Zion National Park, Utah Best Hikes

Angels Landing

When: March to October

Round-Trip: 5.5 Miles

Level: Challenging Day Hike

Zion’s  red-rock walls and sandstone canyons are stunning from any perspective,  but none is more rewarding than the one from the top of the sandstone  fin known as Angels Landing. Your sweat equity figures into that reward.  The first couple of miles gently skirt the Virgin River on the West Rim  Trail and pass through Refrigerator Canyon. Then the heart thumping  commences—up the 21 switchbacks called Walter’s Wiggles and up an  exposed rock spine that requires the aid of built-in chains. Suddenly  it’s all at your feet—360 degrees of canyon walls, piñon-juniper  forests, the Virgin River, and distant, craggy peaks.

Insider Tip: Get out early for the best light on the rocks and to minimize company on the narrow trail.

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