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*Due to toxic cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in the water throughout Zion National Park, DO NOT drink from any streams in the park. Bring all the water you may need for your hike.
The Subway hike is the best trail and the most epic adventure in Zion National Park. As one of the most famous trails in Zion, the Subway is known for its vivid emerald pools, waterfalls, river crossings, and iconic tunnel-shape slot canyon. Although there are 2 ways to hike to The Subway, the “bottom-up” route allows hikers to get to The Subway up the Left Fork of North Creek without needing specialized canyoneering gear or skills! Hiking through ankle to knee-deep water and scrambling along boulders makes this a unique experience.
After hiking the bottom-up (non-technical) route to The Subway in May 2024, I can confidently say it is an adventure of a lifetime and one of my all-time favorite hikes!
In this ultimate hiking guide for The Subway hike in Zion National Park, I’ll share with you:
Everyone has heard of the famous water hike in Zion National Park, The Narrows. But most don’t even realize there is an even BETTER water hike than the Narrows - The Subway hike. Not only will you be hiking through ankle to knee-deep water along the Left Fork of North Creek, but you’ll be scrambling through multiple sections of boulders!
One of the best, cannot-miss hikes in Zion National Park is The Subway hike. Located 40 minutes outside of the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, The Subway is famous for its incredible tunnel-like formation, series of slot canyons and waterfalls, and vibrant pools.
There are two routes to hike to The Subway in Zion:
As one of the top hikes in Zion National Park, anybody looking to hike to The Subway requires a wilderness permit, no matter which route you take. Since only 80 wilderness permits are available each day, hiking to The Subway is one of the least crowded hikes in all of Zion National Park. Believe it or not, we experienced a tranquil 45 minutes at The Subway alone!
After visiting a handful of times and completing some of the best hikes in Zion National Park, the Subway hike is hands down my top hike in Zion!
Permits are REQUIRED to hike to the Subway, regardless of whether you are doing the bottom-up (non-technical) route or the top-down (canyoneering) route. With 80 hiking permits available per day to hike to The Subway, winning permits is extremely difficult, especially since it’s one of the top hikes in Zion.
For a chance to win a permit, you will need to enter an online lottery by the lottery application deadline. If you win the lottery, you’ll be awarded a permit to hike The Subway.
Fortunately, there are 3 ways to get a Subway hiking permit:
Check out my post “How to Hike to Get a Permit To Hike The Subway in 2024 (Best Hike in Zion National Park)” for my detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to get a permit to hike The Subway in Zion.
If you are hiking to The Subway in Zion National Park, don't forget to pick up your permit in person before your hike at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center Wilderness Desk. We picked up our permits the day before our hike to The Subway. Make sure to allocate enough time to pick up your permits, since the Wilderness Desk is a 40-minute drive from The Subway trailhead.
*Entering the lottery does not guarantee a permit to hike The Subway.
To hike to The Subway along the bottom-up route, you will start and end your hike at the Left Fork Trailhead, located in the Kolob Terrace area of Zion National Park.
To get to the Left Fork Trailhead from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center:
*Note: before heading to the trailhead to start your hike, don't forget to pick up your permit in person at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center Wilderness Desk!
Since this is a backcountry, wilderness route there is no marked “official” trail and minimal signage to direct hikers. It's challenging to know if you’re “going the right way”. However, there are plenty of unofficial social trails (paths created by other hikers over time) that will help guide you to The Subway. And as long as you follow the river, it will lead you to The Subway! Expect to get wet with multiple river crossings.
Since the trail can be difficult to find and follow, I highly recommend:
The hike to The Subway along the bottom-up route can be split into 3 sections:
From the Left Fork Trailhead, you’ll hike along the trail through the woods until you get to the canyon rim with breathtaking views. Continue along this trail to descend roughly 1,300 feet (400 meters) along the canyon to the canyon floor, where you’ll find the river to The Subway. Since this section is extremely steep on loose terrain, take your time descending.
Once you’ve descended the canyon to the bottom, you’ll reach the junction of the trail and the river. It’s critical to make a mental note of your surroundings and where you came from. This junction is where you need to remember to exit to hike up and out of the canyon back to the trailhead…YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS EXIT! There are no signs on the trail to help hikers find the exit.
To help me remember where this exit out of the canyon was, I took pictures and videos of my surroundings on my phone. I even marked a waypoint on my Garmin inReach mini to help me navigate my hike out of The Subway and back to the trailhead.
Continue to follow the river towards The Subway. There aren’t any official trails, but you’ll see plenty of unofficial trails you can follow that other hikers created to get to The Subway. Enjoy the river crossings and boulder scrambles! This is what makes this hike so exciting! We also saw plenty of wildlife, including small, silver frogs, fish, and a snake.
Enjoy hiking through several waterfalls until the canyon walls start to narrow…this is where you’ve officially entered the mouth of The Subway!
This is the most epic section of the hike! As you hike through the unique tubular canyon formation, enjoy the feeling of the canyon walls curving around you. Soon, you’ll encounter multiple emerald-colored pools that I found incredibly mesmerizing, especially as the light peaked through the canyon.
As you continue hiking towards the back of The Subway, there is a section where you get into the water and hike through a small section of narrow slot canyons to a 20-foot waterfall. As a water lover, I stripped down to my underwear and hopped in to explore! The water was above my waist, but it was refreshing to cool off from the hike.
The most surreal experience was enjoying the beauty of The Subway by ourselves for about 45 minutes!
Once you’re ready to hike out of The Subway, hike back towards the trailhead along the same route you hiked in on. Now that you are familiar with the trail, hiking out should feel much easier. Just be sure not to miss the exit back up the canyon to the trailhead!
Hiking up the canyon will be steep and strenuous. It was tough for us to do this in 90F weather, but we hydrated, took multiple breaks, and took our time. But the challenge was worth it after such an incredible experience at The Subway!
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The “bottom-up” route to The Subway in Zion National Park is a 9-mile round trip hike (on an out-and-back trail), which took us 8 hours to complete in May 2024.
Although it took us some time to figure out where the trail was at some points along the hike, we hiked to The Subway at a leisurely pace and enjoyed a 30-minute lunch break at the entrance of The Subway. Once inside The Subway, we took advantage of the solitude and enjoyed the emerald pools and unique canyon formations for about 45 minutes before heading back to the trailhead.
I found hiking to The Subway on the bottom-up, non-canyoneering route to be challenging and physically strenuous for the following 3 reasons:
Zion National Park currently does not allow commercial guiding in the Zion Wilderness / Backcountry area, which includes the popular Subway hike. Which means you will not be able to find a guided hike to The Subway. Instead, if you do get a permit, your hike to The Subway will be self-guided.
As one of the top hikes I’ve ever done, I can confidently say that hiking to The Subway is 1,000,000% worth it! Especially if you love a good water adventure and are a geology nerd. This hike is packed with adventure with multiple river crossings and scrambles. But the highlights of hiking to The Subway are the many waterfalls, breathtakingly vivid emerald pools, and the incredible subway shape of this unique slot canyon! I’ve honestly never seen anything like it. Even as physically strenuous as the hike is and how difficult it is to get a permit, hiking to The Subway is an adventure of a lifetime and worth it!
To hike the bottom-up, non-technical route to The Subway in Zion, you will not need canyoneering gear. When I hiked this trail in May 2024, I wore my typical hiking attire and footwear and packed enough sun protection, water, and food.
For a detailed packing list for what to wear and shoes you need to hike The Subway, check out my gear guide "Everything You Need to Bring to Hike The Narrows and The Subway in Zion National Park".
During our hike to The Subway in May, we hiked in 90F temperatures…it was HOT! If you're hiking during warmer weather, I recommend wearing hiking clothes that are quick-drying, breathable, and non-cotton. Since cotton absorbs moisture, your clothes will stay wet as you sweat during your hike, making it difficult to regulate your body temperature. This is especially dangerous if hiking in colder temperatures - wet clothes will make you feel (and stay) cold. Instead, opt for clothing made from merino wool, bamboo, polyester, or nylon!
Here’s what I wore to hike to The Subway and The Narrows in Zion National Park:
Hiking to The Subway in Zion National Park requires river crossings and hiking through the water that is ankle and even thigh-deep! No matter how hard you try, you will get wet!
If you're trying to figure out what kind of shoes to wear to hike to The Subway (and even The Narrows), I recommend closed-toed shoes with good traction on the soles, like hiking boots or trail running shoes. Although I have hiked The Narrows twice in hiking sandals (like Chacos or Tevas), it's better to wear closed-toed shoes to protect your feet from getting crushed or stuck in loose boulders and rocks you hike on.
And depending on what time of year you hike The Subway or The Narrows, the water temperature can be COLD. Although the water temperature ranges from 40F - 45F during the winter months, the water is still cold in the summer months, ranging from 50F - 65F! Deciding on whether to wear regular hiking socks vs. neoprene socks (for additional insulation) is based on personal preference. I don't run cold, so I've always worn merino wool hiking socks when hiking The Subway and The Narrows during spring and summer and have felt comfortable. But if you prefer to wear neoprene socks and boots to hike to The Subway or The Narrows, you can rent hiking gear from local outfitters near Zion National Park for as low as $29/day.
We experienced water temperatures of about 50F - 55Ff when hiking to The Subway in May. Here are the shoes and footwear I wore to hike to The Subway:
*Due to the toxic cyanobacteria in the river, do not ingest or drink water from the river! While checking in at the wilderness desk to get our hiking permits, the ranger emphasized that we can't even use water filters or treatment methods to make the water from the river safe enough to drink.
There are NO WATER SOURCES at the trailhead or along the trail. Bring all the water you need for the day, especially if you’re hiking during the summer season. The rule of thumb is to drink a half liter every hour of moderate activity in moderate temperatures. If it’s hot out or I’m doing a strenuous hike, I’ll bring more water.
Hiking to the Subway in 90F temperatures, here’s everything I packed to stay hydrated on the trail:
Even with this amount of water, I ran out as soon as I finished the hike out and made it back to my car at the trailhead.
Most of the hike to The Subway is completely exposed with little shade. It’s critical to pack enough sun protection, including:
As mentioned, there is no official or marked trail to hike the to The Subway in Zion. As a backcountry trail, it can be difficult to know where to hike, making it easy to miss the exit out of the canyon. Be familiar with the trail before your hike and pack a copy of the map!
As one of the best and most epic hikes in Zion National Park (honestly, it’s one of the best I’ve ever done), The Subway hike on the bottom-up route deserves to be on your adventure bucket list! There’s nothing more surreal than hiking across multiple waterfalls along beautifully colored canyons to emerald pools and the unique tunnel shape that makes The Subway so famous.
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