Live national decision tool

Can I hike the Zion Narrows today?

One decision card combines the live Virgin River gauge, flash-flood warning status, water temperature and the NPS flow rules that actually change the trip.

Current decision

Checking live source…

This page will not invent a current answer if the source fails.

Connecting to the source…

The decision

What this tool is trying to answer

The Narrows is a conditions problem, not a generic hiking forecast. River flow changes difficulty, NPS uses specific flow thresholds for closures and permits, and flash-flood warnings can override an otherwise modest gauge reading. This tool puts those pieces in one place.

Bottom-up Narrows access closes when flow is above 150 cfs.
Top-down Narrows access above Big Spring closes when flow is above 120 cfs.
An active Flash Flood Warning closes The Narrows; NPS keeps it closed for at least two hours after the warning is lifted.

How to use this result

Make the decision from the status, freshness and evidence together

Start with the current decision, then check the timestamp and source excerpt before changing a route, reservation or departure time. A green-looking condition is only useful when the underlying source is current. If the tool returns VERIFY or LIVE SOURCE UNAVAILABLE, open the official source instead of treating an old reading as an all-clear. Recheck close to departure because roads, alerts, water levels and mountain weather can change after you first plan the trip.

More live trip decisions

Do the next check before you commit the drive

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These tools summarize live public-source information for trip planning. Official closures, warnings, permits and on-site instructions control.