Zion in May

[eredluin]

Hi,
I'm pondering a hiking trip to Zion in May. I'd like to do the Rim trails, Kolob, Narrows, etc. A side trip to Great Basin to do Mt. Wheeler is a possibility. Is May a good month or is the Fall a better time.
Thanks,
Paul

[CarpeyBiggs]

Rim trails are good in May, maybe a bit hot. Narrows could be difficult, depending on the flow rate. Kolob? Which Kolob are you referencing? The technical canyon would be good, if you are equipped for it. The Kolob canyons hikes out on the northwest would be excellent this time of year.

BTW, welcome.

[Iceaxe]

Welcome....

Narrows might be closed in May if you are thinking about a top down trip. River flow rate must be at or below 120 cubic feet per second (cfs) before the National Park Service will issue a permit.

Zion Narrows Information
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/narrows.htm

Real-time river flow for North Fork of Virgin
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ut/nwis/uv...60,00010,72020
Check out the flash flood on Jan 5th.

[Rented mule]

Welcome! Mt Wheeler can be a beauty or a BEAST! Plan your trip and communicate with the park service for this full day hike at high elevation.
You may want to hike up to Lexington Arch while there. Way cool!
I would go only if it was clear as a bell with no clouds in the states of Nevada or Utah. It can turn on you in a heartbeat.
Then, the cold extreme weather gear is needed. Also, the views can either be there, Or the summit can be socked in. I am going in July.
I wimp out at cold weather. Have a great time!

Zion, is great! Any time you can avoid the out of school crowds is a blessing. But, on the guarded lottery hikes, you don't have to worry about
crowds. They limit the numbers so you can maximize your enjoyment without running into a stream of people shuffling up and down a canyon.
Have a great time.

[eredluin]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I've never been to southern Utah, and really didn't know what area to visit first. I purchased Nicky Leach's Book on Zion, and it became obvious where I want to go. May is not my first choice. I would rather visit in September. So I leave September open as an option. May just fits into my work schedule better. I'd like to do both rim trails, emerald pools, Hop valley and Kolob arch, and Narrows. I'll have about 9 days to hike. I'm not one to race around from location to location. I'd rather take my time. I can always come back.
What do you think about my plan to see Zion? I'm not thrilled about all the people, but, like Glacier NP, sometimes you just have to go.
Thanks
Paul

[shaggy125]

It all depends on what kind of winter Zion has. Some years the river is running so high from snowmelt it's almost impossible to hike the narrows even from the bottom, other years you can do top down trips in May, its a gamble. Deep Creek (a tributary of the Virgin) drains some pretty high elevations so some years it can take a while for all that snow to melt. There could still be snow up on the mesa's in May, but again it all depends on how much they got over the winter. The bottom of the canyon sees little snow, but the top (including Hop Valley and the Kolob Canyons area) can see a few feet. If snowpack is low, or I'd guess even normal May is a good time to visit, if snowpack is high, you may not get to see everything you want to see. Just depends on the year.

Eric.

[Iceaxe]

Zion is at it's best in September....

My three favorite "hikes" in the park in order are:

Subway (from the top down)
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/subway.htm

Orderville Gulch
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/orderville.htm

The Narrows (from the top down)
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/narrows.htm

Your Milage May Vary....

[eredluin]

Orderville gulch looks cool. Thanks for the links Iceaxe. I'm really leaning towards September. 11 days ought to be nice. Maybe less people in Sept. too. It's a long time to wait. Living in the east really........

Paul

[erial]

Do both. Early May and late September. You oughta be able to get cheap flights to Vegas and cheap car rentals there.

You might want to do Wheeler/Great Basin as a separate trip. Better to combine Zion with a visit to Bryce and/or Grand Staircase/Escalante. Less car time.

For Zion hikes, explore Tanya's site:

http://www.zionnational-park.com/zio...ark-hiking.htm

[Cirrus2000]

Do both. Early May and late September. You oughta be able to get cheap flights to Vegas and cheap car rentals there.

That's the way to go! I think this year will be early April, maybe late May and late September. Then perhaps a quick, cold trip at the end of December...

Woo-hoo!!!

I spent a few days in Zion in late September '06 and mid October '07. What a great time of year...

[Deathcricket]

Welcome! Not sure if you made up your mind yet. But if you do end up going for the early trip, dont overlook "Hidden Canyon" or "Angel's Landing". They are amazing hikes, and everyone should do those 2 once or twice. They are paved though most of the way so it kind of removes the adventure factor.

Just do a google image search for "angles landing" and you'll see what I mean. And Hidden Canyon is never crowded once you get to the dry stream section because scrambling is required. If you can make it past the first couple rocks you'll have it all to yourself.

Whatever time you go, you'll be in for a treat. I actually moved here from San Diego I loved this place so much.

[Iceaxe]

Angel's Landing
http://www.climb-utah.com/Zion/angel.htm

If you do West Rim most folks just drop their packs at the turn off and knock it off.... takes about 30 minutes extra if doing it as part of West Rim....

....but yeah.... what he said.... Angel's Landing is nice.