#Zion national park shuttle tickets series#

The hike up was scenic, varied, and only moderately strenuous. I’m reasonably fit and do weekend day hikes regularly in Colorado. They were closed earlier this summer but reopened (October 2020). This was the most strenuous trail I’ve ever hiked, but also one of the most rewarding!įor those of you like me with mild fear of heights (only in extreme situations, not day to day), I’d definitely recommend hiking to Scouts point and checking out the cables. Be courteous to other hikers and don’t act like a fool. There are many places that have nowhere to go but off the edge of a cliff. I can’t imagine how crowded it must be in the summer! If you’re on your way down, you and those on their way up will have to make room for each other to pass. By the time I began my descent, the trail was very crowded with only a single lane of possible passage. They hadn’t even made it to the rough part yet. I looked down at their feet and noticed they were wearing flip flops! Not a smart choice. On my way down, I encountered a couple of knuckleheads that were bragging about not having held onto the rails. Please hold onto the chains as you make your way up and back down. When taking this trail be sure to take plenty of water, sunscreen, and layers. You can see the river and the road below, which instantly shows you how high you just climbed! The final push to the top requires no chains and after a quick walk, you’re at the top and are rewarded with fantastic views. The last half mile or so will take nearly as much time as the first two miles because it requires a lot of climbing over and between rocks. The chains provided by the Park Service are not really necessary in some sections but are extremely helpful in others.

You’ve probably heard of how narrow it gets in certain sections. Once past the wiggles the views began to open up at Scout Lookout.įrom here, is where the fun begins.

#Zion national park shuttle tickets series#

After that, the trail led to the famous Walter’s Wiggles, a series of 21 short switchbacks. I had several layers on that quickly were shed one by one.Īfter the first set of switchbacks, the trail meandered through Refrigerator Canyon, an aptly named section that gives one a reprieve from the heat as well as the ascent. It was the first day of February and about 30 degrees when I started out, but quickly warned up to the 50’s in the two hours it took me to the top. I finally took this trail last weekend and it lived up to my expectations. I never had a good opportunity to take it in several visits to the park over the years. This trail had been on my bucket list since the first time we visited Zion 19 years ago. Terrible system that is being abused by too many guests.

If you’re going to do a permit system, have someone up there checking permits….not down by the bus stop. With no park rangers monitoring the number of people on angel’s landing was incredibly high. So it’s essentially an honor system on whether you go past the permit point and no one seemed to care. The problem is that the only people even checking access to this dangerous trail are down at the very bottom of the hike by the Grotto. You are supposed to apply for a permit the day before which I assume is to limit the number of people going on the chains and make it safer as this is a there-and-back hike so there can be two-way traffic on the narrow chain areas.

There is a sign that lists the number of deaths on the trail (through the number was missing or scratched out). Until Angel’s Landing…Īngel’s Landing is notoriously dangerous. The view at the lookout is fantastic and there is even a restroom up there. Walter’s Wigggles with ice is hard (bring proper equipment). The hike to Scout’s Lookout is challenging for sure.