Zion National Park Guide: Caving and Canyoneering
Zion National Park Highlights
- The Narrows of the Virgin River is 16 miles long, done in a long day or better as an overnight. For a shorter trip, you can day hike up from the end of the Riverside Walk as far as Orderville Canyon.
- The challenging Left Fork, also known as the Subway, is a strenuous nine-mile round-trip hike from the bottom of the canyon, requiring scrambling over often-slippery boulders and extensive route finding. Use the Left Fork Trailhead off the Kolob Terrace Road.
- To travel through the entire Subway requires rappelling skills and 60 feet of rope or webbing. Be prepared for swims in cold, debris-filled pools. The 9.5-mile route begins at Wildcat Canyon Trailhead and ends at Left Fork Trailhead.
- Kolob Creek Canyon has a dozen rappels into pools of icy water. Hypothermia is the main danger, so drysuits or full 7mm wetsuits are necessary, as is a check on flows from the dam upstream.
- The park encourages first-time canyoneering visitors to travel with experienced people and/or obtain a detailed route description. You’ll need a permit for the Subway, the Narrows (through hike) and its tributaries, and all canyons requiring the use of technical equipment.
- The National Weather Service provides flash flood potential ratings for southern Utah during the summer storm season. They are posted daily at park visitor centers, and there’s a link on the park’s website.
By Travel Expert:
Bill Weir
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