Another highlight of #TerryTreksUSA was Zion National Park. I had a lot planned here, including an overnight backpacking trip, and hiking the Virgin River Narrows. I would be hitting this park hard!
There’s so much to see and do in Zion it can be overwhelming. I like to get organized and make a plan on my first day in a national park by visiting the visitor center and asking a ranger about what I want to do. Even after doing this I still had time to visit the main attraction of the park, Zion Canyon. This is really easy to do because there is a free shuttle that stops at several viewpoints. Seeing everything in this part of the park only takes a couple hours.
After visiting crowded areas of national parks, I like to go to more remote places to get away from all the people. I read that less than ten percent of visitors go to the Kolb Canyons area of the park. That’s because it’s in a totally different place and is not contagious with the rest of the park. The two areas of the park area about an hour away.
The next day I got an early start and drove over there, and it was worth the effort. There’s a short drive to some viewpoints, with I did. My main activity was to hike the Taylor Creek trail. The creek was among red cliffs, and was like an oasis of life. The contrast between the blue sky, red rock, and green plants was striking. I didn’t encounter many people on the trail, but those I did were very friendly.
One aspect that makes Zion interesting is that people lived here. The Mormons were able to farm for a time in this lush oasis, and there is evidence of their presence on the Taylor Creek trail. The trail pass two very basic one room cabins set among the cliffs.
Kolb Canyons is worth the effort when visiting Zion National Park, and you can easily spend a day there. After my time in Kolb Canyons I had to start preparing for my next big activity: hiking the Virgin River Narrows.
