Angels Landing

Angels Landing is a narrow sandstone summit above Zion Canyon, known for the chain-assisted ridge at the top and a sweeping canyon view. Plan at least half a day for the hike. The last half-mile is steep, exposed and permit-controlled; the climb before it is already demanding.

Take the park shuttle to stop 6 at The Grotto, cross the road and bridge, then follow the West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout. On the climb to Scout Lookout, you gain about 1,000 feet over 2.25 miles; the chain section comes after that. The full outing takes at least half a day. Water is available at The Grotto, but there is no drinking water along the trail. Restrooms are at The Grotto and Scout Lookout.

An Angels Landing permit is required beyond Scout Lookout; you can reach the lookout without one. Keep the confirmation downloaded or printed because cell service can be unreliable at ranger checks.

Scout Lookout is a sensible turnaround if you don't want narrow ledges or big drops. You still get a canyon view after the demanding climb, and the chain ridge starts ahead of you. There is no shame in stopping here; the final stretch is a real commitment.

The last half-mile follows steep sandstone steps and narrow ledges. Chains provide handholds in places, and hikers share the ridge in both directions, so passing can slow you down on a busy day. Drop-offs reach about 1,000 feet in places; the summit itself widens into small areas to rest and take in the view. Skip the ridge during storms or when the rock is wet or icy, when the sandstone gets slick.

At the summit, the canyon opens into a long panorama of layered red and cream cliffs, green slopes and the river below. For a photo, include the pale ledge or scrub in the foreground to show how high the viewpoint sits. A shot along the chain line captures the route's narrow ridge as well as the drop.

The Angels Landing Trail was built in 1926, after the West Rim Trail, under the supervision of acting superintendent Walter Ruesch. Crews cut footholds into steep sandstone, work described at the time as hazardous and daring. The chains came to define the last exposed stretch.

Methodist minister Frederick Vining Fisher visited Zion in 1916, and his remark about angels landing on the summit is credited with giving the place its name. The story fits the shape of the peak: it rises as a steep, isolated fin above the canyon.

Zion's sandstone began as desert sand, later bound into rock by mineral cements. Regional uplift raised those layers, and the North Fork of the Virgin River cut down through them, carrying away thousands of feet of overlying rock and leaving the deep canyon exposed.

California condors may be seen near Angels Landing; ravens, squirrels and chipmunks are also found along the route. Look overhead from Scout Lookout or the summit, but sightings are never guaranteed.