Hiking the Angels Landing Trail in Zion National Park
Distance: 5.2 miles / 8.4 km
Elevation Gain: ~1,500 ft. / 457 m
The Angels Landing Trail in Zion National Park is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful day hikes in the Zion Canyon!
Now, this goes without saying that the Angels Landing Trail is also the single most popular day hike in Zion National Park, which has inevitably led to changes over the years from what the hike used to be.
By this, I mean that following the trail’s explosion in popularity, due entirely to social media, the Angels Landing Trail is now managed under a permit system in an effort to reduce the number of visitors hiking the steep and narrow trail.
That being said, I’ve been visiting Zion and hiking the Angels Landing Trail for many years, both before and after the implementation of the permit system, to be able to share and compare my honest thoughts about each experience.
U.S. National Park Pass
Did you know that the same America the Beautiful Pass that grants access to all 63 U.S. National Parks can be purchased in advance at REI?
Yes, you can save time when you arrive by purchasing your National Park pass, along with your other outdoor gear, at REI before traveling to the park!
How Hard is the Angels Landing Trail?
There’s no nice way to say it, but the Angels Landing Trail is beyond some peoples’ ability.
I say this in an effort to be honest and straightforward, but many people do not have the physical capability to hike Angels Landing, both because of the physical requirements and comfortability with high-exposure areas, while potentially hiking on snow and black ice during the off-season months.
This is to say that, on the upper elevations of the trail, you cannot fall, and many people have died hiking the Angels Landing Trail over the years, which I believe can largely be attributed to the lack of preparation among hikers. Personally, I’ve seen people hiking without water during the hot summer months and walking in designer shoes when there’s black ice on the chains.
This shouldn’t need to be said, but take the trail seriously.
How to Get a Permit to Hike Angels Landing?
Permits on Angels Landing are only required to hike past Scout Lookout, not up Walter’s Wiggles to get to Scout Lookout. This explains why the Angels Landing Trail is still so busy.
That being said, there are two options to reserve Angels Landing permits, both of which can be found on Recreation.gov.
If you know the dates of your trip to Zion National Park in advance, you can apply for the advanced seasonal lottery.
The second option is the daily lottery, which is how most visitors apply. It’s how I got my first Angels Landing permit when the lottery system was first introduced.
How Hard is it to Get an Angels Landing Permit?
The likelihood of being successfully awarded an Angels Landing permit comes down to two main factors. First, how busy the season or dates that you are applying for are, and second, the lottery drawing is completely random, regardless of how many days in a row you may have been applying.
Here’s what I mean. I was awarded a permit for this hike during the busy spring break season in March, and I was very lucky, to say the least. Dates like this, especially during the busy summer months, will have a much higher number of applicants than other times of the year.
In addition, I know that the lottery drawing is completely random because of the people I talked to on the hike down. For this hike, it took me two days of unsuccessful submissions before I was awarded a permit, but other people I talked to said they had been applying for more than a week straight without any luck. On top of this, I ran into one woman on the hike down who said she had a permit for the day prior but decided not to use it because of the bad weather. Then, she decided to apply for a second day in a row and was successfully awarded twice!
I hope this shows that receiving a permit is completely left up to chance.
Angels Landing Trailhead Parking
Parking for any trail in Zion Canyon is located either at the Zion Visitor Center, or the Zion Human History Museum.
From either of these two locations, you need to ride the Zion Canyon Shuttle to the trailhead. Know that after 9 a.m. during most times of the year, parking in these two spots becomes extremely competitive, and the park service may shut down parking altogether and tell you to park in Springdale.
If this is the case, you can ride the shuttle from Spingdale to get into the park.
Google Maps Directions: Zion Visitor Center / Zion Human History Museum
The Zion Canyon Shuttle
From either the visitor center or the museum, ride the shuttle up the canyon to Stop 6.
The shuttle does not run early enough to take it to the trailhead for a sunrise hike so if you want to learn how to hike Angels Landing for sunrise without other people, read the section at the end.
Hiking Checklist - Zion
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Zion National Park.
In addition to the list below, you are required to carry a copy of your permit and valid photo ID to hike Angels Landing past Scout Lookout.
Osprey 3L Water Bladder - The Osprey 3L water bladder is the most universal hiking and backpacking water bladder on the market, and it’s my go-to because of the slide-off seal that allows it to be quickly filled from the top. Additionally, individual parts are easily replaceable, such as the bite valve.
Blister / Heel Protectors - I swear by these cheap, amazing heel protectors to prevent blisters for nearly every kind of hiking and backpacking that I do!
Black Diamond Headlamp - Personally, I recommend the Black Diamond Storm because it is one of the brightest, lightest, and longest-lasting headlamps on the market—and trust me, the weight-to-battery-life ratio really does matter!
Hiking / Trail Running Shoes - Depending on the type of trail, I prefer to use either the Keen Targhee for longer, more rugged hiking or the HOKA Zinal Trail-Running Shoe for lighter, less intense trails. In either case, both have been amazing to me for many years across countless environments, and both can be found in men’s and women’s sizes. - (Men’s Keen / Women’s Keen) (Men’s HOKA / Women’s HOKA)
Waterproof Rain Shell - You never know when it may rain, and I’ve learned over the years that a rain shell is far better than a rain jacket. By this, I mean that it’s best to have something that the water will roll right off of, which is why I recommend the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L available in both men’s and women’s sizes.
Sun Shirt w/ Hood - A quality sun shirt can be your best friend on a trail with minimal shade, which can be found in both men’s and women’s sizes.
High SPF Sunscreen - Packing high-SPF sunscreen is a must for long days outside!
Additional Off-Season Gear
Depending on the winter snowpack, Angels Landing can be covered in snow and ice well into March and even April. This is why micro-spikes are a must on the upper elevations of Angels Landing where the consequences of falling are at their highest.
If you’re coming during the off-season (October - March), bring spikes! I personally use the Yaktrax below.
Hiking the Angels Landing Trail
Don’t forget to pack a headlamp for a sunrise hike.
Generally speaking, I did a pretty good job to take photos without other groups of people in them, meaning that these photos don’t accurately show how busy the Angels Landing gets from the moment the first shuttle arrives in the morning.
On the far side of the bridge, go right to continue along the Virgin River.
Soon after crossing the bridge you will start to get views of Angels Landing.
Eventually, the trail becomes paved and will remain this way until Scout Lookout.
At this area on the lower switchbacks, the views of the Zion Canyon start to get better and better!
Please do your part.
Walter’s Wiggles
The infamous Walter’s Wiggles are a series of 21 steep switchbacks that take you up to Scout Lookout just below Angels Landing.
There’s a cool history about the switchbacks that you may hear about on the shuttle.
This was only a handful of the many people on the trail after I watched sunrise.
Scout Lookout
This photo was taken at Scout Lookout shortly after 9 a.m.
There are bathrooms at Scout Lookout, and it’s the only place that you’ll find them on the Angels Landing Trail.
Angels Landing
Take it from someone who has received a conservation fine in the past, the risk is not worth it.
For me, it meant a fine, a court date, and travel back to the place where I received the fine. Now I can’t say what a citation at Angels Landing is like, but the penalties definitely are not worth it!
Below I have photos of every section of the chains that lead up to the summit of Angels Landing so that you know what to expect.
Most importantly, nearly every section beyond this point are no-fall zones, meaning a fall off of the trail beyond Scout Lookout would likely to be fatal.
From this point on, the top of Angels Landing will start to become visible.
Additionally, sections like the wet spot in the photo below was black ice when I hiked up for sunrise. Seriously, take your time. Shady spots like this may stay frozen long after sunrise, even if the trail is fine elsewhere.
A few of the following photos are looking back up the canyon.
The photo below is the last set of chains before the summit ridge.
Angels Landing Summit
Angels Landing summit is 5,790 ft. (1,165 m).
From the summit, you’ll get amazing views of both the upper and lower canyon as well as other notable places like Observation Point.
How to Hike Angels Landing for Sunrise?
The best time of day to hike Angels Landing is before the sun comes up!
That being said, vehicles aren’t allowed in to drive into the canyon, meaning the closest you can park to the trailhead is 3.3 miles (5.3 km) away at Canyon Junction or 4.0 miles (6.4 km) away at the Zion Human History Museum if the gate for the Mt. Carmel Highway is closed at the junction, which means the museum is the only option.
From wherever you park, you can either walk or bike your way to the Grotto Trailhead. However, renting bikes in Springdale can be a challenge if you are awarded a day-before permit, as the results are typically announced around 4 p.m.
However, if you rent in advance using the link below, you can enjoy the e-bike as a full-day rental, even if you aren’t awarded a permit.
Additionally, one of my favorite things about booking through Viator is the reserve-now-and-pay-later option. As long as you’re booking more than three days in advance, you have the option to book ahead and cancel in the future if you change your mind.
Angels Landing Sunrise Parking
The photo below on the left is the parking lot at the Zion Human History Museum that was completely overflowing with cars by 10:30 a.m. when I returned. One car was literally blocking all other cars for my spot as I was leaving.
The second photo below on the right is the parking area at Canyon Junction just past the Mt. Carmel Hwy gate.
More Zion Adventures
If you’re interested in reading about some more amazing adventures within Zion National Park, check out my separate posts below!
Best Way to Find Places to Stay!
Wherever I travel, I love to start my search for places to stay on VRBO.
Even if I don’t end up booking through them, I think it’s one of the best ways to see what’s in the area!
Washington
Best Way to Book Rental Cars!
I travel quite a bit, and I know firsthand that finding a good rental car deal can be a challenge, but that’s why I recommend comparing all of your options with Discover Cars.
In short, Discover Cars is a well-known, reputable business that allows you to search for the best deal across companies, and they have the best full-refund cancellation policy I’ve ever seen, valid up to 72, or sometimes even 48, hours prior to your reservation!
Book Here: Discover Cars
Discover Cars!
Safety
Zion National Park is widely known for its extreme weather swings.
In the summer, the temperature in Zion will soar well above 100º F for weeks on end, while, on the contrary, the upper elevations of the park accumulate several feet of snow come winter.
Every year, this creates an interesting dynamic, as the snow melts during the day and freezes at night, resulting in extremely hazardous black ice conditions on many popular trails throughout the park, such as Angels Landing – trails where you cannot afford to fall.
To stay safe, always hike with 2-3 liters of water, try to avoid hiking midday during the hot summer months, and prepare for snowy/ icy conditions by bringing micro-spikes during the off-season months (October - March).
As always, find the most up-to-date information and conditions on the official National Park website.
National Park Service: Zion National Park
U.S. National Parks Pass
Did you know that the same America the Beautiful Pass that grants access to all 63 U.S. National Parks can be purchased in advance at REI?
Yes, you can save time when you arrive by purchasing your National Park pass, along with your other outdoor gear, at REI before traveling to the park!
More U.S. National Parks
If you’d like to read more about some of my best recommendations when visiting other U.S. National Parks, check out some of my other posts below!
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