Parking
Use the Timber Creek Overlook Trailhead parking area at the end of Kolob Canyons Road.
Overview
About Timber Creek Overlook Trail
Why go
- Wide canyon views for a short walk
- Desert wildflowers in spring and early summer
Heads up
- Dirt can turn muddy when wet
- A few high steps and a brief narrow rocky spot
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Zion map
Full mapElevation6,191–6,319 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Timber Creek Overlook Trail, 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
Kolob Canyons Viewpoint0:00 / 0:32
“You're nearing Kolob Canyons Viewpoint, where the road ends above a row of red sandstone canyons. Stop here even if you don't want to hike: the panorama starts at the parking area.”
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
- South Fork of Taylor Creek
- Kolob Canyons Visitor Center
- Taylor Creek and Double Arch Alcove
- 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 Timber Creek Overlook Trail
A quick ridge walk with a wide payoffTimber Creek Overlook is a 1.
Timber Creek Overlook is a 1.2-mile out-and-back from the parking area at the end of Kolob Canyons Road to a rocky ridge-end viewpoint. The 0.6-mile trail out is walked back the same way. Allow 30–60 minutes; the route climbs about 117 feet overall. It's an easy extra hike if you're already in Kolob Canyons and want a short walk to broad canyon views.
Follow the ridge southFrom the road-end lot, a short connection past the picnic area leads onto the ridge.
From the road-end lot, a short connection past the picnic area leads onto the ridge. The path rises and dips through low shrubs and scattered junipers, with the views opening as you walk south. Turn around at the overlook and return on the same track. The end looks across Timber Creek toward Shuntavi Butte, Kolob Terrace, and the Pine Valley Mountains. On a clear day, look far south for Mount Trumbull. For a photo, keep some of the nearer red ridge in the foreground so the canyons read as layers rather than a flat wall.
Short, but watch your feetMost of the tread is firm dirt with some rock, but it isn't a smooth stroll: the trail…
Most of the tread is firm dirt with some rock, but it isn't a smooth stroll: the trail assessment records a few steps as high as 18 inches and a very short narrow spot at a boulder. The overall climb is modest, though one pitch is steep. Dirt can turn muddy when wet, so this is a better choice after the ground has dried.
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.
