Lava Point Overlook is the highest accessible viewpoint in Zion National Park — a 7,890-foot perch on the Kolob Terrace, reached by a long winding drive on Kolob Terrace Road off UT-9 in Virgin. The "trail" is essentially nothing: a fifty-foot walk from the parking area to a railed viewpoint. The drive is the journey; the view from the top is the destination.
How to get there
From UT-9 in the town of Virgin (between Springdale and La Verkin), turn onto Kolob Terrace Road and drive north. The road climbs steadily through pinyon-juniper, ponderosa pine, and eventually subalpine forest as you gain elevation. About 25 miles up, a side road branches off to Lava Point. The full drive from Virgin to the overlook takes about an hour. The Kolob Terrace Road is paved but narrow and winding — not a fast drive even in good conditions.
What you see
Looking south from the overlook, most of Zion National Park spreads out below you. The main canyon is visible in the distance, with the cliffs of West Temple and the Towers of the Virgin defining the southern horizon. The North Fork and East Fork drainages can be traced through the country to the southeast. The Kolob Plateau falls away to the south and west; on a clear day you can see the Pine Valley Mountains and the desert running toward the Beaver Dam reach. The view is more comprehensive than any of the canyon-floor viewpoints — you're looking down into the entire park rather than up at it.
What's there
A small parking area, a vault toilet, the railed overlook viewpoint, and a primitive campground (Lava Point Campground, separate page) nearby. The viewpoint is the only "trail" feature; everything else is car-and-camp infrastructure. The site is staffed only intermittently — there's no visitor center, no rangers stationed there, and on most days you'll have the overlook to yourself or share it with one other party.
The seasonal closure
Lava Point Road is closed by snow most years from late October through late May. The exact dates vary with snowpack — heavy winters can keep the road closed into June; mild winters can have it open by April. NPS posts current status on the conditions page. If you drive up before the gate opens, the road will dead-end at a closed gate before you reach the overlook.
What's at the elevation
The trailhead area is forested in subalpine conifer — Engelmann spruce, white fir, ponderosa pine in the lower sections. Aspens cluster in the disturbance zones and turn yellow in late September. Wildlife includes mule deer, the occasional black bear, several woodpecker species, and (in the open areas) golden eagles overhead. The temperature is dramatically cooler than the canyon floor — often 20 to 30 degrees lower in summer.
Why drive an hour for a 50-foot walk
Because the view is the kind of comprehensive park overview that no other Zion experience delivers. Most visitors see Zion from the canyon floor — the cliffs above them. From Lava Point, you see Zion from above — the canyons cut through the plateau, the relationship between the East Rim, the West Rim, and the Kolob Terrace. For visitors who want to understand how the park's geography works, Lava Point is the explanatory viewpoint.
What's nearby
Lava Point Campground (primitive, 6 sites, free) is adjacent to the overlook and is the trailhead for the West Rim Trail descending to The Grotto. Hiking parties using Lava Point as the start of West Rim Trail traverses use this area. The drive back down can be combined with stops at the various Kolob Terrace pullouts and at the Hop Valley trailhead for parties wanting to extend the day.
Where it fits
Lava Point is the high-elevation Zion experience for visitors who want a different perspective on the park. It's also the trailhead for the West Rim Trail, which is a serious commitment but one of the better backcountry experiences in Zion. For day-trippers, the overlook is worth the drive once during a Zion visit. For backpackers, it's the gateway to the Kolob Terrace.