October 2016 – Zion National Park in Utah is one of America’s most beautiful National Parks, and we were loving our RV trip to the main part of the park at Zion Canyon. A side trip to Kolob Canyons at Exit 40 on I-15 took us to a much less visited but equally dramatic area on the west side of the Park.
Kolob Canyons Road is a spectacular scenic drive.
The stunning scenic drive through the Kolob Canyons region of the park is truly breathtaking.
We had been blown away by the fall foliage season on the San Juan Skyway in Colorado in late September where the aspen trees were cloaked in gold. Autumn comes four or five weeks later in Zion National Park, but the colors in the last days of October were wonderful.
The trees were vivid colors.
As we followed Kolob Canyons Road, Taylor Creek accompanied us. Hardwood trees along the edges of this thin trickle of water were resplendent in their fall colors.
Fall foliage was at its peak in late October – Wow!
The red rock scenery was awe-inspiring too, with jagged cliffs towering in front of us and then surrounding us.
Kolob Canyons
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There is no shuttle bus on Kolob Canyons Road, and there is very little traffic, especially in the early morning. We stopped at several pullouts to take a deep breath and savor the incredible views.
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Kolob Canyons Visitor Center at the beginning of the scenic drive is at about 5,000′ elevation, and Kolob Canyons Road climbs about 1,000 feet to the Kolob Viewpoint at the end, about 5 miles down the road.
In comparison, Zion Canyon is at 4,000′ elevation.
So, there was a delicious mix of evergreens and deciduous hardwood trees that stand out against the red rock backdrop.
Fall foliage and red rocks – yum!
Trees perched on outcroppings of the red rock cliffs.
Kolob Canyons is an awesome area for photography, and our cameras were going wild.
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Some of the best fall colors seemed to be down along Taylor Creek, so we decided to hike the Taylor Creek Trail to see if we could immerse ourselves a little deeper in the fall foliage.
The Taylor Creek Trail headed right into the fall color.
Taylor Creek Trail was an easy hike that took us under lovely archways of colorful leaves.
We walked under an arch of autumn color.
We had the trail almost entirely to ourselves as we walked into a wonderland of fall color.
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Because the elevation in Kolob Canyons is slightly higher than in Zion Canyon, late October was the ideal time to see the autumn colors along this creek.
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Being there at the right time for beautiful colors was a nice surprise, because, over in Zion Canyon we had found we were just a little bit early. The best time for that part of the park is the first week of November.
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The red rocks of the surrounding peaks of Kolob Canyons jutted into the brooding sky, adding a wonderful burnt orange to the brilliant shades of the trees around us.
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We were just having too much fun with our cameras here!
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As is always the way when we go on a gorgeous hike with our cameras, we soon got separated as we each scrambled off the trail here and there to explore inviting and hidden spots. Mark found himeself surrounded by maple trees and had fun with their bright red leaves.
Fall comes to Zion National Park.
Who knew there were maple leaves in the red rock desert canyons of Southern Utah?!
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We spent many hours on Taylor Creek Trail and didn’t even make it to the end of the hike!
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Keeping tabs with each with our two-way radios, we finally made our way back to our truck. When I got there I found Mark had put pretty fall leaves all over my seat!
I came back to our truck to find my seat covered with fall leaves — fun!
It is days like this that make our crazy lives in our trailer so special.
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For RVers heading to Zion National Park, the one hour drive from Zion Canyon around to the west entrance at Kolob Canyons is really worthwhile. There is a campground on the west side of the park that is designed for tent camping and is suitable for truck campers and very short Class C’s.
A full moon rises at Zion.
There are links with more info and big rig RV parking ideas below.
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More info about Kolob Canyons in Zion National Park:
- Zion National Park Kolob Canyons Info – Official NPS Website
- Hiking in Zion National Park – NPS Maps and hiking notes
- RV Parks near Leeds, Utah – RV Park Reviews – Leeds is 17 miles south of Kolob Canyons on I-15
- RV Parks near Cedar City, Utah – RV Park Reviews – Cedar City is 20 miles north of Kolob Canyons on I-15
- RV Parks near Springdale, Utah – RV Park Reviews – Springdale is at Zion Canyon, 38 miles from Kolob Canyons
- Locations of Kolob Canyons, Taylor Creek Trail and Zion South Entrance – Interactive Google Maps
Blog posts from our RV trips to Zion National Park:
- Zion National Park’s Hidden Jewels – Off the Beaten Path in an RV! 12/06/17
- Zion National Park RV Trip – One AWESOME Canyon! 12/15/16
- Zion NP, Kodachrome Basin & Snow Canyon, UT – Great Red Rocks! 10/31/07
Blog posts from the area near Zion National Park:
- Best Friends Animal Sanctuary & Southwest Wildlife Foundation in Utah 09/15/08
- Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park – Shape Shifting in the Sand! 11/08/17
- Johnson Canyon Movie Set – A Spooky Ghost Town – Happy Halloween! 10/27/17
- Kanab – Hub for the National Parks + Gorgeous Canyons Nearby! 11/12/17
- Kanab & Alton, UT – Whoa!!! 09/29/08
- Sand Hollow State Park, Utah – An Oasis in the Desert! 11/21/17
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Wow, is all I can say! Such beauty you guys discover makes our mouth water for the same. That area is on our bucket list. Merry Christmas!
Darin Koch
Zion is incredibly beautiful, Darin, both in the well known busy areas and in the quieter lesser known spots. Enjoy your travels when you get there! And Merry Christmas to you too!
I always enjoy your posts and brilliant photos. We were just a couple of weeks behind you @ Zion. Currently we are in Chicago for the Christmas/Hanukkah holiday but fly back to Arizona next week. New Years @ Usery Regional Park then on to California for January. (We’ll be back in AZ for Feb.) can’t beat the Nomadic life
Thank you for reading, Pat. Enjoy the holidays and your travels!
It’s too bad you didn’t make it to the end of the trail where there is a wonderful rock formation called the double arch. The canyon walls come together at this point. It was hard to get a photo of the entire rock formation even with an 18mm lens. I was there in late June when the southern entrance was very crowded. It was extremely hot. Well over 100°. But the northern entrance was cooler and hardly any visitors. I believe it was a 2 1/2 mile hike to the end point with many crossings of a narrow stream. It was a delightful hike. Those fall colors you got to see were magnificent.
We’re looking forward to doing that hike again. We always leave our favorite places with a list of exciting things to see and do on our next visit!
Love reading your posts especially when they’re about Zion Canyon, my favorite place! We have only visited Zion Canyon twice and we have not made it to the west side and Kolob Canyon but we will next time we visit. My daughter and son-in-law have a home in the rocky mountains outside the town of Buena Vista CO. and it is so beautiful but I still love Zion Canyon the best. Thanks for the great photography and information.
Zion is truly lovely and I’m so glad to know our photos have given you some inspiration. Thank you for the wonderful feedback and enjoy your travels there when you go!
Love this post (as I do all of your posts – ha!). Steve and I are planning to head back out West this year so we will definitely heed your advice and make sure we see Zion. We’re starting to plan it now and your blog is such a useful guide! Thanks again and Happy New Year to both of you!
You are going to have such a great time, Janet. Zion is stunning — but the whole area is just incredible (Bryce, Cedar Breaks, Scenic Byway 12 and the North Rim). Enjoy your travels and have a wonderful 2017!!
Utah is one of our favorite destinations. Love your fall photos!
Utah is still our favorite state after all these years. Just magnificent!!
Thanks for letting me travel the US with you. Money and health don’t allow me to travel; like I would like. Thanks for sharing.
You are so very welcome, Abbey. We are blessed to be able to travel the way we do, and how awesome it is in this particular era that the internet makes it possible for us to bring you along on our journey. We know what it’s like to have wanderlust in your soul but not be in a position to travel at the moment, so it is especially fulfilling to share our adventures with people like you who dream of distant horizons.