Check the lottery
Can you hike the Subway on your dates?
Only with a Wilderness permit from the National Park Service, and nobody can guide you there. Permits go by lottery: a daily lottery two days before the hike, and four seasonal lotteries months ahead.
No permit? Book a guided slot-canyon walk outside the park- Daily lottery. Apply two days before the day you want to hike, between 12:00 am and 3:00 pm MT; one application a person a day.
The four seasonal lottery windows
- 1–25 November for January, February and March hikes. Results by email on 27 November; unclaimed spots reservable from 10:00 am MT on 15 December.
- 1–25 February for April, May and June hikes. Results on 27 February; unclaimed spots from 10:00 am MT on 15 March.
- 1–25 May for July, August and September hikes. Results on 27 May; unclaimed spots from 10:00 am MT on 15 June.
- 1–25 August for October, November and December hikes. Results on 27 August; unclaimed spots from 10:00 am MT on 15 September.
- Top-down route. From 16 April, NPS issues no top-down (through-hike) permits while the snowpack at its Kolob station holds more than 35 inches of water, until it drops below 10 inches; the Chief Ranger can change the dates.
Rules from NPS's lottery table on its Canyoneering Permits page (updated 12 August 2026) and The Subway page (updated 14 January 2026). The two pages give different times for the daily draw and different days for walk-in permits, so neither is shown here. Today is marked by your device clock, in Utah time. Apply on recreation.gov · How the lottery works
Illustration.
No permit? Orderville · 2 hours · No climbing
Zion Subway Hike
The Subway takes a National Park Service permit and cannot be guided. Without one, East Zion Adventures' 2-hour trip from Orderville, east of the park, rides a UTV out to a red-rock slot canyon and walks through it with a guide. No climbing, no ropes, no permit.
No permit? Pick by situation
Permit, or a Trip You Can Book Instead?
You can hike the Subway only with a Wilderness permit from the National Park Service, won in a lottery, and no company may take you on a guided trip there: NPS says paid guided trips are not permitted. The band at the top of this page works out which lottery is open today. If you have no permit, or no rope skills, the trips below are look-alikes, not the Subway, and each card says what it is.
Orderville: East Zion UTV Ride and Red Rock Slot Canyon Hike
East Zion Adventures: 2 hours from Orderville, east of the park. A UTV ride out to a red-rock slot canyon and a guided walk through it, graded easy with no climbing and no rappelling. At most 10 people.
Check dates →Springdale: Half-Day Canyoneering Experience
Zion Guide Hub: a private half day of hiking, climbing and rappelling just outside the park, with ropes, gear, helmets and transport from Springdale. No experience needed. Booked for two adults at least.
See the trip →From Springdale: The Zion Narrows Hike with Lunch
Zion Guide Hub: 8 hours from Springdale into the Narrows, about 6 of them hiking in the river, with waterproof footwear, neoprene socks, poles and lunch. The park fee is extra; two adults at least.
See the hike →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide, checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Thinking of Angels Landing instead, or a full day of rappelling? What to book without a Subway permit goes through every option, and the comparison below puts three of them beside the Subway itself.
- 4.9 / 5 371+ Reviews
- 35.1 km By road from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center to the Left Fork Trailhead, where the bottom-up Subway hike starts
- 12 people The largest group NPS allows on the Subway route, with a Wilderness permit for every trip
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
The Slot-Canyon Walk, Line by Line
A UTV ride to a slot canyon off the paved roads, a walk between walls over 100 feet high, and the ride back.
East Zion Adventures's own highlights, inclusions and notes, as listed on GetYourGuide in November 2026.
Highlights
- Sit back and enjoy the thrill of riding in a customized off-road vehicle
- Wander through the narrow, serpentine passages of a slot canyon
- Learn about Native American history from your guide while you hike
- Capture stunning photographs of interesting sandstone formations
What's Included
- UTV ride
- Slot canyon hike
- Guide
Good to know: This tour has an easy difficulty grade and doesn’t include any climbing · This tour may not operate in severe weather conditions · In the fall and winter months, be prepared for cold weather · Not suitable for: Children under 4 years, Pregnant women, People with back problems, People with heart problems, People with pre-existing medical conditions · Not Included: Food and drinks, Tips
How the UTV and Slot-Canyon Trip Runs
Two hours east of the park: the ride out, the walk through the slot, and back to where you started.
Start in Orderville
The trip is listed in Orderville, on the east side of Zion. On the dates we read it started at 12:30 PM on 27 November 2026, and at 10:00 AM or 12:30 PM on 20 January 2027.
A UTV Ride off the Pavement
A guide drives you in a customised off-road UTV to a slot canyon far from any paved road.
Walk the Slot
Red walls more than 100 feet high and a gap 6 to 10 feet wide, with the guide's notes on Native American history and the rock. Graded easy, with no climbing.
Round to the UTV and Back
The walk loops back to the vehicle and the UTV takes you back to the start: 2 hours in all, at most 10 people. In fall and winter, come ready for cold weather.
Photo Gallery
Red Rock Slot Canyons East of Zion
Narrow red walls, sandy washes and the off-road track out to the canyon mouth.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
East Zion Adventures' 2-hour UTV ride and slot-canyon walk from Orderville, east of the park: no climbing, no rappelling and no permit. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Plan the Subway
The Subway, Route by Route
The two routes on the map, the Subway against the Narrows, and where the bookable canyons lie.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Tour prices on GetYourGuide and Viator are in US dollars; NPS permit fees are set by the National Park Service.
The Subway and the Trips You Can Book Without a Permit
The Subway itself with an NPS permit, beside three guided trips that need none: a slot-canyon walk east of the park, half a day of canyoneering just outside it, and a day in the Narrows. GetYourGuide prices with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Slot-canyon walk and UTV | Half-day canyoneering | Guided Narrows day | The Subway, on your own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$129 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$210 per person (two adults at least: US$420.52 for two on the dates we read, checked November 2026) | From US$325 per person (two adults at least: US$650.28 for two on the dates we read, checked November 2026) | $6 lottery application fee (non-refundable) and $10 a person, set by NPS; the park entrance fee is separate |
| Length | 2 hours | 4 hours; 8:00 AM or 2:00 PM on the dates we read | 8 hours, about 6 of them hiking | Bottom-up: a 9-mile round trip, 6 to 10 hours; top-down: a 9.5-mile through-hike (NPS) |
| Where It Goes | A red-rock slot canyon reached by UTV from Orderville, east of the park | A canyon just outside Zion National Park, reached by transport from Springdale | The Narrows, by van from Springdale and up Zion Canyon | The Left Fork of North Creek, from the Left Fork Trailhead (or the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead for top-down) on Kolob Terrace Road |
| Ropes | None: graded easy, with no climbing | Yes: rappelling, with ropes, gear and helmets provided | None: river walking with waterproof footwear and poles | Top-down needs rappelling skills and 60 feet of rope; bottom-up needs none |
| Permit | None needed | None needed | None needed | A Wilderness permit, every trip, year round |
| Group | At most 10 | Private group, two adults at least | Up to 13; two adults at least | At most 12; no guide allowed |
| Limits | Not for children under 4, pregnant women, or people with back, heart or other medical conditions | No experience needed; a waiver for every guest | Park entrance fee, water and lunch drinks not included | Day use only; off-trail route finding |
| Best For | A slot canyon on the day, with no permit and no ropes | A taste of rappelling, the Subway's top-down skill | Walking in water between canyon walls, the Subway's bottom-up feel | Permit holders with their own skills and gear |
| Check dates | See the trip | See the hike |
Other Ways In
Canyoneering and Narrows Trips near Zion
Rappelling canyons east of the park and guided days in the Narrows, on GetYourGuide and Viator. None of them is the Subway.
THREE RAPPELSEast Zion Canyoneering: Elkheart Canyon & UTV Tour
East Zion Adventures' 3- to 4-hour canyoneering trip from Mount Carmel, meeting inside Sugar Knoll Chicken: a ride out by off-road vehicle, a hike up to the top of Elkheart slot canyon and three rappels down through it, with the canyoneering equipment included. Moderate fitness; youth rates from age 8; up to 5 people a booking.
4 TO 7 RAPPELSOrderville: Rappelling Slot Canyon and UTV Tour
Roam Outdoor Adventure Co.'s 4-hour trip from Orderville: about 30 minutes of UTV riding there and back, about 1.5 miles of hiking, and a choice of 4 to 7 rappels through a slot canyon, with helmet, harness and gloves provided. No rappelling experience needed; ages 4 and up; at most 10 people.
PRIVATE NARROWSPrivate Narrows Hike at Zion National Park (Discounts Groups 4+)
Explore Zion Tours' private 6- to 7-hour Narrows hike: a Narrows gear kit fitted at Zion Outfitters, the park shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava, the Riverside Walk and the river, with snacks and the guide. The park entrance fee and tips are extra. Booked for two people at least.
NARROWS AND PICNICZion Narrows: Private Guided Hike + Picnic (Gear Included)
Cedar & Sage Boutique Trekking's private 7-hour Narrows day: canyoning boots with neoprene socks, trekking poles, bib waders from October to May, a waterproof backpack and a charcuterie picnic. Meet at the pedestrian bridge between Zion Brew Pub and Zion Outfitters in Springdale.
NARROWS WITH GEARSpringdale/Zion National Park: Zion Narrows Hike with Gear
Grand Circle Tours' 6- to 7-hour guided Narrows hike, about 6 miles round trip with roughly 4 of them in the river, with submersible boots, water socks and a wooden pole. Meet at the park's visitor center, or choose the Springdale pickup, which also covers the park entrance fee; the extra fee for non-US residents is in neither option.
PRIVATE, 5 HOURSThe Famous Zion Narrows: Expert Guidance, Stories, & Geology
A private 5-hour Narrows walk with Green Valley Hiking, dba Tour Zion and Bryce: the park shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava, the Riverside Walk and about 3 hours wading the Virgin River, with snacks and pickup from St. George, Hurricane or Springdale. Guests pay the park entry fee (about $20 a person) and any winter water gear. Not for children under 12.
The Subway, Left Fork of North Creek
What the Subway Is, and What It Takes
The two routes, the permit, why no tour can take you, and the trip on this page.
Where the Subway is
The Subway is a slot on the Left Fork of North Creek, on the Kolob Terrace Road side of Zion National Park, well away from the shuttle stops of Zion Canyon. Both routes end at the Left Fork Trailhead, which is 35.1 km by road from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center; NPS puts it at about an hour’s drive. You arrange your own transport to the trailheads.
Two ways through
Bottom-up is the one most people mean. NPS calls it a very strenuous 9-mile round trip from the Left Fork Trailhead: 6 to 10 hours, about 1,300 feet of elevation change, no trail, wading ankle to knee deep and scrambling over large boulders. NPS also writes that hikers get lost in this area every year.
Top-down is a very strenuous 9.5-mile through-hike from the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead to the Left Fork Trailhead. It needs rappelling skills, 60 feet of rope and swims through deep pools of very cold water; NPS recommends wetsuits even in the hottest weather.
How long the Subway hike takes has both routes on the map, with what each one asks of you.
The permit, in short
Every trip on the Subway route needs a Wilderness permit, in every month, and the area is day use only. A group can be at most 12. Permits come through the lottery on recreation.gov: a seasonal lottery months ahead, or the daily lottery two days before the hike. Applying costs $6, which is not refunded, and a permit costs $10 a person. You collect it in person at the Wilderness Desk in the Zion Canyon Visitor Center; the booking email is not the permit.
The band at the top of this page shows which window is open today. The Subway permit lottery has the full table, the fees and the points where the two NPS pages disagree.
Why no tour goes there
The Subway is in the Zion Wilderness, and NPS allows guided and structured trips only on frontcountry trails. Its Subway page says paid guided trips are not permitted, and recreation.gov’s lottery pages say guiding is not allowed in the Zion Wilderness and that every applicant needs their own skills and equipment. So no company can sell you a guided Subway hike. Can you hike the Subway with a guide? covers what a guide can do instead.
The trip on this page
East Zion Adventures’ UTV ride and slot-canyon walk starts from Orderville, on the east side of Zion. A guide drives you out in a customised off-road UTV to a slot canyon far from any paved road. Then you walk between red walls more than 100 feet high, 6 to 10 feet apart, while the guide talks about Native American history and the rock, and loop back to the vehicle. It takes 2 hours, with at most 10 people, and costs from US$129 a person (checked November 2026).
It is graded easy and includes no climbing, so it is nothing like the Subway’s boulders or rappels. What it shares with the Subway is the slot itself, narrow red walls on both sides, without a lottery.
On the dates we read it started at 12:30 PM on 27 November 2026, and at 10:00 AM or 12:30 PM on 20 January 2027; 10 March 2027 showed no departures. It is not for children under 4, pregnant women, or people with back, heart or other medical conditions, and in fall and winter you should come ready for cold weather.
Check dates for the slot-canyon walk
Before you book
- Permit trips. None of the trips on this site is the Subway, and none comes with a Subway permit. If you win one, you hike on your own, with your own gear.
- Two adults. Zion Guide Hub's half-day canyoneering and its Narrows day cannot be booked by one adult alone: the calendar asks for two.
- Park entrance. The Narrows trips go into the park, so check whether yours includes the entrance fee; Zion Guide Hub’s does not. NPS charges $35 a vehicle or $20 a person, and non-US residents aged 16 and over pay $100 more unless they hold an annual pass.
- Cancelling. The slot-canyon walk can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before; Zion Guide Hub's half day and Narrows day up to 2 days before.
A Slot Canyon Without the Lottery
East Zion Adventures' 2-hour trip from Orderville: a UTV ride out to a red-rock slot canyon east of the park and a guided walk through it. No climbing, no rappelling and no permit. Starting from US$129 per person.
Check slot-canyon datesThe Zion Subway: Questions
Permits, the lottery, guides, how long it takes, winter, and what to book without a permit.
Yes, always. The National Park Service requires a Wilderness permit for every trip into the Left Fork of North Creek, bottom-up or top-down, in every month. The area is day use only and a group can be at most 12. Permits are won in a lottery on recreation.gov; see how the Subway permit lottery works.
No. NPS says plainly that paid guided trips are not permitted on the Subway, and recreation.gov's lottery pages say guiding is not allowed in the Zion Wilderness: everyone who applies needs their own skills and equipment. Guided trips in the park run only on frontcountry trails. See can you hike the Subway with a guide.
Bottom-up is a 9-mile round trip that takes most groups 6 to 10 hours; top-down is a 9.5-mile through-hike. Those are NPS's figures. Bottom-up starts and ends at the Left Fork Trailhead, with about 1,300 feet of elevation change and no trail. Top-down starts at the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead and needs rappelling skills and 60 feet of rope. See how long the Subway hike takes.
On Kolob Terrace Road, on the west side of the park, not in Zion Canyon. The Left Fork Trailhead is 35.1 km by road from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center; NPS puts it at about an hour's drive. The top-down route starts higher up the same road at the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead.
A $6 lottery application or reservation fee, which is not refunded, and $10 a person if you get a permit. The $10 is refunded if you cancel, or take fewer people, before 5 pm on the day of the trip. The park entrance fee is separate (NPS and recreation.gov).
Only with a permit, as in any month, and in cold water. NPS warns that snow and ice in the cold winter months may call for wet or dry suits, and recommends wetsuits on the top-down route even in the hottest weather. From 16 April NPS issues no top-down permits while the snowpack at its Kolob station holds more than 35 inches of water. See the Subway in winter and spring.
They answer different trips. The Subway needs a permit for every hike and takes you off-trail on the Kolob side. The Narrows from the bottom up needs no permit as far as Big Spring and starts from a shuttle stop in Zion Canyon; NPS closes it when the river runs above 150 cubic feet per second or on a Flash Flood Warning. A guided Narrows day such as Zion Guide Hub's from Springdale needs no permit at all. See the Subway or the Narrows.
A look-alike, for what it is. East Zion Adventures' UTV ride and slot-canyon walk from Orderville takes you through a red-rock slot east of the park with no climbing, from US$129 a person (checked November 2026). Zion Guide Hub's half-day canyoneering adds rappelling just outside the park, for two adults at least. See what to book without a permit.
Still have questions? Email us at info@zionsubwayhike.com