Angels Landing, Mountain peak in Zion National Park, United States.
Angels Landing is a sandstone summit in Utah within Zion National Park, rising 1,760 meters (5,790 feet) above sea level. The narrow rock formation is reached by a trail that winds along steep walls and is secured with metal chains on the final sections, allowing hikers to climb over exposed rock edges.
The formation was long known as the Temple of Aeolus before the name Angels Landing came into use. The trail to the summit was cut into the rock in 1926, and that same year superintendent Walter Ruesch built Walter's Wiggles, the 21 switchbacks below Scout Lookout. The chain-lined final ridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
The name Angels Landing replaced the earlier Temple of Aeolus, the label used before the formation was renamed. The 1926 trail, cut into solid rock and finished with Walter's Wiggles, made the summit a destination for hikers, and since 2022 a permit has been required beyond Scout Lookout.
A permit system limits how many people can go beyond Scout Lookout each day, so advance planning is necessary. Starting early helps avoid afternoon heat and increases the chance of clear views before clouds build up.
The half-mile spine to the summit, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, is a narrow, chain-lined ridge with sheer drop-offs on both sides. From the top at 5,790 feet, the view drops nearly 500 meters to the Virgin River winding around The Organ.
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