xyz99

Another 'must' for our next Utah NPs trip next trip is the Zion Narrows - not the whole hike, since we're not big hikers. Just a couple of hrs in, and then out.

How deep should we expect the water to be in Sept? I don't think I would like it above knees...

Then, how cold should we expect the water to be? Do we need hiking boots? We are thinking to do it wearing shorts + an old pair of sneakers. Are we crazy?
Thanks

utahtea

FIRST, before you start in the Narrows, I would check with the visitor center and see what the weather forcast and what their warnings are before going in the Virgin River. Just because you don't see clouds DOESN'T mean that there isn't any clouds up in the mountains at the head of the Virgin River. We've been there when there was a flash flood in the river and we didn't have any rain at all in the park.

September will probably still be very warm and you will probably enjoy getting wet once you reach the Gateway to the Narrows (which is at the end of the Riverside Walk trail).

I recommend an OLD pair of tennis/walking shoes you don't mind getting wet. I save a pair JUST for the river. They have to be comfortable. I wear mine up, get them wet and just wear them back. BTW, shoes are a MUST to walk in the river. There are just to many slippery rocks which make walking almost impossible without shoes.

I don't know how tall you are, but you probably aren't going to get to far if you only want to go to your knees. There will be sections where it will go past your knees and then it will get go back down. I'd keep asking people that were walking back what the last section was like so you can decide if you want to go farther or not.

I would wear shorts. You might even wear a bathing suit. That's what we did and put the shorts in a backpack and made sure it didn't get wet. Sometimes we had to hold it up but we never went farther than waist deep in the river. We also have never gone all the way.

Utahtea

ccrosner

We hiked the Narrows (up to the Narrow point) last Thursday, and it was great but tiring. Water was not cold. I agree with Utahtea about checking with park service about flash flood possibility--they had one a month ago. We actually were lucky and hiked with a ranger at 9 a.m. which was great.

We wore our hiking shoes throughout and wore shorts. Should have worn a fleece jacket as there is no sun in the morning and it gets quite breezy as you get closer to the Narrows. Our kids (8 and 10) were too cold to go further into the canyon (let my husband go on his own to Orderville Canyon which he loved).

In retrospect, I would rent shoes and a stick from Zion Adventure Company before doing the hike again. Over the trip, without realizing it, you get quite a bit of sand in your shoes and it causes discomfort for a day or so. Zion Adventure has great canyoneering shoes that they rent (we went canyoneering with them the next day and loved the shoes) that would have prevented this. Plus you must have a walking stick (which they rent).

Depending on the weather when you are there, you might want to rent 'drysuit pants'. It was quite chilly there on Saturday and Sunday of this past weekend and I would think that the hike might be cool.

Just some thoughts.

xyz99

Thanks for all the advice, renting shoes and and stick sounds great.

Utahtea, I'm 5'5 and my husband is 6'2. I guess I can take higher water, but your advice of asking the other hikers who come back is great. We'll do that. But I'll also pray for drought
Thanks

ronkala

XYZ,
If you are there and back in the next two weeks, let us know how it was. We're headed west then and will be in Zion the first week of October. I'm Curious how you youngsters made out.

xyz99

ronkola,
I'm planning next year's vacation. Still a long time to wait

But please let us know about your trip when you get back