Zion National Park Angels Landing Summit Adventure

I don’t know where to begin to describe how amazing the Angel Landing hike was. It was definitely a strenuous hike and took a lot of rock scrambling to make your way to the summit but well worth the effort. This hike is for sure one of the most dangerous hikes (I am an Outdoor Guide & Educator from the East Coast and have also done multiple treks and trips abroad) that I’ve ever been on due to the topography and sand on some of the sections of the trail. There’s very little room for ever so I would encourage anyone who’s going to go for the hike to please make sure they’re wearing proper footwear. (proper hiking shoe or trail running shoe.) Just a reminder this trail requires a permit now which he didn’t in the past so make sure that you have that before hiking all the way up to the beginning of the trailhead otherwise you will be turned away.

AMAZING!! Breathtakingly beautiful views for the entire hike start to finish! You can conquer this mountain! This is the hike that I will now reference for all future hikes! It was not as hard a hike physically as it was mentally. The last part of the climb- after checking in with the rangers- was difficult in some areas for me because of the need to focus and overcome the mind game of the 1,500 foot drop offs on each side. Pack a lunch for the summit- you will want to soak in the views and it is fun socializing with fellow hikers. Everyone is awestruck at the summit. Apply for the permit online. The application fee is 6 dollars. I did the day before lottery and had success during the off season in February. I applied for a week day instead of the weekend. During the peak season, or weekends it may be more challenging to get a permit.

The 2/3 of the hike doesn’t not require the lottery permit, but are pretty moderate/difficult steep hike up some longer switchbacks and the shorter ones near the ranger stop point. The last 1/3 of the hike is the permit only and is where you use the chains to hike up the narrow cliffs. Overall it’s a wonderful experience that pushes you but rewards you with a beautiful site.

Wow. What an incredible experience this hike was. If you are in decent shape, I would absolutely recommend this hike. My party consisted of one current high school and one current college runner, as well our mother. We were all able to completely in quite quickly. I cannot encourage you to do this enough. The “influencers” on social media are influencing you to be fearful of the hike. In reality, I personally thought it would be worse. The chains are incredibly helpful. We all held onto them nearly the entire time and felt safe the entire way. It was a great experience for all of us, especially considering we were considering to turn back. We stayed at the Zion Lodge for two nights as part of a two week trip out west. Originally from Ohio, we aren’t usually familiar with this type of elevation. We started at approximately 6am from the lodge. There is a half mile trail from the lodge to the Grotto. This is the shuttle stop for everyone, which we reached in around ten minutes. We quickly used the restroom and began on the trail. It was fairly straightforward and easy, just some simple switchbacks with some fantastic views. We reached the Walter’s Wiggles which was slightly difficult. However, we were all able to complete it easily. We reached Walter’s Wiggles at seven, which was when the first shuttle left the Visitor Center (approximately a 5 mile drive, stopping at EVERY stop). My mom said she was saving energy on the Wiggles because she thought they’d be longer due to social media. From there, it’s a two minute to Scout Lookout. When we reached Scout Lookout, there was only one other group there. They were nice and didn’t have a permit, meaning we’d be on our own. We started the trail and it was fairly easy. About a fourth of the way there, there was a man and woman heading down (surprising this early). They were nice and told us it was worth. Beyond this point, there was only instance where I felt I absolutely needed to hang onto the chains. Towards the top, it got steep and I pulled onto the chains to get me up a few times. At the top, the views were absolutely worth it. I enjoyed every single moment at the top. We headed back shortly after. There was a lot of people from the shuttles who were heading up now. All of these hikers were nice and most of them allowed us to go down by stopping. By the time we reached the bottom, it felt so quick that we were surprised we saw the Ranger checking permits. The hike downwards from there was quite easy. The heat was starting to pick up so I was glad that we had done it in the morning. There was many people heading up. And I don’t think that all of these hikers people had permits. Someone who we were speaking with when we got back informed us that nearly half of the people turned back early. I was genuinely surprised, but they also added there was a lot of young child in those groups. I would definitely recommend this hike. Social media makes it sound much worse than it actually is. Consider staying at the Zion Lodge, it’s definitely worth it! Best of luck & safe travels.

Absolutely loved this trail (& it’s not as scary as people make it seem) To hike all the way to angel’s landing you NEED a permit. They had rangers posted there checking permits and IDs. That being said, if you don’t have a permit you could try to ask around (prior to the rangers) if anyone has a spot in their permit group. The rangers will tell you it’s non transferable, but there’s only 1 person’s name on the permit and then a group size so you could squeeze into another group if someone drops out. To get the permit, look it up online. Coats $6 to apply and $3 per person if you get it. Hike is about 5 miles today and super steep pretty much the whole way. It’s paved all the way until scout’s landing (the part where they check permits). The chains were not as scary as people make it seem. There are multiple feet on both sides of you and no super crazy drop offs. Definitely recommend!