Tag Archives: Zion hiking trails

Hiking Off the Beaten Path: South Fork of Taylor Creek

Posted on November 1, 2010 by

My little hometown of New Harmony, Utah sits quietly in the valley between the Pine Valley Mountains and the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park. Thousands of motorists on I-15 speed by these magnificent places every day, unaware of the beauty lying just beyond the non-descript green hill that conceals the spectacular Kolob Fingers. Kolob, the not-so-ugly stepchild of Zion National Park, is the newest section of Zion, both politically and geologically. This allows for some pretty remote and magnificent places left relatively unexplored by most Zion visitors. In Kolob, I have many “favorite places”, but many lie far into the backcountry and call for a backpacking trip! Still, the charm of Kolob is you don’t have to go far to explore a spectacular canyon or panorama. A quick jog away from the road can be just as rewarding as a 4-day backpacking trip. The South Fork of Taylor Creek is a delightful little 2-hour hike back into one of Kolob’s deep, red finger canyons. South Fork is a “route”, not a trail, and thus isn’t found in most mainstream guidebooks. To find this “off the beaten path” exploration, travel to the tightest curve of the Kolob Canyons road. … Continue reading →

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Angels Landing Closing for Repairs in September and October

Posted on September 7, 2010 by

Well, it won’t be closed the entire time. It looks like the Park is trying to keep the trail open on the weekends; if you are planning on being here mid-week, please note the closure dates in the below news release. Zion News Release 10-39 Angels Landing Closing for Repairs September 3, 2010 Superintendent Jock Whitworth has announced that the Angels Landing hiking route and all climbing routes on that rock formation will close for several days starting in mid-September. A Zion National Park trail crew will be working on route improvements including re-chiseling existing steps, drilling and installing new posts and chains in some areas to better delineate the route, and adding dry stone masonry to improve footing.  The closure is necessary due to helicopter activity in the area, movement of materials and equipment, and for visitor and work crew safety while work is in progress on the narrow route. September 15th and 16th and September 20th through the 23rd, the West Rim Trail will be closed from the Grotto to Scout Lookout. The Angels Landing route will also be closed from Scout Lookout to the summit of Angels Landing. All climbing routes on the cliff faces of Angels … Continue reading →

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