As we are planning our trip this long weekend to Arches National Park in Utah, we couldn’t help but think about the beautiful Zion National Park and the hike to the Narrows we did there. During our time there, we hiked Riverside Walk, a small, 2-mile paved trail that runs parallel to the Virgin River. The end of the riverside walk marks the start of the Narrows hike, one of the park’s most famous attractions. We noticed a decent crowd coming from the river end, wearing similar kinds of shoes and tops. Almost everyone was with a wooden stick. Those gears appeared to be from some rental company.
Immediately, we decided to hike this trail because it looked exciting. Once we returned home, we did some research and found everything about the hike. There are 2 famous rental shops in Springdale: Zion Guru and Zion Outfitters. We booked rentals online from Zion Outfitters, which included their Dry-bib package with an additional waterproof backpack.
Package: Dry Bib for 2
Package Contains: Waterproof bib, Neoprene socks and, Adidas Hydro Lace Canyoneering shoes, Wooden stick
Additionals: Waterproof Backpack
Rental Pick-Up Time: 4 PM – 7 PM
There are two approaches to hiking Narrows – Bottom-Up and Top-Down. The Top-Down is a strenuous 18-mile backpacking/hiking trip that requires a wilderness permit. The popular approach is Bottom-Up, which starts from the Temple of Sinawava in Zion and requires no special permit. We opted for the same.
We planned our hike for Saturday, March 19th. The idea was to go to the Temple of Sinawava as early as possible, as it has limited parking. Another option was the park shuttles, which were closed for the season. We reached Hildale, UT, one day earlier, which was a 1-hour drive from the park. The ideal location would have been Springdale, but we couldn’t find any property for our stay there.
We reached Zion Outfitters, located near the visitor center, at 3 PM on Friday to collect the rentals. The rental pickup time was from 4 PM to 7 PM, so they asked us to wait for an hour. We requested them to provide the gears early to save our time. We tried on bibs, socks, and shoes there first, then chose the appropriate sizes. We were asked to choose sticks before leaving. The waiver forms were already signed during the online purchase. We went inside the shop and collected the backpack too. The shop is well equipped with hiking stuff and clothing. They informed us that Shuttles are starting from March 19th, the day of our hike, which was just mindblowing.
On the same campus, we purchased sandwiches, protein bars, fruits, and zip-lock bags from Happy Camper Market. During the shuttle season, private vehicles are not allowed on Scenic Drive, so to reach the Temple of Sinawava, you either need to use the shuttle service or rent bikes.
We returned to our stay and, after dinner, went to bed early. The first shuttle was at 7 AM from the visitor center in Springdale. This hike is so popular that the visitor center’s parking lot gets full even before 6 AM. So we planned to go early to avoid the crowd and to have a parking spot.
We woke up at 3 AM the next day and left for Zion at 4 AM. Since it was an hour-long drive from Hildale to Zion, we reached the visitor center at around 5 AM. Unlike the daytime, there was no traffic on the road. There were still 10-15 cars parked in the lot. It was windy and cold outside; we each wore 2 jackets, collected our gear, and went to the shuttle stop.
The shuttle stop is just in front of the visitor center’s gift shop. We were second in line; before us was a group of girls going for Angel’s Landing hike (another famous hike in the park). Soon the line behind us gets longer, and we all were struggling with the bone-chilling wind. There was no shed or anything, so we were sitting there in the open. Still, it was a nice experience; everyone looked excited.
5-10 minutes before 7 o’clock, a park ranger arrived and, after greeting the crowd, removed the barrier chain to allow everyone to move forward in line. The shuttle came at 7 sharp, and many of us boarded. The masks were mandatory for the shuttle ride.
It was a 40-minute ride to the temple of Sinawava. The driver also showed us the famous Angel’s Landing during the trip. Most of the passengers hopped off for the Angel’s Landing hike at stop 6th. Just before our stop, we put the bibs on top of our jackets and got ready for the hike.
We reached the temple at 7:40 AM, then divided the snacks and other items among us, used the restrooms, and started the hike at 8:15 AM. To reach the narrows, you have to hike the Riverside walk (1 mile), which we did last time too, so we finished it quickly without stopping.
Soon we completed the Riverside walk and came to the same point- Gateway To the Narrows, which we visited last month, and where we noticed those hikers. I removed my gloves and put them, along with Harmit’s iPhone (safely packed in the zip-lock), in the bag. A nice fellow took our picture, and we started the hike. At the beginning, you have to cross the stream of the river, which is cold. It took some time for water to enter the shoes. At least we were comfortable.
The only reason for removing the gloves was to hold my iPhone properly. I wanted to bring my Sony mirrorless, but it’s not waterproof, so we completely relied on the iPhone. Hamit refused to carry her mobile phone during the hike, so it was my responsibility to take all the photos and videos. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity, so one hand was occupied with my mobile while the other was with the walking stick. I managed 🙂
In some places, the water was knee-deep, but the suits were good enough to keep it out. Nearly 1/2 an hour into the hike, we noticed a thin waterfall known as Mystery Falls. Of course, there are no markings or signboards there, you just have to guess the places.
At one place, the ice was still melting, creating a small waterfall that looked amazing. I really wanted to drench myself under it, but everything was so cold. Soon, big boulders and deep canyons started to appear. Everything was far better than we expected.
Now the water level rose to our knees, and since the water was a little muddy, we had to be extra careful. The river surface was uneven and filled with stones. We maintained our balance with the help of sticks and sidewalls. In some places, the flow of water was too fast, and you really struggled to pass through it.
It’s not like you have to be in the water during the whole hike. There were some dry places in between, too. Now there were even more amazing patterns on the walls. I was hoping the iPhone’s battery would last until we completed this adventure (although there was a power bank in the backpack too).
There is no chance of getting lost since the trail is pretty straight (no turns). After hiking about 3 miles, we noticed another path on the right that led to Veiled Falls. I just took its picture as a landmark and continued the hike. Many fellow hikers returned from this point. This is the start of Wall Street.
Even if you come this far and want to make a return, it will still be worthwhile. But we wanted to see more, so we continued. Beyond this point, the canyon narrows, and the water level rises. It was risky to keep my mobile in my hand now, so I kept it inside the bib near my stomach (it was tight enough to hold it). I had to take it from there every time it was needed.
The next noticeable landmark was the Floating Rock, again there was no marking or anything. But it was looking fascinating, lying there between the giant walls. We took a small break there, ate veg sandwiches, and drank some water; we were carrying this the whole time.
As I mentioned earlier, many hikers returned from the Wall Street starting point. We had the place almost to ourselves multiple times. There were like 10-12 guys like us who came this far. There was a place where the water level was waist-high.
Harmit was a little tired now, so she asked how much farther we were planning to go. I assured her that if the water level increases further, then we will return. I argued that we have a full day for this hike, so why not complete it? She simply agreed 🙂 (poor girl).
After some time, we noticed 2 large boulders (giant, actually) that were blocking the path. You actually need to climb on them to continue the hike. A hiker coming from the opposite side told us that from this point, the water is chest level, and he decided to return from there. We also followed the same approach (as with Harmit). We took a final break there and ate another pair of sandwiches. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of that place (full focus on eating). After coming home, we realized that was the official end of this hike, and that point was Big Spring. After this point, you need a permit to go further.
The return was easier. We didn’t stop much, took some shots and selfies, and hurried to finish this adventure. Now the hike was more crowded, and we saw many hikers coming our way.
Till the time we reached Sinawava, the atmosphere became a little hot. We were wearing jackets and warm hats inside, which were not necessary now. At the Gateway to the Narrows, it was like Disney World, with everyone taking selfies and pictures. It was really a wise decision to come early.
After another 1 mile of walking, we finally reached Sinawava, and luckily, there were no lines for the shuttle. There was even a shuttle waiting. We wore the masks and boarded the shuttle.
Overall, it was an out-of-the-world experience. We started the hike at 8:14 AM and returned to the Temple of Sinawava at 4:00 PM, for a total of 8.9 miles according to the AllTrails app (GPS stopped working in between, so it may be a little more than that).
If you are an outdoor person, this hike MUST be on your list. We will create a separate post for Tips and Recommendations for this amazing hike. Please post your queries in the comment section.
Happy Reading! Keep Traveling !!!
HarPiyTravel 