Destination West!
  • Home Page
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Idaho
  • Montana
  • Nevada
    • Las Vegas
  • New Mexico
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Route 66
  • YouTube Channel
  • About
  • Get In Touch
  • Archive Albums
DestinationWest.Org

A free western tourism resource featuring majestic destinations and lesser known places!   

Kolob Canyons ~ Zion National Park

2/3/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Kolob Canyon ~ Zion National Park

​Kolob Canyons is the western most section of Zion National Park and the access point is located on Interstate Highway 15 about 17 miles south of Cedar City, Utah. The signage is easy to spot and Kolob Canyon Road is paved, so any practically any kind of vehicle can do the trip. Kolob Canyons can also be accessed by trekking the lengthy hiking trails in the main section of the park. There are also several foot trails along Kolob Canyon Road that follows the creek beds and dry washes into this majestic red rock landscape that are well worth checking out. The west end of the Colorado Plateau at Kolob Canyons is composed of narrow box canyons and 2.000 foot tall cliffs, so hiking through this extremely diverse terrain can be a real challenge. Because of environmental and safety concerns, most of the Kolob Canyons trails require a permit that is easy to obtain at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center, which is conveniently located at the entrance to this section of the park. Trail maps and all the information that one could possibly need are freely available in this facility, so this is the best place to start a Kolob Canyons adventure.

The majority of Kolob Canyons visitors simply do a scenic drive through this area and stop to take pictures from the many overlooks. This views of this unique landscape certainly are mesmerizing and it is very easy to capture an image that is worth framing back home. The vivid colors of towering canyon walls glisten even during the blinding afternoon sunlight hours, so this is a place where a photographer really does not have to arrive at dawn or dusk to achieve favorable lighting conditions. In fact, the sheer immense size of the canyon bluffs will dictate what kind of camera lens can be used and those who pack wide angle glass will have better luck fitting everything into the picture frame. 

Kolob Canyons does not have a campground, but there are camping options nearby in the National Forest and BLM Public Lands. The camping options inside the main section of Zion National Park are a couple hours away by car and they doo require reservations to be made months ahead of time. Overcrowding has been a major problem at the main section of Zion National Park in recent years, yet the remote Kolob Canyons area rarely sees any traffic jams. Part of the reason has to do with casual Zion visitors not realizing this section exists and the extra driving distance limits the numbers too. The remote western section of this park definitely is the perfect choice for a day trip destination and the Kolob Canyons Picnic Area at the end of the touring road offers some of the best views in the entire west. For this reason, be sure to pack a picnic basket along with some comfortable hiking shoes, because this amazing landscape has a way of captivating visitors till the sun goes down!
​  
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Leave no trace!
    New!
    ​Destination West YouTube channel!
     https://www.youtube.com/@DestinationWestOrg
    *The Destination West website upgrading project is well underway. Unique YouTube slideshows are replacing the outdated Flickr photo galleries. The new videos feature modern graphics and alternative music instrumentals that enhance the viewing experience. Some articles are being condensed, while others are getting much needed edits. As everybody knows, the bulk of the original articles and photos were published on the fly during the Covid camping venture and there were limitations. Upgrading is the way to go and more articles will receive a makeover each week until this project is completed. After that, I will be able to gather new material. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

    ​JD Lane

    Archives

    July 2025
    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020

    Donations help the Destinaton West project continue into the future! 
    Go Fund Me!

    This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

    Opt Out of Cookies
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home Page
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Idaho
  • Montana
  • Nevada
    • Las Vegas
  • New Mexico
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Route 66
  • YouTube Channel
  • About
  • Get In Touch
  • Archive Albums