Hiking The Narrows in Winter: One of Zion’s Most Challenging Trails

Article Summary: Hiking The Narrows in Winter, Hiking The Narrows in February, Zion Narrows Winter

When I talk about hiking The Narrows in winter, many people look at me as if I’m insane. Honestly, I wondered this myself.

When we planned on visiting Zion National Park in Utah, my friend Marinell mentioned that she desperately wanted to do this hike.

I was nervous – she does much better in the cold than I do. I’m also completely unfamiliar with flash flooding, rappelling, and hiking in slot canyons in general. Even my friend Lian, currently working as a park ranger at Zion National Park, looked at me and said, “I’m not going with you because I’m not crazy.”

She then paused for a few seconds and followed this statement with, “Also, I have to work.”

Needless to say, hiking The Narrows in winter isn’t the obvious choice, but based on my experience, if you haven’t done it then you should be as jealous as Lian.

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The Narrows Logistics

Note: these logistics are based on a bottom-up itinerary.

Destination: Most people completing a day hike of The Narrows in Zion will aim for a portion called Wall Street. This is where the canyon is at its most narrow (the walls are just 22 feet apart) and serves as a great turn-around point.

Difficulty: The National Park Service rates this trail as strenuous. You will be walking through cold water for at least 60% of your hike. Depending on the water levels, this could range from below your knees to well above your waist. Some portions may require you to swim based on the water depth.

Distance: This varies depending on how far you decide to travel. You can turn around at any time. Your hike will range from 4 to 10 miles roundtrip depending on your speed. The National Park Service prohibits travel beyond Big Springs without a permit. Keep in mind the Riverside Walk, where you’ll begin, is an additional one-mile walk each way.

Duration: I would allow at least eight hours to complete the hike. We arrived at Zion Adventure Company to pick up our gear as they were opening the doors (at 9 a.m.) in order to start as early as possible. Our gear needed to be back by 6 p.m.

Trailhead: If you plan on hiking The Narrows bottom-up (as we did), you’ll begin at the Temple of Sinawava (Shuttle Stop #9) via the Riverside Walk. In winter, the Riverside Walk trail may be closed due to ice. If this happens, you’ll need to enter the Virgin River prior to the posted trail closures.

What to Wear to Hike The Narrows in Winter

The best decision we made was to rent gear and dry suits from Zion Adventure Company.

The gear included neoprene socks (which we doubled up on), special boots, and one walking stick. As part of their Cold Water Package, this was all included for $55 per person (rates vary based on the time of year). Some of us also rented waterproof cases for our cell phones and cameras.

It’s worth noting that if you’re planning on hiking The Narrows in winter, the National Park Service requires you to wear a dry suit.

Underneath the dry suits, I wrote two pairs of leggings (one water-resistant and one for warmth), a short-sleeve moisture-wicking shirt, a lightweight long-sleeve shirt, and a fleece pullover. The dry suits are very warm, so be careful not to wear too many layers and overheat.

The coldest part of me was my hands. I recommend bringing a few pairs of gloves. I fell a few times and would have liked to have a dry pair handy. Luckily, I have nice friends who loaned me their spare pairs.

Lastly, I’d strongly recommend a waterproof pack for your extra gear, lunch, electronics, and car keys.

Because we were hiking The Narrows, we were also required to watch a safety video as part of our orientation. This was probably a brilliant idea. The video discussed the things you need to bring and the dangers, including falling ice, hypothermia, and flash floods.

Best Time to Hike The Narrows in Zion

Honestly, the best time to hike The Narrows really depends on the weather. If there’s a risk of flash floods, it’s dangerous no matter the season.

Zion Adventure Company recommends early summer and autumn for better temperatures. The fall colors are also stunning if you hike The Narrows in autumn.

Hiking in summer also means warmer water, however, it’s best to avoid potential mid-summer rainstorms. In the desert, these can pop up at any time and cause flash floods.

Furthermore, spring can be a dangerous time due to rapid snowmelt. Winter is the least-visited season and will provide a more intimate experience.

As long as you’re prepared for cold water and temperatures, I’d venture to say it’s the best time of year. Plus, the slot canyon walls are lined with beautiful icicles and frozen waterfalls.

The Narrows Hike Map

The map above is from the Zion Adventure Company. To view the complete map and/or download it, click the image above.

There are two ways to hike The Narrows: bottom-up, the day hikers route, or top-down for thru-hikers and backpackers. Hiking bottom-up is the most common, and hiking top-down requires a permit.

Hiking The Narrows Bottom-Up vs Top-Down

The Narrows bottom-up route is best for day hikers. Most visitors choose this route because it offers the most flexibility and will allow them to see some of the canyon’s most dramatic scenery without camping in Zion or hiking for multiple days.

Because it’s more popular, this is also the most crowded section. Hiking bottom-up offers two routes: toward Wall Street and Big Springs or to Orderville Canyon.

If you’re up for a bit more adventure and have plenty of time, consider hiking The Narrows top-down. You’ll see fewer crowds and nearly have the canyon to yourself.

There are twelve different campsites for overnight hikers, but the extremely ambitious can also attempt a full top-down hike in one day. Hiking this route extends your hike to 16 miles roundtrip and requires a permit.

Dangers of Hiking The Narrows in Winter

I’m not going to pretend what we were doing was absolutely safe, but The Narrows is a pretty dangerous hike no matter the time of year. There are so many potential hazards to watch out for.

In the winter, particularly, you need to be aware of hypothermia. Watch out for signs, including shivering, slurred speech, weak pulse, drowsiness, and clumsiness to name a few.

When hiking The Narrows in February, the water and air temperatures were about the same (one degree apart). This is the perfect recipe for hypothermia if you are unprepared.

Flash floods are also a threat year-round. If it is scheduled to rain or snow, I wouldn’t recommend hiking The Narrows.

Check with park rangers at the visitor center or with guides at your rental company before attempting the hike. They’ll be able to tell you about Virgin River water levels and conditions. If they do not recommend the hike, or if the National Park Service closes the canyon, do not go!

A rescue from the National Park Service could take anywhere from 12 to 36 hours (or even longer). Hike carefully, be in the right travel mindset, and be smart.

What to Expect When Hiking The Narrows

Gearing Up

When we arrived at the Temple of Sinawava and parked our car (Zion shuttles are not required in winter), we got to work putting on the gear we had rented to hike The Narrows. It’s recommended that you do this at the parking lot rather than the gear shop. It took us a while to get everything put on.

We started with our dry suits. These need to be put on first because the bottoms near your ankles and wrists need to connect with bare skin in order to keep you dry.

We made sure our ankles were sealed properly before adding our wrists, then waited to zip up entirely and put the suits over our heads until we had the gear on our feet. This gave us a bit more flexibility.

Next were our neoprene socks. First, we had to remove our own. Then, we put on one pair of neoprene socks followed by a second pair. This ensures your feet will stay warm in the nearly-freezing Virgin River.

After that, we added the special boots given to us by the rental company. We had a bit of a debate among each other as to whether the dry suit pants should be on the inside or outside of our boots. We never agreed, and in the end, I don’t believe it matters as long as the rubber part of the suit is still in contact with your bare skin.

After getting our footwear in order, it was time to get our heads inside the suit. This was easily the worst part of the whole gear experience. The holes for your head in these suits are pretty small, and we all joked that we were being birthed all over again.

Ladies, I’d recommend putting your hair up in a bun or ponytail in order to get the suits over your heads. Remember, this part of the suit is not waterproof since there’s no rubber around your neck. If you get wet above your neck, your dry suit will be full of water.

The final step is zipping up the suit. It’s best to have a friend help. The zippers are quite hard to pull in order to ensure you stay dry.

This is particularly true at the end of the zipper line. We made sure to have multiple people triple-check our zippers to make sure they were closed all the way.

Entering the Virgin River

As is common if hiking The Narrows in winter, the Riverside Walk was closed due to ice. We found a decent spot before the trail closure to venture off-trail and get in the river. We were all pretty nervous, but the best way to conquer those nerves was to simply start hiking.

It was a strange feeling at first. We could feel the water seeping into our shoes and socks, and while it was a bit nippy, I was almost immediately used to it.

I won’t lie, I was skeptical about the neoprene socks. While hiking, your feet will absolutely get wet, but neoprene is designed to use your body heat and warm them back up. This sounded too good to be true to me.

However, it worked wonders. We got out of the water and my feet were so pruney that at first glance you might have thought I was 283 years old. Yet, they were nice and warm (until I removed the neoprene and exposed them to freezing temperatures, of course).

Taking Photographs

The thing about The Narrows is this slot canyon is stunningly beautiful. I take a lot of photos when I travel, especially since I started this blog, and I couldn’t help myself here.

I later regretted this due to our limited time, but I’m glad I rented a waterproof case for my phone. My advice to you is to take it all in and not focus on photographs. This will help you savor time in the canyon and allow you to hike farther.

Plus, it’s always good to separate yourself from technology and enjoy the moment.

The coolest moment by far was when a mule deer joined us on our hike. I couldn’t help but take photos while enjoying the experience.

Navigating the Slippery Rocks

One of the more dangerous aspects of The Narrows hike is the rocks. At some points in the river, the water is too deep and dark for you to see below you. Even when it’s more shallow, falling on the slippery rocks is a serious threat and challenge.

I’m really glad we were all given walking sticks. Maneuvering through the rocks proved to be the greatest challenge for Marinell and me. Each of us fell multiple times, and I still have a scab on my knee from one of my falls. Use extreme caution traversing the water.

Eventually, we got a lot better at looking at the water and determining the best place to cross. For most of your Narrows day hike, you’ll find yourself zigzagging between areas of shallow water (or even rocky shores).

This proved to be the fastest way to navigate the canyon rather than staying in the water. You still need to be careful of slipping, especially if you’re hiking in winter when the rocks onshore can be icy and snow-covered.

Turning Around

Unfortunately, when we stopped for lunch I realized we may not make it to Wall Street as we had hoped. We had started a bit later than we wanted to despite picking up our gear early. We still hadn’t reached the junction between the route to Wall Street and Orderville Canyon.

Sure enough, when we reached the junction a bit later we discussed turning around fifteen minutes from then. We were very worried about getting our gear back at this point, as it was after 3 p.m. and we’d already seen groups turning around.

We had been too slow getting to this point after stopping for photos and making sure we weren’t falling. Plus, we had been hiking through the water rather than off to the side.

I think this was to truly experience The Narrows for what it is, but in hindsight, we should have tried to go much faster and hike a bit smarter in order to get farther.

We found a brilliant frozen waterfall, took some photos, and headed back toward the trailhead.

The Return Hike

Because we were in such a hurry due to time constraints, we took no photos on the way back. This got us back to the parking lot in just two hours and thirty minutes. I’d venture to say it had taken us four hours to reach the point where we turned around, a pace much slower than normal. If we had hiked the same speed on the way in, we could have gotten so much farther.

Again, my biggest recommendation is always to be careful. Don’t rush this hike in order to get as far as possible if that jeopardizes your safety. However, you also shouldn’t waste time – when are you going to hike The Narrows again?

It’s also worth noting that the return hike is easier as you’re not going against the flow of water.

Getting our gear off was just as much of a struggle as putting it on had been. The head was, again, the worst part. This time, that’s what you’ll want to do first.

I followed this by removing the wet gear in order to put on some dry, warm wool socks and get my wet feet out of the freezing air temperatures as quickly as possible.

Thankfully, we rolled into Zion Adventure Company at about five minutes before closing time. Many others arrived at about the same time, and I’m sure it happens every day.

Hikes Similar to The Narrows in Zion National Park

Does all of this sound a bit too adventurous for you? Do you still want to see slot canyons, but keep your feet dry? There are so many slot canyons in the area near Zion National Park that you can experience while remaining completely dry.

Or, if slot canyons seem too daunting, read our guide to more of the best hikes in Zion.

Antelope Canyon

A bit farther from Zion National Park, Antelope Canyon is located in Page, Arizona. It is part of the Navajo Nation and tours are required.

Prices vary from $50 to $200 depending on which portion of the canyon you choose. Antelope Canyon is known for its brilliant colors and the light beams that shine through the upper canyon at certain times of the day/year.

Buckskin Gulch

This slot canyon near Kanab, Utah is much closer to Zion National Park. It is 21 miles one way, but you’re able to explore a small portion of it before turning back the way you came.

Permits are required for day hikers, as this is part of the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument managed by the BLM. Portions may require you to wade in pools.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

This BLM-managed public land area is filled with slot canyons. Some of the most popular (Zebra Slot Canyon, Peek-a-Boo Gulch, Spooky Gulch) are located on Hole-in-the-Rock Road.

White Domes Canyon

This slot canyon is part of the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. It’s one of the easier hikes on this list, ranking as easy to moderate in difficulty, and it’s only about one mile long.

Also in Valley of Fire State Park is Pastel Canyon. This is a great option for those searching for beautiful colors without the quite-so-narrow canyon walls.

Pin Hiking The Narrows in Winter in Zion National Park

What do you think? Would you hike The Narrows in winter? Let me know in the comments.