While you might be tempted to stand close to the edge of the trail for an awesome selfie, ask yourself: is this worth the risk of a fall? If not, perhaps reconsider your actions. While you can’t control other people’s actions, you can choose to travel to the park outside of peak season (read: summer) and plan to hike Angels Landing during the week instead of a weekend. Angels Landing is very popular, which means the trail is often overcrowded, which increases everyone’s risk of a fall, especially at the narrow sections of the path. Come prepared with proper hiking shoes or boots for the hike. Sandels, flip flops, penny loafers, and other non-technical hiking footwear are not appropriate for Angels Landing. Anyone hiking Angels Landing should be comfortable with the risk their assuming by making the climb. A hike up Angels Landing is NOT the time to push you or someone else into trying new things, especially if they’re unsteady on their feet or uncomfortable with heights. Only hike if you’re comfortable with it.If you’re looking to hike Angels Landing, here are our top tips for minimizing your risk: However, overcrowding on the trail, foul weather, inadequate footwear, and exceeding one’s own abilities can put a hiker at risk of injury or death on Angels Landing. This includes installing chains as a hand rail for hikers on the steepest and most exposed section of the trail, some half mile from the top.Īlso read: Feral Humans In National Parks? (Fact or Fiction) Of course, while anything can happen in the backcountry and no hike, especially one like Angels Landing is without risk, the National Park Service has taken large measures to help ensure the safety of hikers on Angels Landing.

Although the trail is steep, with plenty of exposure to the canyon floor below, conservative and skilled hikers can make their way up the 1,500 foot ascent to the top of Angels Landing with minimal issue. While the death toll on Angels Landing is enough to instill fear in the hearts of any would-be hiker, the Park Service maintains that the trail itself is suitable for experienced hikers with a good head for heights. The view of the Virgin River from Angels Landing Staying Safe on Your Angels Landing Hike Beyond that, investigators know little about the circumstances surrounding her death. The girl, who was hiking with her extended family in Zion, continued on a day hike up the trail alone after her family decided to turn back. Park Rangers and investigators believe that she died from a fall from Angels Landing. One of the most recent deaths on Angels Landing happened in February of 2018, when the body of a 13 year old girl from Southern Utah was found in Refrigerator Canyon, near the West Rim Trail. Here are some of the stories of falls on Angels Landing: 13 year old who died on Angels Landing While Angels Landing has seen 8 falling deaths since 2004, the Emerald Pools come in with a close second with 7 falling-related deaths in the park. Indeed, Zion National Park has recorded over 30 deaths by falling on nearly all of the park’s maintained trails. We’ll even give you some information on the hike so you can decide if Angels Landing is right for you! Here we go.Īngels Landing isn’t the only trail in Zion National Park where people have died.

In fact, the National Parks Service has recorded a total of eight deaths on Angels Landing since 2004, with all of them as a result of falling off the trail’s steep cliffs.Ĭoming up, we’ll talk about the dangers of Angels Landing and the hike’s history of accidents. Unfortunately, it is true that people have died hiking Angels Landing. While a chain anchored to the ground offers hikers a good hand hold for the steepest and most narrow section of the climb, anyone who looks at the hike has to wonder: Has anyone died hiking Angels Landing?

The hike is so steep that hikers almost always need to use their hands and feet to scramble up to the summit. The hike gains some 1,488 feet (453m) over 2.7 miles (4.2km) of strenuous uphill climbing providing hikers with some of the bests views in Zion National Park.Īngels Landing starts at the base of Zion Canyon and follows a narrow, highly exposed ridge to a summit with panoramic views. Pehaps the most well-known hiking trail in Zion National Park, Angels Landing is an exciting day hiking opportunity for anyone on a trip to one of the United States’ most popular national parks.

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