Often called one of the most dangerous hikes in America, Angel’s Landing is many a hiker’s dream hike. I was lucky enough to get to do this trail last October and it was one of the best days of my life. I spent a few hours doing research for it and I wanted to share everything I learned in one spot.
Side note: all of my photos were taken when no other hikers were near or when I was waiting on some in front of me. Be kind and don’t hold up others for your social media posts! Consider investing in a GoPro if you want to ensure you’ll have photos from this once-in-a-lifetime hike.
Angel’s Landing Permits
Due to the popularity of this hike, as well as its riskiness, Zion National Park has put a permit system in place. I may be biased because I was lucky enough to get a permit, but I think this was a very smart move. There were quite a few people on the trail and I could see how stressful and dangerous it might feel if there were even more folks out there.
There are two ways you can secure a permit for Angel’s Landing:
- Seasonal lottery
- Currently, you can apply for permits ahead of time only 4 times a year in January, April, July, and October. When applying, you can rank 7 days and times where you’d like to hike.
- This is a good option for people who have set travel plans in place! You will need to know what dates you can be in the park.
- Day-before lottery
- Between 12:01 am and 3:00 pm Mountain Time, you can apply the day before you’d like to hike Angel’s Landing.
- This is how I was able to get my permit!
The permit will cost $6, but only if you get it. This will allow you to apply for multiple permits for free if you don’t receive one.
Pro tip: try to get a permit first thing in the morning! The hike will be beautiful as the park is just waking up and less crowded than the afternoon timeslots. We hopped on one of the first shuttle buses of the day for this hike. On our way up to the top, there were hardly any other hikers. On our way down, closer to noon, it was much more congested.
Preparing for the Hike
- Get ready for a tough hike! Check out my blog post here on how to prepare
- Bring lots of water and snacks because this is a strenuous hike
- Pack proper equipment, including layers
- It gets cold at the top! You’re high up and relatively exposed. I found myself super grateful I packed my Patagonia fleece.
- Factor in the shuttle time
- The permit gives you a window of time in which you need to start your hike to Angel’s Landing. Make sure you’re providing yourself extra time to get to the trailhead in case the lines for the shuttles are larger than you expect.
- Check the weather
- I personally would not do this hike on an icy or wet day. There are a lot of steep dropoffs and knowing people have died on this hike, I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting myself at risk.
Hiking Angel’s Landing
- When you get to entrance to Angel’s Landing, put away your trekking poles and camera! There will be rock scrambles that you want to be hands-free for and you’re going to need both hands in some areas for the chains.
- Only take photos when you’re waiting for another hiker in front of you, or in the rare occasion no one else is around. Everyone on this hike hoped and prayed and paid for this permit. Be considerate of them.
- Take your time! This is not an easy hike by any means, don’t rush and risk injuring yourself. Although it’s a tight squeeze, there will be areas where you’ll be able to let faster hikers pass you. Utilize these areas!
Don’t let the hype over Angel’s Landing scare you. With the proper preparation, experience, and equipment, this is an easily doable hike. I also consider this my favorite hike I’ve ever done and would recommend it. I was definitely nervous for it, but it ended up being one of the best days of my life.
Happy Travels!
XOXO, Mackenzie
P.S. If you’re afraid of heights, I would not recommend Angel’s Landing. Instead, there are many other beautiful hikes in Zion you can embark on.
