Timber Creek Overlook Trail is one of the best bang for your buck hikes in Zion. It’s short, easy and leads to an elevated viewpoint with dramatic views over giant red rock formations and deep canyons. We walked out to the overlook after spending a day hiking in Kolob Canyons and if we’re being honest, we didn’t expect such awesome views.
In this guide we show you how to hike Timber Creek Overlook Trail in Zion National Park, based on our experiences.
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Our Experience
We didn’t visit Zion’s Kolob Canyons region the first time we visited the park in October 2019, so we made it a priority the second time we visited in late November and early December of 2021. We’d just left Las Vegas and Valley of Fire State Park, spent a night at a cheap hotel in Hurricane and got an early start to hike three fun trails in the eerily quiet Kolob Canyons area.
Timber Creek Overlook was our third and final hike before heading to Springdale. Our first few hikes in the morning were icy and cold but it turned out to be a beautiful day with clear skies and sunshine by the time we walked out to the overlook. The hike was a breeze and the views were outstanding, so we spent a good 10 minutes sat on huge boulders soaking up the scenery. Read more about us.
What You Need To Know
Okay, let’s dive right in. Here are the most important things you need to know about hiking Timber Creek Overlook Trail:
- Kolob Canyons is far quieter than the main canyon
- It’s the easiest hike in Kolob Canyons
- It has one of the best views in the park
- The trail is achievable for most visitors
- But it’s not accessible for wheelchairs
- The view is east, southeast and south facing
- Late afternoon through sunset has the best light
- Check live conditions for trail updates
- Timber Creek Overlook is not dog friendly
Trail Statistics
- Distance: 1 mile roundtrip
- Type: Out and back
- Elevation Gain: 100 feet
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Time: 30 minutes-1 hour
- Trailhead: End of E Kolob Canyon Rd
Our favorite thing about this hike is that almost all visitors to the park can do it, so it’s suitable for most Zion itineraries. Many of the park’s trails are adventurous, technical or high in difficulty, but this trail is perfect for families with young kids, the less mobile, all ages and all abilities.
At just 1 mile roundtrip, strong hikers can knock this trail out in 20 minutes, but we think you should plan for 45 minutes with time at the end for photos. There are a few steps and uneven rocky sections to navigate, but nothing too challenging.
Trail Map
As you can see in the map we created above, Timber Creek Overlook Trail is about as straightforward a hike as you can get. There are no spur trails or connector paths, it’s just a simple out and back walk along a ridge to an overlook with wide open views.
If you’re visiting Zion for the first time and want to try a super easy hike with great views that’s suitable for everyone, this is it.
Trailhead Parking
Timber Creek Overlook Trailhead is located at the furthest point you can access by car in Zion’s Kolob Canyons region. From the small visitor center at the entrance to Kolob Canyons, you’ll follow a curving and gradually climbing road 5.3 miles until the road dead-ends at the trailhead.
At the trailhead you’ll find around 25 designated parking spots in a circular shaped lot where the road ends. The views are actually pretty good right from the parking area if you don’t want to do any hiking at all, but they’re much better from the overlook so it’s worth it. There’s also a vault toilet at the trailhead.
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View Zion GuidebookTrail 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
After driving up the surprisingly steep road to the trailhead, we parked and walked over to an information board on the east side of the lot which had direct views over towering red rock cliffs. Then we quickly refueled with snacks and electrolyte drinks because we’d just finished hiking Taylor Creek Trail and South Fork Trail, before walking to the northwest side of the lot to begin the hike.
2. Hike To The Overlook
The trail began on a dirt packed path cutting through a lightly forested area. There were lots of steps created using wooden poles so even the early part of the hike wasn’t accessible for wheelchairs or strollers. Then after just a few minutes the trail suddenly opened up onto a flat table-top expanse filled with trees and vegetation.
It became obvious that we were walking along the top of a ridge because we could see a long way to both the left and right. We climbed more sections of shallow steps followed by dirt paths until reaching a rockier section near the end. The small rocks were easy enough to navigate and after a few more undulating mounds we arrived at the very obvious end of trail area.
3. Enjoy The View
As we walked up the final few steps of the trail to arrive at a collection of larger boulders at the overlook, we were rewarded with spectacular unobstructed views to the east, south and west. To the east we could see 8,000+ ft peaks including Shuntavi Butte, Timber Top Mountain and Gregory Butte in Kolob Canyons, and to the west we could see the Pine Valley Mountains.
4. Short Hike Back
We spent maybe 10 minutes enjoying the awesome views and looking for tiny ant-sized hikers on La Verkin Creek Trail in the valley below before turning back for the trailhead. The return leg was a breeze, mostly downhill and took us less than 10 minutes. Now, on to the main canyon and more hikes!
Best Time To Hike Timber Creek Overlook Trail
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 Timber Creek Overlook Trail.
With that said, the parking lot and trail will undoubtably be busier during peak visiting months from April-October. So we do think you’ll have a more enjoyable experience if you visit Zion in the off season between November-March. We hiked this trail at the very end of November and only saw a few other hikers.
Two things to consider for this trail specifically: In spring and early summer you might see vibrant desert wildflowers on the ridge, and in late winter and early spring you might see snow capped mountains off to the west.
The Morgan Conclusion
What we like: This is a very easy and short hike which should be suitable for almost all visitors to the park. The overlook has excellent wide open views and the trail is much quieter than most others in the park.
What we don’t like: Look, this is not an exciting or adventurous hike in the slightest. It’s perfect if you want an easy hike, but strong hikers looking for a thrill might want to give it a miss. It’s also totally open and exposed so extra care should be taken on hot days. Finally, the trailhead is a 1 hour drive from Springdale, so it’s not the most convenient hike in the park.
Is Timber Creek Overlook Trail worth it? Yes, Timber Creek Overlook Trail is definitely worth hiking. It’s one of the best hikes in Zion for beginners, families with young kids or anyone with mobility issues. It’s a short and easy walk leading to striking views of mountains and valleys, so it packs a big reward for very little effort.
We hope our guide to hiking Timber Creek Overlook 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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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.
Hi, Kristen and Mark, I am a friend of Jon Rice. I told him of my vacation plans…..and he directed me to this blog! My husband and I are in our late sixties and heading for a 17 day driving tour of some of the southwest
Vegas
Grand Canyon 1 night
Monument Valley,1 night
Mesa Verde,3 nights
Canyonlands 2 nights in Moab
Arches, same as above
Capital reef 2 nights
Bryce, 1 night
Zion 1 night
As you can imagine, we have no time or stamina for lengthy hikes. It looks like there are 2 hikes at Zion that are short with a great view. We will be 1 overnight in Tropic and 2 overnights in Springdale. Can you give me some ideas for best use of our time to see the best of Bryce and Zion by driving, walking, short hikes? And any other advice for the places we will visit?
thanks, Karen Brown Albany NY
Hi Karen, thanks for getting in touch and it sounds like you have an amazing trip planned. One overnight in Tropic and two in Springdale works perfectly. Scenic byway UT-12 between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon is very picturesque and you can watch sunset on Bryce Rim before returning to Tropic for the night. We definitely recommend sunrise overlooking Bryce Canyon amphitheater if you don’t mind an early start. Queens Garden Navajo Loop in Bryce is the best hike but it does include a series of switchbacks. You could do this one slowly if you have enough time. When you arrive to Zion, park before the tunnel and hike to Zion Canyon Overlook for excellent views. You could also walk Pa’rus Trail from the main visitor center to the entrance into Zion main canyon. From there you can either shuttle back to Springdale or go into the canyon. Definitely go into the canyon via shuttle at some point, even if just to see Zion lodge and Angels Landing from below. You might want to walk to Lower Emerald Pools. On the way out of Springdale, you could drive round to Kolob Canyons all the way to end of the road and hike the short trail to Timber Creek Overlook. If you have enough time, it might be worth driving through Valley of Fire State Park on the way back to Las Vegas from Zion. We have written about a lot of the places you are planning to visit, which you can find on our Utah and Arizona pages. Have a great road trip!