Is it worth going into the Narrows in August?

[Laura]

Just getting ready for my next photography trip and got a wild hair to go into the Narrows. I tried to go last June and it was a freakin' madhouse of people. Is it even worth trying in August if I get up very, very early? Does the light even hit the walls in the morning before the people do?

 

[wes242]

Narrows in the morning is the only way to go. Be the first one up the canyon then you get the glow and the canyon to yourself.

 

[Bob]

go thru Orderville Cyn.........

 

[Yvonne]

go as early as possible and you basically have the canyon by yourself. None of the day tourists will get up so early to start a Narrows hike.

 

[pixie1339]

I went last September and took the first shuttle of the day at 7:00. Aside from a couple other people here and there I had the Narrows to myself for a few hours. It was awesome! The hike back though, not so much. That's when you will hit the crowds, big time. You just have to take the bad with the good.

 

[Nick]

Yep. Get there as early as possible, after that you're screwed.

 

[Dave]

Yep. Get there as early as possible, after that you're screwed.

You're screwed pretty much no matter what with the lower Narrows. It's just a question of degree.

You just have to take the bad with the good.

This is true, but it shouldn't be as bad as it is. The outfitters in Springdale encourage people to go as far up canyon as they want, ignoring the fact that day hikers are not supposed to go upstream in Orderville or beyond Big Spring. The NPS does practically nothing to enforce their "rules".

It's beyond the scope of a day photography trip, but I'd really like to see a true non-technical wilderness route pioneered in the North Fork drainages... something like descending Deep Creek and exiting short of the lower Narrows. Not exactly feasible given the terrain, but I can dream.

 

[Laura]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll give it a shot as long as I can be on the first shuttle and hope the tourists sleep in. I couldn't believe the madhouse coming down Riverwalk drive around noon last June. Don't tell anyone, but when I went to the Narrows on a weekday in a month that means "Ninth month" in Latin, I saw maybe 20 people all day, all photographers. Mostly considerate ones too!

 

[Melissa]

Yeah, weekdays are the way to go if you can swing it, and of course the earlier the better.

I wound up doing the day hike up two days in a row while some other friends were doing the top down as an overnight. The first day was a weekday and once I got in a little ways, I had the place to myself for long stretches. In contrast, when I did it again the next day (a weekend day), you could hardly move without trampling a tourist, especially on the hike back.

 

[Laura]

I decided it wasn't worth it after all. As I was leaving Springdale at 8:00 a.m. for the drive home people were lining up for the shuttle with their walking sticks, Narrows bound. I'm coming back and doing it in both October and November, it'll be much better then!

 

[Yvonne]

I went last month mid week and took the earliest shuttle. It was a awful circus, even after a few miles in.
Stick for the off season, I guess for your purposes it will be a lot more fun. Not to mention the nice fall foliage you will have then.
I will repeat my hike later the year again, last month I went just for fun to cool off a bit in the hot temps.

 

[Laura]

I went last month mid week and took the earliest shuttle. It was a awful circus, even after a few miles in.
Stick for the off season, I guess for your purposes it will be a lot more fun. Not to mention the nice fall foliage you will have then.
I will repeat my hike later the year again, last month I went just for fun to cool off a bit in the hot temps.

Glad I missed the circus!!

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

Is it just as bad of a circus doing it from the upper part all the way down? Or would it only be a circus close to the end?

 

[Nick]

Is it just as bad of a circus doing it from the upper part all the way down? Or would it only be a circus close to the end?

Day hikers are only allowed in the bottom 4.5-ish miles of the Narrows. They are not allowed to go upstream from Big Spring. All of the overnight campsites and most of the top-down route are above that point. You'll encounter very few people upstream from there. The two times I've done it, we didn't run into any significant people until 3-ish miles from Sinewava.

 

[Dan_85]

I've only done The Narrows in June from the bottom up to Orderville Canyon, and whilst i'm hard pressed to describe such a beautiful place as hell-ish, it was like Disneyland in there.

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

Day hikers are only allowed in the bottom 4.5-ish miles of the Narrows. They are not allowed to go upstream from Big Spring. All of the overnight campsites and most of the top-down route are above that point. You'll encounter very few people upstream from there. The two times I've done it, we didn't run into any significant people until 3-ish miles from Sinewava.

This is helpful and encouraging to hear that the first 14 miles are less crazy. thanks

 

[Nick]

This is helpful and encouraging to hear that the first 14 miles are less crazy. thanks

I would go so far as to call them downright euphoric. Really a great hike, made much better by wearing the right footwear and using trekking poles or a walking stick.

 

[Bob]

We went in from Lava Point campground once. You can camp just outside the Park in Kolob Cyn. Then you could go out the bottom the next day. Still a car shuttle, but you can also explore Kolob a bit.

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

We went in from Lava Point campground once. You can camp just outside the Park in Kolob Cyn. Then you could go out the bottom the next day. Still a car shuttle, but you can also explore Kolob a bit.

So Bob if I'm understanding your post correctly, this is a viable alternative to do it too to bottom in 2 days of you don't get the permit? How far off the virgin River (mileage wise) is this camping area?

 

[Bob]

Lava Point Campground is in the Park, the entire hike is about 15 miles to the Narrows TH in the main canyon (I think). I'll dig up my old maps and look. You can camp in Kolob right at the Park boundary, its not too far from the Park campsites at the confluence on Kolob Cyn and the Virgin canyon. That particular trip we hit the main canyon and went UP canyon and out Deep Creek to Crystal Cyn then out to the road from Kolob reservoir. Never had a permit, never camped in the Park. You still have to tell the Park you are going into Kolob Cyn. Kolob is pretty cool.