Zion, the slot canyons.

Field guide ◆ Zion

Plan the trip.

Zion is a slot canyon and a hanging valley and a desert oasis all at once — 229 square miles in southwest Utah where the Virgin River carved straight down through Navajo sandstone for thousands of feet. Most of the park's iconic hikes happen in a single 6-mile stretch you can shuttle through.

Three trails to plan around: Angels Landing (5.4 miles, chained edges, one of the most exposed dayhikes in any national park — permit required); The Narrows (wade up the Virgin River through a 1,000-foot deep slot canyon — go top-down or bottom-up, get a permit either way); and Observation Point (8 miles round-trip, the view down on Angels Landing — quieter than the famous routes).

Best window: spring (March-May) and fall (September-November) — summer is brutally hot in the canyons, and summer flash floods can close The Narrows. Sleep in Springdale (just outside the park entrance) for easy shuttle access.