The Subway/Left Fork

The Left Fork of North Creek breaks spectacularly through the high western plateau, from Wildcat Canyon to run below the Kolob Terrace Road.  It contains a superb and famous section of near-subterranean slot canyon known as The Subway. There are two ways to explore it:

From the bottom up: a strenuous 9-mile round-trip hike involving  route finding, creek crossing and scrambling over boulders. You don’t see as much of the amazing sections as from the top-down, but this is a hike not canyoneering, and still a fine and fascinating walk by any standards. Begins and ends at the Left Fork Trailhead on the Kolob Terrace Road.

From the top down: a strenuous and demanding 9.5-mile hike/canyoneer which requires rappelling skills, 60 feet of rope, and extensive route finding experience. You will also need to swim through several deep, cold, clogged pools. The trail begins at the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead, and ends at the Left Fork Trailhead, both on the Kolob Terrace Road.

Permits are required for both routes. Unless you are a specialist, you should  tackle the top-down (and probably the bottom-up) with a guide/experienced hiker of The Subway. Good info here: https://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/lowersubway.cfm

The Grand Canyon with Zion and Bryce Canyon NPs – Cicerone: excellent, includes all relevant practical information. Recommended. Find relevant books on Amazon.

See our Zion National Park page for more general and practical information and photos.