the USA🇺🇸 | national parksZion National ParkVirgin River Narrows, Angels Landing chains, red canyon walls, shuttle road | things to do and best time to go

Zion National Park packs its hiking into a red-and-white sandstone canyon where the Virgin River has cut cliffs up to roughly 2,000 feet high, so most trails either follow the water or climb out of it. Expect paved paths, slick sandstone, sand, and cliff edges with serious drop-offs. Bighorn sheep, mule deer, wild turkeys, and California condors turn up, and the canyon’s squirrels will happily rob an open pack.

• Riverside Walk: About 2.2 miles round trip, 1.5 hours, easy. Paved and mostly flat from the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop to where the Narrows begins, with hanging gardens dripping from

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Zion National Park packs its hiking into a red-and-white sandstone canyon where the Virgin River has cut cliffs up to roughly 2,000 feet high, so most trails either follow the water or climb out of it. Expect paved paths, slick sandstone, sand, and cliff edges with serious drop-offs. Bighorn sheep, mule deer, wild turkeys, and California condors turn up, and the canyon’s squirrels will happily rob an open pack.

• Riverside Walk: About 2.2 miles round trip, 1.5 hours, easy. Paved and mostly flat from the Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop to where the Narrows begins, with hanging gardens dripping from the walls.
• Emerald Pools Trail: Roughly 1.2 to 3 miles depending on the route, 1 to 3 hours, easy to moderate. Paved and sandy sections lead to waterfalls and pools under overhanging cliffs, with a few rocky steps.
• Angels Landing: About 5.4 miles round trip, 4 to 5 hours, strenuous. Switchbacks climb to a narrow fin with chains and sheer drops on both sides. A permit from the park lottery is required.
• Observation Point: About 8 miles round trip via the East Mesa Trail, 3 to 4 hours, moderate. Flat, sandy forest road ending at a rim view that sits higher than Angels Landing.
• The Narrows (Bottom-Up): Up to 9 miles round trip, 4 to 8 hours, strenuous. You wade and walk in the cold river between canyon walls, over slippery cobbles. Check flash flood forecasts first, as the route closes when the water runs high.
• Canyon Overlook Trail: 1 mile round trip, 1 hour, easy to moderate. Rocky steps and a few drop-offs lead to a wide view of the canyon switchbacks, and it starts east of the tunnel.

Getting there is simple: from late winter through fall, a free shuttle runs through the main canyon, since private cars are largely barred from Zion Canyon Scenic Drive in those months. Within the park, the shuttle is the way you reach most trailheads. Outside the park, a separate town shuttle runs in Springdale, and the nearest big airports are in Las Vegas and St. George. Zion National Park is among the busiest parks in the country, so trailheads fill by mid-morning in summer and the best light and quiet come early. An entrance fee applies per vehicle or per person on foot or bike, and passes cover several days. Bring plenty of water, closed shoes you don’t mind soaking, and a good map.