The Narrows Cleanup Crew
Memorial Day Weekend signifies the kickoff to the summer season at Zion National Park and can draw numbers well over 90,000 visitors throughout the holiday weekend. On May 27, 2026, the Coalition of American Canyoneers gathered a small group of volunteers and worked with the park service to go into The Narrows after the busy weekend to pick up trash, remove graffiti, and dismantle rock stacks. This type of rehab is periodically needed in order to keep these places wild for those that come after us.
Before
After
Starting at the Temple of Sinawava, the group proceeded up the canyon picking up litter along the way and making it just past the Imlay canyon exit before turning around – roughly 3.7 miles roundtrip of direct river hiking! Upon returning to the trailhead, the trash was consolidated and weighed. This amazing group of volunteers managed a record-breaking “trash heist” of 26 pounds of litter pulled out of The Narrows! Typical trash removal efforts yield roughly 5lbs.
The official weigh in!
Graffiti removal
Graffiti removal
Breaking along the Narrows
Mystery Falls - last rap from Mystery Canyon into The Narrows
The final rap from Imlay Canyon into The Narrows
Not only did this service project meet the CAC’s ethos of conservation, but it also built upon the already strong relationship between the Park Service at Zion NP and the Coalition of American Canyoneers.
Thank you to all the CAC volunteers and park staff for this joint effort to keep this wild, rugged, and sacred place a little better than we found it. This type of work is only possible due to the efforts of our members and their donations. Consider joining the Coalition of American Canyoneers and making a tax-deductible donation to help support future access work!