Big Springs

Best Time to Hike to Big Springs

Late summer and early fall (late August through October) typically offer the most stable water conditions for the Narrows bottom-up approach — water temperatures are warmest and flows are lower following the monsoon season. Spring (March through May) brings the highest water levels from snowmelt, which can make the wade to Big Springs more demanding or occasionally impassable at high flow. Summer is warm enough to make wet wading manageable, but afternoon monsoon storms from July through September can trigger flash flooding in the canyon with no warning; check the NPS flash flood forecast before any Narrows outing. Winter wading is cold and requires appropriate gear.

Trail Tips for the Narrows to Big Springs

• Neoprene socks or water-specific footwear is essential for the sustained river wading — regular hiking shoes fill with water and become miserable quickly, while bare feet have no protection on the rocky riverbed.
• Trekking poles or a walking stick provide critical stability in the current; the riverbed is uneven and slippery in ways that are hard to anticipate, particularly in murky water where you cannot see your footing.
• Check the NPS flash flood risk forecast at nps.gov/zion before every Narrows visit, even if skies look clear at the trailhead — storms miles away can send water down the canyon without visible warning.
• Cell service is absent in the canyon bottom; download offline maps and the flood forecast before you enter. The round trip to Big Springs takes most hikers 4 to 5 hours — start early enough to leave buffer time.

Getting There

Big Springs is not a separate trailhead destination — it is reached by hiking the bottom-up Narrows route from the Temple of Sinawava, the last shuttle stop on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. During shuttle season, board at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and ride to the Temple of Sinawava stop. From there, the Riverside Walk leads 1 mile to the canyon mouth, where the river wading begins. Big Springs lies approximately 2.5 miles beyond that point. Private vehicles are not permitted on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive during shuttle season; plan your visit around shuttle schedules available at nps.gov/zion.

What to Expect at Big Springs

Big Springs marks the traditional turnaround for hikers doing the bottom-up Narrows approach — the point approximately 2.5 miles upstream from where the canyon wading begins, where clear spring water emerges from the canyon walls and meets the river's current. The visual contrast between the two water sources is the defining feature of the destination: spring water appearing distinctly clear against the sediment-carrying river hikers have been wading through. The journey to reach it follows the canyon upstream through sustained river wading, with canyon walls that tighten to 20 to 30 feet wide in places and rise hundreds of feet on both sides. Small beach areas near the springs provide a place to stop, rest, and take in the canyon at its quietest before the return wade downstream.