Posted by Phillip Noll on October 13, 2009 at 12:27 PM
I'm planning on hiking to the Subway in Zion within a few weeks. Haven't been there before so I thought I would ask those of you who have for some advice. I'll be hiking up from the bottom.
1.) How long does it take (on average) to get to the Subway when hiking up from the bottom?
2.) What time of day has the best light at the Subway?
3.) How strenuous is the hike?
4.) Would you recommend both hiking boots and water shoes? How much hiking is actually in the stream?
5.) Any other advice?
1. It's approx. 4 to 4.5 miles each way. Plan on 3ish hours depending on how fast you hike.
2. The cascades, which are about 1/4 mile before the subway, are usually good around 10:00 - 11:00ish in the morning. The large wall behind you will reflect light to the wall in your shot of the cascades. The Subway is usually good from around noon to mid-afternoon with the reflected light coming into the "tube". Be certain to time your hike in so you get back to the hill before dark. You'll know what hill I'm talking about once you start hiking for about 15 minutes.
3. Lots of stream crossings and climbing over small hills. You'll feel it the next day.
4. Hiking boots should be fine. You should be able to avoid walking in water until you get to the Subway itself. Then, you can easily walk around in about 1/4 to 1/2" of water.
5. Start hiking at least 1/2 to 1 hour before sunrise to get to the cascades in time to shoot. Be extremely careful in the subway since the moss has grown back in the last couple of years. It's super slippery and you can easily fall down. I can't stress this enough.
There are some neat dinosaur tracks in a large petrified mud rock on the north side of the stream about 2/3 the way up to the Subway. The large rock is literally right next to the trail.
DO NOT do this hike without a permit. They will jot down your license plate # if you don't have a permit and give you a ticket later if they find you. I believe it's a $500 fine. I've seen them bust several people over the years. Get your permit the day before or sooner if possible.
Good luck!!!!
Posted by Kurt Budde on October 13, 2009 at 1:42 PM
I wouldn't plan on avoiding water. In fact, it's often much easier to progress by just walking in the stream. Plus, you'll miss out on some great shots trying to stay dry. All that said I just wear light hiking shoes and go for it.
Posted by Don Grall on October 13, 2009 at 1:51 PM
It took me about 3 hours. Some of that time is taken up route finding, Not that you can get lost, but there are a lot of boulders and some trees etc so I found myself trying to find the easiest way over or around the obstacles, and I found myself crossing the stream in numerous places.
Best light is kind of subjective, but I like to deal with more uniform lighting so I chose to be there before the sun hit any of the walls which starts to happen about noon. Walking into the Subway at 11AM was like walking into a walk-in refrigerator.
Strenuousity of the hike on a scale of 1 to 10 boots (10 being the hardest): I would say 6 or 7. The descent into and ascent out of the canyon is the most difficult part, due to its steepness and occasional loose pebbles and rocks.
I used hiking boots for the descent into and the ascent out of the canyon, however that meant carrying them on my pack the 3 miles along or in the stream. If I do it again, I'll just wear my stream shoes the whole way, even though they made the descent and ascent easier. For the stream portion I used special low-cut water shoes that I use for kayaking/rafting with a neoprene sock as extra protection from the cold water, and the water is pretty cold in November when I went. You can rent shoes at the outfitter's store on the western edge of Zion, but I would still recommend the neoprene socks to guard against the cold and possible imperfections on the inside of the boot. You will be in and out of the stream many times due to small waterfalls, or boulder choked channels that make it difficult or impossible to stay in the stream. Hiking in the stream is easier and faster than on the bank in many places.
I also wore nylon convertible pants/shorts which dry quickly after being immersed in water. If the day is really cold (40-50's), a pair of polypropylene leggings would help, otherwise I wouldn't wear them since skin dries faster than any cloth I know of.
When you reach the bottom of the canyon on the way in, pay special attention to the surroundings and memorize it. It would be very easy to continue too far downstream on your return if you happened to be on the opposite side of the stream at the time you reached the exit trail. It is marked with a brown post that blends in with the surroundings. After a couple of miles of stream hiking, the various canyon walls, trees, boulders, etc. tend to run together in ones memory bank and it all begins to look similar.
Posted by Jody Grigg on October 13, 2009 at 2:09 PM
Last year hiking in I avoided the water and got to the 'Crack' in 1hr 45mins. On the way out I said screw it and just went thru the water all the way back which was lot easier. Next time water is the only way to go.
Posted by Phillip Noll on October 13, 2009 at 6:20 PM
Thanks for the info! This will help me plan on when to leave and what to take with me. I already have the permit ($5 is sure better than paying $500!). I attempted this hike once many years ago but when we got down to the creek we saw that it was pure mud and slightly over its banks from a storm the night before so we bagged it. Heck of a climb out!!
I know nothing about this place, but got caught up in it after reading! I found this advice on a photo-blog by Niebrugge: " I have a few recommendations. We hiked in our canyon shoes which can be rented in Springdale from the Zion Adventure Company [note: he provides link] The rock in the Subway is very slick, we didn’t have a bit of trouble using these shoes with their unique ability to grip rock. It also made the hike easier as we often just stayed in the creek bed. Bring extra food and water. You figure if you spend a hour or two taking photos, and five hours hiking, it can be a long day. I finished off both my large Nalgen bottles of water and it wasn’t a hot day.
The Subway isn’t the only attraction in the area – there are some other really cool photo opportunities near the entrance to the Subway ..."
Posted by John Mumaw on October 14, 2009 at 9:23 AM
Consider bringing a water purifier with you to cut down on weight from hauling a lot of water.
Discussion
7 replies1.) How long does it take (on average) to get to the Subway when hiking up from the bottom?
2.) What time of day has the best light at the Subway?
3.) How strenuous is the hike?
4.) Would you recommend both hiking boots and water shoes? How much hiking is actually in the stream?
5.) Any other advice?
Thanks!
2. The cascades, which are about 1/4 mile before the subway, are usually good around 10:00 - 11:00ish in the morning. The large wall behind you will reflect light to the wall in your shot of the cascades. The Subway is usually good from around noon to mid-afternoon with the reflected light coming into the "tube". Be certain to time your hike in so you get back to the hill before dark. You'll know what hill I'm talking about once you start hiking for about 15 minutes.
3. Lots of stream crossings and climbing over small hills. You'll feel it the next day.
4. Hiking boots should be fine. You should be able to avoid walking in water until you get to the Subway itself. Then, you can easily walk around in about 1/4 to 1/2" of water.
5. Start hiking at least 1/2 to 1 hour before sunrise to get to the cascades in time to shoot. Be extremely careful in the subway since the moss has grown back in the last couple of years. It's super slippery and you can easily fall down. I can't stress this enough.
There are some neat dinosaur tracks in a large petrified mud rock on the north side of the stream about 2/3 the way up to the Subway. The large rock is literally right next to the trail.
DO NOT do this hike without a permit. They will jot down your license plate # if you don't have a permit and give you a ticket later if they find you. I believe it's a $500 fine. I've seen them bust several people over the years. Get your permit the day before or sooner if possible.
Good luck!!!!
Best light is kind of subjective, but I like to deal with more uniform lighting so I chose to be there before the sun hit any of the walls which starts to happen about noon. Walking into the Subway at 11AM was like walking into a walk-in refrigerator.
Strenuousity of the hike on a scale of 1 to 10 boots (10 being the hardest): I would say 6 or 7. The descent into and ascent out of the canyon is the most difficult part, due to its steepness and occasional loose pebbles and rocks.
I used hiking boots for the descent into and the ascent out of the canyon, however that meant carrying them on my pack the 3 miles along or in the stream. If I do it again, I'll just wear my stream shoes the whole way, even though they made the descent and ascent easier. For the stream portion I used special low-cut water shoes that I use for kayaking/rafting with a neoprene sock as extra protection from the cold water, and the water is pretty cold in November when I went. You can rent shoes at the outfitter's store on the western edge of Zion, but I would still recommend the neoprene socks to guard against the cold and possible imperfections on the inside of the boot. You will be in and out of the stream many times due to small waterfalls, or boulder choked channels that make it difficult or impossible to stay in the stream. Hiking in the stream is easier and faster than on the bank in many places.
I also wore nylon convertible pants/shorts which dry quickly after being immersed in water. If the day is really cold (40-50's), a pair of polypropylene leggings would help, otherwise I wouldn't wear them since skin dries faster than any cloth I know of.
When you reach the bottom of the canyon on the way in, pay special attention to the surroundings and memorize it. It would be very easy to continue too far downstream on your return if you happened to be on the opposite side of the stream at the time you reached the exit trail. It is marked with a brown post that blends in with the surroundings. After a couple of miles of stream hiking, the various canyon walls, trees, boulders, etc. tend to run together in ones memory bank and it all begins to look similar.
The Subway isn’t the only attraction in the area – there are some other really cool photo opportunities near the entrance to the Subway ..."