Kolob Canyons -Zion N.P


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June 15th 2012
Published: June 15th 2012
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Kolob Canyons

There are two Kolob sections in Zion National Park; Kolob Canyons located 18-miles south of Cedar City and Kolob Terrace accessed from the town of Virgin, 12-miles from the south entrance of the main section of the park. Both Kolob sections can proudly boast of their magnificent mountains of red sandstone, however the two are as different from each other as they are from Zion Canyon or Zion’s east side. Kolob Canyons is a remote 30,000 acre block of the park which is located northwest of Zion Canyon. Its set at a higher elevation than the main park, in fact, it boasts of having the parks highest peak - Horse Ranch Mountain at 8726 feet and some of Zion’s youngest strata.

Directions - To get to it from Cedar City, travel south on I-15 and take exit 40. From Zion’s main section, exit the park from Zion’s south entrance. Drive on SR-9 through the small towns of Springdale, Rockville and Virgin. Turn right at the stop light in La Verkin and travel through Toquerville to I-15. Take I-15 north and exit at the signed exit for Kolob Canyons. It will take about 90-minutes (40-miles) to travel from Zion’s south entrance to Kolob Canyons. Kolob Canyons is open year-round however the road can close due to snow.
The 7-day Zion pass is good for all sections of Zion.
Kolob Canyons Visitor Center: 435.586.9548 Open daily except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Kolob Canyons
Scenic Drive
A portion of the 5-mile twisting road runs along the Hurricane Fault, a fracture in the earth's crust stretching over 150-miles reaching from near the Grand Canyon to Cedar City, marking the western edge of the Markagunt Plateau, a plateau in southern Utah and running between I-15 and US-89. Erosion along the Hurricane Fault has served to change the landscape of Zion. The short scenic drive ascends 1100 feet, showcasing deep reddish-orange cliffs, protruding abruptly from the ground as it follows portions of Taylor Creek, the headwaters for Kolob Canyons. The road terminates at Timber Creek Overlook. Stop at the Visitor Center and pick up a brochure that explains the 14 numbered stops along the drive. In the winter the scenic drive through Kolob Canyons can close due to snow.

There are two Kolob sections in Zion National Park; Kolob Canyons located 18-miles south of Cedar City and Kolob Terrace accessed from the town of Virgin, 12-miles from the south entrance of the main section of the park. Both Kolob sections can proudly boast of their magnificent mountains of red sandstone, however the two are as different from each other as they are from Zion Canyon or Zion’s east side. Kolob Canyons is a remote 30,000 acre block of the park which is located northwest of Zion Canyon. Its set at a higher elevation than the main park, in fact, it boasts of having the parks highest peak - Horse Ranch Mountain at 8726 feet and some of Zion’s youngest strata.

Directions - To get to it from Cedar City, travel south on I-15 and take exit 40. From Zion’s main section, exit the park from Zion’s south entrance. Drive on SR-9 through the small towns of Springdale, Rockville and Virgin. Turn right at the stop light in La Verkin and travel through Toquerville to I-15. Take I-15 north and exit at the signed exit for Kolob Canyons. It will take about 90-minutes (40-miles) to travel from Zion’s south entrance to Kolob Canyons. Kolob Canyons is open year-round however the road can close due to snow.
The 7-day Zion pass is good for all sections of Zion.
Kolob Canyons Visitor Center: 435.586.9548 Open daily except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Kolob Canyons
Scenic Drive
A portion of the 5-mile twisting road runs along the Hurricane Fault, a fracture in the earth's crust stretching over 150-miles reaching from near the Grand Canyon to Cedar City, marking the western edge of the Markagunt Plateau, a plateau in southern Utah and running between I-15 and US-89. Erosion along the Hurricane Fault has served to change the landscape of Zion. The short scenic drive ascends 1100 feet, showcasing deep reddish-orange cliffs, protruding abruptly from the ground as it follows portions of Taylor Creek, the headwaters for Kolob Canyons. The road terminates at Timber Creek Overlook. Stop at the Visitor Center and pick up a brochure that explains the 14 numbered stops along the drive. In the winter the scenic drive through Kolob Canyons can close due to snow.


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