Parking
Taylor Creek Trailhead on Kolob Canyons Road, about 2.1 miles from the Kolob Canyons entrance. Pit toilets are at the trailhead; water filling is at Kolob Canyons Visitor Center. Parking capacity and fees were not verified.
Overview
About North Fork of Taylor Creek
Why go
- A quiet side canyon with a pitted sandstone wall and natural arch.
- The shared approach is gradual and the upper canyon feels different from the Middle Fork.
Heads up
- The North Fork turn just beyond Larson Cabin is easy to miss.
- Unmaintained creekbed, overgrowth and a variable turnaround make route-finding part of the hike.
North Fork of Taylor Creek is a 5.5-mile out-and-back that follows the established Taylor Creek path to Larson Cabin, then leaves the maintained route for an informal creekbed walk. Allow 3 to 5 hours. It suits hikers who like exploring a quiet side canyon and don't need a signed trail the whole way. The climb is gradual, but loose gravel, thick brush and a few boulder scrambles make the route more demanding than the mileage alone suggests.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Zion map
Full mapElevation5,448–6,245 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Zion alerts
- CautionToxic cyanobacteria in Zion waterwaysDo not drink Zion in-stream water, submerge your head, or touch or ingest algae mats; cyanobacteria can produce harmful toxins.Official details
- ClosureWatchman Trail closed for repairsWatchman Trail is closed pending repairs; do not enter the trail and choose another hike. Check current park conditions before setting out.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Zion Tour Guide
Your drive to North Fork of Taylor Creek, narrated.
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 trailhead
Taylor Creek and Double Arch Alcove0:00 / 0:27
“You're coming up on Taylor Creek Trailhead, the start of the walk to Double Arch Alcove.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Zion Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lee Pass and Kolob Arch
- A Songbird Underwater
- South Fork of Taylor Creek
- Kolob Canyons Visitor Center
- 45 audio storiesacross Zion’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor California Condor, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Lion, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 36 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking North Fork of Taylor Creek
Find the branchFrom Taylor Creek Trailhead, follow the main path down to the creek and continue for roughly a…
From Taylor Creek Trailhead, follow the main path down to the creek and continue for roughly a mile to Larson Cabin. The North Fork comes in from the north just beyond the cabin, and the turn is easy to miss. Larson's old homestead is the landmark to watch for. Keep going into the North Fork; the main route continues along the Middle Fork toward Double Arch Alcove, a different hike.
Up the North ForkFollow the creekbed north, then east around Tucupit Point.
Follow the creekbed north, then east around Tucupit Point. The water fades and the canyon floor opens into gravel, with stretches of thick vegetation. Near the upper canyon, red sandstone rises around a pitted alcove wall and a natural arch. There isn't a marked endpoint: the mapped route ends near this upper wall, while the on-the-ground turnaround depends on brush and boulders. The 5.5-mile figure is for the mapped out-and-back; turning earlier changes your distance.
Access and hazardsUse the shared Taylor Creek Trailhead on Kolob Canyons Road; pit toilets are there, and the…
Use the shared Taylor Creek Trailhead on Kolob Canyons Road; pit toilets are there, and the visitor center has water filling. No on-route water service was found. Pets aren't allowed on Kolob Canyons trails, and Zion's wilderness group limit is 12 people. This is an unmaintained creekbed beyond the cabin, not a signed trail. Flash floods can race through narrow canyons from storms miles away, even when skies above are clear; avoid the drainage whenever storms threaten.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Zion
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.
