Two days in Zion, which is the right number
The second day is what turns a stop on a road trip into a visit. It is where The Narrows fits, or a guided canyon, or the east side of the park that most people drive straight through.
- Day one
- The canyon
- Day two
- The river, or a guide
- Narrows round trip
- Up to 8 hours
- Hike closes above
- 150 cfs
Split it by terrain, not by list
The instinct is to divide the sights evenly across two days. The better split is one day on the canyon floor and its short trails, and one day in the river or with a guide, because those two days need completely different clothing, timing and energy.
Day one
DryShuttle, paved trails, Emerald Pools, the length of the canyon, sunset from Canyon Junction. Trainers, a day pack, nothing technical. This is the day you take photographs.
Day two
WetThe Narrows from the bottom, or a guided canyoneering day outside the park. Boots you have rented, a stick, and an early start. This is the day you remember.
Why this way round
Because the river changes and the canyon does not. Doing the dry day first gives you an extra twenty four hours of watching the flow, and if the water is wrong on day two you swap in the alternative below without having wasted anything.
The canyon, unhurried this time
With two days you can drop the forced march. Take the 7:00am shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava, walk the Riverside Walk, 2.2 miles and an hour and a half by the park’s clock, then work back down the canyon rather than racing to the end of a list.
| Stop | Trail | Round trip | Park’s time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 · Temple of Sinawava | Riverside Walk | 2.2 mi | 1.5 hr |
| 8 · Big Bend | No trail, ten minutes of looking up | — | — |
| 7 · Weeping Rock | Weeping Rock Trail | 0.4 mi | 30 min |
| 6 · The Grotto | Kayenta Trail to the Emerald Pools | 2 mi | 1.5 hr |
| 5 · Zion Lodge | Lower Emerald Pool | 1.2 mi | 1 hr |
| 3 · Canyon Junction | Pa’rus Trail | 3.5 mi | 2 hr |
| By car, east of the tunnel | Canyon Overlook | 1 mi | 1 hr |
The neat move on a two day trip is to link the Grotto and the Lodge on foot. Get off at stop 6, take the Kayenta Trail across to the Emerald Pools, come down to the Lodge and pick the shuttle up there. Two stops, one continuous walk, and you skip a queue.
Observation Point from Weeping Rock and Hidden Canyon are both closed long term after rockfall. They are still printed in guidebooks, so do not build a day around either.
Check the day’s last shuttle before you commit to the afternoon
The last bus out of the canyon moves by more than two hours across the year, from 6:15pm in late autumn to 8:15pm in high summer. Miss it at the Temple of Sinawava and the walk back down is about nine miles. The full season table is on the shuttle page.
The Narrows, from the bottom
No permit, no guide, no booking. The park lists the round trip from the Riverside Walk at 9.4 miles with 334 feet of climb and up to eight hours. Almost nobody walks the whole thing, and that is fine, because it is an out and back you can turn round in at any point.
- The evening beforeCollect rented boots
Several Springdale shops hand gear over from about 4pm the day before at no extra charge, which matters because the first canyon shuttle is 7:00am and the town shuttle does not run until 8:00am. Rates run roughly $31 to $35 for boots and socks, $59 to $65 with a stick, and $79 to $85 for a full dry pants package. See the gear rental page.
- Before you leaveCheck the flow
Below about 70 cubic feet per second the walking is manageable. The park closes the hike at 150 cfs. Check the day’s number rather than the forecast, because the river responds to rain hours upstream and hours earlier.
- 7:00amFirst shuttle to stop 9
45 minutes to the Temple of Sinawava, then the paved mile of the Riverside Walk before the river becomes the trail. Being ahead of the crowd here is worth more than in any other part of the park.
- Turn round when you likeWall Street, or Big Spring
Wall Street is where the canyon narrows hardest and it is the photograph everyone has seen. Big Spring is the furthest a day hiker may go, and it is a hard stop rather than a suggestion. The park’s 9.4 mile figure is measured to there and back.
- Mid afternoonBack down, and eat
The return is faster because you are walking with the current and you already know the crossings. Budget more than you think for the last mile anyway, because wet feet and cold legs slow everyone down.
Two things people get wrong
The first is drinking the water. There is a standing cyanobacteria advisory on the Virgin River and filtering does not remove the toxins, so carry what you will drink. The second is treating a clear sky as safety. Flash floods come from rain you cannot see, and the canyon has no exits.
If you would rather have a guide, understand what you are buying. Guided groups turn round at the Orderville junction, around two and a half miles in, because the wilderness boundary sits there and guiding is closed beyond it. You are paying for gear, judgement and interpretation rather than extra distance. That is often worth it in cold water and rarely worth it in August. The detail is on the guided Narrows page.
If the river is too high or too cold
It happens often enough that you should decide in advance rather than standing at the visitor center at eight in the morning. Three replacements, in the order we would pick them.
A guided canyon
Rappelling, slot canyons, and a completely different day. It runs on land outside the park, because commercial guiding is not permitted in the Zion Wilderness, and the rock is excellent. Half day trips start around $89 with some operators. Compare canyoneering trips.
Scout Lookout
The West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout is 4.2 miles round trip with 1,000 feet of climb, about three hours, and needs no permit. The permit only applies beyond that point, and the view from the lookout is most of the reward.
The east side
Drive the Zion–Mt. Carmel Highway through the tunnel and walk Canyon Overlook, then keep going into the slickrock country beyond. Check your vehicle first: over 7 ft 10 in wide or 11 ft 4 in tall needs a $15 permit, and over 35 ft 9 in long is not allowed at all.
A fourth option, if the weather is genuinely poor, is a horseback ride along the river, which runs March to October and takes an hour. It is the lowest effort thing on this site that still gets you somewhere a car cannot.
Common questions about two days in Zion
Is two days enough for Zion National Park?
Yes, and it is the number we would pick. One day covers the canyon floor and its short trails, the second covers The Narrows or a guided trip. A third day only becomes necessary if you want Kolob Canyons or a second guided day.
Can you hike The Narrows without a permit?
Yes, from the bottom up, starting at the end of the Riverside Walk. The park lists it at 9.4 miles round trip and up to eight hours, and you can turn round wherever you like. Only the top down route through the wilderness needs a permit.
How far up The Narrows can you go on a day hike?
Big Spring, roughly five miles up. That is the furthest point a day hiker may reach and it is a hard limit, not a recommendation.
When is The Narrows closed?
The park closes the hike when flow reaches 150 cubic feet per second. It is also genuinely harder above about 70 cfs. Spring snowmelt and summer monsoon rain are the two things that push it over.
Should I hire a guide for The Narrows?
In cold water, often yes, for the dry suit and the judgement. In summer, usually no. Guided groups turn round at the Orderville junction, around two and a half miles in, where the wilderness boundary sits. You are not buying extra distance.
What should I do on day two if the river is too high?
A guided canyoneering trip outside the park, the West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout which needs no permit, or the east side of the park beyond the tunnel. All three work in conditions that close The Narrows.
Book the wet day, walk the dry one
The only part of this plan worth paying for is the day in the water, and only sometimes. Compare what is on offer before you decide.
Useful alongside: gear rental, Narrows conditions and shuttle times.
Day two is the river. Check the flow before you commit.
Narrows conditions