot of buckling in the pavement so you still need to be steady in your feet. Steep drop offs but enough room to pass people etc.

If you want an ‘adventure’ experience with a great view and don’t mind a crowd, definitely do this hike. If you want a decent hike where you can experience the grand scale and serenity of the park with 100th of the crowds, consider doing Observation Peak. If you have a couple of days, do both!

As for Angels Landing - Fantastic, fantastic experience but it is a strenuous hike and not for the faint hearted. Saw one person slip and can see how easy it would be to fall if you weren’t being careful with foot placement. The chains are there for a reason - use them. It is very crowded (4.5 hours with trail traffic). If you were amongst the first up, in my opinion it would be both safer and way faster due to no traffic coming from opposite direction. Take your time and communicate with people on the trail so that they know if you want to pass or want them to pass etc. One of my all time favourite hiking experiences!! Will remember it forever :-)

So all the hype about this trail is legit. Truly one of the best hikes that I have been on. It is very challenging but very doable for those with a reasonable fitness level. Individuals who are not experienced or not fit can expect a grueling, painful experience. Try the Pa’rous or Emerald Pool trail instead. For all others, to enjoy this trail, I echo the advice of others to get out as early as possible. First shuttle if you can. If you are lucky enough to be staying in the park at the lodge, you can actually go before the shuttle starts. The trailhead for Angel’s landing is 0.5 miles from the lodge. An easy walk. It may be a little dark when you start your hike but the first part is paved and easy. By the time you get to the challenging parts, there will be more daylight. I had the top for myself for at least 30 minutes. The landing is not very spacious so I’m sure that it can be very harrowing with all of those crowds and the chain part is definitely not made for two way traffic. Either way, it’s a must-do hike if you make it out to Zion. Enjoy!

Beautiful

Go early to avoid the crowds! We were in the first tram out this morning and by the time we were headed back the river was teeming with people. Amazing hike, probably the most spectacular hike I've ever done, but keep going past the congested areas and you'll be rewarded with great views. We hiked 3 hours in.