lvk

The way to avoid crowds on the Riverwalk/Narrows is to be on the very first shuttle bus in the morning. There was only one other family on the bus when we did this. That family turned around after the first bend in the Narrows, and we had the rest of the hike to ourselves (they were wearing running shoes and had short branch-like hiking sticks). We didn't start seeing crowds until well into the return hike from Orderville Canyon.

Early the next morning DD and others in our group hiked Angel's Landing and didn't have a problem with crowds, either.

Otis_B_Driftwood

Zion has loads of great hikes. It's right up there with Yosemite in my opinion but like Yosemite has crowd problems in high season.

I've done the Angel's Landing hike a couple of times, but on both occasions, not everyone in the party made it all the way. There is a severe vertigo sensation that upsets many people and if you are not in good shape and can't keep your footing, it's best not to attempt it. The rush and satisfaction though, of standing on top, is awesome. This is a crowded trail and I would not consider doing it except for first thing in the morning.

The Observation Point Trail is really the utlimate Canyon view hike in Zion. However, it's a killer because of the over 2000 foot elevation gain and exposure to the hot sun. Again, it's best done real early in the am.

An alternative way to Observation Point is via the East Mesa Trail. This trail is easy and mostly level at a fairly high elevation that enjoys cooling breezes. The hard part is finding the trailhead which is outside the Park past the East Entrance. We were given excellent directions by a ranger in the main Visitor Center.

The Narrows is awesome too but is best, in my opinion, on a really hot day when the temperature is around 100 or higher. That river is cold and I hate having to wear a wetsuit when canyoning for any distance. Mid-June to mid-September is best but this is also when thunderstorms can threaten making the hike impossible. For many reasons, June may be the best month for this hike.

Here's a good website to look at for information about Zion hikes:

http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/

spirobulldog

Placename- There has been something like 8 fatalities on AL in the parks history. Many more traffic deaths than that in the area. Many more deaths in The Narrow than Angels Landing. You could fall, but in my opinion you would have to be very careless to fall. About half of the deaths have been people acting foolishly.

spirobulldog

Otis- that is a great site, that I used when we went to Zion. Description are great and accurate.

smetz

Thanks for the tips and the link, Otis

spiro - good point - the only question that comes to mind statistically is, the number of deaths per auto passenger in zion, versus the number of deaths per hiker on AL. That's the only way to really say that driving in zion is more dangerous than hiking AL. But your point is well taken, that you'd really have to screw up to cause your death during the hike.

smetz

PS - actually I think the NPS website indicates that the most deaths have occurred at Emerald Pools. Doesn't say why, but probably has something to do with the waterfalls?

spirobulldog

Most deaths have occured in The Narrows. A flash flood several times has claimed multiple fatalities. Sadly, I read they had 3 deaths this week. One on AL and the other 2 in The Narrows. I also read they have had several climbing deaths.

smetz

Yes, I read about the pair of rafters who died on the Narrows - didn't sound like they were being very smart about their trip. Didn't hear about the 3rd one though.

spirobulldog

On a different note, we really like the Butternut Squash Enchiladas at The Whiptail Grill in Springdale. It is in an old gas station and a little funky, but the food was really good. I would also have a meal at Zion Lodge and have lunch or ice cream under the big tree just outside the lodge. You might see deer or wild turkeys by the tree. During the day many people sit out on the lawn.

spirobulldog

http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/...1?source=pw980

link to our pics from trip to zion-October 08

bachslunch

What little I've been able to find online about the Emerald Pools Trail deaths suggest two things, both avoidable with common sense:

--stay on the trail and don't try wandering past it too close to the cliff edge.

--there is a ledge area with a small stream in the Middle Emerald Pools part of the trail, which apparently is slick with algae (its green color gives the pools their name). There apparently have been people who have walked too close to the ledge in this area, slipped on the algae, then slid across and over the ledge to their death. Zion's website suggests there are chains in this area to keep people away from the problem spot, though it's unclear if they have always been there.

I've hiked this trail and had no concerns. My reaction is that one would have to be really reckless or profoundly unlucky (sudden heart attack, for example) to fall fatally here.

Angel's Landing's fatalities seem to have occurred at or beyond Scout's Lookout, apparently from slips of various kinds that resulted in long drops below. It seems at least one fatal fall resulted from a reckless risk -- the Salt Lake Tribune reported recently that about six years ago one Boy Scout bet another one he couldn't crawl out onto a ledge and scratch his name into the side of a cliff.

I didn't hike this trail when I visited the park.

smetz

Thanks for those excellent pictures, spiro.

bachslunch - that makes a lot of sense. One other thing that I have heard though is that due to the elevation of Angels Landing, it can still have ice and snow in the spring. I imagine that would make it a little more tricky!

Placename

The two deaths in the Narrows were really stupid:

On Sunday, April 25th, rangers received a report of an overdue party from a float trip down though the Virgin River Narrows. Investigation revealed that two 23-year-old men from Las Vegas had hiked into the Narrows with the intent of constructing a log raft and floating approximately 50 miles through the Narrows to Hurricane, Utah. The men were not equipped with wetsuits or PFDs, did not have whitewater rafting experience, and had limited camping experience, little food and no overnight gear. They told their father that they intended to record their entire trip on video camera as an entry into the “Man vs. Wild” competition. The SAR operation concluded on April 26th when both bodies and a small amount of personal gear were recovered from the river. [Submitted by Cindy Purcell, Chief Ranger]

dcd

We spent 2 nites at the Desert Pearl last week. Nice place!! In Springdale, you might try Oscar's Cafe (http://www.cafeoscars.com/) for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. We ate there for breakfast and dinner. Very good food at reasonable prices. But like most restaurants in that part of the world, the portions are generally huge. We ended up splitting things.

We thought a day and a half was sufficient to do some of the hikes and get a feel for Zion. You've gotten great advice here on the trails. The weather will be your wild card, both heat and rain being the main factors.

One other thought. If you're going to be in any of the other Utah national parks, you might consider picking up "50 Best Short Hikes in Utah's National Parks": http://tinyurl.com/23ps9kp We picked it up from one of the national parks' gift shops (Arches I think) and it was very helpful.

We were in Zion when they fished those 2 kids out. Very sad. Narrows was closed for that reason plus the fact the water was way too high for hiking.

spirobulldog

I think they close AL if there is ice on it.

smetz

Thanks dcd, I had Oscar's on my list of potential restaurants in Springdale, so it's good to get an endorsement.

lvk

Sorry, but I have to weigh in with a dissenting opinion of Oscar's. The staff at the Desert Pearl really seems to push this place, but we only got huge piles of disappointing food. The European tourists at the table next to us were absolutely bug-eyed at the portion sizes. Even the salads resemble mountains. We would have taken the leftovers back to the room, but the food was so bad that it wasn't worth the effort.

We liked Zion Pizza and Noodle, Majestic View Steakhouse and the sandwich shop at the entrance to the park -- Sol Foods, I think?

Dayle

I tried Oscar's last time I was down and didn't care for it either. I always love Zion Pizza and Noodle and make a point to eat there every trip. Very yummy.

JLCK

At Zion now. Just FYI - due to heavy snow fall this past winter the water is too high and the narrows is still closed.

Both my 9 and 11 year olds made it to the top of Angels landing. If you take your time, reaching the summit should be no problem and the view really is fantastic. We caught the 8 O'clock shuttle and the trip up was no problem but on the way down, the crowds made these skinny ledges a complete cluster. I recommend getting on the trail as early as possible

smetz

JLCK - Wow, thanks for the update. We will be there three weeks from now, and it will be interesting to see if the Narrows is still closed.