Issue 49.10
Part 11
With the completion of the road into the Kolob in 1967, two major hiking trails were constructed: a 7.2 mile trail from Lee’s Pass to the Kolob Arch and a 2.7 mile trail up the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek. In 1995, a trail was constructed to a point south of the end of the Kolob road to an overlook of Timber Creek. There is also a developing trail, still unmarked, to the Elephant Arch (also referred to as the Lee Pass Arch) in the north fork of Timber Creek. The Elephant Arch, which has a span of about forty feet, can be seen from the viewpoints at the end of the Kolob road. It is best observed in the morning hours of the day when the canyon walls to the east of the arch are illuminated. Zion National Park in cooperation with the Boy Scouts of America included the Kolob Arch along with the West Rim Trail and Narrows hike as part of its “Rainbow Canyons” hiking patch that numerous scouts have earned since its implementation in 1964. [IC Record, 18 July 1964]
The next significant event in the history of the Kolob came when Zion National Park as part of its 75th birthday anniversary celebration dedicated a new visitor’s center at the entrance to Kolob. The new facility came to the park as a gift from the Zion National History Association, which had spent many years acquiring funds for its construction. Mr. J. L. Crawford, member of the board of directors for the association, presented the $130,000 facility to Lorainne Mintzmyer, park service regional director, at the dedication ceremonies on 31 July 1984. Ms. Mintzmyer told the crowd of about 200 people that Zion National Park was one of three national parks in the country that had immediate access from an interstate freeway. [Daily Spectrum, 1 August 1984]
The new visitor’s center led to the publication of a number road and hiking guides specific to the Kolob section of the park. [Kolob Canyons Road Guide, 1993] In addition, the visitor’s center provides readily available publications on Zion National Park and other regional national parks and monuments. It also gave the Kolob important ranger services for this section of the park. It is an essential stop for even a brief survey of the Kolob. We conclude this series on the Kolob next week by exploring some of its recent geologic activity.