Deep within Utah’s Zion National Park is a stun­ningly beau­ti­ful canyon offer­ing an abun­dance of untouched nat­ural beauty for those lucky enough to expe­ri­ence it.

Located down between the North and South Guardian Angel peaks, the Sub­way is lim­ited to only 80 hik­ers a day with fewer than 12 peo­ple in a group. Park offi­cials insti­tuted the new lot­tery sys­tem after they noticed the area was becom­ing more and more pop­u­lar with vis­i­tors and hikers.

The lot­tery is only done dur­ing peak sea­sons between March and Novem­ber, and for those who get to jour­ney the gor­geous canyon, it is the oppor­tu­nity of a lifetime.

[Show as slideshow]

With sculpted slots and tun­nels, fil­tered soft light that imparts a vibrant color on the algae and rocks, and uniquely breath­tak­ing views that rival the most sur­real paint­ings, the sub­way offers a quar­ter mile of rarely seen nat­ural beauty for hikers.

How­ever, the visual treat doesn’t come with­out its phys­i­cal obsta­cles. The 9.5 mile round trip is filled with icy cold creeks that must be crossed, boul­ders that must be scaled, and other obsta­cles that park offi­cials say shouldn’t be taken on by novice hik­ers. They advice those not expe­ri­enced in hik­ing and nav­i­gat­ing through nature should travel with some­one who is.

If these images are any indi­ca­tor how­ever, we’re sure the jour­ney there is well worth the effort. Check out the slideshow above and video below.