The Subway

Two completely different hikes share the Subway name. The bottom-up route from the Left Fork trailhead is a 9.5-mile non-technical scramble that culminates at the iconic tube-shaped slot section. The top-down route from Wildcat Canyon is a technical canyoneering descent requiring rappels, swims through 50-degree water, and Class 4 downclimbing — a different sport. Both routes require a recreation.gov permit drawn three months ahead, capped at 80 daily permits between the two options combined. The Left Fork trailhead sits on Kolob Terrace Road, 25 miles from Springdale — the road is paved but narrow and the parking lot is car-only with 25 spaces, no RV pull-throughs. Rigs stage at Watchman Campground in Zion's main canyon, 45 minutes east. The bottom-up route loses the trail at the Left Fork river crossing and follows the riverbed itself for 3+ miles — flash-flood awareness is the operating safety constraint.