Angels Landing (Zion)

Total Miles: 5

Angels Landing Trail, Zion National Park

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Why am I hiking Angels Landing?

Zion is such an incredible and special place. It is my favorite national park. My wife and I went there for my 40th Birthday and then again with our daughter for this trip. Angels Landing wasn’t even on my radar, but since I’ve been more into hiking, this hike popped up several times as “the most dangerous hike in the world.” More on that later. I really wanted to hike this as it’s a very special trail, very steep with incredible views from the top. In Zion you’re mostly in the Canyon looking up, so it was a goal of mine to see it from the top looking down and WOW, I was not disappointed.

The Hike:

I hesitated to put this hike on here as it’s only 5 miles round trip. It’s steep getting up and definitely one of the more sketchy hikes due to the drop off as you get closer to the top.

My family and I took our first RV road trip to Zion and had a fantastic time going through The Narrows (slot cannon) and finding some amazing hidden gems on our own.

I really wanted to hike Angels Landing, but they did not, so I got up super early before sunrise and I drove the RV to the Zion parking lot. My family stayed in the RV and slept.

I was one of the first ones in line to catch the shuttle out to the trailhead.

Tip: Starting early is a big key both for heat and for crowds.

Permit: When I hiked Angels Landing in 2019 you didn’t need a permit. You could just go. As of April 2022 you now need a permit to hike this trail. This is in response to overcrowding on the trail as it was pretty mellow when I went.

Tip: Patience and kindness are important when hiking any trail, especially this one.

Once I started the hike it was early and very cold, but once I started hiking I heated up super fast.

There’s not much to this hike other than pacing yourself. The uphill switchbacks are tough, but nothing too strenuous. A lot of the videos on YouTube showing this hike are shot with VERY wide angle lenses so it makes it look much more sketchier than it is. I never felt in danger at all. When passing people I’d go slow or just let them pass me. I didn’t take any risks and, again, felt 100% safe.

When I got back to the RV I was happy to find my family was still sleeping. I had such a fun little adventure and got to tell them all about it over breakfast.