Hike Zion's Narrows?
 

Has anyone done Zion's narrows at the end of May? We're thinking of doing the easiest part for maybe 4 to 6 hours max.

Please share your experiences.

Thanks.

We waded up the narrows when we were in Zion in 1988 and loved it. There were sticks at the starting point left to help you be stable and we did about a quarter mile upstream in old tennis shoes. I am glad that you posted the question because I want to ask more recent visitors if you really need to rent the special shoes and poles if you are only going for a 2-3 hour trip at most. That is why I call it a wade and not a hike. We are near 60 so can not do the climbs and hikes. Also let me ask if there is an overlook trail when entering Zion from the East and before the tunnel where we might get a canyon view without having to make one of the hard climbs up the wall. JC98, I do suggest you make some of the hike up the narrows and hope that the info I have requested will also be helpful to you.

You might want to ask Maria who wrote this report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34991730

JC,

The hike up the Narrows completely depends on Mother Nature. You should check with the Visitor's Center before going. This year, our snowfall is FAR below normal so going at the end of May should be OK as far as water level.

Water level can also be affected by rain, so do check!

I haven't hiked the Narrows myself yet, but when I do, I will take the water shoes and treking poles for sure.

Have fun!

Wife and I did the Narrows in 2005. We had treking poles and wore Keen H2 sandals. Had no trouble at all. If we did not have these I would rent the shoes because it can be very slippery on rocks under water, especially the further up you go because less people are up there to scrap off the algae on the rocks.

JC98, excuse me for the quick intrusion-

cgrk, I've been considering the Keen H2 sandals as a multi-purpose sandal. Do you like them? Would you wear them for city sightseeing? I read that they run about a half size small. Did you find that to be true?

I'll also be visiting Zion in October.

I went last year, at the end of May, the water was cold, but the air was warm. I wore my waterproof hiking boots that have nonslip Vibram soles. I was glad I had the ankle support, as mentioned, the rocks are pretty slippery. A pole is mandatory. Be sure you wear clothing that will dry out quickly, including your underwear. You'll have to ride the shuttle back to your car. Not comfortable in wet underwear!

You can rent gear in town if you don't already own it. T

It isn't that hard,

Thanks for your helpful responses.

Is it ok to use a telescoping metal pole instead of a wood pole? I've only seen wood poles in pictures. Any reason for this?

I have to figure out what shoes to wear. So general critera should be: drains water well, quick drying, ankle support preferred. Any particular brand?

Any dangerous wildlife to watch out for? Water snakes? Scorpions?

Thanks!

We hiked up the Narrows on Memorial Day one year. It was crowded, but lots of fun, and the crowds disappeared after the first few bends. The walking sticks and sturdy water shoes are a must. We loved it! :)

You will want the wooden poles because the river bottom is various size stones. If your telescoping pole gets stuck between stones it may bend or break. The wooden ones wont. You should have ankle protection for the same reason or you are likely to come back with some really scuffed ankles when your foot slips off the top of a rock and goes between rocks.

Does anyone know if you can still rent the wooden sticks in Springdale?

Hi JC98.

(Thanks Michael, I was just about to look for the link to my trip report.)

The Narrows one is at the end of the report. I agree to definitely check the weather before you go. You don't want to be there when it's too much rain. I also agree it depends on teh water level and how strong the currents are. We just did this hike in late April. Water was still cold but we rented the dri pants from Zion Adventures (in Springdale) for $29/person. It includes the thick wooden pole that was a savior. We have trekking poles to but they advised us not to use it because although we only had a "moderate" on the strength of the current (I believe it was at 83), it was still pretty strong especially at crossings. If the water isn't too cold, you can also just rent the canyoneering shoes but those really helped to stabilize your feet. Now, can you do this without the canyoneering shoes and the dri pants and the wooden stick? Of course. We saw a few people do that on the day we went but they were slow moving compared to us and I think we were more comfortable that they were too. We also did the down up hike (which is the short one that doesn't require a permit) and it was an absolute blast! The trip report had a link to pictures.

Don't worry about wildlife. Too cold of a water (and fast moving) for snakes or scorpions. No danger there. What you should expect is just to have alot of fun and some of the most beautiful sights you'll see. Honestly, I think I said "cool" 100 too many times when we did that trip and I am itching to come back again.

Have fun! Wish I was going...

Oh, the reason not to use trekking poles is that it would break. On our trip, there was a couple that had trekking poles - the very expensive kind. One of them broke fairly early on in the trip.

Even though the water was still cold, we didn't feel it at all with the dri pants. It looked like granny pants but it did it's job perfectly.

You'll find yourself going slow at first but once you get used to how to "walk" in the river, you'll go a bit faster because you won't be able to wait to get to the next bend. Alot more than 5 hours. That's all we had and we didn't make it all the way to the turning point. Start as early as you can and leave as much time in the end (sun sets usually at 8) because even though you'll be tired, you won't notice it. You'll be having too much fun....

JC98 Love the Keen H2. Most comfortable sandals I have worn, period. I also like the way they protect your toes. I wear them all the time, including city sightseeing. I don't remember if they run a size small or not but I have had them three years now with no sign of being worn down.

Thanks, all, for your clarfications and info!

maria_so, saw your photos of the narrows hike. Looked like you guys had fun, but I couldn't find your description of the hike?

Wow, our first time hikng UP the Narrows
we just grabbed wood walking sticks (tree branches)left at the end of Riverside Walk and wore our hiking boots. We had a blast, and quickly learned how to "read the river" and navigate safely.
The next year, we wore athletic shoes and used our REI trekking poles. Absolutely no problems whatsoever.
Just don't go too fast, use your pole to test your next step, cross on a diagonal and avoid deep holes. Beware of slippery rocks and plant your foot firmly before putting your weight on it.
I was there is April, and some families were easily doing this with the rented equipment, but the water was extremely cold. Definitely ask a lot of questions of the rangers before planning your walk.

Hi JC98,

Sorry, no. I didn't do a detailed description of the hike, just a report and pictures.

Is there anything specific you want to know? I would be more than happy let you know what I experienced.

As I mentioned before and as elnap reiterated, you can do this hike without any gear to rent and we even saw a couple of people in flip flops (!!!) but it I would imagine that if you can spare $29/person, it isn't a bad investment. We didn't feel cold at all and was very comfortable.