Angels Landing in Zion National Park
Hopefully this will be a short and sweet tip guide to hiking Angels Landing specifically in the winter / off season since that’s when we were there. Incase you weren’t aware Angels Landing is an extremely steep drop-off hike on either side. This hike has zero guardrails and only some parts of the peak even have chains. You do really get a stunning view of the valley but it is a little scary so just be aware of that. When we went this year Permits weren’t required but as of April 2022 you will need one. Here is the NPS website where you can obtain yours if you want to hiking this epic trail! For the lottery you’ll get to pick a few days and it’ll cost $6 for a seasonal permit but all the information is on their website.
Park your car over by the Grotto Picnic Area & make sure you get there early because it does fill up very fast! We’re morning people and figured it was just easier to get moving as soon as possible since it is classified as a strenuous hike and has and elevation gain of about 2000ft (at least according to my Apple Watch haha) and it took us about 4 hours.
The hike starts with some wide switch backs that have you overlooking part of the valley before you head into narrow valley to get up to Scout Lookout before you hit the Angels Landing ridge & that would be the turn back point for people who aren’t comfortable making the final leg of the hike to the peak of Angels Landing.
When you hike this trail in the winter time make sure you pack with you really good hiking shoes (which should really be a given and make sure they are broken in) & crampons to put on your shoes when hiking in icy conditions. There are a few different types you can buy, crampons with spikes and Yaktraxs. My friend used the crampons with spikes and I used the Yaktraks and honestly that was a mistake. I got home and immediately purchased the crampons with spikes and would highly recommend purchasing them for winter/fall hikes no matter where you go. Another pro tip is bring LOTS and LOTS of layers because if you start early it’s chilly but then obviously when you hike it gets warm.
Once you get through the valley that’s were you’ll hit some more sharp switch backs and where you’ll want your spikes. It was covered with ice and made it pretty tricky to hike up it. In the summer it’ll be fine and not ice just some steep switchbacks. These switches backs take you right to Scout Lookout where you do still get a great view of the valley.
With our crampons still on we continue on to the top of Angels Landing. This is where you will begin to see drops on either side of you as you continue the climb and trust me this isn’t even where it’s scary.
As can see there was a good amount of ice and the hire we got the more icy it was. Incase you didn’t read my other blog post bout it there were many times on the way up I almost turned back because I was so freaked out. When there really is no barrier between you and falling down the cliff it really is scary and the ice just made it that much worse. I was grateful for my friend because she kept pushing me.
Once we made it to the top and through a lot of the ice we hung out up there took out some pictures and tip make sure you have a snack because you’ll need it on the way down. Overall the hike was decently busy and some crazy people out there not wearing spikes at all to each you own though. haha I would have been to scared not to wear them.
It was a great hike but man oh man it was scary. After we hydrated and had a snack we headed back down and because of the ice we had to slide down a chunk of it. But overall it was a fantastic hike and hopefully you’re feeling inspired to check it out!! Just don’t forget during peak season it is very busy and don’t forget those permits now!! I’ve listed a few other key hiking must haves to help on your next hiking adventure!
Enjoy!
Equipment Ideas/Suggestions:
