The indians call the canyon through which it runs "Mu-koon'-tu-weap" or Straight Canyon. Entering this, we have to wade upstream; often the water fills the entire channel, and although we travel many miles, we find no flood plain, talus, or broken piles of rock at the foot of the cliff. The walls have smooth, plain faces and are everywhere very regular and vertical for a thousand feet or more, where they seem to break back in shelving slopes to higher altitudes; and everywhere as we go along we find springs bursting out at the foot of the walls, and, passing these, the river above becomes steadily smaller; the great body of water, which runs below, bursts out from beneath this great bed of red sandstone; as we go up the canyon, it comes to be but a creek, and then a brook.
- John Wesley Powell, describing the Zion Narrows hike, 1872.
The Narrows, or more formally, the narrows of the North Fork of the Virgin River, has become one of the most famous hikes in the world, and for good reason. It is Zion's hallmark hike. For beginner and intermediate hikers, it can be quite a challenging adventure. Fit, experienced hikers will be wowed by the soaring sandstone walls and the novelty of walking IN the river for miles at a time. Whether done as an overnight through-hike, from the top down as a dayhike, or from the bottom up, the Zion Narrows hike is a classic not to be missed.
The Narrows is the sweetest mile in the best slot canyon in America—maybe in the world—even if it’s not a trail, per se. Rippled red rocks reaching hundreds of feet above you echo the riffled Virgin River washing around your body. To hike it is to be swallowed by the canyon itself, in the best possible way. Nowhere is this feeling more apparent than when the walls pinch to 20 feet wide in the mile-long Wall Street corridor at the mouth of the Orderville Canyon (Narrows mile 2.7). Consider it the absolute zenith of a trek that’s already in the upper echelon of the parks experience.
The granddaddy 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.
Don't let this beautiful slot canyon fool you. The threat of a flush flood happens during summer. It doesn't matter if the sun is out today, if it's raining 30 miles away in another location, expect a wall of raging river of water 20 to 30 feet high gushing through those high walls. There's no escaping. I checked with NOAA weather a couple of times just to assess the threat.
High summer is the best time to through-hike the Narrows. Zion National Park can be downright sweltering in the summer months, so escaping into the deep, twisty and cool river gorge makes for a delightful escape from the heat. Water levels are generally low, and only a spot or two of deep wading or swimming is required. First of June, the water is cold, but as the summer progresses the water becomes warmer and warmer.
High summer is, however, thunderstorm season in the desert southwest. The Monsoon pattern can set up anytime during high summer, making the Zion Narrows hike dodgy at best. This is a good time to explore the Narrows from the bottom up, starting early in the morning, and keeping a careful eye on the sky. The weather forecast and flashflood warning level is posted early each morning at the Visitor Center – be sure to check it before heading out.
Even without the Monsoon, the Narrows should be hiked with a keen eye on the sky to the north. Thunderstorms occur largely in the late afternoon, so get up early and put those miles in before mid-afternoon, so you will be in a safe place during those critical hours 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The North Fork watershed comprises 400 square miles of terrain mostly north of The Narrows. Hard rain in any part of this watershed can cause flooding, sometimes with several hours of delay.
The top half of the Zion Narrows hike can be hot and sunny, especially in July and August. #zionnationalpark #utah #zion #nationalpark #nature #hiking #travel #nationalparks #visitutah #angelslanding #roadtrip #naturephotography #adventure #usa #brycecanyon
