Zion, with its magnificent cliffs and canyons, has impressed visitors long before the park was created in 1909. The Kolob Canyon section was incorporated into the park in 1956. The area where these two regions meet are dominated by the Lower and Upper Kolob Plateaus, and accessed from the Kolob Terrace Road. This northerly view shows the Firepit Knoll, a well worn, age old cinder cone, that rises up 7265 feet from the Lee Valley floor.
     Zion Canyon is the park's main draw, carved from 150 million year old Mesozoic-Age sediments. An unfathomable amount of ancient windblown sands, piled up to 10,000 foot depths, are the building blocks of Zion's fantastic scenery. Zion Canyon can be reached from Mt. Carmel Junction on the east, and through the town of Virgin on the west. The Kolob Canyons and Kolob Terrace Road can only be accessed by western routes, creating circumstances where these two park areas are off the well worn path.