The Canyoneering Trail Near Zion That Saved Its Biggest Surprise for the Very End

Located just outside Zion National Park to the west in the town of Virgin, Utah, is a popular climbing site known as Lambs Knoll. In April 2025, I was invited on an adventurous trip to experience activities that were far outside my comfort zone. One of these activities was repelling. I didn't know much about Lambs Knoll Climbing Site other than that's where our guides told us we would be rappelling down canyon walls. But there was an even bigger surprise that left me both in awe and a little shaken. So, what was the biggest surprise I encountered while hiking and repelling along this incredible Utah trail? Well, that's what I'm about to tell you.

Before my group was picked up from our hotel in Springdale for our canyoneering excursion, I knew nothing about the location we were headed to, except for its name. All I know is that I was a little nervous and apprehensive about doing something so daring. Once we arrived at the Lambs Knoll Climbing Site, I looked around at the vast desert landscape around us. Looking out at our beautiful surroundings somehow calmed me.

We were suited up with climbing gear in the parking lot before heading out on a 20-minute hike to the first rappelling location. Soon into our hike, one of the guides pointed to a very narrow slot canyon we were passing and stated that it was part of Snake Alley, the main canyon at Lambs Knoll. We would see this narrow part of the canyon again when we were leaving. I remember thinking that I didn't want to encounter this end-point of the ominously-named slot canyon again, and then I forgot all about it ... at least for a while.

While we could have continued hiking along the trail, we detoured to the first canyon wall in the Snake Alley slot canyon to rappel. This first one, of course, was the most daunting. But after it, my confidence was through the roof as adrenaline surged through my veins. The next three rappels were so much easier and a heck of a lot of fun! Between the third and fourth walls, there was a rock "slide" we all slid down into another part of the slot canyon with the aid of our guides. I think I was more apprehensive about that than hanging by a rope as I lowered myself down a steep canyon wall.

Before we knew it, we were done canyoneering and had to make our way back to the trail leading to the parking lot. But remember the extremely narrow portion of the Snake Alley slot canyon? Well, it turns out that going through it was the only way to get back onto the trail. Panic started to set in—I am severely claustrophobic. Another woman in my group was in the same situation as I was, and then our guides informed us that we had to go first. Luckily, they coached us through the incredibly narrow slot, which begins with a four-foot drop. I was scared, but it was the best feeling when I made it through. This narrow slot in Snake Alley was definitely the biggest surprise on this trail!

Walking through the very narrow section in Snake Alley was undoubtedly the most surprising thing I encountered on my hiking and canyoneering adventure at Lambs Knoll outside of Zion National Park in Utah. However, the whole experience made me proud as I overcame my two biggest fears: heights and tight spaces. If you'd like to explore the Lambs Knoll Climbing Site area and its 1-mile trail, you can view the map on AllTrails.

How would you like to experience Zion in ways you never thought were possible? Check out three unforgettable excursions I took in Zion National Park to inspire your next outdoor adventure!