NPS says to read the forecast, dress in layers, and bring plenty of water in every season. The day-hike pack on packing is for dry trails such as the West Rim toward Scout Lookout, the Watchman, or the Pa’rus Trail. If you are wading the Virgin River, stop reading this page and use the Narrows kit.

Summer

May through September is the hot season on the seasons page. Temperatures are regularly over 100°F. Carry a refillable bottle. The park asks you to take heat illness seriously. Your safety is your responsibility. July through September is also monsoon season. Ask about flash-flood risk at the visitor center if any canyon is on the plan. A dry trail can still be the wrong place in a thunderstorm.

Wear a sun shirt you will actually keep on, a brim, and shoes with grip on sandstone. Mornings can still feel fine in Springdale and then punish an exposed trail by late morning. Start early. The same seasons page says summer parking is often full by 9:00 a.m.

Two products already on the packing page match this dry-day sun kit. No new prices. The links go to the retailer.

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Spring and fall

In March and April the seasons page says nights can still be cold, and the daily swing can be 32°F or more. Higher country may still want winter gear, depending on the snow year. In October and November, cooler air is why people hike, and layers may be necessary. High and low can vary by about 30°F in a day. A sun shirt plus a light fleece you can tie on the pack covers the swing better than one thick jacket you regret by noon.

Rain clouds drifting around gray sandstone peaks in winter, Zion National Park.
Winter rain, Zion National Park. Photo: NPS Photo / Sarah Stio, public domain (U.S. National Park Service work), via Wikimedia Commons.

Winter

December through February can be cold and wet. The seasons page gives daytime highs around 50–60°F and nights well below freezing. Nearly half of the canyon’s yearly precipitation falls from December through March. Snow at the canyon bottom often melts in hours. Shade holds ice. NPS recommends traction devices for your boots. Some trails close for falling ice. Check current conditions before you commit to a trail that looked dry in a photo.

The one-gallon water note for a person per day is the park’s figure on the Narrows and day-hike materials. Two small bottles are a start on a short, cool walk, not a summer maximum. More on that is the water guide.