The Local Lookout
Subway
This month’s Local Lookout features a world class hike and slot canyon in Zion National Park. The Subway. This hike starts and ends on Kolob Terrace Road, along the west rim of Zion Canyon.
Kolob Terrace Road is worth the drive by itself as it features stunning views of the massive cliffs of Zion and Kolob. From the road, near Kolob Reservoir, the train begins at Wildcat Canyon Trailhead. It meanders along the rim for a while through pine forests and fields before descending sharply into the canyon where the walls quickly close in around you.
Once in the canyon, you wade through COLD water, sometimes swimming, depending on the time of year, for a couple of miles. During this segment of the hike, there are a couple of short rappel sections which fully commit you to finishing the hike.
At times, the canyon walls are narrower than the span of your arms and tower hundreds of feet into the air. In this constricted section, boulders and trees have fallen and become wedged between the walls which create barriers that you must swim under to pass.
After the final and longest rappel, you are treated with some of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. A 200 yard section of rock wall on both sides of you forms a tube of rock which the Subway is named after. The tube is so perfectly shaped, it appears to be manmade.
Once past the subway, the hike continues down the river as the canyon gradually becomes wider and less imposing. There are several gently cascading waterfalls in this section which are very beautiful and VERY slippery!
Past the waterfalls, the hiking becomes difficult as the canyon widens and the hike down the river continues over and around boulders carried downriver by the powerful currents the monsoon can bring. It ends with a steep climb out of the canyon back on to Kolob Terrace Road at Right Fork Trailhead.
The Subway is a must do slot canyon if you are looking for a difficult quintessential Southern Utah adventure. Be advised that this is a permitted hike and you must obtain a permit from the National Parks Service to hike this route. Since this is a slot canyon, it is essential that no rain is forecasted for the day you hike.
Have a FUN trip and make sure to call or email me with any questions about this hike or any others in the area as I am ALWAYS happy to help! Thanks a have a great week!