Golden cottonwood glow and scarlet maple magic soon should be on display along a stunning fall foliage trail tucked inside a quieter section of Zion National Park.
In past years, mid-October visits to Zion’s Kolob Canyons have brought the most leaf-peeping luck on Taylor Creek Trail, about a three-hour drive from Las Vegas.
The Southern Utah hike follows the middle fork of Taylor Creek and includes multiple water crossings that are shallow during drier months and on blue-sky days. In addition to the bold strokes of autumn color, highlights of the trail include a pair of homestead cabins, views of towering Navajo sandstone cliffs and the picturesque Double Arch Alcove. The round-trip hike totals about 5 miles.
Quieter part of Zion
The hike begins with a short scenic drive leading to Taylor Creek Trail from Kolob Canyons Visitor Center just off Exit 40 on Interstate 15 between St. George and Cedar City. This quieter section of Zion is located in a different area about an hour away from the crowded entrance to one of the country’s busiest national parks near Springdale.
Parking spaces at the Taylor Creek trailhead are limited, so getting on the path early can make a difference. Roadside parking spots are available along the scenic drive but require additional walking and traffic-related caution. From afar on a walk to the trailhead, trees with yellow and orange leaves stand out in a surrounding forest of green.
After reaching the trailhead, visitors will see signs at the start letting them know they are in Zion’s untrammeled wilderness and will be meandering through cottonwoods and ponderosa pines along Taylor Creek Trail.
Several water crossings
Hikers make their way down steps toward the first of many water crossings (wear water-friendly shoes or plan for your shoes to possibly get wet). Gambel’s oak with leaves highlighted in oranges, reds and yellows are early signs of the color show about to unfold.
The creek runs through forest and canyon, and the trail is largely shaded by mature trees and nearby cliffs and peaks. Enough sunshine still sneaks through to support some flowering plants and small lizards. Fall comes later to Kolob Canyons and Zion National Park because of warmer high-desert daytime temperatures and lower elevations.
Near the trail’s start, young cottonwoods hang over Taylor Creek with their leaves brightly yellowed because of changes in leaf chemistry as the season’s daylight dwindles, overnight temperatures cool and trees go into energy-saving mode.
Historic cabins dot trail
At times, the creek is a trickle, and in other spots, the water gently cascades over colorful rocks. Mostly parallel to the creek, the trail itself is sandy in spots, sometimes so soft that hikers take off their shoes for a time. Some hikers stick to walking through the water as much as possible.
Large roots of ponderosa pines and other evergreens are exposed in spots where the creek flowed with greater volume earlier in the year or during flash flooding (always be aware of the weather in Southern Utah).
There are two homestead cabins along the route, including the Larson Cabin, built around 1930. Visitors can get peeks inside the unstable structure, but they are reminded by a sign to stay out and protect what’s considered an archeological site. When sunlight shines playfully through gaps in the cabin’s wooden slats, the structure also becomes an artistic site.
Majestic maples
Before too long on this moderately challenging hike, two big reds begin to appear in greater measure — the orangy red of towering Navajo sandstone and the scarlet magic of maple leaves in fall. Some are as bright red as those seen on the Canadian flag. Others are transitioning into a lighter red with veins of yellow or combinations of yellow and red.
This portion of Taylor Creek Trail becomes one of the least efficient for anyone carrying a camera or a phone. Maple leaves are irresistible for close-ups and slow down hiking speeds. And who can pass up photo opportunities like a sparkling creek winding in the direction of a spectacular sandstone peak framed by golden cottonwoods?
Glowing sandstone
The hike’s autumn hues and magnificent views continue as the canyon narrows and eventually opens up to Double Arch Alcove, the turnaround point on this out-and-back hike. Before returning on the path, however, most hikers take a relaxing timeout to appreciate nature’s impressive art and alcove architecture.
Red sandstone of the massive alcove glows when the light is right. Trees grow in the most unexpected spots high above. Elegant columbines bloom near the base of an alcove carved by erosion.
When the time comes to turn around, hikers can look forward to catching what sights they might have missed on the way up to Double Arch Alcove. Walking back should be easier because, along with enjoying stunning fall foliage, they had been gaining elevation at a manageable pace earlier in the day.
If you go
Taylor Creek Trail is a great addition for the to-hike list of any leaf peeper. Kolob Canyons is a part of Zion National Park, so visitors are charged $35 to enter or need to show a valid park pass. Pets are prohibited in this designated wilderness area. To learn more about Kolob Canyons and its hiking opportunities, visit nps.gov/zion.
Nearby fall foliage spots
Closer to home for Southern Nevadans, Mount Charleston delivers a satisfying aspen fix typically starting in mid- to late September on higher-elevation trails, including Cathedral Rock and South Loop on the Kyle Canyon side as well as Lower Bristlecone and High Pines on the Lee Canyon side. In addition to the charming yellows and oranges of quaking aspen, Gambel’s oak leaves turn autumn orange and golden along trails at lower elevations in Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.
Another day trip treasure is found about two hours away in Hualapai Mountain Park near Kingman, Arizona. Aspens at higher elevations shine in gold hues against stately ponderosa pines, and Gambel’s oak sport shades of reds and oranges in October. Trails that wind through this picturesque 2,300-acre Mohave County park include the moderately strenuous 4.4-mile Potato Patch Loop hike. Visitors pay $12 to park and have access to 10 miles of trails. For more information, visit parks.mohave.gov.
If a weekend getaway is in the cards, Great Basin National Park, a 5½-hour drive from Las Vegas, is a reliable spot for gorgeous autumn color most years from mid-September to early October. Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is lined with aspens that begin turning gold in September. At the end of that paved scenic drive, at 10,000 feet in elevation, aspens are also found along trails that lead to subalpine lakes, ancient bristlecone pines and Nevada’s only glacier. Another route taking drivers through Great Basin National Park aspen groves is the unpaved Snake Creek Road.
