No Permits Issued for Narrows Hike in Zion

Zion National Park Narrows Hike permits

No Permits Issued for Narrows Hike in Zion

Chances are you’ve heard of the Narrows, the famous hike through Zion National Park. Park officials on Tuesday, September 25, announced on Twitter that they are no longer issuing permits for the adventurous hike, and the reason; a private property owner who owns a portion of the trail has posted No Trespassing signs. Park officials are trying to resolve the issue with the landowner.

In an official statement Park Officials said: 

Effective immediately, Zion National Park has stopped issuing Wilderness permits to hike the Zion Narrows from North to South (“top-down”). This includes the 16-mile one-way day hike and all overnight use.  The route from the Chamberlain Ranch Trailhead to the park boundary crosses private land, and the landowner has recently closed it to public access. “Private Property, No Trespassing” signs have been posted.  Day hiking from the Temple of Sinawava at the end of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (accessible by park shuttle) is open to hiking north to Big Spring within the Narrows. Upstream travel from Big Spring is not allowed.  Zion National Park hopes to work with the landowner to resolve this situation.

Unresolved Landowner Concerns

Some are asking why the landowners have closed off this section to hikers. In this specific case, we do not know the family and their reasons for closing this portion of the trail. They have obviously allowed hikers to pass through their land for decades. Maybe the area is flooded in feces or litter. Maybe some hikers have been disrespectful. Maybe plants and animals have been harmed. Maybe substandard camping practices have given rise to the sudden No Trespassing signs. Maybe the landowners are entitled to a portion of the hiking fee. Whatever the reason, we are confident that Park officials will resolve the concerns.

Stay Tuned

They hope to resolve this quickly. This could be a real blow for many travelers and those who have planned expensive vacations around this exceptional hike. One man said that “The Narrows has been on my bucket list for decades and now I may never have this experience.”
We hope that Park officials are able to resolve this. Thanks for reading. If you have any comments, please let us know what you are thinking. Adventure hard. See you on the trail! Okay, well maybe not this time.

One Comment on “No Permits Issued for Narrows Hike in Zion”

  1. There is always the few that ruin it for the majority of people who respect Mother Earth and all she offers.

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