Those two world-class hikes are named Angel’s Landing and the Narrows. Both hikes are permitted and since the pandemic, increasingly harder to come by. While I can’t help you win the lottery for the breathtaking Angel’s Landing, there’s a great way to hike the famous Narrows without a permit, and I think it’s something every Utahn should do once in their life if they’re fit and able. It’s informally called the “bottoms up” route and it works like this:

When to hike

While you’re certainly free to hike the Narrows in winter, I don’t like sludging through ice-cold water all day, so I would advise against it. Hence, the best time to hike the bottoms up route is in the summer — no sooner than May or June to let the Virgin River warm up from the chilly spring runoff. When done in early summer, the river will still be “refreshing” if not cold for the first hour or so, but it feels great after that as the summer heat kicks in.

Start with the rising sun

Since Zion is the smallest and second most-visited National Park in the country (more than Grand Canyon even!), things get crowded real fast. In order to beat the crowds and secure limited parking, you’ll need to start your hike no later than 7-8 am. More specifically, you’ll want to be in the visitor center parking lot by then to catch the first wave of free shuttles, which are the only way to access the canyon road in summer.

Note: I once rolled into the parking lot at 7:55 am and got the last remaining parking spot. If you arrive too late, you’ll be forced to drive back to Springdale, park there, catch a different shuttle to the visitor center, then board the canyon shuttle to the start of the hike — a process that can double, if not triple, your commute time.

Pack a lunch

Courtesy photo

While you’re free to hike bottoms up route as little or as long as you like before turning around, I recommend hiking all the way up to Big Springs and back (10 miles roundtrip). Trekking in the river and gawking at the 2,000 foot tall canyon walls with hanging gardens will surely slow you down, so plan on a full day hike if you go all the way. Your reward for doing so will be fewer crowds (since many hikers turn around after a few miles), better swimming holes, more dramatic views of this amazing slot canyon, and a lot fewer frustrations when exploring the second-most visited National Park in the country. So pack a waterproof lunch and enjoy.

No fancy footwear

While hiking the Narrows, you’ll encounter people from all over the world who have traveled thousands of miles to access something that’s only a few hours drive for locals like us. That’s how special, if not sacred, this place is. You’ll also see many of these people wearing fancy water socks and hiking boots that are rented out locally. You don’t need these, however. Closed-toed athletic shoes (or even vans) work fine and are better than either Tevas or Chacos since open toe sandals don’t protect your feet as well from the slippery rocks. Either way, everyone slips a little regardless of footwear, so tread lightly and consider bringing hiking poles if you want extra grip.

Stay safe

Since flash floods are a very real possibility here, only hike the Narrows on sunny days, which will only enhance your enjoyment of the canyon, since swimming and playing in the water is a big part of the fun. Oh, and pack at least a gallon of water per person, if not more, depending on your size and duration of the hike. Happy trails!

Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and seasoned travel journalist to all seven continents. He lives in Provo with his wife, five children and one ferocious chihuahua.