| HIKES IN THE KOLOB CANYONS SECTION |
Far from the crowds of the main canyon, the Kolob Canyons is the isolated northwestern section of Zion National Park, noted for the deep pink and orange glow of the area's 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 visitors center. 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. Landmarks include the Double Arch Alcove in Taylor Creek and the large Kolob Arch.
| TIMBER CREEK OVERLOOK | |
Rating: quick easy stroll.  This is a quick little hike (less than one 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... |
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| TAYLOR CREEK TRAIL (Middle Fork of Taylor Creek) | |
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Rating: fairly easy day hike.  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. The popular Taylor Creek Trail heads into the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek, but more "finger canyons" exist to the north and south of this hike. The hike up the North Fork of Taylor Creek leaves the Taylor Creek Trail near the Larson cabin ruins and heads north, following the streambed as it makes its way around Tucupit Point into the beautiful little canyon. While not visited nearly as often as the Middle Fork, a stroll through this canyon makes for nice diversion. ROUTE INFORMATION and PHOTOS... |
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| SOUTH FORK OF TAYLOR CREEK | |
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Rating: moderate day hike. 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 (Kolob Arch, Beartrap Canyon, Willis Creek) | |
Rating: moderately strenuous hiking/backpacking.  The La Verkin Creek Trail is the main through trail of the Kolob Canyons section of Zion. Starting at Lee Pass along the Kolob Canyons Road, this trail runs almost 11 miles in length, looping south around the Finger Canyons, then turning east to join up with La Verkin Creek. The La Verkin Creek Trail is most used for day hikes to the famous Kolob Arch or as part of a backpacking hike along the Trans-Zion Trek. A leisurely two-day backpack offers more opportunities for exploration. TRAIL INFORMATION and PHOTOS... |
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| BEARTRAP CANYON LOOP and CHASM LAKE | |
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Rating: strenuous hiking/canyoneering.  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... |
| 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... |
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| SPRING CREEK and SWEETWATER GULCH | |
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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... |
| 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... |
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| DEATH POINT and SMITH CABIN REMAINS | |
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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... |
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Hiking symbols used for descriptions: | |
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ZION CLASSIC: a must-do hike if you want to see the best of Zion! |
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FAMILY-FRIENDLY: a good choice for those with children who like to hike. |
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BACKPACKING: a route enjoyable as a multi-day hike. |
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TECHNICAL: canyoneering or scrambling route requiring technical gear and climbing and/or rappelling experience. Not suitable for casual hikers. |
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