Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
information at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center.
Backcountrypermitsarerequired
for all overnight hikes in the park as well as for slot canyon hikes. Permits cost $10
for one or two people, $15 for three to seven, and $20 for 8 to 12 people. You can
purchase a backcountry permit at the visitor center the day before or the day of
your trip, and reservations for permits can be made in advance through the park's
website, www.nps.gov/zion, although they must still be picked up in person at
the visitor centers. You can get permits at
Zion Canyon Visitor Center,
near the
south entrance to the park, or at
Kolob Canyons Visitor Center,
in the northw-
est corner of the park of I-15. There are also two areas—the Subway and Mys-
tery Canyon—where permits are issued though an online lottery, with a deadline
of three months before your planned trip. See the park's Backcountry Planner at
www.nps.gov/zion. Backcountry camping is not permitted within 1 mile of a road
or trail head.
HopValleyTrail
This trail loses about 1,050 feet as it meanders northwest through
sunny fields and past Gambel oak, partly following an old jeep road and then a
stream, before arriving at La Verkin Creek. Many hikers continue on the La Verkin
Creek/Kolob Arch trails to see Kolob Arch.
The beginning of the trail takes you through some rather deep sand, so if your
gear includes gaiters (cloth or leather leg coverings that keep the sand out), wear
them. After passing through the hiker gate in the fence, marking the beginning of
an inholding (privately owned property within the park), you'll be sharing space
with cattle from spring through fall. Follow the four-wheel-drive road, marked by
fence posts when it becomes almost too faint to see, until you reach the stream at
the bottom of Hop Valley. Follow the stream or cattle trails along it down the valley,
and shortly Langston Canyon will come in from the right, sometimes contributing
a trickle of water to the stream. About .5 mile farther, another fence marks the end
of the inholding, and the stream sinks into the sand and disappears in summer.
A sign marks where the trail leaves the wash and climbs a hill. After climbing the
hill, the trail follows a steep descent into the valley of La Verkin Creek. Camping is
allowed outside the inholding, and shady sites can be found among the pines not
far from the wash. From here you can head to Kolob Arch, about .75 miles away,
explore the La Verkin Creek system, or return to the Hop Valley Trail Head. If you
see any cattle outside the inholding, notify the Park Service when you finish your
hike. Hikers should plan on allotting a full day for this walk. See “Kolob Plateau
Area” map in chapter 3
13.4 miles RT. Moderate to difficult. Access: Trail head on Kolob Terrace Rd., about 13 miles north of
Virgin.
