Beaches, boats, dinner, and the logistics in between.

Everything you need to plan a St. John trip: real prices, honest drawbacks, and the date we last checked every page. We earn a commission on some bookings, and nothing at all for calling something good.

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Leinster Bay · CC0

9 pages, every one checked today. See what changed.

We take no placement fees. Operators cannot pay to rank higher here, and our recommendations are ranked by what we think is best.

Trails

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  Angels Landing

  5.4 miles, 1,488 feet, and a half-mile of chains along a fin with drops on both sides. The permit covers the last part, not the rest.

  5.4 mi 1,488 ft Permit
• 

  The Narrows, bottom-up

  No permit, no trail. You walk up the Virgin River between thousand-foot walls until you have had enough, then walk back. Closes above 150 CFS.

  9.4 mi 334 ft

• Observation Point

  A higher view than Angels Landing, no permit, and no chains. The old route is closed and most sites still say the hike is — it is not.

  6.6 mi 700 ft

• Canyon Overlook

  One mile, an hour, and a view down the whole switchbacked canyon. The best return on effort in Zion — and the parking lot holds about twelve cars.

  1 mi 163 ft
• 

  Watchman Trail

  3.3 miles from the Visitor Center parking lot, no shuttle required, and almost nobody on it. The most overlooked hike in Zion because it starts at stop one.

  3.3 mi 368 ft

Compare every trail → by permit, drop-offs, distance and whether you end up in the river.

Planning guides

• Angels Landing permits, and how people get this wrong

  You cannot just turn up. Two lotteries, $6 plus $3 a head, and a 2.25-mile hike you can do without any permit at all.

  Checked Sep 18, 2026

• The Zion shuttle, and why you cannot drive the canyon

  For most of the year the Scenic Drive is closed to private cars. Nine stops, free to ride, no reservation — and the one thing that ruins mornings.

  Checked Sep 18, 2026

• Where to stay near Zion

  Springdale puts you inside walking distance and sells out months ahead. Everywhere else is cheaper and costs you the mornings. The real trade, priced.

  Checked Sep 18, 2026

• Do you actually need a car at Zion?

  You cannot drive the canyon for most of the year, so the car is for getting here and for the trails outside it. Which airport you fly into decides the rest.

  Checked Sep 18, 2026