August in Zion National Park is a tough month: highs around 97°F, lows around 66°F. Crowds: busy — #5 busiest of the park's 12 months. Monsoon continues — storms can close The Narrows. The editorial best window here is April–May & October. You get about 13h 35m of daylight. To finish The Narrows (Bottom-Up) (3h 20m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 5:05 PM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Tough Closures, harsh weather or very limited access — plan carefully. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 97° high / 66° low |
| Crowds | busy · #5 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What August is like | Monsoon continues — storms can close The Narrows |
| Best window (whole year) | April–May & October |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | May–Jul, Sep |
CROWDS: RELATIVE SEASONALITY FROM NPS VISITATION STATISTICS · TEMPS: APPROXIMATE NOAA NORMALS AT MAIN VISITOR ELEVATION — HIGH COUNTRY RUNS 10–20°F COLDER
DAYLIGHT ON AUGUST 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (MDT)COMPUTED FROM THE PARK'S OWN COORDINATES FOR THE 15TH — THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH STANDS FOR IT, AS IT DOES FOR CLIMATE NORMALS. WITHIN A MONTH THESE TIMES SHIFT BY UP TO AN HOUR
LEAVE THE TRAILHEAD BY — TO FINISH BEFORE DARK ON AUGUST 15WALKING TIMES ESTIMATED FROM EACH TRAIL'S MEASURED DISTANCE AND ELEVATION GAIN — A PLANNING FIGURE, NOT A PACE. ADD YOUR OWN MARGIN FOR PHOTOS, REST AND CROWDS. WATER AT THE HOT-WEATHER RATE, BECAUSE THIS MONTH AVERAGES 97°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT AUGUST ASKS OF YOU HEREZion National Park in September — Good, highs around 91°F, crowds: peak crowds (narrows water warms; still hot at midday).
Our verdict for August is "Tough". Closures, harsh weather or very limited access — plan carefully. Expect highs around 97°F and lows around 66°F, with crowds at the "busy" level. Temperatures are approximate NOAA normals at the main visitor elevation; crowd levels follow published NPS visitation statistics.
Across the full 12-month review, the best window is April–May & October, and the peak-crowd months are May–Jul, Sep. August itself we rate "Tough".
September we rate "Good" against "Tough" for August, with highs around 91°F and crowds at the "peak crowds" level.
About 13h 35m on August 15: the sun rises around 6:48 AM and sets around 8:23 PM local park time (MDT). Computed from the park's own coordinates, so it is the light you actually get at the trailhead, not the nearest city's.
The Narrows (Bottom-Up) takes about 3h 20m of walking, so on August 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 5:05 PM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 8:23 PM local park time (MDT). Walking times are estimated from each trail's measured distance and elevation gain, so treat them as a planning figure and add your own margin for photos, rest and crowds.
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