Angels Landing & Scout Lookout: How the Permit Lottery Works & Hiking Walter's Wiggles

Jutting into the middle of Zion Canyon like the bow of a 454-metre-tall red sandstone battleship, named in 1916 when Methodist minister Frederick Vining Fisher joked that 'only an angel could land on it', Angels Landing is one of the most famous day hikes on Earth. Starting at Shuttle Stop #6 (The Grotto), the full hike is 8.7 kilometres (5.4 miles) round-trip with 453 vertical metres of elevation gain, taking 3.5 to 4.5 hours.

1. Hike 85% of the Trail to 'Scout Lookout' Without a Permit

Many visitors skip this trail if they miss the Angels Landing lottery, overlooking one of America's finest hikes. Rangers only check permits at Scout Lookout (3.4 km up the trail, after you have already climbed 340 of the 453 vertical metres):

• What You Experience Without a Permit: cross the Virgin River footbridge at The Grotto, climb the paved switchbacks into shaded Refrigerator Canyon, and conquer the 21 tight stone switchbacks of Walter's Wiggles (built in 1926). At the top you step onto Scout Lookout, looking 340 metres down onto the Big Bend of the Virgin River and straight at the spine of Angels Landing. Instead of turning right onto the chains, turn left and walk 15 minutes up the West Rim Trail to look down on Angels Landing from above with no permit required, or compare Observation Point.

2. How to Win an 'Angels Landing Permit' on recreation.gov

To prevent bottlenecks on the final 800-metre chained spine between Scout Lookout and the summit, the National Park Service issues permits via two online lotteries at recreation.gov (check the official site for current application fees):

1. The Seasonal Lottery (2 to 4 Months Ahead): opens for 20 days in January, April, July and October.
2. The 'Day-Before Lottery': roughly half of all permits are held back for the Day-Before Lottery. Log onto recreation.gov between midnight and mid-afternoon Mountain Time the day before your hike to select a morning or afternoon start window; results arrive by email late that afternoon. Ride an early shuttle or e-bike to reach the trailhead on time.