Double Arch Alcove

Double Arch Alcove sits at the end of the Taylor Creek Trail in Kolob Canyons, the northwest finger-canyon district of Zion National Park. This is a separate part of the park from the main canyon and Springdale — Kolob Canyons has its own entrance off I-15, and the alcove is a roughly five-mile round-trip walk from the trailhead there, not something you reach from the shuttle system.

What you'll find

• A Navajo sandstone alcove streaked black, white, and green, with hanging gardens where water seeps down the rock
• Two modest natural arches tucked into the formation, which give the spot its name
• Towering canyon walls (Tucupit and Paria Points) rising on either side of the trail
• The historic Larson and Fife cabins along the way, built in the 1930s by homesteaders before this land became part of the park

Kolob Canyons draws far fewer people than Zion Canyon proper, so this is a good pick if you want a real hike with a payoff and don't mind the drive up from I-15 instead of Springdale.