Photo Tips USDA – Zion NP – Kolob Canyons Reservoir Road, Kolob Canyons

Motifs along the Kolob Canyons Reservoir Road

Kolob Canyons Reservoir Road, a designated Scenic Backway, connects Virgin on Rt-9 to the south with Rt-14 to the north for 50 mi (80 km). The section between Virgin and Kolob Reservoir is paved, making it passable for vehicles of all types (including RVs). The continuation from there to the north is a dusty road, but in dry weather, you can drive a car on it without any problems. Just to be safe, check with the visitor center about road conditions. Either way, the southern section is the most scenic, and a two-hour detour into this subalpine world is definitely worth it.

The southern section of the route initially passes through green farmland. Poplars and small ponds dominate the scene, enhanced by the foliage color in the fall. After about 6 mi there’s a nice view into Sunset Canyon on the lower right. The landscape, especially in the part belonging to the National Park, is densely covered with evergreen conifers. Especially the already partly dead Utah Junipers make – close up, large depth of field – a nice subject with their light bark. From this central location, the view back into the vastness of the Virgin River Valley is particularly impressive, and one can see the west walls of Zion Canyon from the outside. Further up, there are beautiful views into the Hopp Valley on the left and of the many green overgrown rock monoliths. The morning light sets them off especially well. At Blue Springs Reservoir, take the short turn east to Lava Point. It affords a spectacular view across the Horse Pasture Plateau and into Kolob Creek Canyon. The streak of light in the morning or afternoon is perfect here for a wonderful panorama. At 2700 m (8,858 ft) elevation, the road reaches the reservoir. Here, the large stands of alpine white birch against the reflecting water surface are particularly striking. In the evening, the light of the setting sun beautifully sets off Kolob Terrace to the west.

Motifs in the Kolob Canyons

Approaching from the south via I-15, the remarkable red cliffs of the Kolob Canyons are visible just past Toquerville. From the overlooks along Scenic Drive, however, you see only the front of the Kolob Plateau and the entrances to the east-to-west facing Finger Canyons. The park road leads up 5 miles, first east, then south, to the high-elevation Kolob Canyons Viewpoint. There are small juniper bushes everywhere for you to include in your picture. Even after the first ascent of the Scenic Drive, you’ll have a good view of the Finger Canyons openings, best in the afternoon when the sun is lower in the east. Then, the closer you get to the towering cliffs, the more dramatic the view becomes. Avoid the harsh midday light; it is much more spectacular in the evening. Timbertop Mountain is the most prominent elevation and performs beautiful light and shadow shows on a clear day in the late afternoon.

In the northern part, it is worthwhile to walk the Taylor Creek Trail. It leads 4.3 km / 2.7 mi (137 m / 450 ft elevation gain, 3 hours round trip) through the middle fork of Taylor Creek to Double Arch Alcove, a cavernous rock overhang above which two closed rock arches hover in the 800 m / 2,624 ft cliff. A 24 mm wide-angle well captures the rock glowing orange-red in midday, as well as the contrasting vegetation in the foreground. The trail begins at mile 3 on the Scenic Road and is very easy-going.

The Kolob Arch Trail (21 km/13 mi; 12 hours round trip; 213 m/700 ft elevation gain) leads from the Lee Pass Parking Area on Kolob Canyon Road along Timber and La Verkin Creek to Kolob Arch. Kolob Arch competes with Landscape Arch in Arches NP for the honor of being the longest natural rock arch in the world. The method of measurement determines who holds the title. The average of the most recent measurements of Kolob Arch is 89.6 m (293.9 ft), making it just 1.2 m / 3.9 ft longer than Landscape Arch. Unfortunately, Kolob Arch sits on the east side of a high cliff, receiving direct sunlight only from morning to noon. During the other half of the day, Kolob Arch remains largely in shadow. Therefore, unless you plan to start hiking in the middle of the night, it is necessary to camp on site in order to capture this giant’s image effectively. However, you must register multi-day trips at the visitor center.

The Timber Creek Overlook Trail starts at the Kolob Canyons Picnic Area. At only 800 m (0.5 mi), it leads along a cliff edge to a small summit, from which you have a good view of Timber Creek and Kolob Terrace.

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