Angels Landing

Angels Landing is the hike that put Zion on bucket lists around the world: a slender fin of Navajo sandstone rising from the floor of Zion Canyon, climbed by one of the most exhilarating trails in the national park system. The route starts at the Grotto, shuttle stop 6, crosses the Virgin River and climbs the West Rim Trail in long paved switchbacks cut into the cliff, then threads the cool, shaded slot of Refrigerator Canyon before the famous Walter's Wiggles — a tight stack of short switchbacks that lifts you to Scout Lookout. Scout Lookout is about 2.25 miles from the Grotto with roughly 1,000 feet of climbing, and it is a superb destination in its own right, with views straight down the canyon. Beyond it lies the half-mile chains section, where the trail runs along the spine of the fin with drop-offs of hundreds of feet on both sides and steel chains bolted to the rock as handholds. The full round trip is 5.4 miles with about 1,488 feet of elevation gain, and most hikers need around four hours. Since 2022 the National Park Service has required a permit for everyone continuing from Scout Lookout to the summit; permits are allocated by lottery on Recreation.gov, either in a seasonal lottery months ahead or in a day-before lottery that opens at 12:01am Mountain Time and closes at 3pm, with results at 4pm. There are no same-day permits and no permit desk in the park, and rangers check permits at the chains. Applications carry a small non-refundable fee, with a further per-person charge if you win, and a group of up to six can apply together. Park entrance fees apply on top.

The name dates to 1916, when a Methodist minister exploring the canyon declared that only an angel could land on top of the rock. For decades the climb was a rite of passage taken on by anyone with the nerve, and by the 2010s it had become dangerously crowded, with hikers queuing for hours on the chains and passing each other on ledges barely wide enough for one. The permit pilot program, made permanent after its trial years, has transformed the experience. Zion issues more than 200,000 permits a year, so the trail is still busy, but the flow on the chains is steady and the summit is a place you can actually enjoy: a broad, rounded top with a view straight up Zion Canyon to the Temple of Sinawava and down to the Watchman and Springdale.

Getting a permit is a matter of planning and luck. The seasonal lotteries open months ahead — for the winter season covering hikes from December 1 through the end of February, applications closed on October 20, 2026 — and let you rank up to seven dates or time windows. The day-before lottery is the backup: apply between 12:01am and 3pm Mountain Time the day before your hike and check results at 4pm. Many people apply on consecutive days of a trip and treat a win as a bonus. If you do not win, hike to Scout Lookout anyway; it needs no permit and the view is outstanding. Name every hiker exactly as on their photo ID, because names lock once you submit, and carry the confirmation on your phone, printed or downloaded, since there is almost no mobile signal in the canyon.

Hike it smart. Start early, before the heat and before the chains fill, and wear shoes with real grip, because the sandstone is polished smooth by hundreds of thousands of boots. The chains section is not technical climbing, but it is exposed, and anyone with a fear of heights should be honest with themselves at Scout Lookout. Never hike the fin in rain, wind, lightning or ice — winter brings snow and ice to the shaded switchbacks and the chains, and the park can close the trail at any time. In late November and most of December, when the shuttle stops, you can drive Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, but parking at the Grotto is limited; arrive at dawn. Bring water, food and a headlamp, and watch the shuttle schedule in season so you are not left walking back down the canyon in the dark.