For those of you that are looking for a challenging hike at Zion National Park that rewards you with amazing canyon views below, then Angels Landing is the place to go. For the experienced hiker, Angels Landing isn’t difficult to do, but it does have an adrenaline inducing final climb that will make you think twice about summitting.
We got an early start on the day we were headed to Zion and arrived around 6:15 a.m. We waited about 45 minutes to get a shuttle. Once we got to The Grotto – shuttle stop 6 – we were ready to hit the trail. You zigzag for about 2 miles and ascend about 1200 feet into the sandstone cliffs that are the perfect image of Zion. The trail was moderate and offered increasingly beautiful views of the mountains and the valley below.
About 2 miles into the trail, hikers will reach the chains that assist people getting to the summit. Your heart definitely pumps a little faster as your approach this final endeavor because the chains are only on one side of your body with a shear drop off to the valley below on the other side. If you are afraid of heights this is definitely not the hike for you. Furthermore, if howling wind frightens you, then I’d recommend turning around at the chains after enjoying the view from that vantage point.
For those hikers who wish to continue onward to the final ascent, the shear steepness of the valley below causes you to have laser focus on your hand and foot holds while negotiating around the other people making the climb. At one point you have to cross a gap in the chains where the width of your footing was no more than 15 inches with a 1,500 foot drop on either side. The wind howls at you right at this moment, causing the biggest adrenaline rush that I had during the whole hike. Once you are past that point the hike goes smoother as you reach the final landing and are rewarded with an amazing Zion Valley view in all directions.
Things to Note
As one of the more popular hikes in Zion National Park, hundreds of people make the climb to Angels Landing every day. Unfortunately, many were not fit or held up the procession of people because of fear. I saw one family taking four kids up with a 4 year old on the dad’s shoulders. The kids were scared out of their mind, but their parents were pushing them to the top no matter what. That was a mistake and they were lucky not to have an incident.
To avoid a situation like this, I would not go at crowded times because the park rangers do not limit the number of hikers allowed to make the climb. In my opinion, the park service makes a mentally challenging hike much harder by allowing so many inexperienced people to gain access. Having so many hikers on the trail is unsafe and many people have fallen to their deaths. On the other hand, anyone can do it and if you want a challenge this hike doesn’t require a permit and would notch any belt. You just need to be prepared for some mistakes to be made by novices or slow downs to occur.
If you are visiting Zion in July or August be prepared for scorching temperatures. I would recommend that you do the hike early in the morning and be out of the sun by lunchtime. Otherwise you risk heat stroke and making bad decisions when you become dehydrated. Also, since the hike is only 5 miles round trip carrying a lot of water is unnecessary. One liter should be plenty – you will appreciate the lighter loadout when you start making the climb at the end. Zion has plenty of refilling stations at the number 6 Grotto stop and nice bathrooms. No reason to overburden yourself with a heavy backpack.
Are you planning to visit Zion National Park? Read more about our day at Zion here.
