The Subway or the Narrows?
The Subway against the Narrows in Zion: which needs a permit, how far each goes in NPS's figures, the water, when each closes, and the guided Narrows days you can book.
Pick the Narrows unless you hold a Subway permit. The Narrows from the bottom up needs no permit as far as Big Spring, starts from a shuttle stop in Zion Canyon and can be done with a guide. The Subway needs a Wilderness permit for every hike, starts on Kolob Terrace Road, and no guide may take you. If you have a Subway permit and the skills, the Subway is the rarer day; if you don’t, the Narrows is the canyon walk you can book.
The guided Narrows day pinned here is Zion Guide Hub’s from Springdale, from US$325 a person (checked November 2026), booked for two adults at least: on the dates we read, two paid US$650.28.
Side by side
| The Subway, bottom-up | The Narrows, bottom-up | The Narrows, top-down | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permit | Wilderness permit, every hike | None, as far as Big Spring | Wilderness permit |
| Distance (NPS) | 9 miles round trip | 9.4 miles out and back, at most | 16 miles, one way |
| Time (NPS) | 6 to 10 hours | 1 to 8 hours | In one day, on a day-hike permit |
| Starts | Left Fork Trailhead, Kolob Terrace Road | Temple of Sinawava, shuttle stop 9 | Chamberlain’s Ranch; you arrange the transport |
| Water | Ankle to knee deep; boulder scrambling | Walking in the Virgin River | The river from top to bottom |
| Guide allowed | No | Yes, by authorised businesses | No |
| Closes | For fire, flood or rockfall (recreation.gov) | Above 150 cubic feet per second, or on a Flash Flood Warning | The same river closures |
From NPS’s Subway, Narrows and Narrows bottom-up pages (updated January and September 2026) and recreation.gov, checked November 2026. NPS’s main Narrows page calls the bottom-up walk a ten-mile round trip; its bottom-up page gives 9.4 miles, up to 4.7 miles each way.
The permit is the real difference
The Subway is a lottery. The Narrows from the bottom up is not: you ride the park shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava, walk the Riverside Walk, about a mile, and step into the river. You can go as far as Big Spring without a permit; beyond it, and more than a quarter mile into Orderville Canyon, you may not go upstream. The 16-mile top-down Narrows from Chamberlain’s Ranch does need a Wilderness permit, from the same daily lottery as the Subway or by advance reservation.
The water and the closures
Both hikes are in water. On the Subway it is ankle to knee deep on the bottom-up route, with deep cold pools to swim on the top-down one. In the Narrows you walk in the Virgin River itself. NPS closes the Narrows when the river flows above 150 cubic feet per second and whenever the National Weather Service issues a Flash Flood Warning, staying closed for at least two hours after the warning is lifted. Below 70 cubic feet per second NPS calls it moderately difficult; between 70 and 150 it is harder, with thigh-deep crossings. Winter and early spring commonly bring high, cold water. Read NPS’s Narrows page on the day for its status; we print none.
Guided Narrows days, by who you are
Guiding is allowed in the Narrows from the bottom up, and several companies sell it with the river gear. Three of them, by group:
From Springdale: The Zion Narrows Hike with Lunch
Zion Guide Hub: 8 hours from Springdale, about 6 of them in the river, with waterproof footwear, neoprene socks, poles (dry waders and splash jackets in colder seasons), a packed lunch and transport. Up to 13; two adults at least. The park entrance fee is extra.
Check dates →Private Narrows Hike at Zion National Park (Discounts Groups 4+)
Explore Zion Tours: a private 6- to 7-hour hike with a Narrows gear kit fitted at Zion Outfitters, the park shuttle and snacks. From US$325 each for two or three; four to eight pay US$300 each from October 2026 to February 2027. Entrance fee extra.
See the hike →Zion Narrows: Private Guided Hike + Picnic (Gear Included)
Cedar & Sage Boutique Trekking: a private 7-hour day with canyoning boots, neoprene socks, poles, bib waders from October to May and a charcuterie picnic. Two pay US$409 each from October 2026 to May 2027; larger groups pay less each.
See the day →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026; Viator checked November 2026). Operators price by date, season and group size, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Two more guided Narrows days: Grand Circle Tours' Narrows hike with gear, about 6 miles round trip, from US$269 a person, includes the park entrance fee only if you take its Springdale pickup. The private 5-hour walk by Green Valley Hiking, dba Tour Zion and Bryce, from US$300, leaves the entrance fee and any winter water gear to you and is not for children under 12 (checked November 2026).
Which to choose
- You hold a Subway permit and the skills: the Subway. It is the harder day, off trail, and the permit is the scarce part.
- You have no permit, or want a guide: the Narrows from the bottom up, on your own or guided.
- You want rappelling, which neither bottom-up hike has: a canyoneering trip outside the park; see what to book without a Subway permit.
Sources: NPS The Subway, The Narrows, Narrows from the bottom up and Narrows regulations; recreation.gov Canyoneering Daily Lottery. All checked November 2026.
A Guided Day in the Narrows
Zion Guide Hub's 8-hour day from Springdale: about 6 hours hiking in the river, with waterproof footwear, neoprene socks, poles and lunch. Two adults at least; the park entrance fee is extra.
Check Narrows dates