Hiking Angels Landing in Zion National Park
Kraig AdamsNov 6, 2020 · With friends
- Days
- 1 day
- Direction
- Out and back
- Cost
- Not given
- Lodging
- Hotels and guesthouses
North America · United States
Angels Landing
Zion National Park, Utah
- Distance
- 5.4 mi18.7 km
- Days
- 1 day
- Elevation gain
- 1,490 ft1454 m
- High point
- Not given
- Season
- Year round, the NPS says
- Lodging
- Hotels and guesthouses
Hikes / North America / Angels Landing
Effort at this pace: Easy · about 5 mi (9 km) and 1,490 ft (454 m) of climbing a day over 1 day. Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's trip log. Numbered facts fill what that data doesn't give, from public sources checked Nov 2026.
Relief map
The route
A steep out-and-back climb from the Grotto in Zion Canyon to Scout Lookout, then along a narrow fin with chains to the top of Angels Landing. Every hiker on the chains section needs a permit from the park's lottery.1
Route drawn from OpenStreetMap (Angels Landing Trail--West Rim Trail, read Nov 2026). © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS. A sketch for planning, not for navigation.
The film
Watch it first
Hiking Angels Landing in Zion National Park
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- The Grotto (Zion Canyon shuttle stop 6)1
- Finish
- The Grotto (same way back)1
- Direction
- Out and back; Scout Lookout is the permit checkpoint and turnaround for those without a permit1
- Distance
- 5.4 miles round trip; Scout Lookout is 2.25 mi (3.62 km) from the Grotto.1
- Elevation gain
- 1,488 feet; Scout Lookout alone is a 1,000 ft (305 m) climb.1
- Usual difficulty
- Strenuous and steep; the last half mile is a knife-edge ridge with chains where most of the deadly falls have happened. Skip it in storms, when wet or icy, in the dark, or if you fear heights1
- Best time
- Year round, the NPS says. Summer brings extreme heat and thunderstorms; don't go up the chains when the rock is wet or icy
- Permits
- A permit is needed for the chains from Scout Lookout to the summit (the walk to Scout Lookout needs none). Apply on Recreation.gov: $6 per application for up to 6 people, not refunded, plus $3 per person if you win. The park entrance fee is separate: $35 a vehicle for 1 to 7 days, and visitors who are not US residents pay a further $100 a person aged 16 and over unless they have an annual pass (as of Nov 2026)
- Getting there
- Take the shuttle from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center to the Grotto; for a few winter and spring weeks with no shuttle you drive and park at the Grotto. Arrive before your permit time1
- Lodging
- Hotels and guesthouses
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
Bookings and permits
When bookings open, from the sources named under each. Dates move: confirm on the official site.
Angels Landing permit: the seasonal lottery
Opens January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 (to the 20th, results on the 25th) for hikes in March to May, June to August, September to November and December to February. A day-before lottery runs too.
Next: Jan 1, 2027 to Jan 20, 2027
Book on recreation.gov.
Source: US National Park Service, Zion: Angels Landing Hiking Permits (official). Checked November 2026.
Alert me when bookings open
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Phone signal
- Most people get no mobile signal in Zion Canyon, including at the permit checkpoint; without service, find a ranger or park volunteer
Source 1
Insurance
- Medical treatment in the US is expensive, and some hospitals ask non-residents for a deposit.
- Make sure your travel health insurance covers medical treatment and repatriation.
Bail-out points
- Scout Lookout, below the chains, needs no permit and is the natural turnaround
Source 1
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 1 day, hotels.
Hiking Angels Landing in Zion National Park
Walked Angels Landing? Be the first to share your track: log it with your GPX.
Your time
Sign in and log a few hikes to see how long this one would take you.
Typical: 1 day (the hike's facts).
Ask this hike
Planning questions about Angels Landing, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
From hikers
Comments
Sign in to comment. Free; your hikes stay private unless you share them.
Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Angels Landing?
Kraig Adams hiked it in 1 day, about seven miles.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How long is Angels Landing?
5.4 mi (8.7 km). 5.4 miles round trip; Scout Lookout is 2.25 mi (3.62 km) from the Grotto.
From US National Park Service, Zion: Angels Landing Hiking Permits (official), checked Nov 2026. [1]
How do you get to Angels Landing?
Take the shuttle from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center to the Grotto; for a few winter and spring weeks with no shuttle you drive and park at the Grotto. Arrive before your permit time.
From US National Park Service, Zion: Angels Landing Hiking Permits (official), checked Nov 2026. [1]
What's the emergency number on Angels Landing?
Emergency: 911 (connects to Zion Dispatch if you have service).
From US National Park Service, Zion: Angels Landing Hiking Permits (official), checked Nov 2026. [1]
Sources
- US National Park Service, Zion: Angels Landing Hiking Permits (official) · official · checked Nov 2026
Facts are written in our own words from these pages; nothing is copied. Rules, fees and closures change: check the official page before you go.