I Hiked Angel’s Landing and Didn’t Die
Angel’s Landing Overview Over a century ago, this massive sandstone cliff in Utah was discovered and Frederick Fisher remarked it was “so high only an angel could land on it.” The name stuck and now there is a trail by that name up the massive rock formation. It is inside the Zion National Park and provides stunning views of the Zion Canyon. The trail is just a short 2.5 miles to the summit. Sounds easy enough, right? Not so fast! Within that short 2.5 miles, you will gain about 1500 feet in elevation! Wait, there’s more! Not only is the trail very steep, but for about the last .25-.5 miles, the hiker must climb the spine of the rock assisted by chains. At it’s narrowest, the trail is a few feet wide with sheer drop offs on either side anywhere from 800 to 1000 feet. That would be a nasty stumble. Since 2000, 13 people have died on this trail. Most people opt to stop at Scout’s Lookout, a landing right before the cha...