AtlasZion East Side

Zion Narrows (Upper)

verified Ungraded Unknown flood risk Springdale, UT
Zion Narrows (Upper)
Jon Sullivan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Walked top down this is sixteen miles in the river and no rope. RopeWiki puts the canyon at 30 to 40 feet wide and rarely under 20, so the name promises more squeeze than it delivers.

Rangers quote about 12 hours for parties doing it in a day; the alternative is a permitted campsite and a two day trip. Water deepens as you go: at roughly 50 cfs the deepest point reached the upper hip on a six foot person, and that climbs quickly with flow, so check the gauge before you commit. Non technical, but a wetsuit and a shuttle to the upper trailhead are both standard and there are several shuttle operators. The bottom third is the tourist section walked up from the Temple of Sinawava, so the solitude ends well before you do.

Logistics

ManagerNPS Zion National Park
PermitPermit required for the top down Narrows through hike, obtained via advance reservation on recreation.gov (up to 3 months out) or the day before walk in lottery at the Wilderness Desk. The bottom up hike from the Temple of Sinawava does not require a permit.
Distance16 mi
Technicallongest 0 ft
SeasonSpring to Autumn;BEST in Sep;Oct;Apr;May
Coordinates37.3694, -112.9283

Sources