You’re supposed to walk through the water. It’s around 16 miles long.

That’s the magic of the Narrows hike. You actually hike in the river. Sometimes on one bank or the other, but constantly crossing through the water. As the canyon walls narrow, the water gets deeper. Depending on recent weather, it can easily be hip or even chest high in some places. It’s amazing. Obviously a summer hike.

The trick to really enjoying this hike is to wear a swimsuit under your clothes and don’t take anything with you at all. No camera, no backpack, no phone, nothing. That way you won’t have to worry about stumbling, and can even float some sections on the way back.