THE KOLOB CANYONS SECTION

Far from the crowds of the main canyon, the Kolob Canyons is the isolated northwestern section, exemplified by the deep pink and orange glow of the Navajo sandstone formations. It is roughly a 40-mile drive from Springdale to the Kolob Canyons entrance at Exit 40 off of I-15. The Kolob section has its own ranger station and you must pay the standard Zion NP entrance fee (if you haven't already paid at the main or east entrances). The lovely Kolob Canyons Road is a great five-mile scenic drive from the entrance up to a viewpoint of the finger canyons. This section of the park is much more remote and subdued than the main canyon, and hiking or backpacking in this area is great if you are looking to get away from it all.

TIMBER CREEK OVERLOOK
Rating: quick easy stroll. family-friendly
This is a quick little hike (less than 1 mile roundtrip) that starts at the end of the Kolob Canyons Road and offers a pretty good view of the surrounding finger canyons and the Terrace section to the southeast. Although the view is actually better from the parking lot (in my opinion), this walk is still worth doing since it will only take you 45 minutes. The view is best at sunset.
TRAIL INFORMATION and PHOTOS...		 Timber Creek Overlook
TAYLOR CREEK TRAIL (Middle Fork of Taylor Creek)
Taylor Creek Trail Rating: fairly easy day hike. a Zion classicfamily-friendly
The Taylor Creek Trail is one of the few official and popular trails in the Kolob Canyons section: a pleasant 5-mile (roundtrip) hike up one of the enchanting "finger" canyons. The hike is fairly easy, but the trail is rough in spots and a little bit of stream-crossing is involved. Along the way are two historic old cabins from the early 1900's. Eventually the canyon walls get get narrower until the route officially ends at one of the more famous Zion landmarks: the Double Arch Alcove.
TRAIL INFORMATION and PHOTOS...
NORTH FORK OF TAYLOR CREEK
Rating: moderate day hike.
Not an official trail, this is an interesting 4 mile (round-trip) hike up an un-maintained path into the Kolob finger just north of Tucupit Point and the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek. Following the standard Tailor Creek Trail, the North Fork route leaves the more popular trail at the Larson cabin ruins and heads north along the small side stream. Follow the stream into the narrowing canyon. Eventually you will come to an insurmountable bouldering obstacle and it's time to turn around.		 North Fork of Taylor Creek
SOUTH FORK OF TAYLOR CREEK
South Fork of Taylor Creek Rating: moderate day hike. family-friendly
Another short interesting route, this one goes into the finger canyon just south of the Middle Fork on an un-maintained, yet fairly well-defined trail created by a former park ranger for its rock climbing potential. This hike makes its way up an ancient landslide to make its way into the more secluded upper canyon. Eventually you will reach a rockfall that marks the end of the route.
ROUTE INFORMATION and PHOTOS...
LA VERKIN CREEK TRAIL
Rating: moderately strenuous hiking/backpacking. backpacking route
Starting at Lee Pass, La Verkin Creek Trail is the gateway to most of the Kolob region's treasures: Kolob Arch, Willis Creek, Beartrap Canyon, and the Hop Valley connector trail that leads to the Kolob Terrace section of the park. Many people take this trail as a day-hike to the Kolob Arch, but the campsites along La Verkin Creek make this area ideal for backpacking. The trail officially continues up Willis Creek to the northeastern corner of the park which borders on private property.
TRAIL INFORMATION and PHOTOS...		 La Verkin Creek Trail
THE KOLOB ARCH TRAIL
Kolob Arch Trail Rating: short moderately strenuous side hike.
The Kolob Arch is a quick little side route off of the La Verkin Creek Trail to see the famous landmark of the region: the impressive Kolob Arch -- one of the largest freestanding arches in North America. The trail up this side canyon is fairly easy (round trip about a mile), but a bit of scrambling is involved. The Kolob Arch Trail can be reached by hiking either the La Verkin Creek Trail from Lee Pass or the Hop Valley Trail from the Kolob Terrace.
TRAIL INFORMATION and PHOTOS...
WILLIS CREEK
Rating: fairly strenuous hiking/backpacking. backpacking route
Continuing the La Verkin Creek Trail route... Beyond the junction with the Hop Valley Trail, you can follow La Verkin Creek/Willis Creek upstream for another 4.5 miles to the border of the park. The landscape in Willis Creek is quite different from what is typical Zion; there is more soil than sand, and there are more trees, making this part of the park look like a glen you might find in the northwest. Near the end of the trail at the border of the park, the canyon opens up into a beautiful pine forest.
TRAIL INFORMATION and PHOTOS...		 Willis Creek
BEARTRAP CANYON
Beartrap Canyon Rating: short easy side hike.
Beartrap Canyon is a beautiful side canyon off of La Verkin Creek -- more slot-like and dramatic than any of the other canyons in the area. From its mouth, it is only a quick half-a-mile trek upstream until the beautiful Beartrap Falls prevents any further travel. This canyon and the calm 30-foot high waterfall are wonderful, like a private little Zen garden, definitely worth the side-trip if you are hiking up the La Verkin Creek Trail.
ROUTE INFORMATION and PHOTOS...
BEARTRAP CANYON LOOP and CHASM LAKE
Rating: strenuous hiking/canyoneering. technical canyoneering route
The "Beartrap Canyon Loop" is a fairly strenuous day hike through a beautiful remote corner of the Kolob section. Starting from a base camp along the La Verkin Creek Trail, you can hike up the steep forested saddle between Willis Creek and the Beartrap Canyon drainage, which will afford you views into the mysterious Chasm Lake. Descend into Beartrap Canyon proper which is a beautiful little canyon with dense vegetation. The crux of the hike is the final rappel over Beartrap Canyon Falls.
ROUTE INFORMATION and PHOTOS...		 Beartrap Canyon Loop
HOP VALLEY TRAIL
Hop Valley Trail Rating: moderately strenuous hiking/backpacking.
Hop Valley is a seven-mile connector trail that links the Kolob section with the Kolob Terrace section. This trail does give a wonderful view into the Kolob Canyons, but the summer heat and sections of deep sand can make for unpleasant hiking. This route is also known as the "Plop Valley Trail" as part of the trail goes through a private inset of land where grazing cows have left their mark. The three campsites are less appealing than those along the La Verkin Creek Trail, but at least they are not in the cow section.
LANGSTON CANYON
Langston Canyon is a side canyon off of the Hop Valley Trail and is worthy of exploration if you have time to kill. You can hike back roughly a mile before it turns into a boulder-climbing route.
ICEBOX CANYON
Rating: strenuous technical canyoneering route. technical canyoneering route
Icebox Canyon (Waterfalls Canyon) is one of the few publicized technical canyoneering routes in the Kolob Section. This technical route starts by entering the Kolob finger canyon just south of Beatty Point (and the South Fork of Taylor Creek) and climbing out into a beautiful slot canyon, "Icebox Canyon", hidden behind the fingers. The trek involves big wall rappels (including a station-to-station rappel to get in to Icebox Canyon), several pools and a cold swim, and after a spectacular waterfall, you come out in the Kolob Arch area. Follow La Verkin Creek Trail back home. For more information, see Tom's Canyoneering Guide.
CAMP CREEK
Camp Creek Rating: moderately strenuous day hike.
This is a lost/forgotten canyon of Zion in the far northwestern corner of the Kolob Section -- more remote than any of the finger canyons due to its inaccessibility from the main Kolob Canyons road. The route follows an old access road up through the initial Hurricane Cliffs, then the trail descends into and follows the overgrown Camp Creek streambed. Not quite a slot, this is more of an open box canyon with interesting pitted erosion formations carved in the walls above.
ROUTE INFORMATION and PHOTOS...
SPRING CREEK and SWEETWATER GULCH
Rating: moderately strenuous day hike.
Spring Creek is a fairly interesting remote canyon in BLM land just north of the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park. While not the most beautiful or stunning, this remote canyon is a pleasant day hike if you want to get away from it all. The canyon has a small stream flowing in the bottom half and has several sections that come close to slotting up. Further up, the sand turns more to soil and the canyon becomes fairly overgrown. The golden section of this hike is Sweetwater Gulch -- a beautiful tributary with towering vertical walls on both sides of the canyon.
ROUTE INFORMATION and PHOTOS...		 Spring Creek
KANARRA CREEK
Kanarra Creek Rating: moderately strenuous day hike.
More beautiful than its sister canyons Spring Creek and Camp Creek, Kanarra Creek is a fairly remote slot canyon located in BLM just east of Kanarraville, accessible via a fairly well-maintained dirt access road going into the Hurricane Cliffs. Resembling a mini version of the Zion Narrows, this canyon has several beautiful slot sections with clear flowing water, glowing red walls, and two challenging boulder obstacles that may block passage.
ROUTE INFORMATION and PHOTOS...
DEATH POINT and SMITH CABIN REMAINS
Death Point was a remote trail mentioned in the Zion Natural History Association's "A Guide to the Trails" back in the 1960's. The Smith Cabin Remains are a landmark mentioned in National Geographic's 2005 edition of the "Trails Illustrated" map. Both landmarks are currently inaccessible due to private property issues. The "Trails Illustrated" map also misleads you into thinking you can drive further down the access road than you really can. Do not attempt these routes.
MORE INFORMATION...		 Kanarra Creek


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Hiking symbols used for descriptions:
a Zion classic ZION CLASSIC: a must-do hike if you want to see the best of Zion!
family-friendly FAMILY-FRIENDLY: a good choice for those with children who like to hike.
backpacking route BACKPACKING: a route enjoyable as a multi-day hike.
technical canyoneering or climbing route TECHNICAL: canyoneering or scrambling route requiring technical gear and climbing and/or rappelling experience. Not suitable for casual hikers.