Kolob Canyon is a part of Zion National Park people just don't seem to know about. Okay, camping in Kolob Canyon is better suited to hardy tent campers but it has an excellent auto tour which provides great opportunities to study the area's geology. At the beginning, the tour's route follows the Hurricane Fault, a 120 mile long fracture in the earth's crust. The cliffs at this point are of Kaibab limestone. Towering above these cliffs is the Park's tallest peak, Horse Ranch Mountain. Next come shear cliffs of Navajo sandstone, then rocky slopes of the Kayenta formation. All the while, you have passed colorful rock layers of sandstone, siltstone, limestone, and lava. Roadcuts offer a view inside the rock and show the twists and bends caused by enormous pressure from below. Many of the canyon walls have vertical strips of black. These strips, called Desert Varnish, are caused by mineral-laden water seeping out of the rock. The orange-red colored strips are produced by water containing iron oxide called hematite. Good place for a geology class.
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