How to Hike Angels Landing in Zion National Park

One of my all-time favorite hikes is the daunting Angels Landing In Zion National Park. You’ll peer down from rocky cliffs that hang about the length of four football fields over the canyon floor. Let me offer a few words of advice before you attempt it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Water
• Camera
• Hiking Boots
• Sunglasses & Sunscreen

1. If you are afraid of heights, don’t even think about doing Angels Landing. Now that we've gotten that out of the way...
2. From the main Zion Canyon Visitor's Center take the Zion Canyon Shuttle to the Grotto Picnic Area. This trailhead is also the start of the popular West Rim Trail.
3. Pack light. It’s only five miles round trip, so you basically need water and a camera.
4. Pack light. You’re going to be gingerly picking your way up cliff sides and climbing over rocks. You don’t want a heavy pack throwing you off-balance. You need your hands free to hold onto the chains that have been drilled into the rock.
5. Do the hike early in the morning before the trail gets busy. I started out by 7 a.m. Once you reach the top and need to come back, you’ll negotiating precarious cliffs with hikers coming up. An alternative is to do it in the early evening, when it’s cooled off and crowds have thinned out.
6. Take a buddy or make one as you start hiking so you have someone to talk to as you climb, it’ll keep your mind off how far down it is.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are afraid of heights, do part of the hike and only go to the plateau at the top of Walter’s Wiggles.
• If you want to do a hike that isn’t quite as scary, I also recommend Hidden Canyon in Zion. It has one short section of exposed climbing with dropoffs where chains have been added, but much of the hike is in a beautiful narrow canyon where you walk on soft powder. Delightful!
• Do not do the hike in the winter when conditions are icy. Before you get to the rocky cliffs, you have to go up 21 paved switchbacks called Walter’s Wiggles. Not fun on ice.
• Do not do it when thunderclouds are building up on a late summer afternoon—you’ll be completely exposed to lightning.
• Don’t do it in the dark even with a headlamp.