Climbing

Seasonal climbing closures

Zion closes some climbing routes on March 1 to protect nesting raptors. Learn about this year's seasonal climbing closures before your plan your trip.

Climbing in Zion

Zion National Park's 2,000-foot sandstone cliffs are world renowned for their big wall climbs and adventurous nature. Most routes in the park are not recommended for inexperienced climbers due to difficulty and the soft nature of the rock. While areas outside of the park offer abundant sport climbing and top roping possibilities, this is rare in the park, with bolted routes often having sparse protection.

The best conditions for climbing are from March through May and September through early November. Temperatures in the summer can soar over 100 degrees even on shaded walls. Additionally, summer months often bring monsoonal rainstorms. Unlike other rock types, desert sandstone is heavily weakened when wet. Avoid climbing in damp areas or after rainstorms. It often takes two or more days for the rock to be dry enough to climb. This means that critical holds are more likely to break, altering routes for future climbers. Additionally, climbing protection is less likely to hold resulting in greater fall distances and chance of injury. A collection of a climber-submitted topos can be found at the Wilderness Desk at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center. The park suggests submitting topos of all first ascents here upon completion. This helps future generations locate climbs and adds to the historical record of climbing in Zion National Park.

 

 

Make a Reservation for an Overnight Climbing Permit

 

Read about park specific Climbing Regulations and recommendations.

 

Climbers may need to utilize the Wilderness Transportation options.

 

Plan Your Trip into the Zion Wilderness