Or Not! Oh yes you can definitely describe Angels Landing as a stairway to heaven. I would say that it’s important to keep you eyes on the heavens when trying to hike it. Now, it’s hard not to look down and let’s face it that’s part of the thrill I guess. However, I recommend you pick your spots and limit looking.
The first thing you need to know is that the National Park Service has begun limiting the number of people on certain trails each day. This effort is to preserve these trails so people can continue to enjoy them. You may not think about it but every step on a trail changes and erodes the trail. Now multiply that times a millions of pairs of feet each year. Throw in weather and natural erosion and it all takes it’s toll.
The NPS has instituted a permit system to manage this. Permits are issued by lottery which also helps raise funds to preserve these natural wonders. Be sure you plan months in advance as there are two types of lotteries. If you get in the seasonal lottery you can pick you day and time in advance and submit multiple chances. If, like me you miss the seasonal lottery you still have a chance to get permit. You can enter what is called the day before lottery. Starts at 12:01 am each night and you can submit for multiple time slots each day for the next day in one entry. Each entry will cost you $6. If you win the lottery the NPS will automatically charge you $3 for the actual permit.
I’ve had some people comment about not having to do this in past and complaining. My take on it is that it helps preserve these beautiful sites for future generations. Since I still work full time I only had two days with enough time do the hike. The first night I lost the lottery, but on my last chance I won. Well, if you call it winning LOL. I won the chance to risk my life.
The hike starts at the Grotto shuttle stop. There’s a part of the park that is accessible only by shuttle or walking. The best place to park is at the Visitors Center and catch the shuttle there. Parking at the Visitors Center is free. Get there early or be prepared to drive around for a while as it fills up quickly. You can park just outside the gates in Springdale. I think it was $35/day. It also fills up fast. Shuttles run there all day.
I mentioned earlier, not having time to complete the hike. The last shuttle runs at 7:15 pm. If you miss it or it’s full guess what? You get to add 5 miles to your hike, back to the Visitors Center. Another thing to note is that there is a ranger checking your permit. Your permit is basically the email they send you and you should plan ahead by downloading or taking a screenshot to show the ranger. You will also have to show identification that matches the name on the permit. There is little to no cell service for most of the hike so plan ahead with a local or printed copy.
The other consideration is time. Angels Landing officially starts about 2 miles up the West Rim Trail. This is where the ranger checking you in will be. Most of that 2 miles is up the side of the canyon wall. So you need to plan an hour or more to reach the ranger and check in. As you can tell, planning is important. Be sure you check the NPS app or website for hikes requiring permits, Closures and other alerts.
Well now that I bored you with all the details. What about the hike itself. As mentioned the first 2 miles are up the side of the canyon. The first part of the trail is gravel and along the side of the Virgin River, Then it begins the climb up the canyon and the trail becomes concrete and you start a series of switchbacks. These are fairly steep and there are no guardrails or chains. After the initial switchback section you will take a fairly level dirt path between sheer canyon walls. Signs here indicate that you should be quite as it’s a nesting area for owls.
Temps drop a bit during this part of the hike and depending on the day you might need a light jacket. I would also note that temps and wind are different at elevation. I will talk about my gear later in the post. After a nice walk through the canyon you come to the second set of switchbacks. These are shorter in length between switchbacks. Somewhere around the 2 mile mark you will come to a little plateau. This is where the Angels Landing hike starts, you will find restrooms and the rangers who check you in. The West Rim trail continues up from here. It’s an out and back trail thats around 9 miles total and is actually higher than Angels Landing.
Once I reached the top the temps were cooler but the sun was bright and warm. I checked in with the rangers and took a moment to swill a bottle of water and hydrate. I had not consumed any water on the way up. I started my walk to the start of the trail and the first set of chains. The trail becomes sandstone rocks at a slightly steep angle. The chains switchback up the side of Angels. If you slip here there’s nothing to stop you from going off the edge. About half way up this set of chains it got darker, windy and started to rain.
This is not a long set of chains but they became slippery. When you reach the end you have to walk about 30 yards across with no chains. The trail is out and back so traffic is going both ways. I stopped here, moved up the ridge, donned my rain jacket and sat down to wait out the rain. Feedback from hikers coming down was that it was pretty black and nasty looking on the other side Angels.
The rain stopped and the sun came out and after a reasonable time I resumed my climb. The walk across with no chains wasn’t to bad but I couldn’t just walks casually across like some people. I hiked 7 miles the day before and to be honest my back, knees and ankles were a little stiff. Flexibility is important on this type of hike where you have to “scramble”. In retrospect hiking the day before was a bad choice but since I didn’t know if I would get a permit I didn’t want to waste the day off.
The next set of chains quickly became more challenging. The mountain under foot became steeper and the chains that were going slightly uphill suddenly started a near straight up angle. This is where I began to struggle. I was having trouble with my hiking boots gripping or at least felt that way. My knees were as flexible as I felt I needed. I did not look down but I didn’t feel enough confidence so I backtracked to the more level chain section. This is where I took my one and only photo while holding on to the chain. It also began raining again and the sky became even darker than before.
I paused here evaluating my next move. People coming down were literally reaching around me to hold onto the chain and pass me. I tried to go up one more time but the rain was making the chain slick and I turned around and worked my way back down. I’m disappointed that I didn’t make it very far but I would have hated myself for not trying.
Hindsight is 20/20 they say and in this case I would agree. Before I could get down the mountain the rain increased. By the time I got on the shuttle it was raining hard enough we had to close the vents in the roof. As I climbed into my truck the thunder and lightning began. I’m glad I wasn’t on Angels at this point.
So I’ll share a little wisdom from my experience. First, unlike other hikes in the park. You don’t need a big pack. I was over prepared and the backpack actually affected my balance on the Landing. When I go back and try again. I will not take a pack. I’ll carry a couple of water bottles or my small camelbak with just water and my jacket.
So let’s talk about hiking in this area and gear. Most of the hikes here are at elevations between around 6500 and 7400 feet above sea level. This is the range where you can begin to suffer from altitude sickness but most people will not at this altitude. You will however not get as much oxygen into your system and may find yourself breathing harder than normal. If you do feel symptoms of altitude sickness the only cure is to go down to a lower altitude. When hiking at altitude you should hydrate extra and consume some snacks.
The other thing I’m learning is that weather in this part of the country is spastic. Rain comes quickly and goes quickly. Temps change quickly and I’ve had to add and remove my hiking pants legs several times as will as put on my pullover or rain jacket only to remove them a few minutes later.
You should carry layers. I’m a big fan of hiking pants with zip off legs to make them shorts. I usually carry a fleece and a rain/wind jacket. The NPS site recommends hiking sticks for most hikes so I have been carrying them in my pack but have yet to use them. I have used my Camelbak to carry water bottles and I have used the bladder. The bladder is much more convenient and I find I hydrate more often using it. This create a little extra work before and after use but it’s going to be my default for longer hikes. I have two Camelbaks, a small one that has a 3 liter bladder and a larger one with a 4 liter bladder. I like the small one on short hikes but it is harder to carry your layers, first aid kit etc.
Humidity is low out here and you don’t realize you are sweating so it’s very important to hydrate even if you are not thirsty. I’ve also learned to use chapstick. Something I never do at home. If you don’t you will have dry flaky lips. I know this goes without saying but use and take sunscreen with you. The sun will toast you quickly out here.
So what about Zion as a whole? Zion is beautiful. I also hiked the Watchman Trail which is fairly easy and good one to acclimate with. My favorite hike was to Observation Point which was fairly level, not as crowded as other trails in the park and has probably the best views of Zion. You basically end up well above and looking down on Angels Landing and straight down the Canyon. To get to Observation Point you actually drive through the park on highway 9, about 15 miles and through two tunnels. Be sure you check height limits before starting the drive. I saw travel trailers and C-Classes on the road. There’s not enough clearance for my rig and turning around would be near to impossible. The drive however is beautiful with lots of pull offs and photo opportunities and I highly recommend you do it.
There is a brewery/restaurant in Springdale. Zion Brewery. The beer is average and food is very good. Springdale has plenty to offer. Food, shopping, outdoor supplies and lodging abound. I booked late so I didn’t get to camp in the park or the few little towns close by. I stayed in Hurricane, UT about 40 minutes away but it was a great location and Zion View RV Park is very nice with large concrete sites and plenty of room to maneuver. I also visited Edge of the World Brewery. The beer is ok, the pizza was very good.
So far this has been my second favorite stop and my favorite hiking. Grand Canyon is still number 1 for views. There was so much to do in Lake Mead that It still holds the top spot for fun. I will say that I did not explore St. George and some other surrounding areas enough so it could easily slide into first place. The bottom line is that Zion is amazing and amazingly beautiful with scenic drives and amazing hikes. There’s also a lot of ATV trials and dispersed camping all around the park area. You should absolutely put this one on your list to visit.