Trek Utah — Zion National Park, USA

The Narrows — Bottom-Up Day Hike

A one-day out-and-back wade up the Virgin River from the Temple of Sinawava, through the towering Wall Street slot canyon to Big Spring and back.

The Narrows — Bottom-Up Day Hike — Photo: Jon Sullivan · Public domain

Duration: 1 days
Distance: 14 km
Ascent: 100 m
Difficulty: Moderate
Best season: Late spring to early autumn, once snowmelt eases; avoid flash-flood risk on stormy summer days

The Narrows is the most famous hike in Zion, and for much of it the trail is the river itself. From the Temple of Sinawava a paved path leads to the water’s edge, and from there you walk up the Virgin River between sandstone walls that climb over 300 m while the canyon pinches to just a few metres wide.

The bottom-up day hike needs no permit — you simply walk upstream as far as you like and turn back — which makes it the easiest way to experience the canyon. Most hikers push on to Big Spring, the turnaround point for day hikers, and return the way they came.

Getting there. In season the Zion Canyon shuttle is the only way up the canyon; ride it to the last stop, the Temple of Sinawava, and start on the paved Riverside Walk.

On the water. Expect to wade continuously, sometimes waist-deep, over slick, unseen cobbles against a steady current. Sturdy shoes and a hiking pole make a real difference, and dry-suit or neoprene rentals are common outside high summer.

Good to know:

No permit is required for the bottom-up day hike; you must turn around at Big Spring, as the canyon beyond is permit-only.
Flash floods are the real danger — a storm miles upstream can send a wall of water through the canyon under a clear sky, so always check the daily flash-flood forecast before entering.
The park closes The Narrows when the river runs high, typically above about 150 cubic feet per second, most often during spring snowmelt.

Day 1

Temple of Sinawava to Big Spring and back

Temple of Sinawava → Temple of Sinawava (out-and-back) 14 km ↑ 100 m

Navigate this day

The complete bottom-up day hike: an easy paved approach, then a slow upstream wade into the narrowest, deepest part of the canyon and back the same way.

Segments

The Riverside Walk 1.6 km ↑ 20 m 📍 Map

Temple of Sinawava shuttle stop → Gateway to the Narrows

Paved riverside path

Follow the flat paved Riverside Walk along the Virgin River to the point where the pavement ends and the river becomes the trail. About 30 minutes each way.

About this place

Zion National Park is a national park of the United States located in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety of life zones that allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals, and 32 reptiles inhabit the park's four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest. Zion National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches. The lowest point in the park is 3,666 ft (1,117 m) at Coalpits Wash and the highest peak is 8,726 ft (2,660 m) at Horse Ranch Mountain. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile (590 km2) park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles (24 km) long and up to 2,640 ft (800 m) deep. The canyon walls are reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone eroded by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The park attracted 4,946,592 visitors in 2024.
Read more on Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
Into the river to Orderville Canyon 2.4 km ↑ 30 m 📍 Map

Gateway to the Narrows → Orderville Canyon junction

River wade over cobbles

Step into the Virgin River and wade upstream between rising walls, passing Mystery Falls, to the mouth of Orderville Canyon — a popular turnaround for shorter days. About 1.5 hours.

About this place

The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. states of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The river is about 162 miles (261 km) long. It was designated Utah's first wild and scenic river in 2009, during the centennial celebration of Zion National Park.
Read more on Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Photo by Douglas Dietiker · CC BY-SA 2.0
Wall Street to Big Spring 2.9 km ↑ 30 m 📍 Map

Orderville Canyon junction → Big Spring

Deep slot canyon, deeper wading

Continue into Wall Street, where the sheer cliffs soar hundreds of metres and the canyon narrows to its most dramatic, wading deeper to Big Spring — the mandatory turnaround for day hikers. About 2 hours.
Return downstream 6.9 km ↑ 0 m 📍 Map

Big Spring → Temple of Sinawava

Downstream wade and paved path

Turn around and wade back down the river the way you came, the current now at your back, to the Riverside Walk and the shuttle stop. About 2.5–3 hours.

About this place

The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. states of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The river is about 162 miles (261 km) long. It was designated Utah's first wild and scenic river in 2009, during the centennial celebration of Zion National Park.
Read more on Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Photo by Douglas Dietiker · CC BY-SA 2.0