Backpacking is allowed at designated sites along four popular trails. Zion Narrows has 12 campsites, all located above the high-water line of the Virgin River and upriver from Big Spring. West Rim Trail, from the Grotto to Lava Point Primitive Campground, is the most popular backpacking trail, with a total of nine designated campsites along the way. If you can arrange a shuttle, begin hiking at Lava Point Campground. From here, it will be a mostly downhill 14.2-mile trek that can be completed in two days without a problem. Kolob Canyons’ only suitable backpacking route is La Verkin/Kolob Arch Trail, including its spur through the Hop Valley. There are also designated campsites in the park’s southwest corner along Coalpits Wash and Scoggins Wash. In addition to the designated campsites, backpackers are allowed to camp in specified zones as long as they are one mile from roads, out of sight of trails, and 0.25-mile from springs. Spring and fall are the best seasons for backpacking trips. A permit is required for all overnight stays in the backcountry.