Trailhead Location: Taylor Creek Trailhead on the Kolob Canyons Road
Distance (roundtrip): 5.0 miles / 8.0 km
Elevation Change: 450 feet / 137 m
Estimated Hiking Time: 3-4 hours roundtrip

The Taylor Creek Trail leads hikers deep into a narrow box canyon toward the Double Arch Alcove, where erosion has carved out natural openings in the Navajo sandstone. As the trail reaches the mouth of the canyon it enters the Zion Wilderness and begins to crisscross Taylor Creek. Winter conditions can be very icy and water crossings in the spring will get your feet wet. The trail passes the geologic formation of the Kanarraville Fold and two historic homestead cabins built in the early 1930s before arriving at the Double Arch Alcove.

Starting from the parking lot, the trail makes its way down to Taylor Creek and then heads upstream. The maintained trail stays on the banks close to the water and often crosses the streambed. (The Middle Fork of Taylor Creek usually has very light flow, so your feet shouldn't typically get very wet, although flow can be higher during the spring runoff.) While the hike is fairly easy and level, there are plenty of spots where you will be hiking up and down the banks of the creek and hiking over or around large boulders.

Almost a mile from the trailhead, the scenery gets more interesting as we make our way into the actual narrow "finger" canyon (past Tucupit Point to the north and Paria Point to the south). In the afternoon sunlight, the sandstone glows a magical orange and pink. The maintained trail ends at the highlight of the canyon: the Double Arch Alcove -- an extremely photogenic cave-like formation where the sandstone is undercut and water seeps through coloring the rock with black and white lines. Enjoy the ambience, then hike back out.