Access to Lava Point

[p40whk]

Does anyone have the current conditions on Kolob Terrace Rd? Trying to do the West Rim trail later this week and wondering if it's open to Lava Point?

Thanks!

[jman]

You are going to run into snow at that elevation, but the road is clear up until the Subway (Wildcat trailhead). I'm not sure much more than that, but you will definitely run into snow at that elevation. I doubt that it has been cleared to Lava Point.

Good luck and report back! West Rim to Zion proper is on my hit-list in May. I'm anxious to do that as a 2-day backpack trip. A LOT of water in Zion this year, that's for sure, and it's very green and vibrant!

[p40whk]

We were staying at True North on Kolob Terrace Road so we had the opportunity to drive up the road and check it out a few times. The road closed gate was north of the Wildcat Trailhead by about 1/2 mile (I think that's Black Canyon) but the gate only covered half the road. We drove around to see how far we could go and you could continue another 1/2 mile before hitting snow.

There was about 8" of hard pack in the shady spots and you could make it through with a 4WD or high clearance vehicle. We went a little ways up the road but the further we went the more snow we encountered. So, we decided to drop the West Rim hike from our itinerary.

That was last week around Thursday when we last checked it out so the conditions may have changed.

We ended up doing the La Verkin Creek trail from Lee Pass to Hop Valley trail out to Kolob Terrace Road instead, a good hike but I had my heart set on the West Rim trail.