Angel's Landing- The Craziest Hike I've Ever Done!

Angel's Landing was a hike that had been on my hiking bucket list for a long time, and about 3 years after accomplishing this hike, I can still say it is one of the most challenging hikes that I've ever done. Despite the challenge, it was also one of the most rewarding hikes, and I can't recommend it enough! The experience was thrilling, and the 365-degree views were literally breathtaking. Hopefully this post will help you take on the challenge of experiencing Angel's Landing yourself!

Table of Contents:

• What is Angel's Landing

• Permit & Getting to the Trailhead

• Trail Overview

• Walter's Wiggles

• The Chains

• Reaching the Summit

• My Tips

• An Easier Alternative: Canyon Overlook

• Final Thoughts

What is Angel's Landing

If you’re an avid hiker, or U.S. National Park enthusiast, chances are you've probably heard of the Angel’s Landing hike in Zion National Park. Angel’s Landing is one of, if not the most popular hike in the park and definitely deserves the hype. This 5.4-mile hike out-and-back hike requires stamina, determination, and a minimal fear of heights.

This hike gets its name from Methodist minister Frederick Vining Fisher who claimed that only an angel could land there during his first visit to the park in 1916. Angel's Landing is often referred to as one of the most dangerous hikes in the National Park System. Don't let that detour you though, as long as you are patient and mindful of your actions and those around you, this hike will be fine!

Permit & Getting to the Trailhead

Currently, there is a permit that is required to hike Angel's Landing in order to cut down on the amount of people on the trail at a time. The permit can be purchased through a lottery system on recreation.gov . Select the seasonal lottery that contains the date of your visit, and hit register for lottery. Complete the registration form or auto fill the information if you already have a recreation.gov account. Next, you'll enter the number of lottery preferences you'd like (you can do up to seven), and choose the time of day you prefer to do your hike. I recommend starting early, especially if you're doing this hike in the late Spring or Summer! After selecting the time, you'll select the date and the group size. You can choose either single date or choose a range. After you enter your preferences, go to check out, and pay for your application ($6). You will be sent an email with the outcome of the lottery, and if you do get a permit, make sure to have that information accessible offline when you come to do this hike. To access Angel’s Landing, you need to use the Zion shuttle system. We got to Zion mid-day during a week day, and unfortunately, parking inside of the park was already completely full. We had to park about 1.5 miles outside of the park, and take the Springdale Shuttle to the visitor’s center. From the visitor’s center, we crossed over the bridge to the Zion shuttle, and took the shuttle to stop number 6 (The Grotto). Once you reach the stop, get off the shuttle, and cross the street to the West Rim Trailhead, where you will be faced with a series of switchbacks pretty much off the bat.

Trail Overview

Angel’s Landing is a strenuous 5.4-mile out-and-back trail with about 1,500 feet of elevation gain. The first 2 miles or so of the trail take you up a series of steep switchbacks, which, in my opinion, were the hardest part of the hike due to the quick elevation gain. Most of these switchbacks are directly in the sun, but towards the end they start to become shaded, which certainly made the experience easier. Make sure to take your time on these switchbacks and take frequent breaks if needed. After conquering the main, steep sets of switchbacks, we faced our next challenge-Walter's Wiggles!

Walter's Wiggles:

Around mile 2, just when I thought I had finally conquered all of the switchbacks that this hike had to offer, I was faced with yet another set of 21 steep switchbacks known as Walter's Wiggles. These switchbacks are much shorter than the first set, but don't be fooled, they were just as tough (in my opinion at least)! These switchbacks are named after Walter Ruesch, the first superintendent of Zion National Park. They were constructed in 1926 with the intent of helping hikers be able to tackle a very steep section of the hike.

After finally conquering Walter's Wiggles, we were met with a stunning open area that had two different path options- Angel’s Landing to the right or continuing onto the West Rim Trail to the left, as well as a bathroom. Honestly, the views from here are so beautiful, and a great spot to spend some time and turn around if you do not want to brave the remainder of the Angel's Landing hike. The next part is definitely the most interesting part!

The Chains:

  The final half-mile or so to the summit is definitely not for someone with a fear of heights! From what I’ve read or heard from other people’s experiences, this is the part that most people stop and turn around at, but my brothers and I were determined to see this hike all the way through to the end. This is the part of the hike that Angel's Landing is most known for, a narrow path with 1,000-foot drop-offs on both sides and chains bolted into the rocks to help hikers navigate that trail. Scary right? I'm going to try and explain what the trail truly looked like, but there is no way to truly describe it, other than experiencing it yourself. Since Angel’s Landing does get so crowded, it is best to go early in the morning to avoid the crowds. However, if you go midday like we did, you just have to wait sometimes for the people coming down to pass before heading up. Patience is key here! Everyone we encountered on this part of the trail was great, communicating with one another, helping to hoist each other up if needed, and patiently waiting their turn.

We didn’t mind having to take our time and wait for people as it gave us a chance to rest, take in the views, and chat with the people behind us. The chains weren’t too bad for the first couple hundred feet, until we reached another a little platform area, looked ahead and saw this -

This was finally the point where we all started to get a little nervous, but once again, we were determined.

Reaching the Summit

After conquering that half-mile or so of trying not to look down at the massive drop-offs to either side of us, and being more cautious with our movements than ever before, we finally reached the top. A 5,400+ foot elevation with spectacular views, and very, very curious chipmunks who were certainly not afraid to climb on or around you. The top of the hike provided 365-degree views and some nice shady spots to enjoy lunch. It was absolutely unreal up here! We spent about 30 minutes here just waking in the views, and enjoying our lunches before starting our descent back down. If we thought the chains were tough coming up, it was certainly more nerve-wracking coming down and personally required some butt-scooting on my part (just to be safe!) I will say, coming down, we had to wait for a lot less people, and the descent down the chains was pretty quick. Finally, we reached the switchbacks again and started the rest of our hike down. The overall hike took us about 3 hours: about 1.5 hours up, 30 or so minutes at the top, and 1 hour back down).

My Tips

This was such a crazy hike, but one that I 100% recommend! I'm not only happy that I got to do it, but am also so proud for pushing myself way past my hiking comfort zone. This is certainly a hike I would love to do again in the future when I return to Zion. If you are going to do this hike, prepare for it!

• Bring plenty of water + snacks

  • I had 2 full nalgenes and a gatorade for electrolytes

• Use sunscreen

  • No matter what time of year you do this hike, sunscreen is always recommended due to the direct sunlight exposure

• Pace yourself

  • Take your time, especially in the beginning on the switchbacks. Take frequent breaks and go at a pace thats comfortable for you! You want to conserve your energy as much as possible for the chains. I saw people of all ages doing this hike, and truly think anybody is capable of doing it, although it does require agility and stamina

• The altitude

  • I'm from the East Coast, so this was also an adjustment, and part of the reason I had to take more breaks. The air is definitely thinner, so it was much easier to get out of breath

• Wear sturdy shoes

  • You definitely need good shoes for this hike, I recommend sturdy hiking boots or sneakers. You need shoes with good traction that can withstand a difficult and long hike

• Know your limits

  • Even as an experienced hiker, I found this hike to be pretty difficult, but certainly not unmanageable. The most important thing, as with any hike, is to just listen to your body. As a hiker, you know your limits, and while it is okay to push them to an extent, know when it is too much, as this is a hike you do not want to mess around on!

An Easier Alternative: Canyon Overlook

If you want similar views to Angel’s Landing with a much less treacherous hike and no chains, I suggest checking out Canyon Overlook. You have to drive directly to this trailhead, but it is a 1-mile out-and-back trail with views that are very similar and equally as breathtaking! This is definitely a much quicker and easier hike for casual hikers. The pictures below are of Canyon Overlook-

Final Thoughts

Checking off this bucket list hike is an experience that I'll never forget. This hike pushed me out of my comfort zone, and challenged me both physically and mentally, but I am so proud of myself for conquering it! If you're on the fence about hiking Angel's Landing on your trip to Zion, this is your sign to do it. In general, I hope this post encourages you to try a new hike that you've been nervous to try! Thanks for reading, and remember, there’s always more to be explored :)

-nicole elizabeth