Kolob Arch

Lee Pass is the starting point. From there the trail opens onto Kolob Canyons, drops into the Timber Creek valley, then follows La Verkin Creek through the side canyon. After about seven miles, a spur leaves the creek route for the viewpoint. The ground is rocky and sandy, with creek crossings; expect a full day on foot, not a short detour.

At the viewpoint, look high across the far wall. The arch sits above the trees and may be partly screened, so give your eyes a moment to pick out the opening. For a photo, include the surrounding sandstone and treetops; they show where the arch sits in the canyon and give the distant opening some scale.

The arch formed along parallel fractures in Navajo Sandstone. The rock around it began as windblown dunes in a vast desert about 185 to 180 million years ago. Its sloping, cross-bedded layers still preserve the shape of those migrating dunes and the direction the wind carried the sand.

The route starts among piñon pine and juniper, then reaches cottonwoods and box elders along Timber Creek and La Verkin Creek. Ponderosa pine becomes more common near the arch spur. La Verkin is a corruption of the Spanish La Virgen, a mistaken name tied to the Virgin River; the trail also passes near remains of a corral built by Mormon pioneers.

Lee Pass is the second-to-last trailhead on Kolob Canyons Road, about 3.5 miles beyond the visitor center. Parking there is limited, and there is no water or restroom at the trailhead; fill up at Kolob Canyons Visitor Center before driving out. Creek water needs treatment. Plan food and water before setting out. Day hikers don't need a wilderness permit, but overnight trips do. Dogs aren't allowed on these wilderness trails, and groups sharing an affiliation are limited to 12 people.