Zion Narrows Overnight Permits

Overview

Itinerary-based overnight wilderness permit for the 16-mile top-down Virgin River Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah. You select one of 12 designated campsites (Narrows 1--12) clustered roughly halfway between Chamberlain's Ranch and the Temple of Sinawava. This permit covers only the overnight backpacking version of the Narrows through-hike -- the one-day top-down through-hike is on the canyoneering permit, and the bottom-up Narrows hike from Temple of Sinawava requires no permit. Separate permits also exist for general Wilderness backpacking, the Subway, canyoneering, and overnight climbing bivouacs. Permit required year-round. Limited to one night per party. At least 80% of the route is spent wading, walking, or swimming the Virgin River -- there is no maintained trail. The river is the route. All overnight backpackers must start at Chamberlain's Ranch and exit at Temple of Sinawava; upstream travel to campsites is not permitted.

Bottom Line

Half of the 12 campsites are reservable online; the other half are walk-up only (first-come, first-served at the Wilderness Desk). Online reservations open quarterly on the 5th of the month at 10:00 AM MT -- three months of dates release at once. The reservable sites (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12) sell out fast on opening day, especially for summer weekends. Walk-up sites (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11) are issued the day before or morning of the trip. Cancellations return to recreation.gov immediately and per-person fees are refundable, so cancelled sites trickle back -- alerts are valuable. The Narrows closes to all overnight trips when the Virgin River exceeds 120 CFS (all Narrows hiking closes at 150 CFS), and permits will not be issued. This happens routinely during spring snowmelt (typically April--June) and during monsoon flash floods (July--September). The road to Chamberlain's Ranch is dirt and becomes impassable when wet, often taking days to dry. Always have a backup itinerary. Peak season is June through early October; midweek starts have the least competition.

Reservation Schedule

Quarterly FCFS release, all at 10:00 AM MT on opening day:

• Jan -- Mar: opens Dec 5
• Apr -- Jun: opens Mar 5
• Jul -- Sep: opens Jun 5
• Oct -- Dec: opens Sep 5

Reservations can be made until 5:00 PM MT the day before the trip start date. After that, unreserved sites move to walk-up only. You must pick up your permit in person at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center Wilderness Desk the day before or day of your entry date during operating hours. The reservation confirmation email is not a permit. Allow at least 20 minutes for permit pickup. Bring vehicle info (make, model, license plate). Entry date cannot be changed -- must cancel and rebook. Itinerary (campsite) can be modified online or in person, subject to availability.

Fees

• $20 non-refundable permit fee per reservation
• $7/person/night camping fee (one night max)
• Cancel or reduce group size before 5:00 PM MT day of trip: per-person fees refunded, $20 permit fee kept
• Adding people incurs additional per-person fees
• Same fees apply to walk-up permits issued in person

Group Size

Group size limits vary per campsite -- this is critical when choosing your site:

• 2 people max: Narrows 1, Narrows 4
• 4 people max: Narrows 2, Narrows 11
• 6 people max: Narrows 3, Narrows 5, Narrows 7, Narrows 8, Narrows 9, Narrows 10
• 12 people max: Narrows 6, Narrows 12

Permits are strictly enforced for the exact number of people listed.

Campsites

All 12 sites are between Deep Creek and Big Springs, roughly the midpoint of the 16-mile route. Sites sit on elevated benches 6--50 ft above the river. Listed top-down (north to south, in hiking order):

• Narrows 1 (max 2, reservable): at confluence of Deep Creek, left side of river
• Narrows 2 (max 4, walk-up): 10--15 min past Deep Creek, right side, sharp bench 10 ft above river
• Narrows 3 (max 6, reservable): 10--15 min past site 2, right bench in maple stand, 20 ft above river
• Narrows 4 (max 2, walk-up): 5--10 min past site 3, beside large flat rock, 6 ft bench
• Narrows 5 (max 6, reservable): 5 min past site 4, right bench, sandy area before Kolob Creek
• Narrows 6 (max 12, walk-up): at confluence of Kolob Creek, right side, 20 ft above river
• Narrows 7 (max 6, reservable): 10 min past Kolob Creek, left side, 30 ft up on bench
• Narrows 8 (max 6, walk-up): 10 min past Kolob Creek around sharp bend, right slope, 50 ft up
• Narrows 9 (max 6, reservable): 10 min past site 8, left side, 10 ft bench in maple grove
• Narrows 10 (max 6, walk-up): 5 min past site 9, high bank on western bend
• Narrows 11 (max 4, walk-up): sunny site on left side, 10 ft above river
• Narrows 12 (max 12, reservable): 15--20 min past site 11, 300 yards before Big Springs

Water: Big Springs flows year-round from the canyon wall just downstream of site 12 and is the primary water source. Filter/treat as normal. Note: toxic cyanobacteria (anatoxin-a) has been found in the Virgin River -- do not drink river water even when filtered, as standard filtration does not remove the toxin. Get water from springs only.

Key Rules

• No campfires -- portable gas/liquid-fuel stoves only
• Human waste bags required -- minimum one per person, carry out all waste, toilet paper, and hygiene products
• Food must be stored in bear-resistant container or hung 10 ft above ground and 4 ft from post/tree
• Closed-toed shoes and a walking stick strongly recommended for river travel
• Permits are non-transferable -- reservation holder must pick up permit in person
• The Narrows may close at any time due to flash floods, high water, or other hazards. Always have a backup plan