Hikes in Zion that Often Get Overlooked

zion national

Zion National Park is one of the most beautiful places in the world and one of the most popular national parks in the country with between 4 and 5 million visitors every single year. Like all national parks in the United States, Zion has its most famous landmarks: Angel’s Landing, The Narrows, Observation Point, Emerald Pools, and potentially a couple more that could qualify to be on the short list. However, also like all national parks, there are other attractions and sights within the Park’s boundaries that for whatever reason don’t get near as much attention or recognition but by all accounts are just as spectacular (or close to) as their big-name counterparts. This article sheds some light on a two of the unsung hikes in Zion National Park that you need to know about.

Taylor Creek Trail

Also known as “the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek,” this is family-friendly, all-ages hike in the Kolob Canyons section of the Park. There aren’t very many official trails in this section, but this one of them. Only about 5 miles roundtrip, this gorgeous trail goes through one of Kolob’s finger canyons. Your feet will get a little wet as you hike upstream through mostly non-strenuous terrain. Along the way, you’ll see some historic old cabins, some incredible pink and orange sandstone, and finally, Double Arch Alcove which is an, unfortunately, overlooked Zion landmark. It is an incredibly beautiful cave formation with lines of stunning black and white formed from water seeping through the rock. Perhaps we’ll never understand why people don’t typically put this hike on their itineraries. If you’re visiting Zion with kids and teens, consider hiking Taylor Creek. It’s worth every minute!

Northgate Peaks Trail

This is a wonderful, short, and (like Taylor Creek) non-strenuous hike that you can bring the whole family on if you wish. Also in the Kolob Terrace section of Zion National Park, this hike is typically left off of the majority of visitor’s itineraries because of that fact. The Kolob section is somewhat removed from the main canyon where the majority of Zion’s more famous locations reside, which is one of the main reasons why the hikes in this section don’t get as much love. This hike has some great views with strikingly different scenery compared to what you’d get in the main canyon. Choosing Northgate Peaks Trail gives a wonderful and tranquil diversion from the heavy tourist traffic of the main canyon.

Conclusion

We’ll continue informing you of itinerary recommendations for your upcoming Zion visits in future posts, but hopefully, these two trials will spark your interest in exploring some of Zion National Park’s less-traveled trails. Zion is unique considering the fact that even the “less popular” hikes are incredible! Make sure to stop at the Springdale & Zion Canyon Visitor Center during your visit to Zion for all of your Park needs. Also, ZionNationalPark.com is far and away the best resource online for all things Zion, so bookmark that site as well. See you soon!

Hikes in Zion that Often Get Overlooked

Zion National

Article by Clear Content Marketing

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