Kolob Canyons Viewpoint

Kolob Canyons Viewpoint is a drive-up overlook high on a ridge above the Kolob finger canyons, at the end of the five-mile Kolob Canyons Road. The broad red-rock panorama starts at the parking area, so you can get the view without hiking. A separate trail continues south if you want another ridge-top stop.

The narrow, parallel canyons cut into the western edge of the Colorado Plateau, with cliff walls rising about 2,000 feet. Their crimson faces are Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone. From the overlook, take in the long folds of the canyon walls and the green slopes between them; this is a good place to see how the district's finger canyons fit together.

The Timber Creek Overlook Trail starts at the west end of the lot and climbs gradually about 150 feet over a one-mile round trip. It reaches a second, separate overlook south of the road end. The sandy, loose-rock footing and steeper patches make it a different outing from the easy drive-up viewpoint.

From I-15 Exit 40, Kolob Canyons Road runs five miles from the visitor center to the viewpoint. Stop at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center first to show your pass or pay the park entrance fee. Picnic tables sit beside the trailhead near the lot. The road is open much of the year but often closes in winter for snow or ice, so check current road alerts before making the drive.

Take a wide view that holds several red walls together, then include the green lower slopes to show the depth of the canyons. Late-afternoon light can bring out the warm color and texture in the sandstone.