Sight · Zion National Park
A 1931 log cabin marks a homestead that never quite took hold.
Overview
Larson Cabin is a small log homestead beside the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek, near its meeting with the North Fork in Zion’s Kolob Canyons. If you’re hiking Taylor Creek, it’s a worthwhile first history stop: a real 1930s cabin tucked into the canyon. It’s reached by a short spur; Fife Cabin is a separate stop farther upstream. Plan to see Larson Cabin from outside and leave the old structure undisturbed. A corner view catches the log walls with the red cliff behind them.
Parkwolf’s verdictA cabin worth a detourMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Zion Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Zion National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Zion audio tourRecorded for this place
Taylor Creek and Double Arch Alcove“You're coming up on Taylor Creek Trailhead, the start of the walk to Double Arch Alcove.”
Plays as you drive up to Larson Cabin in the Parkwolf Zion Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
The cabin is roughly 12 by 24 feet. Larson cut logs in the canyon and hauled them to the site by horse. Construction began in 1930 and the cabin was completed in 1931, a compact home built from materials gathered close by.
Gustive O. Larson was a Utah historian and educator who tried to homestead here. He spent four summers at the site, short of the five-summer residence requirement, and his claim was ultimately denied. The cabin’s story runs from that brief settlement attempt to Kolob’s establishment as a national monument in 1937 and its addition to Zion National Park in 1956.
Wildlife
291 sightingsCalifornia CondorMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
350 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
22 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,326 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
23 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
15 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Zion. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateSouth Fork of Taylor Creek Trail3 mi · 3 hr · 0.5 mi awayA sandy canyon path beneath Kolob’s high red walls.
ChallengingLa Verkin Creek Trail to Kolob Arch14 mi · 8 hr · 0.8 mi awayA long creek walk earns a distant view of Kolob Arch.
ChallengingTrans-Zion Trek37 mi · 1 day · 0.8 mi awayA backcountry crossing from Kolob's creek canyons to Zion Canyon.
ChallengingLa Verkin Creek Trail to Bear Trap Canyon Falls18.1 mi · 11 hr · 0.8 mi awayAn 18-mile out-and-back to Bear Trap Canyon Falls in red sandstone.
ModerateTaylor Creek Trail5.2 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.8 mi awayTwo homestead cabins lead to a shaded sandstone alcove.
ModerateNorth Fork of Taylor Creek5.5 mi · 4 hr · 0.8 mi awayA quiet canyon walk, an easy to miss fork and small arch.
EasyTimber Creek Overlook Trail1.2 mi · 45 min · 2.1 mi awayShort ridge, red cliffs, and a long look toward Pine Valley.
ChallengingCamp Creek Hike8.5 mi · 5.5 hr · 3 mi awayA rough canyon walk to twin stone portals and pitted red walls
Sight · 0.9 mi awayFife CabinA small 1930s homestead gives the creek hike a human story.Sight · 1.3 mi awayDouble Arch AlcoveA streaked sandstone alcove caps a creek-crossing hike.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayKolob Canyons ViewpointA five-mile drive earns a sweeping view of red finger canyons.
Visitor center · 2.3 mi awayKolob Canyons Visitor CenterYour required pass stop before Kolob's five-mile scenic road.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayTimber Creek OverlookA rocky ridge walk to Kolob’s wide southern horizon.
Sight · 3.3 mi awayKolob ArchA full-day canyon hike to an arch you see from afar.Parkwolf’s Zion ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
