The Subway

Zion National Park Wilderness Area

We scored a coveted permit for The Subway in Zion National Park last month. Normally, Zion NP (while stunningly beautiful) is a no-go for me when the shuttles are running (March 1 - November 1) due to crowding, long lines and everything that goes along with that. It’s the Disney World of national parks. This hike, however, starts and ends in Zion’s wilderness area….no shuttles, no lines and limited to 80 people per day!

Couldn’t escape without at least one pain in the ass, though. Zion requires that these permits be picked up in person at the Wilderness Desk in the visitor center the DAY BEFORE your hike. This is so that the ranger can lecture you, try to scare you, etc. We elected to drive up in the van, stand 7th in line behind foreign tourists asking questions unrelated to the wilderness area, get our permit and find a boondocking site near the trailhead.

Our neighbors met us at the trailhead early the next morning and off we went. If you clicked the link above for the The Subway, please note that the AllTrails description is incorrect. The out and back distance is between 10 and 11 miles. It also describes it as the technical canyoneering route. This is not the case. No ropes necessary.

The first part of the trail descends you into the canyon where you’ll enjoy dry (and warm!) feet for a while with some occasional rock hopping. The first interesting sight are some well preserved and easy to find dinosaur tracks.

After around 2.5 miles, you’ll find it necessary to switch out hiking boots with water shoes as you’ll be in and out of the creek from here on out. There are several beautiful waterfalls along the way as well.

The payoff at the end is quite stunning.

By the way, remember that initial descent into the canyon at the beginning of the hike? Well, the ascent out really sucks as the 10th or 11th mile of the day.

Summer 2025 Trip starts in a week!

Stay tuned!