The Grotto - Scout Lookout - Angels Landing
- Distance: 8km
- Duration (with breaks): 3h 15min
- Duration (only hiking): 2h 10min
- Route type: to the top and back
- Start/end: Grotto bus stop
- Highest point: Angels Landing (1532m)
- Elevation gain/loss: 420m/420m
- Difficulty: moderate to difficult (if afraid of heights)
- When to hike: the trail is available all-year-round. To avoid ice and heat, spring and early autumn are more favourable in terms of conditions
- When did we hike: beginning of September
Why this route?
If you browse “things to do in Zion national park”, Angels Landing is definitely one of the top attractions in the park. It got labeled as one of the most dangerous hikes in the world as quite a few hikers sadly fell off the cliff while hiking it.
Now, that is not necessarily what drew me to this hike but I won’t deny that I was intrigued to see those narrow and steep sections that often are widely exaggerated on some of the Youtube videos (thanks to a wide lens and the right angle). Besides my curiosity, I also just wanted to get some good views of the Zion Valley and this hike is surely one of the best places for that.
Permits
This hike requires a permit and permits are checked. You can apply for a permit in two ways:
- A seasonal lottery – there are a few moments per year when you can use this lottery. Usually, the application starts 2 months before the actual hike. E.g. for summer hikes, there is a three-week window in April (01/04 to 20/04) to apply for a permit to hike the trail in the summer (1st of June to 31st of August). For exact dates, check the official Recreation site.
- A daily lottery – apply a day before the hike (from 00:01 to 15:00). This is how we got our permit 🎉
For more information about the permits, e.g. how to apply for one check the NPS site for Zion national park.
How to get there?
Between May and November, there is only one way to get to Angels Landing – by a shuttle bus as private vehicles are not allowed in the park. The bus leaves from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and you need to leave at The Grotto bus stop. The driver will include Angels Landing in the announcement so you won’t miss it. The ride takes roughly 25 mins (depending on how busy it is), check the Zion National Park official site for the bus schedules.
So how was it?
Just like yesterday, when we hiked The Narrows, for this hike we again rose before the dawn and sat in one of the first busses towards The Grotto bus stop. At 6:30 we hit the trail. It was still pitch dark and we realized that headlamps would have been very handy. Well, a phone will do. There were a few hasty hikers in from of us and they kind of led the way as we followed their dim lights zigzagging up the trail.
The trail was full of upwards zigzags that didn’t seem to end. However, within roughly 30 mins we reached the Scout lookout, which is the stop for anyone without permits. From here the fun begins and that fun is the chains alongside a cliff. The trail went up and I was wondering where are we going until we reached the top of the cliff and saw the actual cliff to be concurred. A steep and narrow rock loomed in front of us. It definitely looks damn impressive and imposing.
The trail reminded me of a rollercoaster – first you go up, then down then go up again. So after an ascent, we first had to descend the rock to only then climb up the famous viewpoint. At this point the trail was rather steep and close enough to the cliff earning the name Angels Landing is so famous for.
At this point we met a girl who was having a mild panic attack as she could not bring herself to climb down so she turned back. Please note, if you are afraid of heights or have vertigo, this trail might be imposing. If you feel more terrified than excited, maybe this hike is not a good idea. There’s nothing to prove to anyone, so don’t feel like you need to do it. Hiking is meant to be fun, right? 😉
For us the trail was not scary, we felt safe 99% of the time as we trusted our feet and arms to do the right things. Besides, having some scrambling and climbing experience, gave us a lot more confidence. I may be cheeky here, but we actually thought the trail was fun. Something different than just walking up a mountain.
Needless to say, the views from the top (and even before the top) were amazing. As we walked towards the viewpoint, the sun was rising and peaking through the mountains. Awesome. Only a couple of other hikers were on the viewpoint so we all had enough space to admire the views of the valley.
Once again, on our way back we were surrounded by the crowds, hikers going up or already descending. As we hiked the first section in the dark, it was nice to see the valley and the trail in daylight as if we were doing an extra trail 😄
Angels Landing, while so popular, is definitely one of the most impressive day hikes I’ve done on this road trip. If you can get a permit and feel comfortable with a non-conventional trail, go for it!
Tips
- Take plenty of water since there is no possibility to refill it during the whole trail.
- Some people mentioned having gloves for the chains. I did not need them, but hey, maybe that's something handy for you.
- If you could not get a permit to Angels Landing, Scout Lookout is still a great back-up option.