Angels Landing
Zion, UT
Elevation Profile
Current Conditions
Bottom Line
Good conditions for Angels Landing this week — clear skies, mild temps, and no fires. The main things to manage are the short November daylight window (sunset 5:26 PM) and a 50% rain chance Friday afternoon. Plan your summit push for mid-morning and be off the chains before 3 PM to comfortably beat darkness.
61°/38°F · Clear
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0" depth
Elevated flows · 5 gauges
No active fires within 50 miles
10h 18m daylight · Sunrise 7:08 AM · Sunset 5:26 PM
Full Briefing
Weather is about as good as November in Zion gets. Highs of 61°F Wednesday and 59°F Thursday under clear skies with light winds under 12 mph — no concerns there. Friday brings a change: 50% chance of light rain by afternoon with partly sunny skies and SE winds to 10 mph. If your exit is Friday, get moving early. Wet sandstone on the Angels Landing chains and final exposed ridge is genuinely slick and significantly more dangerous than dry conditions — this is worth timing your day around.
Daylight is the quiet management issue on this trip. You've got 10h 18m of usable daylight with sunset at 5:26 PM. The Angels Landing summit push from the trailhead and back is typically 4–5 hours for a loaded backpacker. If you're camping at Camps 1–3 along the West Rim and doing the summit as a side trip, fine — just leave camp no later than 9 AM if you want any margin. Don't rely on golden hour light on the descent; the exposed chain sections are not where you want to be navigating in fading light or headlamp.
The stream flow data attached to this briefing comes from Central California gauges that are geographically irrelevant to Zion Canyon — disregard those numbers. Virgin River flows through Zion are managed seasonally and November is typically low and easily passable. No snowmelt inputs given 0" snowpack at all regional SNOTEL stations, nights holding at 38–40°F, and no precipitation through Thursday — flows should remain stable and low through your trip.
No fires within 50 miles, no snow, no avalanche terrain involved. Pack a layer for 38–40°F nights but the days are genuinely pleasant. If you're on the West Rim Trail above 6,500 ft, temps will run a few degrees cooler than canyon floor but nothing dramatic given the forecast. Friday rain is your only real variable — either plan your summit for Wednesday or Thursday, or be prepared to move early on Friday before the precipitation arrives.
Waypoints
Grotto Trailhead
Start from the Grotto picnic area. Take the Zion Canyon shuttle to the Grotto stop.
3,999 ft
Walters Wiggles
21 brutal switchbacks cut into the cliff. The relentless climb before the views.
5,400 ft
Scout Lookout
Many hikers turn around here. Views are already spectacular. Chains begin beyond.
5,600 ft
Angels Landing Summit
Narrow summit fin. 1,488 feet above the canyon floor. Views in all directions.
5,784 ft
Route Details
Distance
5.4 mi
Elevation Gain
1,490 ft
Elevation Loss
1,490 ft
Max Elevation
5,784 ft
Estimated Days
1
Trailhead
Grotto Trailhead
Best Season
Spring and fall best. Summer too hot—start at dawn. Chains icy after rain/snow. Permit required for chains section.
Permit Required
Permit required for the chains section beyond Scout Lookout. Day-before lottery and advance lottery at recreation.gov.
About This Route
Angels Landing is the signature hike of Zion National Park—a vertiginous scramble up chains and rock to a narrow sandstone fin 1,488 feet above the valley floor. The final half-mile to the summit requires hand-over-hand scrambling on chains bolted into the cliff face, with steep drop-offs on both sides. The route climbs relentlessly from the canyon floor, first ascending a paved trail, then ascending Walter's Wiggles—21 short steep switchbacks cut directly into the cliff face—before reaching Scout Lookout. Most hikers stop at Scout Lookout, which offers exceptional views. Beyond Scout Lookout, the chains section is for those comfortable with exposure. People have died on Angels Landing. The falls have been from both the chains section and the summit plateau. Don't attempt in wet or icy conditions. The park service installed a permit system to reduce crowding on the chains section and improve safety. The best times are spring and fall when temperatures are moderate. Summer is brutally hot—start at dawn. October-April has the lowest crowds but the chains can be icy after rain or snow.
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