A Complete Guide To Hiking The Narrows

Hiking the Zion Narrows - SELF GUIDED:
Info & Maps to Help Plan Your Adventure

You Can Hike the Narrows on Your Own.

We provide you with the proper gear, maps and in-depth narrows education to help you have an exceptional experience in the Narrows.

“Grandfather” of desert slot canyons, The Zion Narrows has been rated one of the top ten hikes on Earth, and rightfully so. Leaving the pavement of the popular Riverside Walk, the Virgin River becomes the path, drawing you up into its towering walls and a sinuous path along river banks and knee-deep waters into the narrowest section of Wall Street where 18 million years of river erosion has cut 1500-foot walls into the earth. For many, hiking The Narrows is a life-changing experience. 

You can hike The Narrows, and we can help you.

3 Ways to Hike The Narrows

1. Bottom-Up Zion Narrows Day Hike – Hike in and out from the Temple of Sinawava via the Riverside Walk to Wall Street and back.

2. Top-Down Zion Narrows Day Hike (One Day) - Hike the entirety of the canyon (17 miles) in one day from Chamberlain’s Ranch. Shuttle and permit required.

3. Top-Down Zion Narrows Backpacking Trip (Overnight) - A more leisurely way to hike, enjoy, photograph, and explore. Depart from Chamberlain’s Ranch. Shuttle and permit required.

Understanding The Narrows Flow Rate Conditions

The flow rate of the Virgin River is measured by Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS). At certain flow rates your experience will vary (see Narrows Flow Rate Visual below). If The Narrows reach a specific high rate of flow, the river is actually closed by the Zion National Park Service and you will be unable to hike during that time.  

• At flow rates of 0-150 CFS, the river is open and accessible to Bottom-Up Hikers and considered safe to hike.  

• At flow rates of 0-120 CFS, the river is open and accessible to Top-Down Hikers (Must have permit) and considered safe to hike.

Narrows Flow Rate Graph

Narrows Flow Rate Visual

Zion Narrows Map - Bottom-Up Day Hike

Bottom-Up ZION NARROWS Hike Description

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate - Depending upon river volume and desired round-trip mileage.
Duration: 1 – 6 hours round trip
Where: Begin at the Temple of Sinawava and Riverside Walk.
When: Highly dependent upon water levels, but accessible with the right gear in all but Spring run-off and rainy days.

This approach is the most popular; approximately 90% of all Narrows hikers go to see the famous Wall Street section of the canyon, where towering walls are 1500 tall and the river is merely 22 feet wide. Suitable for most hikers, the Narrows Bottom-Up hike can be as much as a 10-mile round-trip or as little as the 2-mile round-trip of the paved Riverside Walk. To see Wall Street, hikers must travel a minimum of 6 miles round-trip, 4 miles of which is in and along the Virgin River. But even a short hike into the river beyond the Riverside Walk is beautiful; for example, a ½-mile to Mystery Falls and back is a nice treat for young kids and less ambitious day hikers. 

Zion Narrows Map - Top-Down Day Hike or Overnight Backpacking Adventure

Top-Down ZION NARROWS Hike Description

Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Duration: 7 – 12 hours of hiking, one-way
Where: Private or hired shuttle to trailhead @ Chamberlain’s Ranch (1.5 hours away from Springdale)
When: Highly dependent upon water levels and road access to Chamberlain’s Ranch. In 2009-2011, the road was not accessible from November through late June. In 2012-2015, the road was accessible nearly every day of the year. 2018-2019 was a heavy snow year which delayed access to Chamberlain's Ranch until early July. There is no reliable way to predict Top-Down access to The Narrows until about a month ahead of your estimated hiking date.

The Upper Narrows, 5 miles into your hike, is a spectacular foreshadowing of things to come. The junction with Deep Creek is a great place to have lunch and relax your feet before continuing to your campsite. (If you are hiking in a single day, this is your half-way point of the hike.) We have found taking your shoes and socks off, rinsing them, letting your feet relax for 15-20 minutes during the thru-hike is extremely rejuvenating. Don’t forget to look around!

Day Two of the Overnight Narrows hike largely consists of the lower section of The Narrows, where you will find more hikers. Take your time enjoying a quiet morning in the canyon, as you'll be sharing the last few miles with many hikers exploring from the bottom-up.

Obtaining Permits:

This 17-mile day hike (or more casual overnight backpacking trip) is a great wilderness adventure and requires advance permits, which you can get from the Wilderness Desk at the Zion National Park Visitor's Center or online. The Park Service limits Overnight Narrows permits to 40 persons per day. This is a highly sought-after event and worth the effort, pre-trip planning and expense. Though not recommended as your first backpacking experience, it is breathtaking to spend the night in the canyon. Plan on using Restop® bags to carry out your poop.

Narrows Alternatives during closures

Seasonally the Narrows may close due to floods or snowmelt. When the water is above 150 CFS the Park closes the narrows for up to 24 hours until it falls below 150 CFS.

Narrows Hike Alternatives - though nothing truly compares to the Zion Narrows, there are a few hikes that get you into a wonderful slot canyon, sometimes with or without flowing, or pooled water:

• Subway Bottom-Up - requires an advance wilderness permit, cold, shallow water, with a big hike to an extraordinary place. 7-mile round trip, considered difficult hiking terrain

• Kanarraville Falls Hike - a narrow slot canyon with mild, cold river flow, sometimes to waist-deep. Very scenic, 1-hour drive from Springdale.

• Book a Half-Day or Full-Day Canyon Quest - may or may not have water, but a great challenge and accessible to anyone who likes adventure and seeing amazing places.