Obviously, Zion Canyon is the highlight in Zion National Park – hence it’s busyness, but did you know there’s a whole other section of the national park called Kolob Canyons. Here there are three different trails, the shortest of which is Timber Creek Overlook. This short trail packs a big punch in terms of beauty. It’s so beautiful, we did this trail three times on our trip to Zion.
Quick Info About Timber Creek Overlook Trail
TRAIL LENGTH: 1 mile total, out and back
TRAIL DIFFICULTY: This trail is definitely an easy one.
ENTRANCE FEE: Because this is in Zion National Park, there is an entrance fee of $35, which is good for 7 days! However, if you’re a lover of national parks and visit more than two parks with fees in a year, I would highly recommend getting the annual America the Beautiful National Park Pass.
GENERAL LOCATION: This trail is in the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park. From Springdale, you travel on UT-9 West until you reach UT-17 just outside of La Verkin. Then hop on I-15. The entrance to Kolob Canyons is 1 mile off of exit 40. There are brown signs to help guide the way. It’s also searchable on Google Maps.
Hiking The Timber Creek Overlook Trail
First of all, the drive into Kolob Canyons is a show-stopper. I think we pulled out at just about every single pullout we could because we wanted to stop and take it in. There were a lot of fall colors and then after a surprise snow storm, we got to see it all covered in snow as well! The road is full of twists and turns that climbs up, and it ends at Kolob Canyons Picnic Area, which is also where the trailhead for Timber Creek Overlook Trail is located.
The trail is incredibly straight-forward, which makes sense for such a short hike. There’s a slight incline up to the top, but nothing terrible, less than 300ft. The trail first is through a small grove of trees and then it opens up to some awesome overlooks. Along this area is some sagebrush and leads to the final overlook.
This overlook is on a rocky section that involves a smidge of a scramble, especially to get to the very edge of the overlook. You get the most incredible view into Kolob Canyons, including Kolob Arch, even if you can’t tell it’s an arch. Plus, on really clear days, you can see all the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
This trail is a dirt and rock surface and can be super muddy when it’s wet. There are some wood-framed steps in the dirt sections to help during times of snow and wet. The trail is really well-blazed and there are a few sections where people have gone-off trail and created “new trails” but there are signs there that guide you and remind you to stick to the actual trail.
Our Experiences Hiking the Timber Creek Overlook Trail
I have to say that this trail was a quick trail that we added into a few of our days as a quick evening or afternoon hike, which is part of why we did this trail three times in a handful of days!
Our first trip out, my dad, Matt and I did this trail because we weren’t quite ready to quit hiking for the day. My mom wanted to stay back, so she was willing to hang out with Charleigh to let us do a quick hike before dinner.
We’d never been to the Kolob Canyons Section of Zion and we were truly so wowed by this section of the park. Like I mentioned above, the winding drive to the trailhead is just unbelievable. At every single opportunity to do so, we pulled over and basked in the beauty of it all.
Along the trail, we were the same way! We stopped at every viewpoint. From here you can see Kolob Arch, which is one of the top 10 longest arches in the world. Although, from here, you can’t really tell that it’s an arch.
The end view is another awe-worthy scene. Our first time there was so clear that you could see the edge of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon… a sweet teensy preview for Matt!
The very next evening, we dragged my mom up on this trail. We fell so hard for it that we wanted her to experience it too! She also loved it and it was fun bringing Charleigh up on the trail as well!
The third go on this trail was unplanned, but I’m so glad that we did. We had intended to go to Bryce Canyon, but the day we planned for it, there was almost a foot of snow that fell in that area. That park and the road to North Rim of the Grand Canyon were closed! It was a lot of snow! Here at Zion, there was a good amount of snow as well! So, we decided to seek out a trail here.
This was another day that my mom wasn’t super interested in getting out because of the snow. She was also kindly willing to stay back so we didn’t have Charleigh out in the cold as much. We attempted to do a slot canyon hike, but there was just so much snow that we couldn’t see the trail that led to the canyon. We were stepping into creeks, getting off trail and just didn’t feel comfortable continuing. So, we decided to go back to the old standby, which wasn’t a hardship.
This trail covered in snow was just pure magic. The way that the snow really casts a stark contrast against the red rocks just is one of the most moving winter landscapes.
Needless to say, we loved this trail. We loved that it felt like some secluded moments in such a busy park. Plus, the beauty of this trail is easy to want to do again and again!
Hiking Gear We Love!
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Other Popular Day Hikes in Zion National Park
Angels Landing Trail: Angels Landing is probably the most iconic trail in this park. It’s known for it’s crazy drop-offs and stunning viewpoints! Heads up, this trail now requires a permit! Check out our Angels Landing Trail Guide here.
Canyon Overlook Trail: This is one of my favorite hikes in the park. It’s so short, which isn’t why I love it, but the views at the end are just unbelievable. (Our trail guide for this trail is coming soon!)
Emerald Pools Trail: This trail has three waterfall sections: Lower, Middle and Upper falls and the trail gets more difficult as you go up. It’s another beauty of Zion Canyon that I highly recommend. (Our trail guide for this hike is coming soon as well!)
Riverside Walk Trail: This easy hike follows alongside the Virgin River and is a beautiful, easy stroll with some wow moments, especially as the canyon narrows and becomes the entrance to The Narrows.
The Narrows: This is a bucket list hike for me! This hike is an extension of the Riverside Walk that continues into the canyon with the Virgin River itself is the trail!
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