Think Zion is all crowds and shuttle buses? Think again. Tucked away in the park’s quieter northwest corner, Kolob Canyons delivers the jaw-dropping Zion experience you’ve been craving – minus the elbow-to-elbow crowds.
After a day immersed in Kolob’s towering red rock canyons, we headed 40-minutes south to Silver Reef Brewing Co. in St. George. Whether you’re road tripping through Utah or a local looking for a weekend escape, pairing a trek along Taylor Creek Trail with post-hike brew at Silver Reef Brewing Co. checks all the boxes: wild landscapes, canyon solitude, and a cold beer to top it all off.
Brewery Spotlight: Silver Reef Brewing Co. – St. George, Utah
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this series, it’s that wherever there’s a strong outdoor community, a top-notch brewery is usually closeby.
Spend a day in St. George, Utah, and it’s easy to see why outdoor enthusiasts flock here. The town is in the heart of Utah’s red rock country and just 30 minutes from Zion National Park. Within an hour, you’re up in snow-peaked mountains.
“St. George desperately needed a brewery,” Chelan Hall told us, General Manager at Silver Reef Brewing. “A lot of the people who enjoy the outdoors also enjoy craft beer, myself included! We have such high traffic of locals that are outdoors – hiking, biking, doing their thing – who regularly come to Silver Reef for a post-hike or post-ride beer.”
The name “Silver Reef” nods to a historic mining town about 20 miles north, which was said to have been home to Utah’s first brewery. Silver Reef carries that pioneering spirit forward, led by a team with a collective 25+ years of brewing experience.
Tucked just outside the bustle of St. George, Silver Reef Brewing Co. is more than a brewery — it’s a full-on craft beverage destination. Housed in a modest industrial park, the experience starts unassumingly but ends memorably with bold beers, house-distilled spirits, and a community vibe that’s welcoming to both locals and wanderers. “We distill our own vodka, rum, bourbon, and brandy — and every year, our seasonal holiday nog is so popular, people travel from far and wide just to get a bottle.”
Silver Reef rotates its beers seasonally. If you’re visiting in the summer months, we recommend getting their amazing Guavalú Wheat Ale – A tart and refreshing ale with guava puree. “The Agua Del Diablo and the Fresh & Juicy IPA are our core beers, so they’re part of our year-round lineup.”
As previously mentioned, the brewery is located in an industrial park on the outskirts of town, but as Chelan tells us, “we’re not going to be out in the middle of nowhere for long.” That’s because St. George is one of, if not the fastest growing metro area in the nation.
A Drying Landscape: Water, Growth & the Virgin River
Beer brewing itself demands a lot of water—about three gallons for every gallon of beer produced. In the Southwest, this challenge is amplified by the region’s poor water quality. To overcome issues with mineral-heavy water, Silver Reef Brewing uses a reverse-osmosis system tailored for brewing, ensuring clean, high-quality water for their beer.
“We think a lot about water and do the best we can to conserve it,” says Brewmaster Mike Key. “The water used in our brewing process gets recycled and we use the recaptured water in our cleaning process. At the end of the day, water is the most important ingredient in beer. It’s key to a beer’s profile more so than anything.”
Like much of the West, southern Utah sits at the crossroads of two powerful forces: explosive growth and diminishing water supplies. St. George is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, and with that growth comes serious pressure on already limited water resources.
One of the clearest signs? The Virgin River – the main artery of Zion National Park and the same river that carves Zion’s iconic Narrows – recently hit record-low flows. With less snowpack at its higher elevation headwaters, this iconic river just isn’t providing enough water for all those that depend on it.
Even in the cooler, higher elevations of Kolob Canyons, where Taylor Creek – a tributary of the Virgin River – cuts through red rock canyons, the impact of drought lingers. Water crossings are shallower. Springs run slower. The landscape itself is parched, desperate for rain.
Here especially, the link between hiking and water is unmistakable. The trail we explored – Taylor Creek Trail – and the beers we enjoyed afterwards are both deeply connected to a resource that’s becoming increasingly scarce across the West.
In response, St. George has enacted new city ordinances that prohibit lawns in new commercial projects and tightly restrict lawn sizes for homes. In many areas, traditional grass has been removed and replaced with drought-tolerant, water-wise landscaping. A number of businesses including Silver Reef do the best they can to conserve water and recycle it when possible.
Trail Report: Taylor Creek Trail – Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park
Don’t get it twisted: Zion’s main canyon is an otherworldly natural wonder that lives up to the hype. But I’ve found that the swarms of visitors have a serious impact on my enjoyment of the park. For a quieter experience, head to the lesser-known Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park.
Tucked away from the park’s main canyon, Kolob feels like a world of its own—offering the same dramatic beauty without the crowds. We skipped it on our first trip to Zion, but after hearing whispers about this hidden gem, we made sure to explore it the second time around—and we’re glad we did.
We hiked the Taylor Creek Trail to Double Arch Alcove — a 5-mile round-trip journey that’s the definition of scenic immersion. As you hike into the narrow box canyon, the trail gently crisscrosses Taylor Creek, weaving between cottonwoods and cliffs. Further south, Taylor Creek feeds into the Virgin River – the same resource that Silver Reef Brewing taps into for their water.
Along the trail, you’ll also come across two historic 1930s-era homestead cabins, which add a fascinating touch of human history to the wilderness backdrop.
At the turnaround point, you’re rewarded with the stunning Double Arch Alcove—a massive, red rock cathedral where water, wind, and time have carved nature’s own amphitheater.
Taylor Creek Trail
- Difficulty: Moderate (620 ft elevation gain)
- Route Type: Out-and-back
- Duration: 2hr 30min
- Distance: 5 miles
⚠️ Pro Tip: Kolob sits at a higher elevation than Zion Canyon—expect cooler temps and a refreshing change of pace.
For more Post Hike Brew adventures like this one, explore our Interactive Brew Map to discover the perfect brew to pair with your next hike. Cheers to the trails!
