Hiking the Narrows during the Spring? Wondering what the flow is in the Zion Narrows and whether or not it is open for hiking today!? Here’s a rundown of how to find out!
March through June is snowmelt season in Zion! Water levels often rise during these months as temperatures rise and the snow in our mountains melts. Some years we have months of closure while others we may only have a few days of closure.
What is CFS?? Cubic Feet per Second is how the river’s flow is measured. This is the amount of water passing by each second. A cubic foot of water is about the size of a basketball. So if the river is flowing at 70 CFS you can picture about 70 basketball size portions of water passing by each second.
The Bottom-Up Narrows Hike is open when the CFS (cubic feet per second) remains below 150 for 24 hours.
The Top-Down Narrows Hike is open when the CFS remains below 120 for 24 hours.
Keep in mind that the Narrows may not be recommended for your group, even if the Narrows is “open”. Hiking in the river becomes increasingly difficult above 70 CFS and may not be recommended for all hikers; especially those with young children. Hiking when the CFS is above 100 CFS will feel strenuous due to the strong river current.
Check the Current Flow here: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-09405500/#dataTypeId=continuous-00060-0&period=P7D&showFieldMeasurements=true&showMedian=true
Find additional helpful information about hiking the Narrows at this national park page: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-09405500/#dataTypeId=continuous-00060-0&period=P7D&showFieldMeasurements=true&showMedian=true
Check for Narrows Closures on the ZNP alerts page here: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
Our staff are ready to answer your questions about hiking the Narrows when you arrive to rent your equipment! We’ll have up to date conditions and recommendations for your hike! Remember that your safety is your responsibility! Have fun and be safe out there!
