Unbelievable views, graceful face-plants, & my ONE regret
Zion National Park was the location of choice for days one and two of a trip with my girlfriends to southern Utah and Northern Arizona and it did NOT disappoint! For our full detailed itinerary, see that blog post. **Full disclaimer: Keep in mind as you read this that we hiked Angels Landing the day before The Narrows and ran a half marathon the morning OF this hike in Hurricane, UT! We were hoping the cool temps of the Virgin River would help our muscles!
Photo post half marathon
We arrived to Zion a little late this day because of the half marathon that morning so we pulled into Springdale around 11:30 and used our annual National Park pass to get into the park. We took a gamble on there being an open spot so we didn’t have to park outside of the entrance in Springdale. We had to drive around for about five minutes for a spot to open up which wasn’t bad at all. However, the shuttle line was super long this day because it was so late in the day so (TIP) we opted to walk on the Pa’rus Trail to the second shuttle stop! It was only a 1 mile hike on an easy, flat, paved trail. We loved it because we were able to get to the second shuttle stop and get right on the shuttle! We didn’t have to stand at the first stop and wait in line for an hour. So, if lines are long at the visitor center, I highly recommend this tip!
From stop two, we took the shuttle all the way to the last stop (#9), which is the Temple of Sinawava. Prior to the hike, we had packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, beef jerky, and a few granola bars as well as 2L of water each. It was mid-September so it was hot (about 80° with full sun but the Narrows is shaded maybe have a long sleeve with you just in case! For attire, we had on shorts and a tank top and we each had hiking shoes on. I had Vibram Five Fingers shoes on, which were the hiking and trail version so a bit sturdier than their normal pairs. These were great for getting wet because they dry quickly. I didn’t want to wear my normal hiking shoes for this hike because we were going to be hiking the next day and I didn’t want to risk the chance of them still being wet. Many people hiking The Narrows did rent hiking shoes and poles from a place in town right outside of the Zion Park entrance. I know that is an option but we opted not to do this and were just fine.
Once we got off the shuttle at stop #9, it is a 1-mile hike along the river on a paved trail (called Riverside Walk) to the area where you actually enter the Virgin River. When you do get in the river at The Narrows, it does chill you right away! The water is pretty cold, even in September when we went and I know it is much colder at other times of the year so be prepared and plan wisely! The temp isn’t the only thing that changes about the river, the depth of the river can change from any given day (or even point in the day!) so make sure you keep an eye on what the depth is so you know how high the water will be on you the highest point! For our hike, the highest it was on us was waist deep, but I know I know at some points of the year and some days it can get chest deep or higher! Beware the risk of flash flooding and hypothermia!
The hike through The Narrows is interesting because it is all IN the Virgin River! The total hike is about 8 miles round trip of fighting water currents, slipping on rocks, and trying to not wipe out! BUT it is also filled with inspiration, beauty, energy, and an adventure you can only experience if you do the hike yourself! You can spend a full day doing this hike because you’ll want to take your time. We only hiked about three-four hours total because we started late in the day and we had to drive to Bryce Canyon that night. I will explain a little bit further about how far we got into the hike.
Back to the actual experience…as I said, RIGHT when you step into the water it definitely takes your breath away! The first half mile only reached mid-calf on us. The water current makes it difficult, as does the incredibly slippery rocks you walk on. Honestly, it’s almost like you were just walking on a ton of marbles and bowling balls! At any given time there could be a rock in the water that juts out higher than the rest so just be prepared to test your balance and go slow!
As you’re walking through the river, make sure that you’re taking time to slow down and stop to take it all in! For the majority of the time you’re actually looking straight down at your toes making sure that you’re not going to wipe out in the water so I just recommend that every so many steps, stop and look up and all around you!
The first point to mention (about a half mile in the river), which is a good turn-around point if you have kids along or if you are just aren’t looking to do the full hike is Mystery Falls. Water rolls down the rock, creating a beautiful view. Depending on time of day and where the sun is, it can create a rainbow as the light reflects it, so stop and enjoy this part. You might see people rappelling down the rock here too which is fun to see! From here, you are going back-and-forth across the river to different dry beds as you do this hike. I would say it is about 50 steps on one side, cross the river of strong currents and slippery rocks, then about 50 steps on the other side.
Right after Mystery Falls is where the river got to waist deep on us. At a point it was about knee deep is where one of my friends very gracefully fell and face planted in the river on to another rock!! This led to a really good laugh for us and those around us. It was like she fell in slow motion slow motion and I think what got most wet on her was her face which I don’t know how she managed that!! (Jody, THANK you for that laugh, I wish I had photo evidence!!)
From here, three of us decided to continue on while one waited back. We went about another half mile, around through the Narrows and we stopped on a giant tree that had fallen. It was on this dead tree truck that we sat and ate our PB&J‘s! It was an awesome picnic we had right there in The Narrows! I believe this point was right at The Narrows Alcove, we decided to turn back here because we had already been in this hike for almost 2 hours because we had taken our time and we had a lengthy drive to Bryce Canyon yet that night so wanted to get on the road before it got dark. Looking back at it now though, turning around here is definitely my biggest regret!! As I look at reviews and maps of The Narrows I realize that we should have continued to at least get to Wall Street, where the canyon narrows even further. Knowing this now thought, I WILL make it back to Zion some day and I will do the Narrows all the way through to Wall Street (or beyond!). The hike back down the river was much easier than it was the way up because we weren’t fighting the current as much. We made it back to the shuttle to lock in the memories of the hike as we made it back to our car.
I would be remiss if I did not mention our drive from Zion to Bryce Canyon National Park in this post! This is a very scenic drive it takes about an hour and a half to two hours depending on what the traffic is like. You drive through Zion and come out the other side (a few thousand feet higher in elevation!). The views are outstanding. You then go through a mile long tunnel that was blown out in order to really cut down the drive from Zion to Bryce!
As you come up on Bryce, you go through these beautiful arches and you see a wide variety of landscapes on this drive. We headed straight to Ruby’s RV and Campground for the night where we had a cabin rented. We ended the night with a fire outside our cabin, roasting marshmallows dipped in Bailey’s (it caramelizes the Bailey’s when you roast over the fire—highly recommend!). Our trip to Zion, hiking Angels Landing and The Narrows was a huge success and now we were ready to take on Bryce Canyon the next day!
Miles to Go: Adventure Awaits 
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