Zion National Park: the shuttle, the Narrows and Angels Landing

Where

Southwest Utah

Best months

April to May, September to October

Time needed

Two to three days

Nearest airports

Las Vegas, St George, Salt Lake City

Zion is a narrow red sandstone canyon with a river running through it, and it is small enough that almost everyone wants to be in the same few miles at once. The park solved this with a mandatory shuttle, and once you understand the shuttle, the park becomes easy.

The shuttle is not optional

For most of the year the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is closed to private vehicles and served by a free shuttle from the visitor centre. Park once, ride all day, hop off at the stop you want. In practice this means arriving early, because the visitor centre lot fills by mid-morning in season. Springdale, the town at the gate, has its own shuttle line and paid parking, which is the reliable fallback.

Location: Zion National Park

The two famous walks

• Angels Landing is a 5.4 mile climb finishing on a knife-edge ridge with chains and severe drops on both sides. It requires a permit by lottery, applied for either seasonally or the day before. If you are uneasy with heights, stop at Scout Lookout, which is the same view without the ridge, and needs no permit.
• The Narrows is a hike up the Virgin River itself, between walls that close to 20 feet apart. Bottom-up as a day hike needs no permit. You do need proper footwear, a stick, and a hard look at the flash flood forecast, because a storm miles away can fill this canyon with no warning at all.
• Observation Point via East Mesa is higher than Angels Landing, easier underfoot, and far less busy.
• Emerald Pools and Riverside Walk are the gentle options and genuinely lovely.

Flash floods, which is the real risk here

Zion's slot canyons drain a huge area. The park posts a daily flash flood potential rating at the visitor centre and online. If it says probable, do not enter the Narrows, regardless of the blue sky above you.