Lava Point Trailhead

Lava Point sits at 7,890 feet in Zion's Kolob Terrace district, reached by driving about 25 miles up Kolob Terrace Road from the town of Virgin — a separate entrance from the park's main south entrance and shuttle system. The elevation and ponderosa pine forest here are a sharp contrast to the low desert of Zion Canyon roughly 3,700 feet below, and the drive alone crosses much of that range. A short 0.3-mile walk leads to the Lava Point Overlook for wide views over the park's high plateau country.

What's here

• Trailhead access for the West Rim Trail, a long point-to-point route that eventually descends through the White Cliffs to the Grotto in Zion Canyon
• A primitive campground, open roughly May through September, weather permitting, with no water or trash service
• Kolob Terrace Road generally opens late May or early June and closes at the first significant snowfall
• Vehicles over 19 feet aren't permitted on the road to Lava Point

Come prepared for high-elevation weather that can differ sharply from conditions down in the main canyon.