Of all the canyons found in Zion National Park, the easiest and most popular has got to be the Zion Narrows. But that’s only because of the hordes of tourists that hike up the first five miles from the bottom to Big Spring. To truly experience the Narrows, you have to go in from the top on an overnight backpacking trip. By wading down canyon through the Virgin River over the course of two days, you give yourself ample time to soak in the scenery, take photos, and become absorbed in the slow-time of red rock country.
Backpacking the Zion Narrows is a 16-mile, one-way adventure. A permit is required to enter the canyon from the top at Chamberlain’s Ranch. There are twelve campsites inside the canyon allowing groups to split the hike into two days. This is a trip I’ve wanted to hike for years, and I finally got the opportunity. My group drove down from Salt Lake City and stayed a night at the Watchman Campground in Zion National Park. The next morning, we loaded onto a shuttle operated by Zion Adventure Company and drove outside the park to Chamberlain’s Ranch. It took around an hour-and-a-half over highways and narrow dirt roads to reach the trailhead.
From the ranch, the trail begins as a wide, dirt road that parallels an electric fence. The land really is a working ranch here, so it’s important to stay on the trail. This part of the hike is the most boring, but provides a good warmup for what’s to come. The most interesting part is an old, decaying cabin that you can check out just off the road before you enter the canyon. Slowly, the road disappears as the route descends into a wash where the North Fork Virgin River is only a trickle of a stream. The trail crosses the stream several times as the canyon gets deeper and deeper every mile. The canyon walls become more sheer and delve into a layer of red rock, where sunlight illuminates all with an orange glow. Pine trees grow from impossible-looking ledges high above, and the spectacle seems like it can’t get any better. But this is only the top of the canyon and is a mere appetizer of what’s to come.
After a couple hours of hiking, the canyons walls occasionally close in, creating “mini narrows” sections that are beautiful in their own right. Watch for Simon Gulch coming in on your right. After the mini narrows, you’ll reach the first of twelve camp sites, each marked by a numbered, carsonite post. Just beyond the first camp site, you’ll arrive at the North Fork Waterfall, which was created by logs and boulders that have jammed up between the canyon walls from flash flooding. Do not be tempted to jump off into the shallow pool below. Instead, go left and locate a cleft in the canyon wall that lets you bypass the falls.
Another hour of hiking brings you to the confluence with Deep Creek. This is a good spot to stop and refill water bottles or filter water to save for later as Deep Creek is clear (and there are no cows living upstream unlike North Fork.) Beyond Deep Creek the canyon widens, and this is where the rest of the camp sites are found. Each is tucked away high on the shoreline. Some are located beneath overhangs in the canyon walls, others are hidden behind groves of trees. The best campsites have a little of both. Our permit gave us campsite 9, which is a small bench above the river that holds just enough space for six guys and their tents.
Day two is all about discovering the true Zion Narrows. Just past campsite 12 is Big Spring. This is a gorgeous series of natural springs that pour directly from the rock, cascading down in falls to the river below. Hanging gardens dot the cliff around the falls, lending a brilliant green contrast against the red rock. This is a stunning spot that is rightfully the main destination for non-permitted hikers to reach from the bottom up.
Below Big Spring is the section of canyon that you see in all the postcards depicting the Zion Narrows. This area is called the Wall Street Corridor, for obvious reasons. The canyon walls rise up 2,000 feet and constrict into the tightest sections yet. Grottoes, overhangs, twists and sinuous curves depict the course of the river that created this canyon over the course of millions of years. It is among the most humbling spots to be in all of Utah. The only thing that detracts from the experience of being here are the massive amounts of tourists hiking up from the Temple of Sinawava.
Beyond the Wall Street Corridor, you come to Orderville Canyon, which is a nice side hike if you have the time. Eventually, the narrows widen once again as it nears the Temple of Sinawava, and the crowds get even larger. Try to keep your focus on the beauty of the cliffs above you, or else you might get resentful of having to share this special place with so many people – a tough thing to do after having it all to yourself upstream. Fifteen miles into the hike, you arrive at the Temple of Sinawava. Take a stone staircase on the left up to a paved trail and follow it for a mile to the shuttle stop for a ride down Zion Canyon to Springdale.
If You Go:
- Backpacking the Zion Narrows is a strenuous adventure.
- You need to be in shape and have the right gear. Hiking poles and closed-toed shoes that drain are essential. Do not wear Gore-Tex boots! Also bring dry bags to protect your gear from the river. Wet suites may be needed in the colder months.
- Flash floods are always a concern, so never enter the Zion Narrows if there is even a remote chance of rain. Always check the forecast!
- Permits are required and must be reserved months in advance. Otherwise, a limited number are available for the following day at the Visitor Center. Get in line early to snag one of those. Details here.
- Shuttle service is recommended and worth the cost. We like Zion Adventure Company.