How To Hike The Unique Angels Landing Trail In Zion

Angels Landing is probably the scariest hike we’ve done. Thrilling? Yes. Adventurous? Sure. But boy does it send your BPM into the stratosphere. We’ve actually climbed up the razor-thin shark-fin trail twice, once at midday in October and again for sunrise in December. What we can tell you is that it’s definitely one of the most unique and exhilarating hikes you can do in the US, but it’s certainly not for the feint of heart.

In this guide we explain everything you need to know about the hike to Angels Landing, based on our experiences.

Our Experience

October 2019: The mistake we made first time was hiking at midday. The flat plateau-like staging area (called Scout Lookout) before the climb was a hive of activity, but the steep and narrow trail to Angels Landing with chain sections and sheer drops was even busier. We were genuinely shocked at how many hikers were climbing up and down the trail at the same time. People were crumbling with fear, we saw people crying and a minority were barging through which was incredibly dangerous. But it was all worth it for the summit views.

December 2021: Yes, we were brave (or foolish?) enough to do it again. But this time we learned our lesson and hiked up totally alone in the dark with headlamps so we could summit for sunrise. What a contrast. It was a cold morning and the sunrise wasn’t anything special but we were the only people on the climb and at the summit which was an incredible experience. And the best part was not worrying about other people passing us as we stood one foot placement away from a thousand foot drop! Read more about us.

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Important Trail Information

Okay, let’s get the essential things you need to know out of the way first before we get into the trail walkthrough:

Permits

In April 2022, Zion implemented a compulsory requirement to purchase a time slot permit to hike beyond Scout Lookout to Angels Landing. You can hike West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout without a permit but you must obtain a permit to begin the climb, and each hiker in your group needs a permit. Time slots are pre-9:00am, 9:00am-12:00pm or post-12:00pm, and you can book in advance or for the next day. Head over to recreation.gov and select the season you want to hike.

Note: We know permits are annoying (trust us we’ve been trying to win Half Dome permits for years), but at least for Angels Landing we think this had to happen. If you saw how many people were on our hike in October 2019 you’d think the same thing. And that was October, imagine what it would be like in July or August without a limit on hiker numbers.

Turning Back

It’s important to remember that you can turn around if you don’t feel happy with the climb. We realize we’re making it sound pretty dramatic and you might have no issues at all, but it’s definitely not for everyone. We saw a group of burly military-type guys on adventure training exercises breaking down half way up because of a fear of heights. Once you begin climbing the steep, uneven, rugged and paper-thin trail to Angels Landing you’ll quickly figure out your tolerance for heights.

Beginners

If you’re new to hiking or you’re not the most confident hiker, you should probably give Angels Landing a miss. That’s not to say beginners can’t do it. But even getting up to Scout Lookout is a pretty tough hike. In truth, we don’t think the climb to Angels Landing is especially difficult or technical, it’s the fact that certain sections of the trail are only a few feet wide with sheer vertical drops to both sides. You can still hike up to Scout Lookout to feel the energy and see the views.

Kids

Is it safe to take your kids up Angels Landing? Well, we’re not going to tell you how to be a parent to your kids, but we wouldn’t feel comfortable taking younger children up the chain sections. Look, age is relative and a lot depends on your relationship with them. How much climbing and hiking experience does your kid have? Are you willing to accept the risks involved? We saw parents climbing with babies attached to backpacks, but that’s different. Older kids should be fine as long as they’re sensible and grounded.

Trail Statistics

• Distance: 5.4 miles roundtrip
• Elevation: up to 1,488 feet
• Type: Out and back
• Difficulty: Strenuous
• Time: 3-4 hours

What many people don’t realize is that Angels Landing Trail only refers to the 0.4-mile one way climbing portion with 400 ft elevation gain between Scout Lookout and the summit. First, you have to hike 2.3-miles one way from the Grotto up West Rim Trail with 1,000 ft elevation gain to reach Scout Lookout. It’s important not to underestimate how much of a leg burner and lung buster this hike is before you even set foot on the chain sections.

READ: The top hikes in Zion

Getting To Angels Landing

The hike to Angels Landing begins at The Grotto, which is located a little over half way up Zion Canyon Road at shuttle stop #6. Here’s how to reach it:

March-November

Zion Canyon Road is closed to private vehicles so you must use the Zion Canyon Shuttle to reach The Grotto, which is the last stop on the route (#9). It takes around 20 minutes from Zion Visitor Center. No fee or permit is required to use the shuttle. Here’s more shuttle information.

You could also walk or cycle from Springdale to The Grotto. The walk will take around 1h 50m via Pa’rus Trail and cycling would take close to 30 minutes.

December-February

With the exception of the holiday season at the end of December, you are permitted to drive your private vehicle into Zion Canyon. You can drive your car to The Grotto and park in one of around 20 designated spaces, or park on the sides of the road within the parking lot (not on Zion Canyon Road).

If you think parking will be easy because it’s winter, think again. There will be lots of hikers vying for those spaces during each permitted time slot. Your alternative is to park at Zion Lodge and walk Grotto Trail to West Rim trailhead.

Walkthrough: The Angels Landing Hike

Let’s walk through how we hiked from the The Grotto to Angels Landing summit and back again, so you know exactly what to expect:

1. The Grotto

First time round we took a shuttle from the visitor center to The Grotto at around 11:00am. Getting parked at the visitor center is difficult so we highly recommend you arrive very early in the morning or take the Springdale Line shuttle to the visitor center if you’re staying at a hotel in town. During our second visit to Zion in winter, we could have driven our car to the trailhead but we wanted to set off well before sunrise and the barrier wasn’t open. That was fine because we stayed at Zion Lodge and walked Grotto Trail to West Rim Trailhead in the dark.

2. West Rim Trail

After crossing a bridge over the Virgin River, we turned right and followed the flat lower portion of West Rim Trail. This early part of the hike was very easy and over to the right we could see deep and dark shadows filling Refrigerator Canyon (so named because it never gets any sunlight). Then the gradient became steeper and the gentle switchbacks began. After a bit of a slog and a lot of heavy breathing, we passed through a half-tunnel and views to the right side were really beginning to open up nicely.

3. Momentary Respite

Just when we needed a break, the trail obliged by suddenly flattening and cutting directly between two tall cliff walls. For a good half mile we walked along a narrow path surrounded by trees and vegetation with just a gentle incline, which was perfect for recovery.

4. Walter’s Wiggles

Armed with a second wind, the next part of the trail was to tackle a series of 21 very short switchbacks known as Walter’s Wiggles. Despite being short, the zig-zagging path was steep and tiring but it eventually led us up to a flat and sandy plateau.

5. Scout Lookout

We found Scout Lookout to be a very interesting place on our first hike. We’d never really seen or felt such a nervous and anxious buzz in the air. It was almost like it was tangible, like it could slap you in the face. There were so many hikers in such a small space and they were all wearing expressions of relief or amazement. Second time around we were the only ones here and we knew what to expect so it was a lot calmer. We did use the vault restroom here during our October hike and it was the worst toilet we’ve seen in a national park, so be warned.

6. Early Climb

We prepared ourselves mentally and got on the trail. Despite being insanely busy, the first part was easy enough on steep rocks with chains to hold onto. Before long we’d reached a small table-top rock and that’s when we realized what we were about to do. The razor-thin climb up the shark fin-shaped rock became totally visible for the first time. Trust us, it looks worse in person! We felt pretty good, so we cracked on.

7. In The Thick Of It

From here on it got real. The climb was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying, which was only enhanced by the sheer volume of hikers sharing the narrow trail. What we didn’t expect was how much we’d need to use our hands to help get up rocks. Every time a chain became available to hold, we grabbed it firmly and took our time with each foot placement. During our sunrise ascent second time round we had the whole trail to ourselves so this part was far less frightening.

8. Angels Landing

The final part of the climb didn’t get an easier or less scary because the sheer drops last until the summit. But eventually, after lots of waiting around for other hikers, we made it up to the summit. It was the first time since starting the climb that we could relax on a flat rock with at least some surface area. After sitting down for a minute to level out, we realized that views in all directions were astonishing. It was all worth it. When we summited for sunrise we sat quietly and peacefully and soaked it all in before the next hikers arrived.

9. The Return Journey

The fear of the unknown had gone and we knew exactly what was in store for us on the way down. But that didn’t make it much easier. Hikers going uphill get right of way, and at times we found ourselves clinging onto chains and almost hanging sideways over the sheer drops to let people pass us. We just took it slow and easy, carefully considered our foot placements and before we knew it we were those hikers stood on Scout Lookout with relief written all over our faces. And the rest of the hike down was a piece of cake.

Hiking Tips

Here are our top tips for Angels Landing hike:

• Book a time slot or you can’t go beyond Scout Lookout
• Wear shoes with good grips for the climb
• Don’t take too much gear up in your backpack
• Swinging cameras and selfie sticks will make life harder
• Attach a GoPro to your chest or head instead
• Before 9:00am and after 12:00pm will likely be quieter
• Take headlamps if you go up for sunrise like we did
• Carry snacks and fluids to refuel at the summit
• Stay at Scout Lookout if you’re feeling unsure
• The hike is completely exposed so wear sunscreen
• Ignore anyone pressuring you to go faster
• Let others pass when it’s safe

But our most important tip is to be realistic with yourself. Only attempt the trail if you’re a strong hiker and you don’t have a fear of heights. This is a tough hike with plenty of risk involved. It’s a sad thing to mention but quite a few people have died falling from the climb, so don’t forget you can turn around anytime you feel like you’ve had enough.

Best Time To Hike Angels Landing

We think spring and fall are the best times of year to visit Zion in general, but we don’t think there’s any real clear winner for a best season or month for hiking Angels Landing. You’ll have a better chance of getting a permit in winter, early spring and late fall because fewer people visit Zion out of peak season.

We’d avoid July and August because the weather will be hot, the park will be very busy and nearby hotels will be expensive. But most importantly, getting a permit to hike Angels Landing will be more challenging due to higher demand. We couldn’t believe how busy Zion was during our visit in October, but it was much quieter in December.

In terms of which time slot to choose, personally we’d go for the before 9:00am slot as a first choice and the after 12:00pm slot as a backup. If we hiked it again, we’d want to get up there for sunrise again or we’d wait until way later in the afternoon near sunset once the crowds thinned out.

The Morgan Conclusion

What we like: We love how unique and genuinely thrilling this hike is. The first time we hiked it we were definitely questioning our life choices, but the summit views were outrageous and justified our decision. It’s a rollercoaster of a trail. We’re glad a permit system is in place to limit hikers numbers, we’re actually surprised it took so long.

What we don’t like: This was one heck of a scary hike. Even without a fear of heights we still had butterflies the whole climb. We definitely did not enjoy passing by other hikers on rocks as wide as our feet with thousand foot drops to the side. One wrong step and it’s over. That’s all it takes.

Is Angels Landing worth it? Yes, Angels Landing is definitely worth hiking if you enjoy adventurous and adrenaline pumping trails. It leads to staggering 360-degree views over Zion Canyon and it’s a totally unique experience. Getting to the top feels like a real achievement, just try not to look down!

More From Zion

• The top trails in Zion
• How to hike The Narrows
• Hiking Zion Canyon Overlook
• Top hotels near Zion
• Zion day trip itinerary
• When to visit Zion
• Airports near Zion
• What Zion’s like in winter

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We hope our guide to the famous Angels Landing hike helps with planning your visit to Zion!

Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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