A group of four friends hiked The Narrows in October 2024. We are in the 50s and 60s and in good shape. We enjoy hiking and frequently hike together. We hiked to the Floating Rock which was about 4 miles. One needs to be able to have good balance as there is a lot of walking on rocks and avoiding rocks too. Frequently one needs to cross over rapids, so the pole comes in handy to help with balance. This is a fabulous hike and considered one of the best slot canyon hikes in the world. It has dramatic scenery and is breathtaking. There is some planning that should go into this trip for October. First, there is limited parking at the Visitor Center in Zion National Park. For this reason, one needs to arrive early (7 am or so) or figure out transportation using the shuttle systems to get to the park. Once you get to the Visitor Center, it takes about 35 minutes to take the park bus to the trailhead for this hike. Second, at this time of year one needs to rent or bring some equipment for the hike. We rented bib overalls with water shoes, a stick, and a dry bag for about $65 from the Zion Guru in Springdale, UT. We also wore hats and coats. One person wore gloves. Third, take along some food because this is a 4-6 hour hike depending on how often you stop for pictures and eating. Don’t forget a trash bag and some wipes for your hands. Take water. Fourth, if you take your phone to take pictures, then bring along a water proof case.

Our family did the Bottom Up route. We started early morning, as we recommend, since the temperatures were cooler and the trail was least crowded. The first mile was the River Walk which was not flat but was not difficult. The river itself was 58 degrees F and 46 CFS. At times, it was chest high on a 5'11" male. Even at that temp, it was more refreshing than actually cold. We rented canyoneering shoes and walking sticks which we highly recommend as this trail is an ankle breaker. There are many uneven surfaces and shifting rocks coupled with the current that made the gear well worth the rental fee. We used Zion Guru for our gear rental, which we also recommend. The trail itself is beautiful and worth the effort. Families with small children will have to be extra cautious as the river depth varies along the route. It's important to understand when you need to turn around based on your physical limitations. Bring plenty of water and snacks. A dry bag to store everything is also highly recommended. Make sure to check with park rangers at the visitor center for river and weather conditions prior to your hike.

The best hike I have ever done! Pictures don't do it justice. Go early (depart the visitor center before 8am) to avoid the hordes of people and heat. There will still be lots of people early but later in the day you will have no hope of occasionally being alone, instead it will be like a crowded Disney park. Early in the day to early afternoon most of the hike will be in the shade. Bring lots of water and food. The flow was 42 ft3/s when I did it and most of the time the water was between my shins and thighs. I went to the end of Wall Street and as someone who is of average American adult human height there were only two places I was shoulder deep. I highly recommend renting the boots, socks, and walking stick from Zion outfitters (located right near the Zion entrance). Without the gear I definitely would have hurt myself. The walking stick makes it much easier to cross the rapids, support yourself when your footing slips, and judge the depth of the water for you next step. I recommend taking a pair of tevas for the walk back to the bus (about a mile) and the bus ride back to Springdale.

We tackled the narrows on a Saturday at the end of June with our teenage boys age 14 and 11. In order to get to the hike in the summer you must take the shuttle from the visitor’s center. This shuttle starts as early as 6 am. We arrived at the center at about 6:40 and there was already a line, we waited about 15 to 20 minutes to get on and once on it was a packed shuttle. Take the shuttle to the very last stop at Temple of Sinawava. There is a one milk hike on a paved path to get to the entrance to the Narrows. The shuttle stop has water filling stations and porta potties. We rented the basic footwear and stick package from Zion Gurus. It was $29 very well spent. These water boots and socks helped to keep footing even on what appeared to be the most slippery rock. We never had any problem with stability. We entered the water approximately 8 am for the actual Narrows portion and it was crowded. We powered ahead pretty quickly to separate from the cluster of people, the further we got in the hike, the less people there were. We went up Wallstreet a bit and then veered off to Orderville up to the small waterfall. just before the waterfall there was a difficult passage over a tree and rock. We turned around at the waterfall. The people in front of us had attempted to climb over and fell coming back down. In all, we did 8 miles and finished around 12:45-1 ish. On our return trip, there were huge amounts of people coming in. We wore shorts and long sleeves as the morning was cool and the water is cool. During the return trip, we stripped the long sleeves and noticed most people entering were wearing swimsuits or minimal clothing as it was hot. As for the hike itself, some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen on a hike. We absolutely loved it and 8 miles did not feel like 8 miles. Biggest tips of advice, go early and rent the boots and stick, you won’t regret either choice! Water levels varied from ankle deep to mid chest/waist (this part was right away in the hike).

My sons and I rented the shoes ( a must giving the ankle support and ease of rock hoping with them.) We spent most of the day on the river, up to where it splits, the left side gets a bit more narrow, the right side is smaller and interesting for about a mile, then it gets to be the same old same old. Really puts your ankles to work, most of the crowd dies down after the first 1/2 mile or so then it gets much quieter.

I don’t know where to start with our hike through the Narrows. This is a hike that I’ve wanted to take for as long as I can remember. You wonder how it can possibly live up to the hype and the stunning photos online. But it did. It was an incredible experience, especially once we got past the crowds. We rented poles and hiking shoes from Zion Outfitters, right outside the park visitor center. They were super easy to work with and affordable. We picked up our gear the evening before our hike because we knew we wanted to get an early start. We checked in at the Visitor Center the afternoon before to ask about the river’s depth so we were prepared. The shuttle was packed and we did have a bit of a wait at the first stop at the visitor center, but we expected that, so it was fine. Once we got to the stop for the Narrows, the shuttle emptied. A lot of people planning to hike the Narrows—most looked prepared, some did not. When we got down to the Narrows after the initial hike down, it was chaos—the first half mile or so there were just so many people. Overall, our experience I’d say was moderately difficult. We hiked about 1.5-2 miles in and then turned around and hiked back. The hike in was much more difficult and took a lot longer than the hike back because we were hiking against the current. I’d say in most areas the water was ankle to knee deep, but there was a span where it was chest deep—that’s where a lot of people turned around. At our mid-way point, we found a nice rocky area on the side of the river to eat the lunch we’d packed in our dry bag—that was great and we’re glad we’d brought it. We were exhausted by the time we hiked back to the shuttle stop and were still soaking wet. We stopped off at the Zion Lodge stop and grabbed a snack and sat in the lawn to dry off a bit in the sunshine, which was a great plan. After that we returned our gear to Zion Outfitters—we were really thankful we had it—the poles made it much easier and we were glad it wasn’t our shoes that were soaking wet! Overall, hiking the Narrows was a dream come true—the weather was perfect and the scenery just cannot be beat. It solidified Zion as one of my top five national parks!

We hiked the Narrows during monsoon season two days after a flash flood, so the water looked a bit like chai tea rather than its usual clear blue color. It didn’t change our experience though. It was absolutely thrilling to hike through the river and look up in awe at the grandeur of Zion. We made it to Grotto Alcove with our guide (Moi from Cedar & Sage Boutique Trekking), which was about 2 miles into the hike (1 mile on Riverside Walk and 1 mile in the water). It was the perfect distance for our kids (ages 10, 11, 11), especially since the current was a bit stronger than usual. We highly recommend doing this hike with a guide and all the necessary gear (neoprene socks, waterproof boots, and two hiking sticks). For the most comfortable temperature and shade, plan to start the hike around 7:30 am and turn around by 11:30 am. Be prepared for water that is chest high in some areas.

We decided to do the Narrows (last minute) and everything was amazing. We rented bibs from Zion Guru the night before so you can have an early start the next day, highly recommend. We had 4 bibs for the 2 parents, 17 and 15 year old. We rented full suit for the 10 year old. Water at it's deepest was chest height for me at 5'8''. We had all our camel backs with water and lunch. We left at 8:30am, waiting in line for the shuttle and started our hike around 10am. We went to the floating rock and had lunch around the small waterfall when the canyon is narrow. Takes longer to get there since you are against current, and takes half the time to get back as you are walking with the current, hence much faster. Walking on rocks the whole time is difficult but my 10 year old made it and everyone had such a great time. Great laughs and amazing scenery. Something so special that you don't get to do anywhere. Highly recommend it. It's also 10 to 15 colder degrees in the Narrows than in the normal place as there is not much sun and walking in cold water, but in the end, we had 3 layers and we never felt cold. We put some wool socks and all was great. If you are thinking if you can do it with your family, don't think too long, just do it. On our way back, since the 10 year old had a full suit, you just need to add air in your suit (blow some air) and tighten around your neck, and then you just put your feet up and float down with the current. Was great to see her have so much fun!

This is an amazing hike. For those that love the outdoors and have a lot of energy to walk for miles, over stones in the water, I recommend hiking the Narrows top down to get away from the masses of people. For everyone else it is still spectacular to hike the Narrows bottom up, The views are breathtaking and it is so relaxing.

We did this on day 4 of 5 days of hiking in Zion. When I planned the itinerary for this trip, I excluded this deliberately because I had heard from others that it was so difficult and that intimidated me. Ultimately, my husband talked me into it and we shifted our plans a bit to fit it in. IT WAS SO WORTH IT. We rented the gear at the outfitters right at the pedestrian entrance to the park. On the day we went, the highest point of the river was to my chest (but it was only that high for a short time). Hiking on rocks against the current was not easy but if you take your time and plan your steps, it is not that bad. There is no need to be in a hurry if you start early - take your time and enjoy it! It is not every day you go hiking literally in a river while massive rock structures close in around you. I truly cannot wait to go back and do it again.