The best hikes in Zion National Park are Angels Landing (5.4 miles, ~1,500 ft gain, permit required), The Narrows (a river walk, up to ~9.4 miles), Observation Point (~7 miles via East Mesa, ~700 ft gain), Emerald Pools (1.2–3 miles, easy), Canyon Overlook (1 mile, big views), and the Watchman (3.3 miles).
I'm Yulia, and I've hiked Zion across every season. The trails here range from paved strolls to exposed, chained ridgelines, and the logistics (permits, shuttles, river flow) trip up more people than the climbs do. Below is my honest ranking with real numbers and the planning details that matter.
What are the best hikes in Zion National Park?
Here's the short list, ordered the way I'd tackle them with a few days in the park:
- Angels Landing — 5.4 mi round trip, ~1,500 ft gain, strenuous, permit required
- The Narrows (bottom-up) — up to ~9.4 mi round trip, minimal climbing, moderate-strenuous (in-river)
- Observation Point — ~7 mi via East Mesa Trail (or ~8 mi via the closed-prone Weeping Rock route), moderate
- Canyon Overlook — 1 mi round trip, ~160 ft gain, easy-moderate
- Emerald Pools — 1.2–3 mi depending on loop, easy-moderate
- Watchman Trail — 3.3 mi round trip, ~370 ft gain, moderate
Angels Landing: the iconic chained ridge
This is the hike people fly in for. From the Grotto shuttle stop (stop 6), it's 5.4 miles round trip with about 1,500 feet of gain. The climb up Walter's Wiggles (21 steep switchbacks) gets you to Scout Lookout, where the famous chained section begins. The final half-mile follows a knife-edge ridge with chains bolted into the rock and drop-offs of roughly 1,000 feet on both sides.
You need a permit for the chained section past Scout Lookout, awarded through a seasonal lottery and a day-before lottery on recreation.gov: a $6 non-refundable application fee plus $3 per person if you're selected (2026 pricing). Scout Lookout itself needs no permit, and the view from there is excellent if heights aren't your thing. Go on the first shuttle (around 6 a.m. in summer) to beat the crowds and heat. Skip it in ice or high wind.
The Narrows: hiking up the Virgin River
The Narrows is a hike in the river, through a slot canyon where the walls climb close to 1,000 feet. The standard "bottom-up" route starts at the Temple of Sinawava (shuttle stop 9), follows the paved Riverside Walk for one mile, then drops into the water. You can turn around anytime; reaching Wall Street and back is roughly 9.4 miles, but most people do 4–6 miles.
No permit is needed for bottom-up day hiking. You'll want neoprene socks, sturdy footwear and a walking stick — Springdale outfitters rent dry bibs and canyoneering shoes (roughly $25–60/day). The big constraint is water flow: the park closes the bottom-up Narrows when the Virgin River runs above about 150 cfs, and flash-flood risk spikes in the July–September monsoon. Check the forecast and the park's flow gauge that morning.
Observation Point: the view that beats Angels Landing
Observation Point sits a few hundred feet higher than Angels Landing and looks straight down on it. The classic route from Weeping Rock is around 8 miles with about 2,100 feet of gain, but it has been closed for rockfall. The reliable alternative is the East Mesa Trail: about 7 miles round trip with only ~700 feet of gain — far easier, same overlook. East Mesa starts outside the canyon off Zion Ponderosa Ranch Road, so you'll need a high-clearance/4WD vehicle or a private shuttle for the final dirt stretch. No permit required.
Canyon Overlook: the best view for the least effort
If you only have an hour, do this one. The Canyon Overlook Trail is just 1 mile round trip with about 160 feet of gain, ending at a railed viewpoint over lower Zion Canyon and the switchbacks of the Mt. Carmel Highway. The trailhead is on the east side, just past the long Zion–Mt. Carmel Tunnel — and parking there is tiny (about a dozen spots), so come early or late. It's on the east-side highway, reachable by private car, not the canyon shuttle.
Emerald Pools and the Watchman: the easy wins
The Emerald Pools trails start across from Zion Lodge (shuttle stop 5). The Lower Pool is a paved 1.2-mile round trip past a seeping waterfall; continue to the Middle and Upper Pools for roughly 3 miles total and ~620 feet of gain. The waterfalls run strongest in spring and after rain — by late summer they can be a trickle, so manage expectations.
The Watchman Trail leaves right from the Visitor Center (no shuttle needed), running 3.3 miles round trip with about 370 feet of gain to a bench overlooking Springdale and the Watchman peak. It's my pick for sunset and for the afternoon you arrive, since you can walk to it.
Getting there and the shuttle system
Zion's main entrance is in Springdale, Utah, off State Route 9 — about a 2.5-hour drive (roughly 160 miles) from Las Vegas via I-15, and around 4.5 hours from Salt Lake City. The entrance fee is $35 per private vehicle, valid 7 days. (Note: as of 2026 there's an added $100 nonresident fee for international visitors 16+.)
During shuttle season — roughly early March through late November — Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is closed to private cars. You ride the free park shuttle from the Visitor Center to reach the Grotto, Zion Lodge and the Narrows trailheads. The shuttle is free but lines build mid-morning in summer; first buses run around 6–7 a.m. In the off-season (roughly January to early March and late November to late December, aside from a holiday-week shuttle window) you can usually drive the canyon yourself. Canyon Overlook and the eastern trails are always reachable by private car via the Mt. Carmel Highway and tunnel.
When is the best time to hike Zion?
Spring (April–May) and fall (September–October) are ideal: comfortable temps and good water. Summer is hot — canyon-floor highs top 100°F — so start before 7 a.m. and carry 3+ liters. Avoid The Narrows and any slot canyon during monsoon storms. Winter is quiet and beautiful, but Angels Landing and shaded trails ice over and turn genuinely dangerous; bring microspikes.
Practical tips from the trail
- Apply for an Angels Landing permit weeks ahead, and use the day-before lottery as a backup.
- Reserve Narrows gear rentals in Springdale the night before in peak season.
- Cell service in the canyon is unreliable — download maps offline.
- Fill water at the Visitor Center and Zion Lodge; on-trail sources are few.
- Visitor Center and Springdale parking fill by 9 a.m. — arrive early or use the free Springdale town shuttle.
