Kolob Arch is the destination at the back end of Zion's Kolob Canyons unit — a 287-foot natural sandstone span set high on a cliff in the La Verkin Creek drainage, accessible only via a 14-mile round-trip hike from the Lee Pass Trailhead. The arch competes with Landscape Arch in Arches National Park for the title of world's longest natural arch; both are within a few feet of each other and the comparison depends on which measurement methodology you use.
How to get there
From the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center near I-15 exit 40, drive the scenic road to Lee Pass Trailhead, the highest point on the road. The La Verkin Creek Trail starts here and descends into the creek drainage, follows it for several miles, and branches off to the arch viewpoint. Round trip from Lee Pass to Kolob Arch and back is 14 miles with cumulative elevation change around 1,000 feet (you descend on the way in and climb on the way out, plus rolling terrain throughout).
Day hike vs. overnight
Strong day hikers can do the round trip in a long day — most parties take 7 to 9 hours. The descent is fast, the return climb is slow and hot in summer afternoons. Many parties elect to make it an overnight, camping at one of the designated backcountry sites along La Verkin Creek. Overnight requires a wilderness permit through Recreation.gov; permits are limited, so plan ahead. Day hikes do not require a permit beyond the standard park entrance fee.
What you actually see
The arch is set high on a cliff face at the head of a side drainage, and you view it from a designated viewpoint several hundred yards from the base of the cliff. You don't walk under it or to it — the alcove the arch spans is on the cliff above and the approach is closed for safety and resource protection. The viewpoint gives you the full span profile, with the surrounding cliffs framing it. The full visual impact of the 287-foot span is only really apparent when you have a sense of scale; trail signs at the viewpoint help calibrate.
La Verkin Creek
The trail follows La Verkin Creek for most of the route, with the creek running year-round in its lower section and intermittently higher up. Cottonwoods, willows, and box elder line the creek bottom. The hike is genuinely scenic — the creek corridor is one of the prettier multi-day backcountry experiences in the park, even before you factor in the arch. Several other Kolob backcountry destinations branch off the same trail (Hop Valley, the Beartrap Canyon area), making this a hub for longer Kolob trips.
The "longest arch" debate
Kolob Arch was measured by the National Geographic Society in 1984 at 310 feet and by subsequent NPS surveys at 287 feet. Landscape Arch in Arches NP is listed at 290 feet. Different measurement methodologies — chord versus span, ground projection versus aerial line — produce different numbers, and the difference is small enough that both arches have legitimately claimed the title at various points. NPS does not currently designate either as definitively longest; "among the longest" is the responsible framing.
Heat and water
Most of the trail is exposed. Summer afternoons are hot and there's limited shade between the cottonwood corridor and the arch viewpoint. La Verkin Creek is reliable water for most of the trail (filter or treat before drinking), but in late summer the upper sections can run dry. Carry more water than the mileage suggests, particularly for the climb back to Lee Pass.
Where it fits
Kolob Arch is the trail you do when you've already done the main Zion hikes and want a less-trafficked, more committing experience. It's also one of the few backcountry destinations in Zion that delivers a single iconic feature at the end (most Zion backcountry is about the canyon walking, not a named destination). For St. George-based hikers, it's a long day-trip option or a comfortable overnight; for Springdale-based visitors, it's an out-of-park drive but a rewarding destination.