Glorious Utah, Kolob Canyon

Coming away from Zion Canyon and heading back towards Las Vegas, Mike took a planned diversion up the Kolob Canyon Road. This is still part of Zion National Park, but it has less visitors, and has some remarkable views over the mountains.
The single road ends at a parking area for the Kolob Canyon Viewpoint and Timber Creek Overlook Trail. It is lined with severe cliffs of Navajo sandstone, up to 600m high. Everything seems red, even the road surface. The sage brush was in flower, giving lovely yellow accents.












Left is Beatty Point, with the little nipple on the top, centre is Nagunt Mesa, to the right is Timber Top Mountain(8055')


The mountains are higher than they look. This part of Zion has the highest peak in the Park, Horse  Ranch Mountain, at 2660m. 
The Timber Creek Overlook Trail is only 1/2 mile long and ends in a scramble of rocks. But it is well worth doing for the panorama of mountains that you can see. The views extend across the Colorado Plateau to the distant North Rim of the Grand Canyon, the edge of the Grand staircase.




















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