Kolob Terrace Road

Zion National Park, Utah · Virgin → Kolob Reservoir

Sweeping24 mi50 min5,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 8,200 ftOne way

Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.

Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

The drive

Kolob Terrace Road is the quiet way into Zion National Park. It leaves Highway 9 at Virgin and climbs north for 24 miles, gaining about 5,200 feet, to Kolob Reservoir at 8,200 feet. Most visitors to Zion never see it, and the traffic reflects that.

The drive starts in desert country among sandstone domes and ends in pine forest at the reservoir, where the pavement stops. The road is narrow with few shoulders, so take the bends at an easy pace. It's driven out and back: the way down is the same road.

It's a seasonal road. The park closes it at Maloney Hill for snow, which the park says usually lasts several months from fall into spring.

Along the way

Virgin (Highway 9)
Kolob Reservoir

Elevation

5,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 8,200 ft

VirginKolob Reservoir

Curves

Mostly gentle, with two twisty stretches

mi 6–9mi 16–18

VirginKolob Reservoir

GentleHairpins

Good to know

The road closes at Maloney Hill for snow, usually for several months from fall to spring, so the reservoir end isn't reachable in winter.
Lava Point Road, the branch to the overlook, is also typically closed from fall into spring.
The road is narrow with few shoulders; allow extra time and use the pullouts.
Check the park's conditions page before you go, since snow can shut the upper road early.

The upper road closes at Maloney Hill for snow, usually from November to May. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Zion National Park: Road and Weather Conditions.

Questions about this drive

Is Kolob Terrace Road open in winter?

Usually not all the way. Zion National Park closes Kolob Terrace Road at Maloney Hill for several months each year, from fall to spring, because of snow.

How long does Kolob Terrace Road take to drive?

Virgin to Kolob Reservoir is 24.3 miles and takes about 50 minutes one way. The road climbs about 5,200 feet to 8,200 feet.

How twisty is Kolob Terrace Road?

It's mostly gentle, with two twisty stretches, around miles 7 to 8 and 16 to 18. The road is narrow with few shoulders.

Where does Kolob Terrace Road start?

It starts at Virgin, on Highway 9, and runs north to Kolob Reservoir, where the pavement ends.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.

Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.

Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.

Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.

Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.

Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp Store Early access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 34 drives in Utah ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route