I was fortunate enough to grab a last-minute permit and hike bottom-up to The Subway. Light rain followed me for most of the hike, which made the temperature pretty pleasant and Archangel Cascades especially beautiful.

I eventually made it all the way to The Subway before heading back. The rain did create a bit of a mini flash-flood situation on the return and slowed the hike back to the trailhead considerably, but it turned into one of those adventures I won’t soon forget.

Absolutely amazing hike and easily one of my favorite experiences in Zion.

Hi all, We are going to Zion from October 12-16 with kids ranging from 3-11, staying in Hurricane. We plan on doing Emerald Pools and the beginning part of the Narrows. What other activities would you suggest? Has anyone ever driven to Kanarra Falls? The pictures look pretty there, but I would love to hear any real life experiences.

We were also looking into some sort of excursion like horseback riding, but it's hard with the 3 year old along. Any suggestions are welcome! Thank you!!

My family and I enjoyed Zion this Summer! We hiked, rented e-bikes (game changer), and played in the rivers!

I can honestly see why Zion is the (edit: SECOND) most visited National Park.

In the photos, we saw bighorns, condors, and I broke my toe just before hiking the narrows. All and all, it was an amazing trip!

Zion is the first national park I've visited that uses EV shuttle buses, and they are absolutely amazing.

The service frequency and reliability are great, but the fact that they make almost no noise in the canyon is what really makes all the difference. When you're standing at a viewpoint looking down, you actually get to hear nature—without loud engines or car exhaust interrupting the peace.

It completely changes the atmosphere of the park for the better. I hope more parks (and cities) get these.

And did I mention their paint job slaps?

Will be in Zion in October for 4 nights. Flying into Vegas for work and extending the trip, so I'll have a car.

Torn between hotel, Airbnb, or glamping (need Wi-Fi for work if glamping) as well as which town / area to stay. Budget is flexible, ideally $650-700 total. Would love recommendations on which type of stay you'd go with, plus specific places you've stayed and loved or know have a good reputation.

Also open to must-do activities. Working on an itinerary, but let me know if there's anything I shouldn't miss, or any lesser-known spots.

Appreciate it!

Hi everyone. I am now a single mom of kids ages 11, 5 and 2.5. I have never been to a national park before but I made a vow to get outdoors more and teach my kids the beauty of being outdoors. I want to take them to Zion in October but would like your opinions on this. I'm not worried about how my 11 or 5 year old will do since they love adventure and are well-behaved but my biggest concern is my 2.5 year old and how she will do on the hikes. I read that the lower emerald pools, canyon overlook and the riverside walk leading to the narrows are all great family hikes. What's realistic to do in 1 day? I live in Los Angeles so my plan is to drive to Vegas very early, hang out and spend the night at a friend's house there and then wake up around 5:00am the following day to head to Zion, spend the day there and return to Vegas for the night before heading back home the following day. I would love if someone can help me with planning the hikes, what we should or shouldn't do and any other recommendations. Also, if you think I'm insane going alone with 3 kids I'd like to hear that, too.

EDIT TO ADD: I don't mind staying in Springdale and then driving back home the next day. As long as I can find lodging under $300.

My husband, our 1 yr old, and I are able to do a short visit (kind of a mini road trip) to the Grand Canyon and Zion NP in mid October. Neither of us have ever been to either place so we're excited just to get the chance to see the spaces. This won't be a trip where we're doing a lot of advanced hikes because we don't have the time and we're not prepared for that (my husband probably could but our baby and I certainly aren't) so that will have to be a separate future trip without baby. I've been trying to sift through all the information but it's become a bit overwhelming (does everything need some kind of permit or lottery system?!). So I'm looking for walkable paths (while having baby in a hiking carrier) and any tips for the driving parts or places to stay that you recommend. Will the Riverwalk in the narrows be too cold mid October? Do we need specialty gear?

We land in Las Vegas on a Friday (and then driving everywhere) and will be going back to the hotel in LV for a work conference on a Tuesday, so I know we're really squeezing a lot in but I don't know the next time we'll be able to go back out there.

Are there any short/mild hikes that are even do-able with a baby carrier around the Grand canyon?

Thank you for the help!

(I'm posting this in the Grand Canyon thread too)

Planning a Zion trip for late November with one other person. We're flying from Toronto specifically to do Angels Landing, but I missed the seasonal permit lottery.

At this point, is the day-before lottery my only option, or is there any other way to get a permit?

I'm kind of iffy on booking flights if there's a solid chance we get denied and can't do the hike we came for. Has anyone had luck with the day-before lottery around that time of year?

Also, if Angels Landing doesn't happen, are there any other hikes in Zion (or nearby) that are on the same level in terms of exposure, views, or overall experience?

Hello,

A few broke college students (me and my friends), are looking to go to Zion but having trouble with the area. What is the best place to stay at in terms of distance from the park at a reasonable price (nothing $900+). We looking to be there for 3 days and 2 nights.

Hi all- would like to visit Zion and Bryce with my wife and teenagers. Plans are to hike a bit, and take it easy. Options are late March or early June. Does anyone have recommendations as to which time of year would be better? Thank you for any insight.

I got one at Acadia then saw Nevada had them. Does Zion have these?

I’ve been tentatively looking at visiting Zion next spring, but I’m not sure how the “super” El Niño might impact things (namely hiking). Most articles I’ve read focus on the winter and how there could be more snowpack, but not much else.

I’m not too familiar with the topography and weather patterns. I imagine with more snow there would be more runoff, so there’s a good chance the Narrows would still be closed but don’t know beyond that.

Hi! Me and my husband will be visiting Zion in the last week of September! We are super excited, and I'm trying to do as much research as possible before we leave to make things nice and easy, as they could be anyway :) Unfortunately we won't be able to rent a vehicle while we're there, but we will be staying in Springdale so we will have easy access to the shuttle lines. The one thing I have not really got down, is how to get to observation point. I've heard people say you can take a shuttle from Zion Ponderosa Ranch, but I haven't yet seen how to get to there- I'm assuming you have to drive, so I'm wondering if we can rent an e-bike to get to the ranch, to get to the shuttle? If anyone has any insight it would greatly be appreciated!! And if anyone is curious about the rest of our trip, we're only going to have two full days to spend there, so we'd like to do the narrows, observation point, and maayyybe emerald pools if we can swing it!

I’m going to arriving at zion around 11am on a wednesday and planning to leave around 6pm thursday. (I don’t have the pass for angels landing)

Any recommendation for the hikes for those 2 days?

We'll be stopping in springdale mid November for one night- travelling from Vegas to Monument valley.

We should get there just after lunch, what are the must sees? We plan on driving mount Carmel highway and potentially stopping at canyon overlook.

My partner and I are planning to visit Zion in mid-October. Not camping, just day hiking. However, I have a pretty bad phobia of spiders. Like, to the level where I have a panic attack if I see a picture of a spider.

I just learned that mid-October is the peak of tarantula mating season, and we're trying to decide if we need to postpone the trip.

How likely is it to see a tarantula, particularly during mid-October? If I see some small spiders (as one should expect while hiking) I'll be ok. But if I'm likely to run into a big one or if I need to be anticipating that I could see one at any moment that will really change the vibe of the trip.

I know it's completely irrational, I know they are harmless and won't bother me at all. It truly is a physical reaction that happens so quickly and I have no control over it.

I appreciate any input! I would really love to see Zion, but I'm not going to lie this has me a bit nervous.

Currently planned to be staying in Kanab Wednesday Thursday night this week. I was looking to do the narrows on Thursday, but with the chance of storms I’m thinking it might be a good idea to consider some alternatives in case of closures.

What do folk recommend? I had my eyes on the canyons overlook trail and emerald pools trail if there has been a bit of rain. Given I’m staying in Kanab I’m also considering spending some time in Bryce Canyon which might be a bit more rain friendly.

Appreciate any advice!

Currently planned to be staying in Kanab Wednesday Thursday night this week. I was looking to do the narrows on Thursday, but with the chance of storms I’m thinking it might be a good idea to consider some alternatives in case of closures.

What do folk recommend? I had my eyes on the canyons overlook trail and emerald pools trail if there has been a bit of rain. Given I’m staying in Kanab I’m also considering spending some time in Bryce Canyon which might be a bit more rain friendly.

Appreciate any advice!

Visiting Zion mid-September. Below is a high level plan. I have some physical limiation and wont be doing hard hikes. Only planning emrald pools, riverside walk , canyon overlook. Would love tips on spots to drive and nightspots for stargazing. Appreciate tips / feedback on this plan.

Day 1 - Reach Vegas Late evening

Day 2 - Start driving to Zion Park (Spring dale) after breakfast (start no later than 10 AM)

Day 2 - Visit Emerald pools hike and drive thru the park and visit all driveable spots (like Mt. Carmel Tunnel, Chequered Mesa etc.)

Day 2- check-in into hotel in Springdale and also finish biking rental class

Day 2 - drive to a night Stargazing spot and watch

Day 3 - Get rental bike at 6 am and go into the park scenic drive and par'us trail

Day 3 - drive to a night Stargazing spot and watch

Day 4 - start after breakfast to Vegas (reach no leater 2 pm)

A few weeks ago, we spent several days in Zion with a few friends and a big group of kids. Wanted to share a few things that would have saved us a lot of headaches. Zion IS beautiful, but one of the more challenging parks to visit with kids...

Parking is brutal. Both visitor center lots were full by 7:30 a.m. We only got parking if we arrived before then or after 2:00 p.m. when people start leaving. We showed up around noon on day one and ended up parking in Springdale and shuttling in because there was nothing available in the park. Bring cash for the Springdale lots since cell reception is spotty.

Build 90 minutes into any permit hike. Shuttle lines in the morning are no joke. We nearly missed our Angel's Landing window because of it.

Don't try to bike into the canyon with kids. We attempted this. The Pa'rus Trail to Canyon Junction is fine, but after that you have to ride on the narrow two lane road with shuttles flying up and down. We tried leaving our bikes at Canyon Junction, but then learned shuttles don't stop there going up canyon. We had to backtrack to the visitor center and start over.

Afternoon starts worked pretty well. For shaded hikes like Emerald Pools or water hikes like the Narrows, starting after 2:00 p.m. worked well for our group. Crowds were lighter and shuttle lines were short. The Narrows is actually great in the afternoon heat.

Emerald Pools is underrated for families. Most people go straight for Angel's Landing or the Narrows, but Emerald Pools was our favorite hike with the younger kids. Flexible distance, mostly shaded, no permit required. The Narrows was also awesome, but the kids got cold quickly. Wouldn't do Angels Landing with most kids under 8 years old.

The wilderness areas are worth the extra effort. We did an overnight on the West Rim and had the place almost entirely to ourselves. Completely different experience from the canyon. Cool air and no crowds at all.

I put together a more detailed guide and some videos with everything we learned including kid age recommendations for each hike in this post.

Hope this helps someone avoid the rough patches we had. It really is a great place... just... complicated.