Another section of Zion National Park that is 40 miles NW and gets far fewer visitors than the main section is called Kolob Canyons. A five-mile scenic road that climbs 1000 feet shows off magnificent mountains, cliffs, creeks and wildlife. Twenty miles of hiking trails provide access to waterfalls, arches and even more spectacular scenery. Kolob Arch is second largest in the U.S. and can only be seen by a fourteen mile round trip hike (safe to say I've never seen it). Numerous slot canyons can be traversed only by trained canyoneers with proper equipment. Incidentally, the word Kolob is from Mormon theology and means "home closest to heaven" (rough translation).
Snow Canyon is a popular state park located near St. George, Utah. It is composed of sandstone formations complemented by lava flows from nearby volcanoes. In addition to a scenic drive, there are many miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails for public enjoyment. Rock climbing and canyoneering, along with camping, are other activities supported by the park. While popular with locals, the park unfortunately is mostly overlooked by area visitors who focus on Zion N P.
Snow Canyon rarely gets snow, its named for early Mormon pioneer Erastus Snow, one of the first to enter the Salt Lake Valley. Later, he was responsible for much Mormon expansion into Southern Utah and surrounding states.
No comments:
Post a Comment