Hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park
I arrived at Zion almost late afternoon. I had no place to camp because I initially didn’t think I would have enough time to go to Zion. As I was driving, I saw HI-Road Basecamp on my left. This campground is a mile from the east entrance of Zion Park. I pulled it and hoped they had a spot for me. By a miracle, they did, I asked the owners if I could come back in a few hours, and they said yes. I drove to the Zion Park Blvd’s Center, along the scenic drive to Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, to the park. Depending on the time of day, this drive can take 25 minutes to an hour to get to the visitor’s center because of traffic. This drive, especially coming out of the tunnel, is breathtaking. I have always said that Utah is its own planet because of its dramatic/ unique landscapes. It was so hard to pay attention to the road because the bright blue sky made the jagged red rocks covered by green trees pop. However, I was quickly reminded to pay attention since there were no guard rails!
Once I arrived at the visitor’s center, my intel work started on the two hikes I wanted to do for the next two days. I LOVE talking to park rangers and getting their perspective on what to do, see, and experience, and I love hearing about their stories. As I have mentioned before, talking to the rangers to seek details of the park is essential so you are prepared before going out. Whenever I talk to them, I always pick up great tips and information from them. After my chat and buying some things at the store, I decided to do the Narrows because of the low chance of flash flooding.
Having a low level of flash flooding is HIGHLY important for the Narrows. Unlike most other hikes in Zion National Park, there is no trail. You start this hike on a concrete trail at the Temple of Sinawava for the first mile, then go straight into the Virgin River. If there is a chance of rain, the water in the Narrows can rise to dangerous levels. Also, just because the weather is clear that day, it doesn’t always stay that way. Always watch while hiking on this trail and turn back if the weather gets bad.
First, I decided to go to Zion Outfitters, a 5 min walk from the visitor’s center, to see what they had. As I was browsing, I overheard a couple of people talking about their hike at Angels Landing and how hard it was because of the heat. And then I was talking to another couple who did the Narrows and recommended I do it tomorrow because of the low chance of flooding, just like what the rangers told me. They also recommended that I rent a walking stick and water gear. So, I rented a walking stick for the hike and went to get a pint next door since it was hot as AF. I will go more into my gear in my tips and tricks page. After my pint, I returned to my campsite, set up camp, ate, started a fire, and prepared mentally for my exciting adventures in the Narrows.
The following day, I woke up around 4:45 am and drove back to the visitor’s center to catch the first shuttle. As I mentioned in my moth story, Zion is known as the Disneyland of the national parks. This park gets 4.3 million visitors a year, which has jumped 60% in the last decade; therefore, the park started the shuttle program in 2000 to reduce traffic and parking problems and protect vegetation and wildlife. I got on the second shuttle of the day and went to Temple of Sinawa to start my hike up the Narrows. The shuttle runs every 20 mins or so.
As I mentioned, the first mile is on concrete and sand until you hit the Gateway to the Narrows, where you will enter the Virgin River (End of Riverside Walk). When I first walked into the Virgin River, it was freezing! However, being stunned by the canyon's views helped ease the ice-cold water's sensation. The water level was around my ankles/ calves at that point. I was mesmerized by how this canyon had rough but soft edges simultaneously. Also, walking in the river at this point will be the “easiest” since most rocks are smaller and easier to manage. The next big attraction on this hike is Mystery Falls, which is about 1.4 miles in.
As I was hiking more into the canyon, I saw how it had different colors; one side had this reddish look, while the other had a grey color. There were not many people on my hike, which was lovely to enjoy without the craziness that comes with humans. I knew I was getting closer to Ordveille Canyon when the water levels reached my mid-thigh. That is the highest the water got on me unless I went into the deeper pockets. Around the Ordveill Canyon is where the famous Wall Street begins.
As I started to get closer to Wall Street, more and more people were hiking. I ran into some groups who were not mindful of the rules of hiking. Their kids were running and cutting people off and swimming in the river. At this point of the hike, it was getting more challenging because you were traveling upstream of the river, the rocks were so slippery, and the water was moving at a good pace. I remember this family with the kids who cut in front of me, causing me to fall and hit my head on the side of the canyon. I felt awful because I was talking to this girl, and she thought I fell because of her. I thanked her for helping me and checking in on me, and I was okay. If you are hiking with kids, please make sure they are up for hiking and be mindful of other hikers and other rules, especially related to swimming.
Swimming in this river is prohibited because of the toxic Cyanobacteria Bloom. This algae makes inhaling the water dangerous. Even the top-of-the-line water filtration can’t flitter out the algae. This is posted everywhere in the park; even on the shuttle, they remind people. I saw so many kids swimming and splashing around, and it made me really nervous for them.
Finally, I reached Wall Street, the famous part of the hike. This is where the walls of the canyon tower are 1500 feet tall, and it’s the narrowest, with the river only being 22 feet wide. Once I passed this section, I hung out at the riverbank, enjoying the view. I kept looking up at the sky because the sun was finally out, and it was a bright blue sky with some white clouds. It made the rocks stand out even more. I was chatting with a few people as I was asked to take pictures of them. I heard one of them talking about this Floating Rock up from Wall Street. Floating Rock is another stopping point on this hike. It is a giant boulder that looks floating on the river. My curiosity peaked, and I kept hiking after getting some pictures of myself at Wall Street. I went to Floating Rock, then turned around and headed back. Looking back now, I should have continued to Big Springs; it’s about another 1-1.5 miles down; this was the last point before you had to turn around because the rest of the Narrows needed a permit.
I decided I had explored enough today and was already over 3 miles from where I started. I began my trip back. I saw hundreds and hundreds of people hiking toward me on my way back. It really did feel like Disneyland, though I have never been there to know for sure. I saw people trying to hike the river as I was hiking back. Some had the right gear, and some did not. I remember seeing a girl sitting in a sundress on a rock in the middle of the river. I cannot imagine hiking in water in a sundress in at least knee-high water!
As I was hiking back, I ran into my friends I made at Bryce, the ones I mentioned in my moth story. We chatted and laughed at the odds we would run into each on the same hike days later. As I was hiking back, I saw kids swimming, parents not paying attention, and people not with the right gear. I was happy that I was heading back because hiking back with everyone was not fun. I highly recommend this hike; it was truly unique, but I would pack a lot of patience with it. Go early so you can avoid people as much as possible!
I made it back to the shuttle, still soaked. The shuttle made its rounds to the other stops before dropping us at the visitor’s center. I decided to celebrate my post-hike with a beer or two from the pub I went to the night before. I went from being chilly in the water to sweating in the 100-plus heat outside. I was chatting with this one woman from California. We talked, and she was impressed that I hiked the Narrows and camp and traveled alone. She gave me praise, which I sometimes find hard to take. Traveling, hiking, or anything I typically do alone is easy, but it’s not always easy for others. I thanked her as she ordered me a beer, so I enjoyed this random conversation on a hot Zion day. We parted ways, and I headed back to my camp to do a few things before heading for my second hike for the day, the Canyon Overlook for sunset. Which, of course, is the same place I ran into those guys again from Bryce and the Narrows hike. It’s fascinating how life works sometimes.