A stone cairn on a red sandstone ledge beside the Angels Landing ridge, looking down Zion Canyon to the green valley floor under a blue sky

Angels Landing Hike: Permit, Lottery and the Chains

The hike is one day. The permit is the part you plan months ahead.

2.7 mi · 1 day · Hard
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Angels Landing is a rock fin in the middle of Zion Canyon, reached by a trail that starts at the Grotto shuttle stop. The park gives 5.4 miles (8.7 km) round trip with 1,488 feet (454 m) of climb, and says most hikers take around 4 hours. That 1,488 feet (454 m) is the total climb, and the 5.4 miles (8.7 km) is out and back, about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) each way. Most of that climb comes before the part everyone talks about: it is about 2.25 miles (3.6 km) and 1,000 feet (305 m) from the Grotto to Scout Lookout, and then a half mile (0.8 km) of narrow ridge with a chain to the top.

The decision that matters is the permit. You do not need one to walk to Scout Lookout. You need one to go past it, every day, and it comes only from a lottery on Recreation.gov. The seasonal lottery opens for 20 days once a quarter, months ahead, and a second lottery opens the day before the hike. Read the permit section below before you book flights, because a permit is far easier to plan around than to hope for.

If you do not get one, or if heights are not for you, Scout Lookout is the honest place to turn around: the park calls it a reasonable stopping point, and you have already done most of the distance and climb. The West Rim Trail beyond it, which needs no permit, gives views over Angels Landing and Zion Canyon. The hike here is one day, from the Grotto and back the same way.

The Route on the Map

The line from start to finish, with the start and the end marked.

Loading map...

Elevation Profile

Highest 5,790 ft (1,765 m) · lowest 4,300 ft (1,311 m)

5,790 ft4,300 ft
0 mi2.7 mi (4.4 km)

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified. Elevations: USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain).

The Route

From start to finish in one day.

  1. A metal chain handrail on the narrow rock ridge of Angels Landing, with steep drops on both sides

    The Grotto to Angels Landing and back

    The Grotto trailhead (Shuttle Stop 6)toAngels Landing summit

    Distance
    2.7 mi 4.4 km

    To Scout Lookout, no permit needed. The West Rim Trail climbs from the Grotto for about 2.25 miles (3.6 km) and 1,000 feet (305 m). The park calls this stretch strenuous. It covers most of the distance and most of the climb of the whole hike. The switchbacks known as Walter's Wiggles come just before Scout Lookout. Scout Lookout is the viewpoint where the chains section starts, and where a ranger may check your permit.

    Scout Lookout to the summit, permit required. From the lookout the trail follows a narrow ridge for the last half mile (0.8 km) to Angels Landing, with a single metal chain to hold and a drop on both sides. The route is two-way, so there are places where only one person fits and the park asks you to communicate and take turns. Take your time, let faster hikers pass when there is room, and do not leave the path.

    The way back. You return by the same trail: the chains, Scout Lookout, then the long descent to the Grotto, where the shuttle back to the visitor center leaves. Allow for the hike and for the last bus, which leaves in the early evening in fall, an hour earlier from late October; see the shuttle notes above.

    Water
    Drinkable water only at the Grotto shuttle stop; none on the trail.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Most people cannot connect to a mobile network in Zion Canyon.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Andrew Heneen, CC BY 4.0

Permits

A permit is required

Everyone who hikes the chains section from Scout Lookout to Angels Landing needs a permit, every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You do not need one to walk to Scout Lookout. Permits come only from online lotteries on Recreation.gov; none are sold at the park, and there are none on the day itself. Hiking the chains without one is a violation that Recreation.gov says carries a fine of up to 5,000 USD.

Cost: 6 USD per application (non-refundable, up to 6 people including you) plus 3 USD per person only if you win. Permit holders also pay the park entrance fee at the gate unless they have a federal recreation pass.

What the permit says: the confirmation email is the permit, so print it or save it before you reach the canyon. A ranger can ask for it and a photo ID at the Grotto, at Scout Lookout or anywhere on the trail, at any hour. The permit holder or listed alternate has to be with the group, and permits cannot be transferred or moved to another date. The start time on the permit is when you start from the Grotto.

One application per person: Recreation.gov allows each person one application per lottery. A second application by the same person to the same lottery voids all of them, with no refund. Name the others in your group on that one application (up to six including you), and pick an alternate then, because the alternate cannot be changed afterwards.

Which lottery to enter: the park says around half of each day's permits go to the seasonal lottery and the rest to the day-before lottery, along with any seasonal permits that get cancelled. Recreation.gov says the daily total varies from a few hundred to over 800, and that weekends and holidays have more applicants and lower odds. So the best plan is to enter the seasonal lottery for the quarter you will be in Zion, rank up to seven dates and times, and enter the day-before lottery for any day you still have no permit. If your plans change, cancel a seasonal permit at least two days ahead, which refunds the 3 USD per person and returns the permit to the day-before pool.

The lottery

Seasonal lottery: you apply for one quarter at a time, between 8 a.m. on the 1st and 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on the 20th of the month. Hikes from March 1 to May 31: apply January 1 to 20, results January 25. June 1 to August 31: apply April 1 to 20, results April 25. September 1 to November 30: apply July 1 to 20, results July 25. December 1 to February 28: apply October 1 to 20, results October 25. Everyone who applies in the window has the same odds, and the draw is ranked choice, so a lower-ranked date can still come through. Day-before lottery: the day before your hike, any time from 12:01 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mountain Time, with the result by 4 p.m.; a day-before permit cannot be changed or refunded. As a dated example, the winter 2026-27 seasonal window closed on October 20, 2026 and day-before lotteries for those dates run from November 30, 2026 to February 27, 2027; the window for March to May 2027 opens January 1, 2027. Fees and dates are as the park and Recreation.gov listed them in November 2026.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Angels Landing Hike, and how to get home from the end.

The start

The Grotto, Shuttle Stop 6, on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Most hikers start here, and the park says the start time on the permit is the time you need to be at the Grotto, so leave time to get there. Recreation.gov offers three start windows when you apply: before 9 a.m., 9 a.m. to noon, and after noon. Because you can rank up to seven dates and times, an early window is the one to rank first in the warm months, when heat and a long wait for the shuttle both matter. For most of the year you ride the free shuttle from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center.

The end

The hike is out and back, so you finish at the Grotto, the same stop where you started, and ride the shuttle back to the visitor center.

Shuttle

The park shuttle is free and needs no permit, ticket or reservation. In the 2026 schedule the Zion Canyon Line runs from September 13 to November 28, with the last bus leaving the visitor center at 6 p.m. until October 24 and 5 p.m. from October 25. Buses leave the last stop, the Temple of Sinawava, at 7:15 p.m. until October 24 and 6:15 p.m. from October 25. There is no service from November 29 to December 25, and a shortened schedule from December 26 to January 2. The park posts the schedule each season, so check its shuttle page for your date. It warns not to wait for the last bus: if it is full or you miss it, you may have to walk back to the visitor center.

Parking

When shuttles run, park at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center or in Springdale and ride in, because private vehicles cannot drive the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive while the shuttles are in season, even before they start or after they stop. In the few weeks of winter and spring when shuttles do not run, you drive yourself to the Grotto trailhead. Parking is limited, Recreation.gov says it is not guaranteed there, and if it is full you may have to park farther away and walk back to the trail. The park can close the scenic drive when parking fills. As a dated note, the 2026-27 shuttle schedule includes December 26 to January 2, and the drive is closed to private vehicles while the shuttle runs.

Safety

  • The chains. The last half mile (0.8 km) from Scout Lookout runs along a narrow ridge with a single metal chain to hold. The park says most of the fatal accidents on this hike since 1930 have been on this section. The permit quota exists to keep the ridge from feeling crowded, rushed or unsafe, as Recreation.gov puts it, but a permit day can still be busy at the narrow spots. Stay on the path, stay within reach of the chain where there is one, take turns on stretches where only one person fits, let faster hikers pass and be patient with slower ones. The park suggests anyone afraid of heights stop at Scout Lookout; you can split a group there and meet again at a set time.

  • Weather and rock. The park says not to go up with storm clouds in the area, on wet or icy ground, if you have any fear of heights, or if it is dark or will be dark before you finish. It says the rock is very slick when wet and that most accidents on the chains happen in wet conditions. Thunderstorms can happen any time and are more common in the afternoon. If you see storm clouds coming, stop, do not keep climbing and begin to descend if you can.

  • Winter ice. Recreation.gov says ice and snow may cover substantial parts of the trail through winter and calls it extremely dangerous when icy or snowy. The park says the chains are very cold in winter. A permit does not make the trail safe or open; the park can close it at any time, and you decide whether to use a permit on the day.

  • Heat and water. Recreation.gov says extreme heat together with the absence of drinking water has led to rescues in this permit area. The park suggests 1 gallon (4 liters) per person per day, and says water is available only at the Grotto stop, nothing drinkable on the trail, so fill up before you start.

  • Time. The park says most hikers take around 4 hours, some longer. It advises a flashlight or headlamp with new batteries, some food and extra water in case you finish later than planned, and checking the shuttle schedule so you do not miss the last bus.

  • Rockfall and what you drop. Rockfall can happen at any time near cliff faces. If rocks fall and you cannot move away from the base of a cliff, shelter behind the largest nearby boulder and pull your pack over your head. Never throw or kick anything off the ridge: the park notes that climbers are often below and birds nest there.

  • Help. In an emergency try to call 911. Most people cannot connect to a mobile network in Zion Canyon, so if you have no service find a ranger or park volunteer on the trail or at a trailhead. There are no trash cans on the trail, and the park asks you to pack out all trash and to carry out solid human waste in a bag; flush toilets are at the visitor center and the Grotto.

Angels Landing Hike: FAQ

Do you need a permit to hike Angels Landing?

Yes, for the half mile of chains from Scout Lookout to the summit, every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You do not need a permit to walk the West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout. The permit comes from a lottery on Recreation.gov.

How do you get an Angels Landing permit?

Apply in the seasonal lottery, which opens on the 1st and closes on the 20th of January, April, July and October for the following quarter, or in the day-before lottery, open from 12:01 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mountain Time the day before your hike. Both are on Recreation.gov. There are no permits at the park and none on the day itself.

How much does an Angels Landing permit cost?

6 USD per application, which covers up to 6 people and is not refundable, plus 3 USD per person if you win. A seasonal permit can be cancelled until two days before for a refund of the 3 USD per person; a day-before permit cannot be changed or refunded. You also pay the park entrance fee unless you have a federal recreation pass.

Can you hike to Scout Lookout without a permit?

Yes. The park says you can hike about 2.25 miles (3.6 km) from the Grotto to Scout Lookout on the West Rim Trail without a permit, a climb of 1,000 feet (305 m). The chains section starts there and does need one.

How long does the Angels Landing hike take?

Around 4 hours for most hikers, the park says, and some take longer. Add the shuttle ride in and the wait for it, and check the schedule so you do not miss the last bus.

Where does the Angels Landing hike start?

At the Grotto, Shuttle Stop 6. The time printed on your permit is when you need to be at the Grotto. For most of the year you reach it by the free park shuttle from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center; when the shuttle is not running you drive and park near the trailhead if there is room.

Is there water on the Angels Landing trail?

No. The park says you can fill bottles at the Grotto shuttle stop but will not find drinkable water anywhere else on the trail. It suggests 1 gallon (4 liters) per person per day.

Is Angels Landing safe in winter?

Not always. Recreation.gov says ice and snow may cover substantial parts of the trail through winter and that it is extremely dangerous when icy or snowy. The park can close the trail at any time, and a permit is an opportunity, not a guarantee. Check the conditions on the day.

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