Fodor's Expert Review Kolob Terrace Road

Starting around 4,000 feet above the floor of Zion Canyon, and without the benefit of the canyon’s breezes and shade, the landscape at the beginning of this less-traveled park road is arid—browns and grays and ambers—but not without rugged beauty. The 21-mile stretch begins 19 miles west of Springdale via the village of Virgin and winds north. As you travel along, peaks and knolls emerge from the high plateau, birds circle overhead, and you might not see more than a half-dozen cars. The drive meanders out of the park boundary and then back in again, accessing a few prominent backcountry trailheads, all the while overlooking the cliffs of North Creek. It eventually climbs into the cooler alpine wilderness, to elevations of nearly 8,000 feet.

A popular day-use trail (a $15 wilderness permit is required) leads past fossilized dinosaur tracks to The Subway, a stretch of the stream where the walls of the slot canyon close in so tightly as to form a near tunnel. Farther along the road is the Wildcat Canyon trailhead, which connects to the path overlooking North Guardian Angel. The road then leaves the park and terminates at Kolob Reservoir, beneath 8,933-foot Kolob Peak. Although paved, this narrow, twisting road is not recommended for RVs. Because of limited winter plowing, the road is closed from November or December through April or May. Although there's no fee station on this road, you are required to have paid the park entrance fee, which you can do in Springdale or at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center.