Zion is home to some of the most incredible landscapes you will ever see. Towering red rock mountains, the beautiful virgin river snaking through the canyon and plenty of hikes that will get you up off the canyon floor for some incredible views and photo ops.

Angel’s Landing

• Shuttle stop: 6, Grotto Trailhead
• Trail length: 2.5 miles one way. First 2 miles are well maintained and lead to Scouts Lookout, last half mile is the famous chain section of the hike.
• Elevation gain: 1500 feet with very steep switchbacks
• Duration: 4-6 hours
• Difficulty: Strenuous

Angel’s Landing looms over the canyon standing 1500 feet above the canyon floor. If you have a fear of heights, we wouldn’t recommend this one for you. Walk across the hiker bridge over the virgin river from the 6th stop on the Zion Canyon Shuttle and follow the signs to the trailhead. The trail has multiple steep switchbacks including the famous Walters Wiggles leading up to Scouts Lookout. The chain section of the hike starts at Scouts Lookout and is a 1/2 mile out one way. This section of the hike narrows to as little as about 3 yards wide with 1500 foot drops to the canyon floor on either side. Take it slow, hold on to the chains and be constantly aware of your footing. People have fallen and died hiking this trail. Don’t add to the number. When you make it across the chains you will be rewarded with an incredible view of the value that will make your sweaty palms and thumping heartbeat worth the trip.

The Riverside Walk



• Shuttle stop: 7, Temple of Sinawava
• Trail length: 1 mile one way
• Elevation gain: Mostly flat
• Duration: 1-2 hours (more if you decide to wade in the river)
• Difficulty: Easy, trail is paved and wheelchair accesible.

The Riverside Walk trail which is a 1 mile, paved walk along the Virgin River that leads to the Narrows trailhead. The Riverside Walk offers incredible views of the Virgin River and has frequent access to the river if you’d like to wade in the water to cool off on a hot day. The Riverside Walk is also wheelchair accesible and mostly flat making it a great hike for the entire family even if you don’t plan on hiking The Narrows.

The Narrows



• Shuttle stop: 7, Temple of Sinawava
• Trail length:
• Elevation gain: Mostly flat, but you will be hiking against the current on the way in
• Duration:
• Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous, requires a lot of balance

The Narrows is one of the most popular and famous hikes in the park and for good reason as few other hikes are as unique as this one. After taking the Riverside Walk Trail you walk down into the river and begin the upstream push up into hundreds of feet tall slot canyons. You will be walking on large, round rocks polished smooth by years of rushing water. The rocks are slippery and without proper equipment, a hike that should be an incredible experience may feel more like a chore. There are multiple gear rental stores in Springdale just outside the entrance to the park that offer Narrows rental packages including a walking stick, bouldering shoes and neoprene socks. Rental packages are usually $25-30 and are well worth the price considering that you may not enjoy the hike as much without them.

The first time we hiked The Narrows we rented socks and a walking stick only and wore our normal hiking shoes. Mine were a pair of trail runners by Altra and Kaitlin’s were some waterproof boots. We had plenty of traction to make it through the hike, but our shoes were soaked afterward and took a full day to dry. Luckily we hiked The Narrows on the morning of the day we were leaving so soggy shoes weren’t a huge issue, but if you are going to be in the park for a few days after your hike we highly recommend renting shoes so you don’t have to wait for yours to dry before you can check out some of the other incredible hikes in the park.

Beware of flash floods. The water level in slot canyons can rise very quickly and you will not be able to swim fast enough to escape a flash flood. Pay attention to the flash flood danger level at the beginning of the riverside walk and if danger level is high hike The Narrows another day. No hike is worth your life.

Emerald Pools



• Shuttle stop: 5, The Zion Lodge or 6, The Grotto if you decide to take the longer Kayenta Trail
• Trail length: Approximately 2.5 miles round trip
• Elevation gain: 200 feet to the middle pools and another 200 feet to the upper pools. 400 miles elevation gain for the whole hike.
• Duration: 2-4 hours
• Difficulty: Easy, Good for families

Quick Tip: Don’t play in the water. The Emerald Pools are a desert oasis for wildlife in the area and damage from foot traffic can negatively impact the local wildlife. There’s also the risk of Traveler’s Diarrhea if you accidentally ingest the water which will put a serious damper on your trip. Play it safe and just enjoy the sites. You can always play in the Virgin River later to cool off.

Lower Emerald Pools

The Lower Emerald Pool is only a half-mile down the trail and is easily accessible for people who don’t hike often or families with baby-stroller. The trail runs underneath two tall waterfalls into the pools below. You will likely feel some spray from the waterfalls as you walk underneath.

Middle Emerald Pools

The trail gets more difficult after the lower pools and climbs up to bring you to the top of the cliff that you walked underneath at the lower pools. It’s a little over one mile from the Lower to the Middle Pools The views on this section are great.

Upper Emerald Pool

Hike another quarter mile to the Upper Emerald Pools and you will be rewarded with stunning views of the final pool at the base of 300-foot cliffs. There’s plenty of shade and rocks to sit on to enjoy your lunch or relax before you hike back down. Take a walk over to the cliffs away from the pool for some awesome views of the canyon but obey the signs and don’t walk all the way to the edge.

The Upper Pools Trail is currently closed due to rockfall and storm damage. Please obey closure signs. The Rangers put them up for your safety.

You can check for trail closures in Zion on the National Park Service Site.

Weeping Rock

• Shuttle stop: 7, Weeping Rock Trailhead
• Trail length: .4 mile round trip
• Elevation gain: 98 feet
• Duration: Less than 30 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy, good for families

No hiking guide for Zion would be complete without the Weeping Rock trail. A short walk takes you to an alcove where the water forced out through the rock forms a lush hanging garden. You can also branch off from the trail and acces the Weeping Rock Stream which is very popular on particularly hot days.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these hikes are some of our favorites. Check back for more hiking recommendation as we explore more National Parks!