National park district
Zion Canyon
The Virgin River’s sandstone canyon and the most visited part of Zion, ending upstream in The Narrows.
Zion Canyon is the heart of Zion National Park: the Virgin River corridor between sandstone walls, from the visitor center near Springdale up to the Temple of Sinawava. From March through November, the Park Service says, most Zion Canyon hikes are reachable only on the park shuttle.
Trails here run from short, nearly level walks to strenuous climbs with cliffs and chains. Angels Landing needs a permit for the chains section beyond Scout Lookout; Scout Lookout itself does not.
At the top of the canyon, the paved Riverside Walk ends where The Narrows begins. In the narrowest part of Zion Canyon the walls are about 1,000 feet tall and the river is sometimes only 20 to 30 feet wide, and the route is the river itself. Hiking upstream as far as Big Spring needs no permit; the 16-mile top-down trip from Chamberlain’s Ranch needs a wilderness permit. The park closes The Narrows when flow tops 150 cubic feet per second and during National Weather Service flash flood warnings.
Safety
The Park Service warns that flash floods can happen at any time in The Narrows, along with cyanobacteria, slips and hypothermia. Check the flash flood potential forecast and park closures before going in.