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- Utah
- North Fork Virgin River
Class IV-V
North Fork Virgin River, UT
Satan's Staircase (Upstream of Birch Creek to Zion Canyon Bridge)
Through the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11), Congress designated approximately 165.5 miles of the Virgin River and its tributaries across federal land within Zion National Park (28 segments) and adjacent Bureau of Land Management Wilderness (11 segments), as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Over the course of 13 million years, the Virgin River has carved through the red sandstones of Zion National Park to create some of the most unforgettable scenery in the National Park System. In fact, this very act of natural erosion is responsible for "The Narrows," which is one of the premiere hiking adventures in the United States, possibly the world. In addition, there are several easy trails along the river.