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Ancient outcrops of Navajo sandstone rise above a high desert of sage brush, gambel oak and ponderosa pines. This viewpoint is readily accessible from the Hop Valley trail on the Kolob Terrace section of Zion National Park. Simply scramble up the sandstone just to the north of the trailhead.
To the west rise the Pine Valley mountains, a massive intrusion of magma that pushed up through the sandstone layers (while everything was still deep under the surface), cooled and then was exposed by uplife and erosion. The sandstone is much older than the mountains as well as the various cinder cones to the east and south.
Just to the right of the Pine Valley mountains, Red Butte peak rises to a point. To its right, the flat tops of Timber Top and Burnt mountains rise, grand mesas of red sandstone.
Below the view, the Hop Valley trail heads north across the small plain to begin its descent to La Verkin Creek to the north. As the trail drops, the cliffs of Navajo sandstone rise above the hiker. The trail ends near the southern portion of the Kolob section of the park.
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Zion National Park is home to many great canyons, peaks, views, and arches. This is a collection of