Hiking The Narrows
DESTINATION: THE NARROWS
On our first morning camping near Zion National Park, our destination was to go hiking The Narrows. As the alarm rang in our trailer, we quickly put on clothes, skipped breakfast, and hopped in the truck for the drive into the park. Having read that an early arrival would be prudent, we were aiming for an arrival in the 6am hour.
We drove in the early morning hours from our campsite at Bauers RV Park in nearby Glendale, Utah. The route took us through the Zion National Park East entrance. Our drive was accompanied with the magnificence of the early morning sun shining its light on the dark brown mountains of Zion.
WHERE DO WE PARK THE CAR?
As we made our way through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, we soon came to a section of the road where car after car was pulled over. Surely, we have arrived at the gathering point for hikers headed to The Narrows. We kept our eyes open for any spot where we could fit our Ford F250. But the side of the road was just packed. Feeling a bit uneasy about our chances, we soon spied a section on the side of the road that, just maybe, would accommodate our truck. Pulling in at a slight angle, the truck just squeezed into the space. We made it! Or so we thought.
LET’S DO THIS
Out the car we went, along with our backpacks and gear we packed for the day. And off we walked, in the same direction as the dozens and dozens of other folk, all headed in the same direction. And then a reality check. We came to the Canyon Junction T-intersection, where a new road presents the actual path to The Narrows.
REALITY CHECK
National Park rangers manned this intersection, keeping out any new traffic. And here we learned that we had arrived too late. If we were to keep walking to reach the “starting” point of The Narrows hike, well that would be another five miles in one direction. The parking lot far down the road had filled up within minutes after the clock hit 6am. We learned that people would have been at the park entrance as early as two or three in the morning for the chance of getting through the park entrance upon its 6am opening and off to the actual Narrows parking lot bright and early.
TIME TO DEVELOP OUR PLAN B
As the car limit had been reached, we planned for a different approach on day two. (Hint: You have to be at the park entrance extremely early, before that opens, for a shot at parking your car close to The Narrows trailhead). We stopped in at Zion Outfitters close to the Zion National Park Visitor Center to make arrangements for a shuttle the next day. We were going to do this. And making a reservation for a guaranteed ride in seemed like a good approach.
DAY 2 – LET’S DO THIS FOR REAL
We had reservations for an early morning shuttle. This transportation was arranged to pick us up just outside of Zion Outfitters.
We took advantage of our wait time to take care of a few more supplies. At the store, we rented hiking sticks which would be useful for trekking through the waters of the Virgin River. You’ll want a stick that is more sturdy than a hiking trekking pole. As we were interested in capturing some photographs of this day, we also purchased a waterproof holder in which one of our iPhones could be used without risk of water damage.
ORIbox Universal Waterproof Pouch Phone Dry Bag Underwater Case
SHUTTLE TO TRAILHEAD
The shuttle was well worth the cost given the difficulty of getting to the trailhead, especially these days with the park operating at limited capacity. We boarded a full shuttle of about 10 people at 9am, donned our face masks (required for the ride), and shuttled on past the barricades to normal traffic at the scenic drive entrance. The $30 a piece shuttle ride which guaranteed our way to the trailhead was well worth the expense.
RIVERSIDE WALK
This is your main starting point for hiking The Narrows on the bottom-up route. The Riverside Walk is a lovely stroll. Starting at The Temple of Sinawava, the beauty of the mountains is something to behold. We took some time to marvel at the grandeur of these mountains which show their awe-inspiring boldness in a way that is difficult to understand from photographs. Being in their presence is a unique and special experience.
TIME TO GET WET
The first portion of the hike was on a normal walking path from the parking area. After maybe 10 minutes or so of such walking, we entered the water. First ankle level, then rising slightly higher. At its highest, it rose to just about a quarter inch south of my “zone of discomfort”.
THIS IS NOT YOUR EVERYDAY HIKING EXPERIENCE
We made our way for a good hour and a half in mostly water, watching our footing. There were lots of passages with places to be careful – some difficulty in seeing under the water, watching for slick rocks, and in a few places, holding firm when the water currents sped up a bit.
We felt well suited for the adventure. Sturdy walking sticks helped a lot. So many others made their way without any walking stick at all, while a few folks had carbon hiking sticks which while awesome tools on mountain hikes, lack the stiffness that works better in moving waters. Some folks wore flip flops, some were barefoot. Several carried small children on their backs, no sticks. We watched and prayed those folks especially didn’t slip and fall.
ENDING BACK AT THE TEMPLE OF SINAWAVA
At the Sinawava formation, the canyon narrows abruptly. The color and texture in the cliffs provides a clue as to the intersection of two different rock layers. Here, the Virgin River is forced to slice straight down. It has created a tight perpendicular gorge. The scenery here evolves constantly. Tons of sediment cascade down the river, especially during flash floods.
AN EPIC EXPERIENCE
This was an epic hike, an experience. A great way to round out our visit to Zion. And we are determined to return someday, to venture even further into the high canyon walls than we did on our initial hike.
Get Started – Book Your Trip to Zion National Park
TOP TIPS
- Start early – whatever early means to you, set off even earlier than that
- Shuttle Service – book in advance to guarantee yourself arrival at the trailhead
- Time: Plan for this to be your main, if not only experience for the day. We recommend a minimum of 6 hours.
PACKING LIST
- Hiking clothes (wicking shirts, hiking pants)
- Waterproof bag to hold your iPhone if you plan to hike The Narrows. You can purchase this at the local Zion Outfitters.
- Sturdy walking stick for hiking The Narrows. Trekking poles aren’t suited for this hike.
- Camera (protected from the water)
- Neoprene socks (if you plan to walk in the water)
- Waterproof hiking boots
- Water bottle and water jugs to fill up your bottles daily
- Food for your entire visit – this will help keep your food bill in check
- Sunscreen
- Backpack (We are fans of Osprey packs)
- Hat
- Sunglasses
LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST
We shared an in depth review of our Narrows hike on The Places Where We Go podcast. You can listen to that episode via this link: Hiking The Narrows Podcast (The Places Where We Go)
