By Morgan Van Wagoner
ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah - Flash floods can occur at any time, campsites are on slivers of shoreline, and the canyon walls can be as close together as 20 feet. Red rock cliffs tower above the Virgin River along the 16-mile trail of the popular backcountry area in Zion National Park known as the Narrows.
Hikers enjoy the quiet canyon because of the unusual visual appeal and because it offers cooler temperatures in the hot summer months. Many of the slot canyons in Zion, including the Narrows, have streams running through them, which adds another attraction to visitors.
I would swim and then walk, and then swim and then walk, and then jump off rocks...it was a lot of fun, Ryan Parker, 23, a Utah native said.
Parker hiked the entire 16-mile trail of the Narrows in one day. He began at the trailhead at Chamberlain''s Ranch, a privately-owned area 26-miles outside of Zion, from which the trail is reached.
The trail then carries hikers into Zion, through dramatic slot canyons and waist-deep river crossings, and puts them out at the Temple of Sinawava, the shuttle stop at the northernmost end of Zion Canyon Scenic Road, the main park highway.
Trips like Parker''s require a $5 backcountry use permit, obtained at the visitor center.
Visitors to Zion can experience the Narrows in two other ways.
The easiest, and least involved, is to start from the Temple of Sinawava. Walk one mile to the end of the paved sidewalk and then start up the river.
The cliff walls are tall but the river is wide and can be quite crowded in the summer months.
Visitors who opt to see the Narrows this way are able to hike up as far as they like, and return when they are tired.
The other method is to shuttle upstream by car early in the morning and then hike part of the canyon and camp overnight at one of the 12 approved sites on the bank of the Virgin River. This method also requires a permit.
Flash floods are the most unpredictable danger to hikers in the Narrows, and although the park posts information on the most recent conditions of water levels and weather reports, the decision to enter the canyon is left with the hiker.
Zion National Park is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts because of the many slot canyons. Some of the areas have new use restrictions on them because of the high traffic. The Narrows has a maximum of 80 people daily are granted permits.
Mariel Della-Piana, 23, Salt Lake City, was one of those hikers three years ago, and had only one piece of advice for future Narrows visitors.
Wear good shoes.