This is the hike I was most looking forward to at Zion National Park. The canyon is carved from the Virgin River and the Narrows is the northern most 16 miles of the River in the Park. To complete the entire 16 miles, it would require two-days (with permit) and an overnight stay on the River.
I decided on taking a morning hike up the river starting at the Riverside Walk along the Virgin River. The easy, one-mile hike is along a paved path (handicap accessible) and is incredibly beautiful. There is water dripping from the walls of the canyon and create beautiful hanging gardens.
I decided on taking a morning hike up the river starting at the Riverside Walk along the Virgin River. The easy, one-mile hike is along a paved path (handicap accessible) and is incredibly beautiful. There is water dripping from the walls of the canyon and create beautiful hanging gardens.
At the end of the path, the River becomes the trail. It is highly recommended that you bring hiking poles (or you can rent a hiking stick at the Park's Visitor Center). The river is swift and about 60 degrees at this time of the year. The boulders are wet and slippery and it is easy to turn an ankle. There are a couple places where you need to wade in thigh-high water, but does not require any swimming.
It is difficult to take pictures that show the incredible beauty of the river gorge as the walls of the river are so high. You can travel has far as you wish - I think I probably traveled about 2 miles up the River but did not get to the "narrow" part of the hike.
Even though it was a bit chilly when I started the hike at 7:30am, there were very few people (only a dozen or so) on the river that that time and you could really enjoy the beauty and sounds of the River. When I returned to the Riverside Walk around 10am, there were hundreds of people in the river and the magic of the scene is gone.
The Park's Shuttle Service is fantastic. The earliest bus leaves the Visitor Center at 6am and it takes about 45 minutes to get to the Narrows Trailhead (the final stop on the Shuttle route). I recommend doing this hike as early as you can to avoid the masses of people later in the day. Even if you just do the Riverside Walk (2 miles round-trip), it is worth the time!
I give this hike 5 boots - awesome!