Hike Kolob Canyons: Taylor Creek Trail Red Around the World

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Over the last few years, I’ve visited Zion National Park quite a few times. I’ve been to the main area of the park and down Kolob Terrace Road, but I hadn’t been to Kolob Canyons yet. I didn’t actually realize it existed until a few months ago. Crazy, right?

Well, this trip it was our first stop and I was excited. First, we drove the short scenic road to the top only making a couple stops for pictures. We wanted to do some hiking and saw a trail that looked good, so we headed back down and set off on the Taylor Creek Trail.

The trail isn’t terribly strenuous, but it is a few miles. The elevation gain on the whole trail is only about 500 feet. It’s totally different scenery than the main part of the park, Zion Canyon, and I loved it!

After a while, we came across a little cabin right in the middle of the canyon. I didn’t see a sign showing the name of this one or its history or anything. There is another one a little farther down the trail that is marked. Both are locked so you can’t go in, but it’s really cool to see them here.

Along the trail and in the creek in a few places we saw some frost, snow, and ice. I was pretty excited about this because I really wanted to see snow in the desert. Unfortunately, that was the extent of the snow we saw.

The frosty leaves were so pretty though. I could have taken pictures of them all day. Only that part of the trail was frosty, which was kind of weird, then on our way out, it had all melted already.

I have to say, I was really surprised by this trail. I had zero expectations going in. As usual, I hadn’t really researched Kolob Canyons and hiking trails there at all before we got there. It’s probably one of my favorite hikes in the park now. I’d love to see more of the Kolob Canyons area.

National Park Goodies

If you’re planning to visit three or more national parks within a year from your trip, definitely get the America the Beautiful pass. It will save you money in the long run if you’re going to more than three parks in a year. Buy the pass here.
If you’re planning on doing a lot of hiking on your trip, or even at home, check out AllTrails! This is my favorite app to find, keep track of, and track my hiking activity. And it’s FREE! Sign up here.
This Ultimate National Park Planning Bundle is a must-have. You get two ebooks and a planner, saving 50% by getting them as a bundle! If you want all the details, this is the bundle for you. Buy the Ultimate bundle here.
This National Park Planner (one of the ebooks from the bundle above) is perfect if you just want some guidance in your planning. Buy the planner here.
Get yourself a National Park journal for all of the NPS sites (400+!) to keep track of your travels!
Consider reading some of these books set in national parks before your big trip, on your adventure, or once you get home to take you back to the parks until next time.

Where is the Taylor Creek Trail in Zion?

The Taylor Creek Trailhead is in the Kolob Canyons area of Zion National Park which is closer to Cedar City than Springdale. The trailhead is 25 minutes from Cedar City and 45 from Springdale.

How long is the Taylor Creek Trail in Zion?

The hike all the way back to Double Arch Alcove and back out is five miles round-trip. We didn’t hike the whole thing since it was getting late in the day and cold but we went pretty far.

Is the Taylor Creek Trail hard?

Not particularly! It has 590 feet of elevation gain which is pretty standard for Zion. I didn’t have too tough of a time with this one. There were lots of creek crossings but that won’t matter too much in the summer since you could walk through the water.

Is the Taylor Creek Trail in Zion worth it?

I think so! We did this in the winter and only saw a couple of other people on the trail. It was beautiful and nice getting off the beaten path in Zion. Plus, the frost on the leaves was 10/10.

What else is there to do in Kolob Canyons?

There isn’t a ton to do in Kolob Canyons but there are 20 miles of hiking trails to keep you busy. The Timber Creek Overlook Trail is an easy one mile hike but other than that and Taylor Creek Trail, the La Verkin Creek Trail is the only other one at 14 miles so you could hike part of that and turn around.

What else is there to do outside of Zion?

Plenty! There are so many great things to do near Zion, you could stay busy for months, years! You could visit Grafton Ghost Town, Snow Canyon State Park, or Sand Hollow State Park.

Kanarraville Falls is a great, but busy, hike near Cedar City, too. Toquerville Falls, Water Canyon, and Yant Flat are also wonderful hiking options nearby.