Zion Narrows Backpack
Listed as one of the “Best Hikes Ever,” the top-down hike in the Narrows of Zion can only be described as unforgettable. The Narrows is a slot canyon with sheer cliffs rising a thousand feet above you. We will be camping on the banks of the Virgin River. Not only will we be spending a night in the Narrows but we will spend two more days exploring all the things this inspiring park has to offer. You are guaranteed an adventure you will never forget.
Trip Cost
SRWC Member: $160
Faculty, Staff, Non Enrolled CSUSB Student, and Alumni Association: $190
Affiliate: $205
Sponsored Guest: $320
Pre-Trip Meeting / Sign Up Deadline
August 15, 2019 @ 6pm
Activity Level
4 - Epic
Trip Departs From
CSUSB Student Recreation and Wellness Center
Itinerary
Day 1: We will be packing up all our gear at the SRWC in the morning before taking the 7-hour drive to Zion National Park in Utah where we will spend our first night camping underneath the Stars near Zion. Lunch will be at some stop on the road so remember your meal money. Dinner will be served at our campground as we are packing up all that we need for our overnight backpacking trip through the Narrows the next day.
Day 2: Early rise today for a nice and filling breakfast and finalizing all we need for our trip down the Virgin River. It will take us roughly 3 hours to drive through the park to our trailhead at Chamberlain’s Ranch. The trail starts as a beautiful and open valley and ranch and slowly transforms into a tall and narrow slot canyon. As the walls become taller and the path narrower, we will be forced to tread through knee high water, so prepare to change into your water shoes. When we arrive at our campsite some 11 miles in we will be setting up camp, enjoying dinner and some great relaxation by the river.
Day 3: With a long day ahead of us we are going to need a great breakfast to get us going. Take in some breakfast and pack up what we have left and we will be on our way down the river again to the Temple of Sinawava, the end of the Narrows. These last 6 miles of backpacking through the canyons green forests and ankle to waist deep water will definitely leave you with an extreme nature hangover. Once we are back in the Zion Canyon we will be dropping our gear off at camp and walking into town for dinner.
Day 4: After all that backpacking you may want to sit back and relax some time at camp, but we would rather go and explore the rest of Zion! Our last day of Zion will feature possible excursions around the park to the Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, or some other short trail adventure. After lunch, we will pack ourselves back into our van and make our way back to CSUSB and relieve ourselves of all that nature we experienced during this trip. We should be stopping somewhere on the road for dinner and arriving back by 10 pm.
Packing List
Food
8 meals are included, starting with dinner on day 1 (3 breakfast, 3 lunches, and 2 dinners)
3 meals are not included (lunch on day 1, dinner on day 3 and 4). Bring money.
Hygiene and Comfort
We will be carrying our all our food, shelter, clothing, water and equipment in a pack weighting up to 40lbs. We will be staying in reserved campsites the first and last nights within close proximity to flush toilets, drinking water, and there are NO showers. Night 2 we will sleep along the river in a wilderness campsite. We will pack out all human waste and trash according to Leave No Trace principles. We will treat water from a nearby spring or bring enough water from CSUSB. You will have the option to share a tent with one or two people or sleep out under the cover of the stars. Light weight tents, warm synthetic sleeping bags, foam pads and ground tarps will be provided to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep.