Northgate Peaks Trail – Kolob Terrace – Zion National Park

The day after doing the Taylor Creek Trailhead walk we drove further south to another Zion National Park entrance and did a walk in the area known as the Kolob Terrace. We found ourselves embarking during the hot hours of the day so opted for the Northgate Peaks Trail, a four mile (two hour) roundtrip.

The Start of the Northgate Peaks Trail

The trail starts off with a pleasant sandy path winding its way through a glade of trees and green grass before opening out into more Utah style desert terrain.

Renee on the Trail

Standing on THE Viewpoint?

There were a couple of trail intersections along the way but these were well labelled, the viewpoint at the end however was not. With hindsight I realise where the trail actually ended but at the time we were not sure if we’d finished or not. You reach a good vantage point and to go any further requires going down. From our vantage point we spotted several walkers on another section below us and although it wasn’t our trail it looked cool and we decided to scramble down and across to reach it.

Walkers on Rockface Below - Can you spot them?

We carefully made our way around the slick rock hill and up another rocky section to another good viewpoint. It was fun venturing off our trail, traversing some cool rocky terrain to get deeper into the Kolob Terrace and in doing so discovering better views.

Climbing Down Carefully

Walking on the Slick Rock

The Wall

Taking a Break and Admiring the View

With our detour and extensive photographing we were probably gone for three and a half hours. By the time we got back to our van we in need of a proper lunch, fortunately a little further along the Kolob Reservoir Road from the trailhead we found a beautifully shaded pull-off with a picnic table where we were able to sit, eat and rest in shade.

Another Photo:

Farmers Field with Kolob Rock Backdrop

Taken on the drive back after walking the Northgate Peaks Trail. The road wound in and out of Zion National Park and this section was outside of the Park; a baron yet beautiful farm. I had to snap this photo quickly because I was being swarmed by biting flies at the time.

Want to see more of our Great North American Road Trip?
– The Plan
– Map showing Posts by Location

Don’t forget to interact with Sam’s Playground on Facebook & Twitter @SamKynmanCole or leave a comment below.