The Narrows Day Hike Section

The Narrows day hike starts at the Temple of Sinawava, the last stop on the Zion Canyon shuttle — the main canyon is shuttle-only most of the year, so there's no drive-up parking here. The first mile follows the paved Riverside Walk along the Virgin River; past that, the trail is the river itself. Hikers wade upstream between thousand-foot sandstone walls as far as their time and comfort allow, with popular turnaround points like Wall Street a few miles in.

What to know before you go

• No permit is required for the bottom-up day hike — permits apply only to the top-down Narrows through-hike.
• Flash flooding is the real danger here. The park closes the Narrows when flow exceeds about 150 cubic feet per second, and risk peaks during summer monsoon season (July–September).
• Check the current flood forecast at a visitor center before entering, and turn back immediately if the water rises, clouds darken, or the river turns muddy.