Right Fork of North Creek to Double Falls

The Right Fork of North Creek to Double Falls is an 11.1-mile out-and-back, starting and ending at the signed Right Fork Trailhead on Kolob Terrace Road. Allow 9–12 hours. This is a remote canyon hike through rough banks and streambed, not a maintained path; it suits people comfortable with route finding, wading and boulder scrambling over a full day. The payoff is a roughly 15-foot waterfall in a shaded alcove. Published distances differ, and the creek route wanders, so leave room for the mileage to vary. The app line follows the creek corridor as a guide; changing pools, brush and stream channels can move the easiest walking line.

From the small parking area, follow a faint track across lava rock and down a steep, loose slope to North Creek. The path drops about 400 feet; mark where you leave the creek for the climb back out, as the exit is easy to miss. Walk roughly 0.6 mile upstream to the Right Fork confluence, then take the branch on your right. The routes braid through gravel, boulders, water and brush; expect wet feet and do not count on one obvious tread.

Near Trail Canyon, the channel opens into a meadow with beaver-made ponds. The more open north side is the clearest line through the brush. After the meadow, most walking is in the water, with detours around boulders and deeper pools. About two miles farther, sandstone walls rise 10–20 feet around a narrow section. A pool there can be nearly dry one year or chest-deep another, and the ledge beyond can be slick.

After about 4.3 miles from the fork, Double Falls spills roughly 15 feet over a ledge. The alcove lets you walk behind the falls. The waterfall traditionally had two main flows; a third appeared after 2010, but the Double Falls name stayed. Stop here for this route. A steep, exposed bypass above the falls leads to more obstacles and Barrier Falls, a much rougher extension outside the mapped trip.

A major fire in June 2006 burned the first two miles of the route, and the early tread can be hard to follow. Farther upstream, remnants of a 2010 landslide lie in the narrow wash. Summer heat is especially tiring on the exposed approach; spring runoff can make crossings colder and deeper, and winter brings cold water and possible ice.

There is a small parking area at the signed Right Fork Trailhead. No toilets or potable water were verified there; carry what you need and do not drink creek water. The bottom-up day hike does not require a wilderness permit; overnight camping does. Pets are not allowed on this trail, though service animals are permitted. Flash floods can turn the wash into a dangerous route: do not enter when storms threaten the drainage.