What is the water temperature in the Zion Narrows?

Average spring and fall water temperatures range from 41° to 53° Fahrenheit (5° to 12° Celsius). Winter: A neoprene wetsuit or dry suit with warm layers may be needed. Average winter water temperatures range from 38° to 45° Fahrenheit (3° to 7° Celsius).



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In the early spring and late fall months, neoprene socks, pants or bib overalls, or a wetsuit may be necessary to hike in the river.

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Winter = 40-45 degrees. Spring = 45-55 degrees.

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The Narrows is a popular hike through the knee-deep Virgin River. Due to cold water temperature and high water levels, the trail is closed in winter and spring. The best time to hike The Narrows is from late May to October, but watch out for summer thunderstorms that can cause deathly flash floods.

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Winter and early spring commonly means cold water and high water levels. The Narrows can be closed during the spring when snowmelt raises the river over 150 CFS. Fall brings more stable weather, but days get shorter and the water temperature drops.

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Can a Beginner do the Zion Narrows Day Hike? Yes, beginner hikers can absolutely do the Zion Narrows day hike! Even if you don't have much hiking experience, you will be perfectly fine hiking the Narrows.

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Layers: The temperatures in the Zion Narrows can be much cooler than the rest of the park. In fact, we were surprisingly cold during most of the hike. Your bottoms are definitely going to get wet so we recommend wearing shorts or a bathing suit on the bottom.

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The Narrows is fantastic in September when the temperature is still warm enough to enjoy being in the water. Make sure to check online or at the visitor center for a flash flood advisories, however, because the Narrows is very prone to them during monsoon season.

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For a trek deep into the narrows or a through hike I'd say rent the water hiking shoes from one of the outfitters. We choose the boot/sock/walking stick option and it turned out to be a great choice for us. The water came up to mid-thigh and was very muddy so you couldn't see where you were walking.

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Dry pants or dry suit — the river can be very cold in the fall, winter, and spring, so you'll need extra gear if you plan on hiking during those seasons. If the water is cold, make sure you choose an outfitter that provides thicker neoprene socks and high-quality dry pants that won't leak through.

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Best time of day to hike the Narrows If you are only looking to do a small portion of the Narrows, then we recommend visiting in the late afternoon when it has warmed up a bit. The big rush tends to be in the morning as the people who want to hike the furthest start early.

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If you have a spare camera, you might consider bringing it along instead of your main one. Although I brought my main camera, there were a few times that I would have preferred a backup instead. In terms of equipment, the most important gear to bring is a wide-angle lens.

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The Narrows stretches for 16 miles but that's if you hike top-down. Most people hike between 2-6 hours on the Narrows hike when starting at the bottom (~6 miles round trip). Since the Narrows hike is an in-and-out trail, whatever mileage and time you put in hiking in, you have to do out.

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The Narrows hike in Zion is just too much fun. In all seriousness it's one of the best hikes in the national park system but is suffering from some serious overcrowding. Every step is the destination. There's a humbling aspect to walking through the canyon carved out by the water beneath your feet.

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The Narrows is much cooler than Zion Canyon. Pack gear in waterproof bags. Use the restroom at the Riverside Trailhead before hiking. There are no toilets in the Narrows.

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Dry Bag, a must-have for hiking The Narrows in Zion! I'll put it this way… I will never do a water hike without carrying a dry bag for my camera gear.

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The Narrows, although a very challenging hike, is absolutely possible with kids. We just did it with our 7, 5, and 2 year old children.

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The Bottom-Up Route is Perfect if: You have no desire to hike 16 miles. You are hiking with kids. You want to experience the Narrows but only want to hike a few miles. It's late in the year, the water is cold, and there is limited daylight, so you do not have enough time to hike from the top-down.

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