Hiking Southern Utah: South Fork of Taylor Creek
Trail: South Fork of Taylor Creek
Location: Kolob Canyon, Zion National Park
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Distance: 2.4 miles round-trip
Average time: 2–4 hours
Total elevation: 500-foot elevation gain
Kid/family friendly: Yes. This hike is a great family hike.
Getting there: Take Interstate 15 to the Kolob Canyons exit (exit 40). Stop and show your entrance pass, or buy one at the visitor center, then drive 3.2 miles to where the road makes a hairpin turn to the right. There is a large parking lot just before the hairpin turn.
The trail: Cross the road to find the well-traveled trail to the left of the canyon. After you hike on for a bit, you will notice that there is a lower trail and an upper trail. Both will get you to your destination. I suggest taking one on the way in and the other on the way out, because each offers different scenery.
The first part of the South Fork of Taylor Creek hike is in the sun, but you will soon enter a shaded forest. The big, shady trees offer nice areas to picnic. Pause and enjoy the garden-like paradise.
Continue on and you will enter the narrow part of the canyon, which boasts skyscraping, pitted sandstone walls. In this area, there are some nice rocks to sit on and take a break as well. There are climbing routes here, so you may notice some climbers or shiny bolts on the wall. To experience the enormity of the wall, stand under it and lookup. I suggest taking pictures of the wall from near the end of the canyon, however, where you will get a better perspective.
Keep hiking, and you will quickly reach a dry fall. This is where you will turn around and head back.
As always, pack a camera, plenty of water, and snacks. Late spring, summer, and early fall are the best times to plan for this hike.
