Zion in Winter: The Narrows and Angels Landing

In February, I visited Zion National Park for some winter hiking on Angels Landing and The Narrows. It was the perfect time of year to visit one of my favorite national parks.

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Winter in Zion National Park

In February, trying to escape the cold Midwest, I planned a trip to Las Vegas. Using Vegas as a jumping off point, I visited Red Rock Canyon just outside the city as well as Death Valley a few hours away. To round out the trip, I headed to Zion, one my favorite national parks, less than three hours from Vegas.

Now it seems crazy to visit Zion in winter, but I found so many advantages to a February trip. In the summer, you cannot drive through many popular areas of the park and have to take a park shuttle, which can have very long lines. The trails are crowded in peak season and campsites and permits for Angels Landing book up far in advance.

On this February visit, we stayed at the Holiday Inn in the town of Springdale, just outside the park’s entrance. We arrived around midday on a Saturday and unfortunately the road to many of the popular hikes was closed temporarily as all the parking lots were full at the trailheads. It was an unseasonably warm day so I imagine being a weekend, many people had come out to visit. Not to worry, we drove through to the east entrance for a scenic drive and reached the trailhead of Kolob Arch. There was ample parking alongside the road there.

Afterward, we headed back to the main entrance where the road had reopened and we could access many of the popular trailheads. The road winds through the valley, following the Virgin River until the canyon shrinks and The Narrows begin.

At this point, there is no going any further up the river without getting one’s feet wet. On my previous visits to Zion, the water level was always too high for me to attempt The Narrows and/or I didn’t have enough time. On this trip, the conditions were favorable and we decided to visit an outfitter in town later on to see if we could rent some gear. But first, we went online to try and secure a permit for Angels Landing via the park’s lottery system.

Angels Landing

On day two of our visit to the park, we were lucky enough to have secured permits to hike the infamous Angels Landing. This imposing rock juts out from the canyon floor like a shark fin, posing a challenging climb for brave hikers. Many hikers have fallen to their death while attempting the hike and we crossed our fingers that we would not join that list.

I had summitted Angels Landing years prior on a warm, April day. The trail was crowded which made it even more dangerous and I was terrified for much of the hike. Since then, to prevent overcrowding, the park requires permits to tackle the beast. The permits are issued in a lottery system, months in advance. However, there is also a day-before lottery which we entered. We scored two permits through the lottery and set off in the morning. For those that are unable to secure a permit, park-goers are able to hike the beginning of the trail (West Rim Trail) all the way up to Scout Lookout (which is a great view).

We climbed up the West Rim Trail which climbs steeply toward Scout Lookout. The views were fantastic showcasing the valley below. Eventually the trail enters a dark gorge where a series of switchbacks ascends upward, called Walter’s Wiggles. Being winter, the switchbacks were covered in snow and ice, creating a dangerous slip-n-slide. We watched many hikers sliding around, trying to climb up the trail. Fortunately, we came prepared and had crampons that easily attached to our boots and cruised on past those struggling.

After the switchbacks we reached Scout Lookout, which offers a magnificent view of Angels Landing. It was here that we encountered two park rangers, checking to ensure everyone had a permit if they wished to go further. We showed them ours and continued toward the dangerous precipice.

As we started out, the trail dips down to the narrowest part of the ridge. Metal chains are bolted into the rock for hikers to hold on to for support. The trail had patches of ice and snow which our crampons bit into. However, the rock is sandstone and the grit made it more slippery. The crampons only have so many pressure points contacting the surface, which made for an odd sensation when trying to judge whether or not each footstep was secure on the sloped rock. Wearing winter gloves made for a slightly weaker grip on the metal chains as well. We could see another hiker or two who had succeeded in summitting the peak, but anxiety and fear swept over me. My legs began to shake as I attempted to traverse the ridge with a sheer thousand foot drop to on side. With my shaking legs, I began to doubt whether I had the strength to continue.

I told my partner he could continue on without me, but I needed to turn around. I had completed the hike once before when there was no snow and that was scary enough; I didn’t need this anxiety and stress and fear. Not wanting to venture alone, and also slightly worried for our safety, my partner decided it wasn’t worth the risk and we returned to Scout Lookout.

We weren’t too disappointed as there was more hiking to be had. We continued from the lookout along the West Rim Trail. I had never hiked this far on previous visits so it was all new for me. The trail offered beautiful views of Angels Landing and the valley.

Following the trail, the snowpack began to increase, but we were able to see others’ footprints. Eventually, though, the footprints ceased and the snowdrifts became bigger. The trail began to climb up toward the top of the West Rim, but the snowdrifts were impassable. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. We turned around and headed back to the valley floor, ready to visit the outfitter in town to prepare for The Narrows.

The Narrows

In summer, The Narrows can be hiked with minimal gear in good weather. As long as you don’t mind being wet all day, some Crocs and a swimsuit could suffice. When visiting Zion in winter, it becomes more difficult to wade upstream in the river. We visited Zion Outfitters adjacent the park entrance and rented the dry bib package. This came with a dry bib (waterproof overalls, essentially), neoprene socks, canyoneering boots, and a walking stick.

It is important to mind the weather when hiking The Narrows as flash floods are extremely common and dangerous. Trust what the park rangers and the folks at the Outfitters recommend when attempting this hike. We were fortunate enough to have a good weather forecast and set off to the Virgin River donning our hiker-chic gear.

It was a chilly first step as the cold river water saturates the neoprene socks, but the gaskets on our pant legs preventing the water from touching anything but our feet. There were a few other hikers in the river but most of the time we were on our own.

We never felt too cold as we were always moving, and going against the current helped warm us up. The views were stunning as the canyon narrowed and the walls towered hundreds of feet above us.

Despite mostly sunny weather, the temperatures dropped in The Narrows as the canyon walls kept everything in the shade. Icy waterfalls sprinkled their way down, creating a beautiful sight.

We averaged a pace of about 1 mph. It was slow moving but we loved taking photos. The water level never got above our waists and we managed to stay dry the entire time. No slips or falls in the river!

After about four miles of hiking, we decided to turnaround and head back. We had already completed the narrowest sections and the gorge would continue on for many more miles before a campsite. It’s possible to hike the entire 16-mile gorge but this was just a day hike for us.

Overall, The Narrows was an incredible hike. Having been on my bucket list for quite some time, I was thrilled to finally have this experience. I highly recommend a visit to Zion National Park, and Zion in winter is even better! No crowds, parking is available, and hotels and campsites are easy to come by!

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