Slot Canyon Hikes In Zion National Park

THE ZION NARROWS

Beyond the end of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive at the Temple of Sinawava, the walls of the main canyon close in to form the famous Zion Narrows, an amazing section of canyon that stretches for over a dozen miles to the north. The North Fork of the Virgin River carves and snakes through the deep sandstone labyrinth with a vast network of remote side canyons and tributaries. Hiking the Zion Narrows is the highlight of many vacationers' experiences in Zion, following the river from the high plateau down through the wondrous slot sections and back out to civilization in the main canyon. Several popular technical canyoneering routes descend through the various tributaries of the Zion Narrows.

The North Fork of the Virgin River (aka 'The Zion Narrows') is probably one of the most legendary canyons to hike in all of Zion National Park. The Zion Narrows is the section of the Virgin River just upstream from the Temple of Sinawava (the end of the road up the main canyon). The Subway is a classic semi-technical slot canyon hike in Zion National Park. To complete the hike you wade/swim/scramble/climb down the Left Fork of North Creek. The stream is the trail for most of the route. Some of the holes are deep enough that you do have to swim, and the water is cold. Slot canyons can be found in Capitol Reef, Escalante, the Grand Canyon, the San Rafael Swell, Lake Powell, the Paria River and Page, but Zion possesses one of the areas richest treasure troves for intrepid explorers willing to match their wits, their legs and their fingers against Mother Nature.

THE ZION NARROWS: Overview

The North Fork of the Virgin River (aka 'The Zion Narrows') is probably one of the most legendary canyons to hike in all of Zion National Park. The Zion Narrows is the section of the Virgin River just upstream from the Temple of Sinawava (the end of the road up the main canyon). Here, the majestic walls of the main canyon close in to form a tall and narrow canyon with beautiful dark corners and the Virgin River flowing around you. With beautiful flowing water and barely any direct sunlight reaching the bottom, this is the slot canyon that all other slot canyons are compared to.
Overview of Hiking Routes...

ZION NARROWS DAY HIKE
Rating: moderately strenuous/strenuous river hiking.

For tourists or casual hikers who want to see the best of the Zion Narrows, this is the route to do. Starting at the Temple of Sinawava, you can hike up the Riverside Walk trail and then continue hiking right up the river to see some of the best 'narrows' sections of the North Fork of the Virgin River. Hike up as far as you want to go and then turn around and retrace your steps. A side hike up Orderville Canyon is also a good detour to see even more amazing slot canyon scenery.

ZION NARROWS TOP-DOWN ROUTE (Backpacking)
Rating: strenuous river hiking/backpacking.

Starting from Chamberlain's Ranch outside the northern corner of Zion National Park, the North Fork can be hiked top-down from the upper plateau. This is the longer and less popular way to hike the Zion Narrows, but it is quite a rewarding experience to see the more subtle beauty of the the upper North Fork as it slowly transforms into the majestic and deep slot canyon that opens into the main canyon in Zion. This route is usually done as a two-day backpacking trip and is a magical experience.

ORDERVILLE CANYON
Rating: strenuous hiking/semi-technical canyoneering.

Orderville Canyon is the amazing little sister to the famous Zion Narrows and is a good long day hike for beginning canyoneers. The lower sections can be explored as a side hike from the Zion Narrows, but the much better way is to do the top-down 'semi-technical' canyoneering route. This hike involves two short rappels, several short swims, and a lot of downclimbs over boulders and rock formations. The canyon is tall, narrow, dark and wonderfully mysterious, and it is well worth the effort that it takes to get through it all!

MYSTERY CANYON
Rating: fairly strenuous technical canyoneering.

Mystery Canyon is indeed a mystery… a deep and beautiful hanging canyon that feeds into the bigger Zion Narrows. This 'hike' is one of the the crown-jewel canyoneering adventures in Zion National Park, featuring a steep and intimidating entrance, numerous rappels in beautiful dark sculpted narrows, an enormous landslide/rockfall obstacle in the middle of the canyon, and two big-wall rappels near the end that really get your attention. The grand finale is the rappel down Mystery Falls that lands you right in the Zion Narrows only a quarter of a mile upstream from the Temple of Sinawava.

BIRCH HOLLOW
Rating: fairly strenuous technical canyoneering.

Slot Canyon Hikes In Zion National Park Hiking Trails

Located on BLM land near the eastern boundary of Zion National Park, Birch Hollow is a usually dry tributary of Orderville Canyon and it makes for an enjoyable canyoneering adventure with its convenient start right along the North Fork Road. The route through Birch Hollow is only two miles in length, but with roughly 11 rappels up to 100 feet, this fun little adventure should be taken seriously. Birch Hollow has gained quite a bit of popularity over the past decade and many guiding services take people through this canyon. Please obey all posted rules at the trailheads to guarantee continued access in the future.

Hiking symbols used for descriptions:

ZION CLASSIC: a must-do hike if you want to see the best of Zion!

FAMILY-FRIENDLY: a good choice for those with children who like to hike.

BACKPACKING: a route enjoyable as a multi-day hike.

TECHNICAL: canyoneering or scrambling route requiring technical gear and climbing and/or rappelling experience. Not suitable for casual hikers.

×Many of Zion's canyons are deep, long and have a permanent stream flowing through, but the national park also contains plenty of short, narrow slots, and the easiest reached is undoubtedly Keyhole Canyon, the lower end of which is just 300 feet from UT 9, on the east side of the park half way between the entrance station and the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel. Keyhole has three sections of narrows; a shallow, open, upper section, a short enclosed middle with several moderate obstacles then a deeper, 500 foot long lower slot where ropes are required in at least three places to overcome sheer drops of up to 20 feet.
The compact nature of the narrows and the proximity to the highway mean that Keyhole is considered to be the best place in the national park to learn or practise rappelling techniques, though despite this the majority of the canyon can still be seen by regular hikers. The rocks in the narrows are eroded into the familiar wavy formations and contain numerous thin strata so the canyon is quite pretty, just not as photogenic as some since the majority of the passageways are rather gloomy.
The Navajo sandstone rock in this location is naturally dull red in color and most surfaces have been weathered to shades of grey and black; together with the predominantly east-west orientation, the overhanging rocks in the narrows and the higher cliffs above on the south side, much of the canyon is only rarely illuminated by the sun so the deepest parts are dark and cold. Pools and patches of mud persist in some sections all year.

Topographic Map of Keyhole Canyon

Best Hikes In Zion National Park

Photographs

17 views of Keyhole Canyon.

Location

Parking for the hike is 2 miles from the eastern national park entrance at two small pull-outs along UT 9 - one immediately south of the end of the canyon and another round a corner to the east (see map below).

Route Description

The lower end of the narrows can be seen by hiking up from the road, past a tunnel that takes flood waters under the highway, and reaching the slot after a 5 minute walk up the sandy wash. Red and white cliffs rise steeply overhead, and the canyon is soon dark and enclosed. A chokestone above a pool provides the first major obstacle; webbing is attached to a rappel point though the rock is easy enough to climb. Beyond are darker passages containing cold, muddy pools, enclosed by stratified rock walls that in some places are angled away from vertical.

Slot Canyon Hikes In Zion National Park South Rim

Similar Canyons

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