The Narrows (Zion National Park)

Situated on the North Fork of the Virgin River and upstream of the main canyon, The Narrows is one of the premier hikes in the park and on the Colorado Plateau.

[1] Mormon Pioneer and Explorer Nephi Johnson was guided to Zion Canyon in November 1858 by a friendly Paiute Indian, and was probably the first European-American to see The Narrows.

John Wesley Powell had traversed the nearby Parunaweap Canyon (the East Fork of the Virgin) earlier in the same year.

By the time the North Fork enters Zion National Park, 5 miles (8 km) from Chamberlain's Ranch, the gorge is 500 feet (150 m) deep.

Eight miles (13 km) further south, where the canyon widens again, is the town of Springdale and the southern boundary of Zion National Park.

[5] Chamberlain's Ranch is accessed by the dirt North Fork Road east of the Park, and is situated in a rolling forest of aspen and scrub oak.

Permits are required before hiking the Narrows from the top and can be obtained at the Zion National Park Wilderness Desk.

The Narrows may be closed in the spring due to flooding while the snow melts off the upland areas to the north if the flow rate is higher than 120 cubic feet per second (3.4 m3/s).

Thus, hikers should exercise caution when hiking The Narrows during rainy periods as the winding canyon and sheer walls make approaching flash floods all the more sudden and difficult to evade.