Angels Landing is the hike that people who don't hike know by name. The 5.4-mile round trip from the Grotto Trailhead in Zion National Park gains 1,488 feet to a sandstone fin barely 5 feet wide at some points, with chain handholds bolted into the rock for the final half-mile to the summit. Below, the Virgin River gorge drops 1,500 feet. The exposure is real, the consequence of a fall is severe, and several people have died here. For those comfortable with heights and crowds, it is one of the most exhilarating walks in America.

The route climbs first through the shaded slot of Refrigerator Canyon, then attacks Walter's Wiggles — 21 precisely engineered switchbacks cut into the cliff face in the 1920s — before reaching Scout Lookout, where the well-maintained trail ends and the chains begin. The summit plateau of Angels Landing is roughly the size of a basketball court; the views of Zion Canyon from every edge are absolute. The hike is best done in early spring or late fall; summer heat and crowds on the chains are genuinely oppressive.

A permit is required to hike the chains section ($6/permit). Permits are issued via a seasonal lottery (apply 3 months in advance on Recreation.gov) and a day-before lottery (results at 3pm the prior day). Zion charges a $35 entrance fee. Dogs are not permitted. Shuttle to the Grotto Trailhead is required in season (no private vehicles on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive).