The Virgin River Narrows

The Narrows in Zion National Park, (near Springdale, Utah) is a section of canyon on the North Fork of the Virgin River. The hike of The Narrows is one of the premier hikes on the Colorado Plateau. The term The Narrows refers to both the through-hike of The Narrows, and to The Narrows themselves, especially the 3.6 mile (6 km) long section of canyon between the end of the Riverside Walk Trail and Big Springs. The through-hike is accessed by driving east on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway toward Mount Carmel Junction, and then north on the mostly dirt "North Fork Road" to Chamberlain Ranch trailhead. The Narrows lies north of, and upstream of, the main Zion Canyon. Hiking up The Narrows is one of the most popular activities in the Park. Download high resolution version (1024x768, 155 KB)Zion Narrows 2002-11-03 Jon Sullivan, pdphoto. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 155 KB)Zion Narrows 2002-11-03 Jon Sullivan, pdphoto. ... Zion National Park is a United States National Park located near Springdale, Utah in the Southwestern United States. ... Springdale is a town located in Washington County, Utah. ... The Virgin River, a tributary of the Colorado, is shown highlighted on a map of the southwestern United States The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 200 mi (322 km) long, in the southwestern United States. ... The Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateaus Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. ... Mount Carmel Junction is a Utah rural area located 12 miles east of Zion National Park and 17 miles north of Kanab. ...

History

Mormon Pioneer and Explorer Nephi Johnson was guided to Zion Canyon in November, 1858 by a friendly Paiute Indian, and was probably the first European-American to see The Narrows. Soon after, in 1861 and 1862, the towns of Virgin and Springdale, just south of Zion Canyon, were founded. The next year, Isaac Behunin built a cabin in upper Zion Canyon for summer farming. The Narrows was first descended (and named) in 1872 by geologist and explorer Grove Karl Gilbert as part of the Wheeler Survey. His party traveled from Navajo Lake through the Narrows to Zion Canyon and Springdale on horseback. John Wesley Powell had traversed the nearby Parunaweap Canyon (the East Fork of the Virgin) earlier in the same year. Grove Karl Gilbert (May 6, 1843 – May 1, 1918) was an American geologist. ... The Wheeler Survey was a survey of a portion of the United States lying west of the 100th meridian. ... Springdale is a town located in Washington County, Utah. ... First camp of the John Wesley Powell expedition, in the willows, Green River, Wyoming, 1871 John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 - September 23, 1902) was a U.S. soldier, geologist, and explorer of the American West. ...

From when Zion became a National Park (1919), tourists were guided up the Narrows on horseback well into the 1960's. The through-hike of The Narrows became popular starting in the late 1960's.

Geography

The North Fork of the Virgin River runs south through upland aspen forest from near Navajo Lake at 9200 feet (2800 m) elevation, 11 miles (18 km) to Chamberlain Ranch, 5900 feet (1800 m), where the through-hike of The Narrows starts. The river turns west and a gorge starts to form within 2 miles (3 km). By the time the North Fork enters Zion National Park, 5 miles (8 km) from Chamberlain Ranch, the gorge is 500 feet (150 m) deep. Three and a half miles (6 km) further, at the confluence with Deep Creek, the gorge is 1300 feet (400 m) deep, and the combined river turns south. The gorge from here is continuous and has vertical sandstone walls from 40 to 100 feet (10 to 30 m) apart, with pockets of forest on both sides. From Deep Creek to Big Springs is 2.7 miles (4 km). At Big Springs, the canyon narrows again, and the true Narrows begin. For most of the next 3.6 mile (6 km) stretch to the Mouth of the Narrows, the river runs wall to wall, with vertical sandstone cliffs on both sides. A mile (2 km) south of the Mouth of the Narrows is the Temple of Sinawava, where the river enters main Zion Canyon, a flat-floored, quarter to half-mile (400 to 800 m) wide canyon with sandstone mountains on each side, their summits 2400 feet above. Eight miles (13 km) further south, where the canyon widens again, is the town of Springdale and the southern boundary of Zion National Park. The Virgin River, a tributary of the Colorado, is shown highlighted on a map of the southwestern United States The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 200 mi (322 km) long, in the southwestern United States. ... Species Populus adenopoda Populus alba Populus grandidentata Populus sieboldii Populus tremula Populus tremuloides Aspens are trees of the willow family and comprise a section of the poplar genus, Populus sect. ... Eucalyptus Forest at Swifts Creek in East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. ... A compass rose with west highlighted This article refers to the cardinal direction; for other uses see West (disambiguation). ... A mile is the name of a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Zion National Park is a United States National Park located near Springdale, Utah in the Southwestern United States. ... Confluence of Rhine and Mosel at Koblenz In geography, a confluence describes the point where two rivers meet and become one, usually when a tributary joins a more major river. ... A gorge is a narrow passage between steep mountains or hills. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... geography, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. ... Zion National Park is a United States National Park located near Springdale, Utah in the Southwestern United States. ...

Hiking The Narrows

The "Wall Street" section of Zion Narrows

The Narrows is one of the most unusual hikes on the Colorado Plateau. Hiking is done largely in the river, as for a third of the route, the river runs canyon wall to canyon wall. The walls are vertical and sheer, and often red in color. While water levels change from season to season, most hikers will wade at least waist-deep, and many will swim a few short sections. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (768x1024, 138 KB) Summary The Wall Street section of Zion Narrows in Zion National Park. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (768x1024, 138 KB) Summary The Wall Street section of Zion Narrows in Zion National Park. ...

The Narrows can be hiked either as a through-hike from Chamberlain Ranch or as an up-and-back hike from the Temple of Sinawava. The through-hike can be done in a day or as a two-day backpack trip. Chamberlain Ranch is accessed by the dirt North Fork Road east of the Park, and is situated in a rolling forest of aspen and scrub oak. No sign of the spectacular gorge ahead can be seen from the ranch. The hiker proceeds down the river and into an ever-deepening gorge, eventually getting to The Narrows and ending at the Temple of Sinawava. The hike is 16 miles (26 km) long and is very tiring because it is in the river itself. Permits are required before hiking the Narrows from the top and can be obtained at the Zion National Park Backcountry Desk.

The Narrows can also be explored from the bottom up, and the best places visited with less effort. The farther one goes upstream, the less crowded the canyon becomes.

Hiking in the river is strenuous. The water is often murky and the bottom of the river is covered with round lava rocks about the size of bowling balls. This makes foot protection and use of trekking poles or a walking stick essential. In the spring, The Narrows is closed due to flooding while the snow melts off the upland areas to the north. During the summer, thunderstorms can cause The Narrows to flash flood. Rain showers upriver can cause flash floods in the canyon without it raining over the canyon itself. Hikers should exercise caution when hiking The Narrows during rainy periods, as the winding canyon and sheer walls make approaching flash floods all the more sudden and difficult to evade. Lower Antelope Canyon was carved out of sandstone over millions of years by flash floods A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas, rivers and streams, that is caused by the intense rainfall associated with a thunderstorm, or multiple training thunderstorms. ...

Photography

The Narrows is a favorite with photographers. The spectacular soaring walls, beautiful colors and flowing water make for spectacular scenes, but the elusiveness of the light and high-contrast possibilities make for a technical challenge. Low light levels require use of a tripod most of the time.

References

• A History of Southern Utah and Its National Parks, Angus M. Woodbury (Utah State Historical Society, Vol XII Nos. 3-4, July-October 1944; revised and reprinted, 1950 (No ISBN, no further publishing information available)).
• Brereton, Thomas; James Dunaway (1988 (revised edition)). Exploring the Backcountry of Zion National Park: Off-Trail Routes. Springdale, UT: Zion Natural History Association. ISBN 0-915630-25-7.
• Gregory, Herbert E. (1950). Geology and Geography of the Zion Park Region Utah and Arizona. Washington DC: United States Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Professional Paper 220.

External links

• National Park Service
• Zion Narrows
• The American Southwest - Slot Canyons - Zion Canyon Narrows