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.

Incredibly rewarding hike in Zion! Make sure you have your permit - there were 2 rangers there checking permits and IDs. We got to the chains around 9 am. The hike is tough, but doable. Start as early as you can because the sun is no joke. Bring lots of water! - More than you’d think! We rented eBikes and rode right to the trail, getting there earlier than the shuttles would. So the crowd coming up the summit was not too bad. Coming down however was much busier. I highly recommend e-bikes!!! Rangers and park staff were all amazing. They were coming up the first leg of the trail talking with visitors, picking up trash, etc. I appreciate you all!

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.

***Here is the best way to score a permit 🎟️⛰️ Angels Landing is a bucket list hike and one of the highlights of Zion. You need a permit for the final chain section, available only through Recreation.gov via two lotteries — a seasonal lottery and a day-before lottery. Each entry costs a $6 non-refundable application fee, plus $3 per person if you're issued a permit. My best lottery tips: 📅 Know the dates. For 2026, the seasonal windows are Feb. 13–25 (spring hikes), April 1–20 (summer), July 1–20 (fall), and Oct. 1–20 (winter). The day-before lottery runs from 12:01 a.m. through 3 p.m. the day before your hike. 🎟️ Apply to both lotteries. Use the seasonal lottery for your target dates, then the day-before lottery as backup. Bonus: cancelled seasonal permits get released into the matching day-before lottery, so those odds are often better than people expect. 🗳️ Rank as many slots as possible. You can list up to seven preferred dates or time slots — fill in every one. It costs nothing extra and, with two start windows per day (before 9 AM / after 9 AM), entering for each one across your date range maximizes your chances. 📆 Go midweek or off-season. Tuesday through Thursday have far better odds than weekends, and winter is dramatically easier than peak summer. 🔚 Aim for later dates in the window. Because most people grab the earliest available dates first, odds improve noticeably toward the end of each release period. 📊 Play the odds. Roughly 47% of applicants won a permit in 2024, but it swings hard with timing: around 50% off-peak down to about 8% on peak holiday weekends. Seasonally, winter runs about 25–35% versus only 10–15% in peak summer. ⏰ Skip the midnight rush. There's no advantage to entering the day-before lottery at 12:01 a.m. versus mid-afternoon — it's purely random, so just apply any time before the 3 p.m. cutoff. 🕐 Know what the permit time means. The time on your permit is your start window at the Grotto trailhead, not the time you reach the chains where rangers check — once you've started, you can take as long as you like.

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.