Zion closes Kolob Canyons visitor center and road due to heavy snow

Kolob Canyons Visitor Center and Kolob Canyons Road closed beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 17 after Zion National Park posted an alert citing anticipated heavy snowfall, an action that will affect scenic-drive viewing and access to box canyon hikes in the park's northwest corner.

Here in the northwest corner of the park, narrow parallel box canyons are cut into the western edge of the Colorado Plateau, forming majestic peaks and 2,000 foot cliff walls, the park notes, and those features are the main draws for visitors who use the Kolob Canyons Road for short scenic stops, hikes into box canyons and multi-day trips into Zion Wilderness.

The park snow alert is dated February 17, 2026; separate status information from Utah's tourism page also lists a closure unrelated to weather: "Kolob Canyons Road is closed at Taylor Creek Trailhead due to a collapsed road. No drivers, hikers, horses or bikers are allowed." Those two notices appear in current park messaging and may be distinct closures affecting different sections and users.

Visitors should remember the entry and permit rules that apply when Kolob Canyons is open. "All guests are required to stop at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center to show an Interagency Park Pass or pay the Zion National Park entrance fee," and "Wilderness permits are not available here - please go to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center for all Wilderness permits." The Utah page lists the Kolob Canyon Visitor Center phone as (435) 586-9548 and notes the center is open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while park-affiliated facility pages provide seasonal hour variations; call the visitor center for the latest hours and service availability.

Winter operations add more limits. "Please be aware that the Kolob Canyons Road may be closed during winter months due to snow or ice," the park advises, and it reminds visitors that "Pedestrians are prohibited from walking the road during snow plow operations." Park materials also note Kolob Terrace Road is regularly closed in winter and "As only the first 14 miles are plowed, Kolob Terrace Road can be closed in winter due to snow and ice. During this time, it will normally be open to snowmobilers, skiers and hikers."

Historical context may explain recurring access interruptions. A travel site recorded that "In May of 2023, a rockslide occurred in Zion National Park’s Kolob Canyon’s section. No one was injured... The rockslide resulted in damage to the roadway, and led to a lengthy closure of Kolob Canyons." A separate blog post states "The Kolob Canyon District of Zion National Park is scheduled to close starting May 1st due to a reconstruction project" and that "Closures to all traffic during this seven-month project will include the full length of the Kolob Canyon Road, the parking lot off of I-15 as well as the Visitor Center"; that blog excerpt does not specify a year.

For alternative access the blog notes La Verkin Creek Trail remained reachable during past work and that Hop Valley trailhead can be accessed via Kolob Terrace Road off State Route 9 in Virgin. Park shuttle and scenic-drive rules also vary by season: the Zion shuttle runs spring through fall, while in winter the scenic drive is open to general traffic when shuttles are not running.

No details about an Angels Landing permit page update were included in the available notices. For the most current closures, collapsed-road status and permit guidance, contact the Kolob Canyon Visitor Center at (435) 586-9548 or consult official Zion National Park communications.