I took a trip to Northern and Southeastern Utah last year, but am doing a northern Arizona, southwestern Utah trip this year. I am trying to decide between doing the Angel's Landing Trail and Observation Point. Observation Point is higher than Angel's Landing but Angel's Landing sounds really good too. I am also doing other trails like Weeping Rock, Canyon Overlook, Emerald Pools (all of them), Riverside Trail maybe hiking up the narrows to Orderville Canyon, the watchman trail, and Hidden Canyon Trail. I have just about two full days at the park and am coming in the east enterance. Which of these trails should I miss or do I have time to do all these trails?

Hi A,

Have you checked the distances of all the hikes? Most of the ones you mention are short. Others are longer and much more strenuous. It depends on how fit you are and how aclimated. It also depends very much on WHEN you are going. If summer, then no you will not be able to do all these hikes.

Start very early to do Angel's Landing, 7am at the latest. You will be down by the heat of the day. Then see how many of the "walks" on the canyon floor you still feel like doing.

Try the same strategy for Observation Point the next day.

You will probably want to skip the Watchman hike. Lowest in elevation, exposed and HOT!

Riverside can be done almost any time of the day because it's mostly in the shade and level.

Have fun!

In Zion Canyon, the hikes are pretty easy and short, with Angel's Landing being the difficult, longest hike.
You will reach the point where it is
rock and a chain to hang onto, not for beginners. Beautiful hike.
You may have time to do several hikes, as I said most are short, you could do Angel's Landing in the morning, depending how far you want to go.
Remember lots of water and snacks.

I'd skip Watchman. It's a nice little evening hike if you're staying in the campground but not as great as the hikes in Zion Canyon.
Do Observation Point if you want to avoid crowds-there will be some people, but not nearly the mobs that do Angel's Landing. If avoiding crowds isn't important to you, and you want to try to fit in as much as possible, Angel's is shorter and quicker, and you'll have time to do some of those shorter hikes you've mentioned that same day.

Definitely go up to Orderville Canyon. It is the best hike of all you've mentioned. It is much more time consuming than the mileage would lead you to believe-allow a few hours at least.

We did Angel's Landing last year in June and loved it. Easily the most beautiful and fun hike I've ever done. Although it can be strenuous at times, it's easily acomplished by anyone with moderate hiking experience who goes prepared with snacks and enough water, as well as a mindset that it's a long distance run and not a sprint. Many folks who pased us up didn't have enough gas to make it to the final summit. We're both in our early forties and took frequent rests along the way.

IMHO, a backpack is a must. Bring plenty of snacks. We chose beef jerky, salted peanuts, jellybeans, and bananas. Pack as much water as you can carry. We brought along roughly a gallon per person and drank it all. Bring a wide brimmed hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a camera.

The hike consists of two sections, the lower one being the easiest and longest. It consists of moderate to strenuous sections, mostly paved, wide and well maintained trail.

At the summit of the first section, you'll be rewarded with a spectacular view of both the canyon floor and upper sumitt trail. It's a great place to rest and take pictures. There are a couple of porta-potties nearby.

The upper section is ahead of you, and is more like walking a trail in the woods. Plan on another hour to make the trip to the summit and back to the porta-potties. Well maitained, but some loose rocks. You climb over, through, and beside rocks and boulders. Sometimes the trail is only wide enough for one person to pass. In other places, it is wide and easy walking. The final summit is spacious; with lots of room for everyone. Not nearly as cramped and potentially dangrous as, say the Chimneys summit at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

We got back to the shuttle bus stop about 1pm. Grabbed lunch and took it easy for the rest of the day.

Which hikes should I do the first day? The first day I am getting up early in Page and driving non-stop (a 2 hour drive) to the enterance of Zion National Park, so it will be close a full day, then the second day I have a full day, then the third day I am leaving for Bryce because I only have that day for Bryce. So, I am spending 2 nights in Springdale and I am going to be there in 4-5 weeks, so it will be summer. I am worried more about the wildfires than the temperature, but hopefully they will be put out by then. What is the Hidden Canyon trail like? I don't like the crowds, but if I hike early, I don't think there will be any. Which trail has the best views? I kind of only want to do one strenous hike , because I am not well fit. How long should I allow for the round-trip hike up the narrows to Orderville Canyon? Also, what kind of shoes do you wear to hike the narrows?
Thanks-

Hi again A,

I see now from your other post, you really do have an ambitious itinerary. I think when you get here, you will find yourself only doing about half of what you planned.

I would start by checking the hiking conditions for the Narrows as soon as you arrive in Zion. Go straight there and hike, you will also be doing the Riverside Walk to get there.

Just getting on the shuttle bus and going all the way to the end of the canyon will take 45 minutes one-way.

On your way back, stop at all the shuttle stops and do the Weeping Rock walk. Very short. If you still have energy when they stop at the lodge, get off and do the Emerald Pools.

Second day, start very early (hiking by 7 am) and do Angel's Landing. You can decide whether to go all the way to the top once you get up there.

In the Narrows, wear old tennies or special water shoes with toes. Take 2 treking pole for balance in the water. Shoes and poles can be rented in Springdale.

Have fun!

I might skip the Watchman and Hidden Canyon Trails and just do the trails you listed. Both Emerald Pool and Weeping Rock I can do anytime and Weeping Rock is short. I figure I'll do the Canyon Overlook Trail on the way into the park.

I didn't like Hidden Canyon when we were there at a somewhat busy time - some idiot kids where throwing ROCKS down into the canyon from above. Very dangerous and obviously against park rules. It's just not far enough into the park to weed out the idiots.

A really good hike that I enjoyed was the lower part of the Subway; it's not overly technical; some scrambling downhill over rocks and following cairns to get down to the river, then follow the river up to the Subway. (if you read anything about the technical part of the Subway - don't worry, you just go up to that point on this hike, so you don't need any rope skills! - this route really is just for avid, fit hikers, not technical extremists!) The water will keep you cool, formations at the Subway are neat to see, AND the number of other people you will see is limited, as this is a permit only hike limited to 50 people per day (if I remember correctly). Check with the visitor's center when you first get there, you might score a permit for your second day.

I'd guess Observation Point is less busy than Angel's Landing since Angel's Landing gets all the hype. I did Observation Point, which was nice, but I got the impression Angel's Landing is scarier - maybe more of a sense of accomplishment to reach the top? I'd probably only do one of these 2 hikes, since they are both variations on the climb-to-a-really-high-point theme.

Have fun whichever hikes you choose - and take a LOT of water!

How long is the trail to the Subway and where do you pick it up? Which viewpoint has the better view, Angel's Landing or Observation Point? I read that when walking in the narrows, you should wear shoes with ankle support, should I wear hiking boots?

A,

Hiking the Narrows and the Subway is a day to day thing. It completely depends on Mother Nature. If you are going in the next 2 months, July or August, that's when our summer thunderstorms start. This means possible lightening (not good when you are up high and exposed) and possible flash floods.

Getting a permit for the Subway will depend on weather and demand. Going into the Narrows will depend on possible thunderstorms in areas that will drain into the Virgin River.

You could wear hiking boots, but you will be wading in the water 90%of the time. Have you ever done this in your boots before? It could get uncomfortable. Wet boots + sand + cold water. I would recommend getting the special equipment from the outfitters in Springdale.

Doing the Canyon Overlook on entrance from the east is a great idea. Awesome view and a nice little hike.

The Subway hike going up from the bottom is the hardest way. The part from the Subway formation down, up and out is a difficult hike. You start off with a very steep decent to the river, then you do a couple miles of boulder hopping along a mostly undefined trail in the river bottom before reaching the wonderful scenery.

If you get a permit and go from the top down, it's 9 miles one-way. There are 5 places where you have to have canyoneering, rock climbing experience with some minimal equipment that you have carried in. There are 3 or more places where you have to swim a short distance. It's not hard, but you MUST know what you are doing, or go with a guide.

I might skip the subway. How long of a hike roundtrip is it up the narrows to Orderville Canyon from the Temple of Sinawava? I hope the wildfires get put out by the time I get here in early august.

I can understand skipping the Subway, it's not the easiest hike, although I enjoyed it immensely...fun scrambling down the slope to the river, fun hopping and weaving through the boulders on the river, and the Subway itself is beautiful...but, I hope you understood that the poster after me was describing 2 different variants of the Subway hike.

The top-down version is the one that requires canyoneering skills, and not the one I was recommending. (I've never done that one, it probably is even MORE beautiful, but a bit too technical for me to bite off!)

I was describing and recommending only the bottom and back, which the NPS describes as: "This is a strenuous 9 mile round trip hike requiring route finding, stream crossings, and scrambling over boulders. The route is often slippery. This hike begins and ends at the Left Fork Trailhead off of the Kolob Terrace Road."

Of course, that still may be more than you're up for, but a bit less intimidating than needing rope skills and doing some swimming!

As far as proper gear for the bottom and back, I wore Goretex hiking boots and never got my feet wet. Nice to have a hiking pole for stability. And, as applies to all hikes, take plenty of water.

Narrows to Orderville sounds intriguing, but the hiking boots won't be enough for that - if you pick that hike, do get special gear.

You've got a lot of information from people now - you might want to not make a final decision until you get to the park & consult with the rangers as to which hikes might be most fun/suitable based on weather, current conditions, and your interests/fitness.

I'd probably do the Subway if I had another full day because a strenous 9 miles roundtrip is a full day, plus it is another section of the park. But it sounds interesting. What would be special gear for the narrows? Does that require any swimming? How far is the distance and time roundtrip to Orderville Canyon?
Thanks-

Look here for info on hiking the narrows:

http://www.nps.gov/zion/ZionNarrows.htm

Also:

http://www.zionadventures.com/hiking...n_narrows.html

I guess the hiking boots ARE the recommended footwear by NPS, how about that? Although, Zion Adventures seems to have a very reasonably priced summer footware package that sounds more comfortable to me.

Wet or dry suits are recommended for certain times of the year; if you're going in the summer, I presume that's not necessary.

Have fun!

Yes, I am going in summer. I don't really want to wear my hiking boots because if water gets in it can't get out making them very heavy to walk in. I have a pair of watershoes that would protect you some from stubbing a foot, but don't have ankle support. I don't know if this is a good idea or not? I would like to do the narrows the first day right after the Canyon Overlook Trail on the way in. Where is the place that rents the boots and can you just get the boots without the package? I read that you can pick up walking sticks at the end of the Riverside Walk.

I've hiked in the narrows many times in old tennis shoes-I'd never ruin my hiking boots by wearing them in the water. Maybe renting special water shoes is especially comfortable but I don't think it's necessary. I didn't find that I needed more ankle support than tennis shoes provided-to Orderville Canyon, it's only 1.5 miles. Just use hiking sticks and you'll be fine.

That's maybe what I'll do is wear old tennis shoes. The watershoes I was talking about are low cut and old tennis will provide more support. Had not thought of that. My hiking boots are goretex, so no water gets inside but if the water gets above the top of the shoe water gets in which it does. Can you get hiking sticks at the end of the Riverside Trail like I've read? Also, do you have to go to the visitor center and inquire about the flash flood danger or is there a sign saying the flash-flood danger at the beginning of the Riverside Trail like I have read? Why do some guidebooks consider the narrows strenous if it is flat? Also, I probably skip Hidden Canyon and Watchman like I said before unless I have time. Are these good ones to skip? I figure I am doing the narrows which is a slot canyon and I am doing Canyon Overlook and Angel's Landing or Observation Point trail which are 2 viewpoints. Also, what is a good place to eat at Zion? Is Red Rock Grille good? What are good restaurants in the town of Springdale outside the park?

We did a hike in the narrows wearing Tevas and they were ideal. It's hard work because you are wading through water and even though we are fairly fit hikers we had some unexpected muscle aches the next day. I seem to recall there were some wooden poles by the river to take and leave as you wish. We had our hiking poles with us so didn't need them.

You will get great views from both Observation Point and Angels Landing - not much to choose between them. I thought Observation Point was the harder hike but only do Angels Landing if you have a good head for heights.

There have been walking sticks at the end of the Riverside Walk just below the elevated overlook. Once you go down the few stairs, look back and you will see them against the wall of the overlook.

They use to have a sign telling of the level of danger for the Narrows. They have taken that down, so the best thing to do is check with the Visitor Center. Just because it's not cloudy in Zion, doesn't mean you can't have flash floods up in the mountain where the Virgin River starts. Both of the last two flashfloods we've seen started on nice sunny days in Zion.

Utahtea