Angels Landing Hike: What To Expect
Angels Landing is a scenic trail that takes you out of a canyon and up a steep mountain ridge, where you have to hold onto metal chains for safety.
This is an extremely popular trail, and Zion National Park is a very busy place in general, but the crowds are a lot more manageable now that permits are required to do the hike.
It’s a safe enough hike if you’re careful, but I wouldn’t recommend it for young kids, unfit older folks, or anyone who is not surefooted and comfortable with heights. People have died on the chain section of Angels Landing.
The details below will explain each part of the trail and what to expect. This entire hike is so worth it!
The final view at Angels Landing is an epic 360 degree panorama of cliffs and canyons
• First Switchbacks
The Angels Landing hike starts out on a flat, paved path at the trailhead, but quickly starts to gain elevation right after you cross the bridge over the Virgin River.
You’ll spend the next mile on these switchbacks. There’s no shade at all to protect you from the sun, but the path is wide and the canyon views are already amazing.
At this point, you can already see the massive peak of Angels Landing towering in front of you. Yikes! As you keep climbing these switchbacks, your views of the Zion canyon only get better by the minute.