For thousands of years, humans have been fascinated with canyons: steep, narrow slots cut into the Earth by rivers, creeks, and streams. The “narrows” of any canyon refers to the place where the parallel walls squeeze down to their most slender dimension, evoking dramatic light, serpentine form, and, in humans, a humbling sense of beauty and grandeur. Following the Virgin River north into Zion Canyon, 1500 to 2500-foot sandstone walls slowly encroach upon the river, a mere 1/4-mile wide at the Temple of Sinawava. From here, the canyon walls squeeze down incredibly to 25 to 30-feet in breadth at “Wall Street,” defining the world-famous Zion “Narrows.”

The Narrows hike follows the Virgin River through this dramatic canyon to reach the ultimate “narrows,” a portion of the canyon known locally as “Wall Street.” Wall Street is a 2-mile (3.2 km) section of slot canyon where the walls thin to 22-feet (7.2m) wide and 1,500 feet (455 m) high. No road or trail can take you to this awesome place; you must walk through the river to see it for yourself. To get there, you may hike the shorter Bottom-Up route, or the full 16-mile Thru-Hike.  Whichever way you choose to hike the Narrows, you will have an incredible experience. Smoothly carved sandstone walls, beautifully fluted, twisting slots, and towering walls await you in myriad sections of the 16-mile Narrows corridor. For most hikers, time is the most important factor influencing their decision: “How can we best spend our precious time in this incredible place?”