Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
inspiring. Pullouts along the road provide access to viewpoints and hiking trails.
(See chapter 3, “Hikes & Other Outdoor Pursuits in Zion National Park.”)
The first pullout is across from the
CourtofthePatriarchs,
where a short paved
trail leads to an impressive viewpoint. The next stop is
Zion Lodge
, and across
the road from the lodge is the trail head for the
EmeraldPoolstrailsystem.
The
Grotto Picnic Area is about a half mile beyond the lodge, and a trail, paralleling
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, leads from the lodge to the picnic area. Across from the
Grotto Picnic Area parking lot is a footbridge that leads to the Emerald Pools, An-
gels Landing, and West Rim trails.
Continuing north into Zion Canyon, the road passes the
GreatWhiteThrone
on
the right and then
AngelsLanding
on the left, before the turnoff to the
Weeping
RockTrailHead
parking area. From here the road closely traces the curves of the
river, with a couple of stops to allow different views of the
Organ,
which to some
resembles a huge pipe organ. Finally, the road ends at the
Temple of Sinawava,
where the paved
RiversideWalk
follows the Virgin River toward the
Narrows,
one
of the most incredible sights in Zion.
To escape the crowds of Zion Canyon, head to the northwest corner of the park.
The
Kolob Canyons Road
(about 45 min. from Zion Canyon Visitor Center, at
exit 40 of I-15) runs 5 miles among spectacular red and orange rocks, ending at a
high vista. Allow about 45 minutes round-trip, including stops at numbered view-
points. Here's what you'll pass along the way:
Leaving
KolobCanyonsVisitorCenter,
drive along the Hurricane Fault to
Hur-
ricane Cliffs,
a series of tall, gray cliffs composed of limestone, and onward to
Taylor Creek,
where a piñon-juniper forest clings to life on the rocky hillside,
providing a home to the bright blue scrub jay. Your next stop is
Horse Ranch
Mountain,
which, at 8,726 feet, is the park's highest point. Passing a series of col-
orful rock layers, where you might be lucky enough to spot a golden eagle, your
next stop is
Box Canyon,
along the South Fork of Taylor Creek, with sheer rock
walls soaring over 1,500 feet high. Along this stretch are multicolored layers of
rock, pushed upward by tremendous forces within the earth, followed by a side
canyon, with large arched alcoves with delicate curved ceilings. Head on to a view
of
TimberTopMountain,
which has a sagebrush-blanketed desert at its base, but
is covered with stately fir and ponderosa pine at its peak. Watch for mule deer
on the brushy hillsides, especially between October and March, around sunrise or
sunset. Continue to
Rockfall Overlook,
where a large scar on the mountainside
marks the spot where a 1,000-foot chunk of stone crashed to the earth in July 1983
from erosion. Finally, stop to see the canyon walls themselves, colored orange-red
