The Ultimate Southwest Vacation includes Zion National Park, Utah!
Stay in Mount Carmel Junction, the heart of the parks, and
visit the treasures of the Southwest.
Zion Park 12 miles
Grand Staircase 9 miles
Sand Dunes 11 miles
Dixie Forest 22 miles
Cedar Breaks 45 miles
Red Canyon 47 miles
Coyote Butte 57 miles
Bryce Canyon 60 miles
North Rim 85 miles
Toroweap 90 miles
Plan your Zion National Park Vacation with our Utah Maps and
Information
In these pages you will find insiders information on Zion National
Park lodging, adventures and hikes. This detailed guide includes road maps, park
maps, pictures, trail beta, backpacking, history, fees, geology, flora, fauna,
campgrounds, things for kids to do and even information on Zion's hidden treasures.
Making summer memories in the Utah National Parks and National
Monuments.
Directions to Zion National Park From Salt Lake City: Travel I-15 south, past Beaver.
Exit on Hwy 20. Follow US-89 to Mount Carmel Junction. Take U-9 to Zion's east
entrance. From Arizona: Travel 89A through Fredonia, Arizona
and Kanab Utah. Follow US-89 to to Mount Carmel Junction. Take U-9 to the east
park entrance. From Las Vegas: Travel I-15 north. Take exit 16 and
travel through Hurricane. Make a right on U-9 at the second traffic light in
LaVerkin. Continue on U-9 to the south entrance of the park. U-9 through Zion
National Park is always open and is also called the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.
Climbing down from the North Guardian Angel in the
Kolob Terrace section of Zion National Park.
GPS Coordinates
WGS84 Datum
Wildcat Canyon Trailhead
37°20.388N
113°04.551W
6823'/m
North Guardian Angel - Base
37°19.167N
113°03.3080
6640'/m
2.4 miles
North Guardian Angel - Peak
37°18.979N
113°03.497W
2.8 miles
Kolob is the name of the star nearest to where
"God" lives.
GPS Beta: Coordinates and other trail information by Zion Park search and rescue team member Bo Beck and Zion National Park dot com author Tanya Milligan.
North Guardian Angel
This is on the Sierra Clubs list of the top one-hundred desert peaks to do. This trail is outside of the main section of Zion National Park and in the Kolob Terrace section. About 12 miles into the drive on the Kolob Terrace road, there are some large Hershey kiss shaped peaks. The white sandstone, Pine Valley Peak, (7428') is visible on the right. North Guardian Angel (7408') can be seen behind and to the right of Pine Valley Peak.
North Guardian Angel at a Glance
Photo Album: Pictures
Map: North
Guardian Angel Map
Day Hike: Yes
Trail Distance: 2.8 miles Average Hiking Time: 7 hours
Trail Usage: Low
Difficulty: Steep,unprotected with exposure, 5th class scrambling. Rope and climbing skills are required. Permits: No,
unless camping. The area past the basalt butte is an "open
camping" designation. Camp away from the trail and any water source due
to snow melting.
Trail Conditions: Unmaintained Climbing route. No trail
Trailhead: Wildcat Canyon Trailhead on the Kolob Terrace
Road. Begin on the Northgate Peaks Trail.
Trailend: Same as trailhead
Best Season: Short season. Summer is too hot, winter and early
Spring there is ice and snow on the ramp.
Late April to early May is good if all the snow and ice are gone from the ramp.
Trail access: The Kolob Terrace road is often closed in the winter
due to snow. Check with the NPS on road conditions. This road is
not plowed in the winter.
Off the beaten path: Yes. On the Sierra Club's
100 top desert peaks list.
Classic Zion Park hike: No
Elevation Gain: 585'/178m (don't let this fool you)
Starting Elevation: 6823'/2080m
Highest Elevation: 7408'/2258m at Peak
Restrooms: Wildcat Trailhead
Water availability: Some years there is snow melt forming some
small intermittent streams.
See our vacation planning section for classic Zion National Park trails or glance at our favorite Zion National Park trails list or choose from a complete Zion National Park hiking guide or the Kolob hiking guide.
Northgate Peaks Trail
The Wildcat Canyon Trailhead is 15.8 miles from the turn-off
to the Kolob Terrace Road from Highway 9. Park in the large dirt area.
Hike from the trailhead to the Wildcat Canyon Connector Trail Junction.
Pass the first sign and keep going straight or east. (Sign: Hop Valley Trail
4.9 miles and West Rim 4.9 miles) This is a little less than one mile into
the trail. Another small sign directs Northgate hikers (left) east, through
a ponderosa pine forest. The third sign, located at the one mile mark, is the
junction to the Subway and the Northgate Peaks Trail. Continue south on the Northgate
Peaks Trail, as indicated by the sign. Pine Valley Peak is apparent on the
right side of the trail and the Northgate Peaks rise to the right and the left
sides. Russell Gulch is east of the trail. Elk tracks are common along this hike,
but the elk themselves are not often seen. The trail follows the eastern edge
of Pine Valley.
Trail to: North Guardian Angel
Almost 2 miles into the
trail is a buttress of quaternary (age of faulted deposits) basalt and the
end of the maintained Northgate Peaks Trail. Locate the path of use right off
the nose and hike down the mountain side through the basalt heading for the peak
North Guardian Angel.
After leaving the basalt area, the path of use dissipates. Follow the wash south
up to the bench above the wash. Keep south even when the wash heads west. Continue
to the base of North Guardian Angel.
North Guardian Angel Negotiate the slab (on the eastern side of the mountain) by scrambling along
the crack to the ridge above. Careful to never scramble up through the snow or
wet sandstone. Wear good sticky shoes for this portion of the hike. The view
from the shoulders is of the West Temple, The Subway, and Russell Gulch.
5th Class Scrambling
Climbers rate this as 5th class scrambling. Going past this point requires
climbing skills and ropes.
The drop off here is long and exposed. Look for the stunted growth ponderosa
tree (above about 70') on the mountain side. Find the path of least resistance.
Common routes are to either follow the crack system up to the tree or to go to
the right of the ponderosa pine tree and make a loop up and back to that tree.
The ponderosa can be used as an anchor to get the rest of the group up. Work
toward the southern face as going up and to the west. Follow the weaknesses up
the mountain side. There are 5 pitches of rope climbing on the exposed south
face of the North Guardian Angel. Top out on the narrow ridge, hiking west to
the summit.
Summit of North Guardian Angel
Look for the metal can that covers a glass bottle with a small register inside.
Be sure to sign it. Follow the same route on the way down using the ropes as
a hand line or a rappel line.
Trail History North and South Guardian Angels were named as guardians of the Kolob section
of the park. The Northgate trail leading to the peaks is a new addition to the
park trail system.
