Utah · April 15 – 20, 2026

Zion

Climbing · Canyoneering · Hiking
Travis  ·  Anne
6Days
~6,200Vertical Feet
~30Trail Miles
9.5Subway Miles

The Map

OpenStreetMap topo tiles. Tap a marker for details.

⬇ Download GPX for offline map apps Import into Gaia GPS, CalTopo, or Avenza for true backcountry use without cell service.

The Itinerary

Chronological day-by-day.

Day 1 · Wed Apr 15
Vegas → Zion
Travel day
3:45 PMFlyAnne lands LAS
Allegiant G4 10 · Harry Reid International
6:00 PMPickupIndie Campers van pickup
6:30 PMDriveLas Vegas → Springdale2h 40m · 160 mi
I-15 N → UT-9 E. Last groceries at St. George (~1 hr in).
~9:30 PMCampWatchman Campground · Site A029
Loop A · 1 night only · recreation.gov
Day 2 · Thu Apr 16
Ashtar + East Zion
Climb + canyoneering
7:00 AMCampA029 → A008 site transfer
New site for nights 2–4 · recreation.gov
7:30 AMTravelGear rental — Zion Outfitters
MorningClimbAshtar Command
No permit required · Ataxia Tower is OPEN per 2026 NPS raptor guide (stand-alone tower, excluded from Tunnel Wall closure)
AfternoonCanyonMonument Hollow~50 min ea way
East Zion · no permit. Start 37.21371,-112.71116 → End 37.20078,-112.71398
EveningCampWatchman A008
Day 3 · Fri Apr 17
The Subway
Top-down canyoneering · 9.5 mi
5:30 AMCanyonSubway Top-Down~50 min to TH
  • Permit required — lottery / day-before
  • Wildcat TH → Russell Gulch → Subway → Left Fork TH
  • 9.5 mi · 9–11 hrs · multiple rappels + swims
EveningCampWatchman A008
Day 4 · Sat Apr 18
Choose your day
Lady Mountain or The Narrows
Option AClimbLady Mountain · Chimney Sweep
Option BClimbLady Mountain · Original route
Classic, less route-finding ambiguity
Option CHikeThe Narrows (bottom-up)
Shuttle to Temple of Sinawava · out-and-back to Big Spring (~10 mi RT) · drysuit for April flows
EveningCampWatchman A008
Day 5 · Sun Apr 19
Led by Sheep → Vegas
Climb, break camp, drive to Vegas
MorningClimbLed by Sheep · Confluence
Half-day climb.
~2:00 PMCampCheck out of Watchman A008
~3:00 PMDriveSpringdale → Las Vegas2h 40m
EveningCampLuxor lot (tentative)
Day 6 · Mon Apr 20
Departures
Van return, flights
7:30 AMDropDrop Travis at LAS
9:28 AMFlyTravis · United UA 1590
10:30 AMReturnAnne returns Indie Campers van
3:17 PMFlyAnne · Allegiant G4 9

Open Items

Before we go.

  • Subway shuttle: Drive to Left Fork TH (exit), catch shuttle to Wildcat Canyon TH (entry). Book Zion Adventure shuttle or confirm schedule.
  • Vegas overnight parking: Find overnight van parking in Las Vegas for Sun Apr 19. Luxor lot? Casino RV parking? Confirm before trip.

Raptor Closures

NPS seasonal climbing closures — peregrine falcons & California condors.

Zion closes select cliffs March 1 – late summer each year to protect nesting raptors. Per the 2026 Guide to Seasonal Raptor Closures, none of our planned objectives are affected:

  • Ashtar Command / Ataxia Tower — OPEN. Ataxia Tower is a stand-alone formation explicitly excluded from the Tunnel Wall closure. All routes (Ashtar Command, Woods Route, Feeling Minnesota, Ground Control) are open.
  • Lady Mountain — not listed in the closure guide.
  • Led by Sheep / Aires Butte — not listed. East Zion, outside the main canyon closure areas.

The 12 closure areas are: Angels Landing, Cable Mtn, Great White Throne, East Temple, Isaac Peak, Mt. Spry, Tunnel Wall (main wall only), The Sentinel, Streaked Wall, Mtn of the Sun / N. Twin Brother, Mt. Kinesava. In 2026, NPS will no longer monitor territories — instead climber reports to the Zion Climbing Coalition will help reopen cliffs before the August opening date.

Still check the website day-of — additional closures can happen for rockfall, condor nesting, or other events.

Meal Planning

5 breakfasts · 4 lunches · 5 dinners · shop in St. George on the drive in.

Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snack
Wed · Apr 15 — (travel)
Thu · Apr 16 PB & J Chili
Fri · Apr 17 Salami Sandwich Chicken, Rice, Adobo Sauce
Sat · Apr 18 Chicken, Pesto, Pasta
Sun · Apr 19 Chicken Curry & Rice
Mon · Apr 20 — (travel) — (travel)