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Submission
Chamberlain’s Ranch Trailhead (also called North Fork Trailhead) provides the primary access to the North Fork Virgin River Wilderness Study Area and is the starting point for top-down hikes into The Narrows in Zion National Park. The 16-mile hike to the Temple of Sinawava Trailhead in Zion National Park is generally done in two days, as cold water and rounded, submerged river rocks make for challenging footing. Groups hiking into the park must obtain a Zion Wilderness Permit and adhere to the National Park’s rules and regulations. The route into The Narrows from Chamberlain’s Ranch Trailhead is undeveloped, with no designated trails or amenities after leaving the trailhead. The route generally follows the river, although it is possible to follow BLM93 as it parallels the river for the first 3 miles or so. Roughly 3.5 miles from the trailhead, the route enters the North Fork Virgin River Wilderness Study Area and the sandstone walls of the canyon become increasingly narrow and dramatic. The river passes through the Deep Creek Wilderness and two sections of private land before entering Zion National Park for the remainder of the route. Please do your part to protect the North Fork of the Virgin River and The Narrows by following Leave No Trace principles: Plan ahead and prepare to ensure that you have detailed route information as well as proper skills, equipment, and permits. Bring all the supplies you’ll need, including a way to purify water. Be self-sufficient and don’t expect others to rescue you in an emergency. Dispose of waste properly and packing out what you pack in. Protect soils and vegetation by traveling and camping on durable surfaces. Leave what you find, and leave the canyon in a natural state; don’t mark rock faces with graffiti or muddy handprints, build rock cairns, or disturb vegetation. Minimize campfire impacts – fires are not allowed anywhere in the Zion Wilderness. Respect wildlife by maintaining your distance and not harassing or feeding wild animals. Be considerate of other visitors by respecting their experience and keeping noise down. Know before you go: The Zion National Park website and visitor centers offer additional trip-planning resources and information about wilderness permits, rules, and regulations. Amenities at the trailhead are limited to a vault toilet, informational signs, and a parking area. Overnight camping is not allowed at the Chamberlain’s Ranch Trailhead. Portions of the hiking route cross private land; be respectful of private landowners. Narrow canyons are extremely flood prone and passage through them should not be attempted if there is a risk of rain or flash flooding. Zion National Park does not issue permits when the river’s flow is 120 cubic feet per second (cfs) or greater. However, the BLM does not restrict visitation to the BLM-managed portion due to weather concerns or flood risk; individuals are responsible for deciding whether to enter the canyon. Attempting to access Chamberlain’s Ranch Trailhead by passenger car is not recommended. The unpaved portion of North Fork Road is clay based and quickly becomes impassable to even 4-wheel-drive vehicles when wet. Snow closes the road in the winter.
From the intersection of Utah State Route 9 and the North Fork Road, about 2.5 miles east of the East Entrance to Zion National Park, travel up North Fork Road for 16.7 miles. When North Fork Road makes a “T” with BLM93, turn left. Follow BLM93. After 0.8 miles, then turn left to stay on the road as it leads downhill to the Chamberlain’s Ranch Trailhead.
A must do. Going bottom up is not fun due to the crowds. Space is very limited for doing the top down.
It's a great hike! We did it in 6 hours comfortably and had a lot of fun playing around but I'm an ultrarunner, climber, and canyoner so don't try to do it so fast. It's beautiful! Enjoy it!
Beauty. It took us about 9/10 hours and we are fit and hike/climb a lot. We had a blast, it's tough because of all the varies terrain and water crossing swimming. Just read and know what to expect! Dry bags, booties, wet shoes, and walking sticks all were useful.
We rented from Zion Mountain guides
Every corner we were oohing and ahhing and the grandeur and beauty! Definitely bring water shoes and walking sticks! Slippery and super numbing ice cold water, we brought water bags as well
Ok buckle up this will be long. I feel like the reviews and info on this hike aren’t quite adequate. Our watches were wildly off so while we were thinking we were going at a great pace we weren’t even close to being fast enough. We did the hike in one day. Got the first shuttle up and caught the 745 shuttle back down. So about 12 hrs. We are three very fit women in our 30s. We had one 10 min stop and a bunch of 3 min stops to grab snacks and what not. By the time we got to the really pretty stuff which is emerald springs, we were so stressed for time that we didn’t take any pics from them on. We had to keep our phones in our dry bags bc the water was over our heads 6-8 times. (I’m 5’2”) the water levels were just really high this year and it moves pretty quickly so there was a ton of back and forth on the river. I honestly don’t think you get anything more out of this hike than you would starting from the bottom up other than you’re by yourself. Also at the end of the hike is where all the deep water is and even during July and an excessive heat warning day, by the time I got to that point the sun wasn’t in the canyon anymore and I was pre hypothermic. Our satellite phone wouldn’t work in the canyon and I was dangerously scrambling over rocks as fast as I could to get to the shuttle. Plus once you get out of the river it’s about another mile on the sidewalk to get to the shuttle. For sure bring hiking poles. And for sure make sure you’re going as a fast hiker and not anyone that is a little slow. I just wish I had had more info on this hike before going into it. Won’t be doing it again. I’d rather just do the bottom up.
