Exactly How To Hike Taylor Creek Trail In Zion National Park

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Photo of Kristen Morgan from Where Are Those Morgans stood on pink sand with arm in the air pointing to a gigantic depression in red rocks called Double Arch Alcove at the end of the Taylor Creek Trail in Zion

Taylor Creek Trail is a fun 5-mile roundtrip hike leading to Double Arch Alcove in Zion’s peaceful Kolob Canyons region. We’re happy to admit we didn’t have high expectations for this trail, but it surprised us in a big way. There’s creek crossings, log cabins, forests, sandy paths and a gigantic alcove. But best of all, there’s no crowds.

In this guide we show you how to hike Taylor Creek Trail in Zion National Park, based on our experiences.

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Our Experience

Photo of a hiker in a blue coat holding a camera in a light forest on a dirt trail
Here’s Mark walking through one of the forest sections

Taylor Creek Trail was our first hike of the day when we finally visited Kolob Canyons on the last day of November in 2021. We didn’t do this area during our first trip to Zion in October 2019, but we wanted to get off the beaten path second time around. The crowds in Zion’s main canyon are wild, but we barely saw anyone the whole day in Kolob Canyons which made it so much more relaxing.

It was a cold but clear and sunny morning, with a few spots of ice remaining in the shadows. But we quickly warmed up on the trail as we crossed the creek and forged our way further into the box canyon, flanked on both sides by enormous orange sandstone cliffs. The impressive Double Arch Alcove was easily our favorite part of the hike, so make sure you go all the way to the end. Read more about us.

What You Need To Know

Photo of a hiker looking into a door of a log cabin in a forest in Utah
Here’s Kristen peeking inside Larson Cabin

Okay, let’s dive right in. Here are the most important things you need to know about hiking Taylor Creek Trail:

  • It’s also known as Middle Fork of Taylor Creek Trail
  • The trail runs east-west so it’s in the shade almost all day
  • It’s not a technical hike but it has several creek crossings
  • The trail is not accessible for wheelchairs or strollers
  • You do not need a permit to hike this trail
  • Timber Creek Overlook Trail is great for before or after
  • It can be cold in the morning if you visit in winter
  • Check live conditions for trail updates
  • Taylor Creek Trail is not dog friendly
 

Trail Statistics

  • Distance: 5 miles roundtrip
  • Type: Out and back
  • Elevation Gain: 450 feet
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Time: 2-3 hours
  • Trailhead: E Kolob Canyon Rd

The trail is rated as moderately difficult by both the NPS and AllTrails. We’d honestly say it’s on the easier side of moderate and most people will find it a breeze. There aren’t any steep climbs or scrambling sections, and the hardest it gets is using small rocks to cross the creek. With that said, it’s still a 5 mile roundtrip hike, so the distance is what adds on the extra difficulty.

We wouldn’t say any of the hikes in Kolob Canyons are popular, but this is the busiest of the 4 trails because it strikes a nice balance between length and difficulty. It took us just over 2 hours to hike to Double Arch Alcove and back, but we were shifting at a good pace and didn’t hang around at the end.

Trail Map

Map showing the hiking route for Taylor Creek Trail in Zion created by Where Are Those Morgans
We created this route map to help you visualize the hike

As you can see in the map we created above, Taylor Creek Trail is a very straightforward hike. There are no spur trails or connector paths, it’s just a simple out and back walk following a creek until reaching a very obvious turnaround point at Double Arch Alcove.

Trailhead Parking

Photo of Taylor Creek Trailhead parking in Zion
The lot had fewer than 10 cars parked when we returned from the hike at 10:30am

Taylor Creek Trailhead is located just 2 miles from Kolob Canyons visitor center. It’s the very first parking area you’ll reach as you drive up E Kolob Canyon Road, which is the only road in the region. From Springdale, it’s a 40-mile drive which takes around 45 minutes.

At the trailhead you’ll find around 30 parking spaces and a vault toilet. Even though it’s much quieter here than in Zion’s main canyon, 30 spaces isn’t a lot. So we recommend arriving early in the morning or much later in the afternoon if you visit in peak months.

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Trail Walkthrough

Next, let’s walk through the easy hike exactly as we did it so you know what to expect.

1. Park At The Trailhead

Photo of a small brown sign on a hiking trail stating entering Zion wilderness
Not long after starting we entered Zion wilderness

We arrived into Kolob Canyons bang on 8:00am, parked at the visitor center and went inside to see if everything was open because it was icy cold. A ranger walked us through the hikes and told us about a hidden route that we could do after Taylor Creek, which was a great result. Then we hopped back in the car and parked at the first lot, used the restroom, grabbed our gear and hit the trail.

2. Hike Down To The River

Photo of a creek with a light layer of ice on top in a red rock landscape with trees and the sun coming through
There was a thin layer of ice on the creek when we started

The trail began by dropping straight down to the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek. There was a thin film of ice clinging to the surface of the shallow tributary, so we knew we’d have to be careful on the creek crossings. For the first few minutes we walked along a dirt packed trail next to the water, cutting through vegetation and trees in the shadows.

3. Creek Crossings

Photo of a hiker walking across stones over a shallow creek holding a camera with the sun warming up on a cold morning
Here’s Kristen using rocks to get over one of the many creek crossings

Then we hit our first creek crossing, and from that point on for quite some time all we remember was zig-zagging across the water more times than we could count. There was a very gradual elevation gain as we climbed upstream into the box canyon, but it was barely noticeable. The dirt trail continued through forest until eventually opening out into the canyon with giant red walls to either side.

4. Two Wooden Cabins

Photo of Fife Cabin on the Taylor Creek Trail in Kolob Canyons Zion, log cabin on pink sand surrounded by trees and red rock cliffs
This was Fife Cabin not far from the end of the hike

Aside from Double Arch Alcove at the end, the other two other landmarks you can’t miss when hiking Taylor Creek Trail are two historic homestead log cabins built in the early 1930’s called Larson Cabin and Fife Cabin. The cabins long pre-date the time that Kolob Canyons was absorbed by Zion’s park boundaries. They’re both photogenic, but Fife Cabin was in more attractive surroundings.

5. Double Arch Alcove

Photo of a huge alcove depression in a red rock formation called Double Arch Alcove with colorful rocks below and pink sand
This was the enormous Double Arch Alcove at the end of the hike

After more creek crossings, more forest and some lovely sections of deep pink sand we finally reached a brown sign showing us the way to Double Arch Alcove. We could tell it was close because the canyon was narrowing, but we didn’t expect it to be so immense. The alcove was deep and vast, so we made sure to take a perspective photo before leaving.

6. Hike Back To The Trailhead

Photo of a hiker walking along a dirt trail and crossing small stones over a shallow creek
Here’s Kristen walking back to the trailhead later in the morning

You can continue walking past Double Arch Alcove, but it’s not recommended and we didn’t bother because the trail isn’t maintained and boulder climbing is required to make any more progress. Instead, we turned around and went back the exact same way but this time mostly downhill. Admittedly, it was getting a bit tedious by the end, but isn’t that the case with most 5-mile out and back hikes?

Best Time To Hike Taylor Creek Trail

Photo of a dirt hiking path next to a shallow creek flanked by tall red rock cliffs all in shadow on the Taylor Creek Trail hike in Zion National Park
This was one of our favorite photo spots on the hike

We think late fall is a great time to visit Zion in general for a good balance between crowds, costs and hiking temperatures. But Kolob Canyons is much quieter than the main canyon throughout the year, so overcrowding isn’t as much of an issue for Taylor Creek Trail.

With that said, it is the most popular hike in Kolob Canyons so the parking lot and trail will be busier during peak visiting months from April-October. We hiked this trail during our visit to Zion in early winter and only saw a handful of other people all morning.

The main thing you need to be aware of is flash flooding in Zion’s rivers and creeks in spring and during southern Utah’s monsoon season in late summer. Stay on top of live conditions to see if flooding is likely, or speak to the rangers in visitor centers.

The Morgan Conclusion

Photo of a hiker in a pink fleece holding a camera stood on a rock looking up at a tall red rock formation in Utah
This was Kristen enjoying the red rock scenery on the trail

What we like: It’s a peaceful and relaxing hike, especially considering we’re talking about Zion here. The creek crossings keep things interesting and engaging, and they’ll keep the kids entertained if you’re visiting with the family. Walking into a box canyon was a cool experience and Double Arch Alcove was far more striking than we expected.

What we don’t like: The hike wasn’t very challenging or adventurous, which is what a lot of people are in Zion for. We liked the alcove, but there were no elevated views at any point. And we were definitely getting a bit bored near the end because it’s an out and back hike with similar terrain throughout.

Is Taylor Creek Trail worth it? Yes, we think Taylor Creek Trail is one of the more underrated hiking trails in Zion because it’s quieter than popular hikes in the main canyon, it’s perfect for families and it leads to a truly impressive natural alcove. The trail isn’t especially exciting, but overall we think it’s a great all-around hike that’s suitable for most visitors to the park.

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We hope our guide to hiking Taylor Creek Trail helps with planning your visit to Zion!

Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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