Although packed on the weekends, still very much worth the trip. We started having only a couple hours to spare, bottom up. Park your car near the visitor center, and take the shuttle up. They run every 5 or 6 min. Everyone along the path had been extremely friendly and helpful. I would definitely get a hiking stick next time. My husband and I didn't bother with them, he came out clean and unscathed, I on the other hand, didn't get out as lucky. There are a couple dips in the water that aren't terribly clear, and fell in up to my neck, I fell on the trail once as well and gashed my knee and bent my ankle a way I didn't think was possible. I'm more flexible then i thought! watch out for the squirrels. they blend in and won't even flinch when you trip over them. I'd stay away from tevas, get a good sturdy pair of hiking boots you aren't afraid to soak. Bring a lunch, plenty of picturesque picnics to be had. Polorized glasses not a bad idea either. First aid kit.. not bad either. When I twisted my ankle, an elderly man with a bad back and a sense of humor, offered to let me borrow his walker on the trail. It was actually like the ferrari of walkers. A bit hard to resist.

Wow! Our family of 4 (inc. 2 teenagers) decided to hike part of the Narrows during our visit to Zion in July 2007. It proved to be the highlight of our trip to Utah! Make sure you have sturdy shoes and a walking stick to help you manage the hike. We would love to go back and hike a little further next time. It was a fantastic experience which I highly recommend to anyone!

We did this hike in July, 2005. It was stifling hot in Springdale, but the combination of the cool (but not uncomfortable) water and the high canyon walls (which keep you out of the direct sunlight) makes this hike the best choice during the very hot days of summer.

We're a family of four - parents in our mid-forties, the kids were 12 and 10 last summer. We rented river shoes/socks and walking sticks ($16/person) at an outfitters in Springdale and received a brief orientation talk about the Narrows, something I would highly recommend.

We started at about 11am, after packing lunch, cameras, wallets, etc. in ziplock bags to keep them dry in our packs. I would highly recommend quick-dry clothing, like running gear or soccer jerseys; definitely no cotton. The walk from The Temple of Shinawava (sp?) to the end of the Riverside Walk was very comfortable in the river shoes, and soon we were in the river. There are always crowds of people at the trailhead, as people wade around in their sandals. As soon as you go 500m or so up the river, however, the crowds thin out, and only those committed and properly equipped groups are left.

After you get used to the feeling of the current on your legs, and how to use the walking stick to get the best balance and leverage, it was a piece of cake. Even the 10-year old had no problems whatsoever. The views of the canyon walls are truly breathtaking. It's unlike anything we've ever done before. I'm sure there are canyons like this elsewhere, but the combination of easy accessibility, safety (there were no threats of flashfloods the day we hiked), and dramatic canyon views are probably unique to Zion. We had lunch at a nice shady spot at a bend in the river, right near a big rock, which overhung the river, and we could see small fish swimming in the calm, shady water under the boulder.

As we kept going, the walls of the canyon go continue to narrow, and by the time we reached the area called "Wall Street", the effect was truly amazing. There's a good picture on the Zion NP website, but even that really doesn't do it justice (it's like trying to take a good picture of the Grand Canyon). As we made our turnaround to go back down river, it was almost a bit sad, that we wouldn't be able to see more of the upper canyon. But that was soon forgotten, when we realized how much fun it was to go downriver. There are spots where the river is deep enough that you just put your feet up and drift with the current. My kids were squealing with delight!

By the time we got back to the Riverside Walk trail, we were both tired and exhilarated at what we'd seen. It was truly one of the most memorable times during our 2-week trip from Vancouver to Arizona & back.

I truly loved hiking the Narrows. I hiked from the bottom-up from the end of the Riverside Walk which is pretty to Orderville Canyon which is 1.5 miles from the end of the riverside walk. Orderville Canyon is a good day-hiking destaination and I think it is the farthest as the rangers want you to go hiking from the bottom-up. Maybe you are allowed to go farther, but I think I read that you are not premited to go past Orderville Canyon. The water was cold, but felt good on the 90 degree day and I quicky got used to it. The water got up to my neck in one short spot near the end of the Riverside Walk, but was knee deep after that. Orderville Canyon is a pretty canyon also, I ventured up in there a short distance from the narrows. The water coming in from Orderville Canyon was clear water unlike the muddy water in the narrows and the water in Orderville Canyon was actually a lot warmer than the narrows was. But, near Orderville Canyon is where the narrows gets the most spectacular and most narrow. You should start early in the day like late morning at the latest which was when I started and definetly try to get up to Orderville Canyon. Although the beginning of the narrows was spectacular, you really have to get up this far to experince it. It was a little faster coming back because we going down stream and didn't have to fight the current as much. I think it is a great hike in the summer because it cools you off and it is a different hiking experince as you have to wade though the stream which I thought was fun, but even those that don't like getting your feet wet, the scenery is definetly worth getting your feet wet. Other than Angel's Landing which is beautiful, I consider this the most spectacular day-hike in Zion.