The Subway (Left Fork)
verified 2026-05-12
ACA 3B
High flood risk
Springdale, UT
Iconic tube-shaped sandstone corridor. One of the most coveted permits in the West.
Minimum group of 2 recommended for technical canyons. Top-down requires rope and rappelling experience; bottom-up is a hard day hike with no technical gear.
Logistics
| Manager | NPS Zion National Park |
|---|---|
| Permit | Wilderness permit always required, BOTH top-down and bottom-up. Single permit covers either direction. Max group 12. Acquired via three paths: (1) Seasonal Lottery, $6 non-refundable application fee, 4-month-ahead windows (Nov 1-25 for Jan-Mar, Feb 1-25 for Apr-Jun, May 1-25 for Jul-Sep, Aug 1-25 for Oct-Dec); winners notified the 27th and must claim within 2 weeks. (2) Unclaimed spots released the 15th at 10am MT. (3) Canyoneering Daily Lottery 2 days out, $6 application fee. Per-person recreation fee $10 (refundable). Pickup at Zion Visitor Center permits desk day-before or day-of. |
| Distance | 9.5 thru (top-down); 9 RT bottom-up |
| Elevation | ~1300 ft loss top-down |
| Time | 8-12 hr top-down; 6-9 hr bottom-up |
| Technical | 3B II top-down (2-3 short rappels, 60 ft of rope, swims). Bottom-up is non-technical but requires route-finding, ankle to knee deep water, and large boulder scrambling. |
| Season | Late spring through fall (lottery is year-round but Lava Point area roads close in winter) |
| Flood risk | Moderate-high |
| Vehicle access | Wildcat Canyon TH (top-down start) and Left Fork TH (bottom-up start and top-down exit), both on Kolob Terrace Rd. Kolob Terrace Rd typically closes seasonally for winter. |
| Crowd | Capped via permit |
| Coordinates | 37.3261, -113.0939 |
Sources
- subway overview: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/thesubway.htm
- canyoneering permits: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/canyoneeringpermits.htm
- seasonal lottery: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4251917
- daily lottery: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4251918