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Snow Canyon State Park, Utah (View Photos):
Snow Canyon State Park, located just outside the sprawling town of St. George Utah, gives you a small, yet potent dose
of the kind of red rock scenery that southern Utah is famous for. This charming 6,853 acre park has strikingly colored
Navajo sandstone cliffs and canyons. Cream-colored sandstone contrasts brilliantly with the more familiar colors of red and
orange. Supplementing all this beautiful geology are black lava flows which arose when cinder cones erupted many years
ago.
The park is situated in a spectacular transition zone, where the Colorado Plateau, Mojave Desert and Great Basin intersect. Wildlife and vegetation typical of the desert southwest are found all over the park, including cholla cactus, narrow leaf yucca, scrub oak, roadrunners, coyotes and lizards. A paved road provides easy access to trailheads, picnic areas, overlooks and campgrounds. While visiting nearby Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion National Parks, be sure to add this wonderful little park to your itinerary for a nice excursion.
Recommended Day Hikes:
Hidden Pinyon Trail
Round Trip Length: 1.5 miles
Trailhead location: A designated parking area along the main paved road (Snow Canyon Drive) marks the start of this trail. You will need
to take the Whiptail Trail for a little bit until it intersects with the Hidden Pinyon Trail
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Attractions: This self-guided nature trail offers the best scenery in the park. It is from this hike where you will find
beautiful views of the surrounding cliffs in a dazzling array of colors along with spectacular cross-bedded Navajo
sandstone formations accented with black lava.
Whiterocks/Lava Flow Overlook Trail
Round Trip Length: 4 miles
Trailhead location: At the northern end of Snow Canyon Drive, turn left onto route 18 and go for a very short distance
until you reach the designated trailhead parking area.
Level of Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Attractions: An exposed hike which ascends a series of rocky slopes to a natural amphitheater carved out of warped and
folded white sandstone. Lava flows are visible througout much of the hike. Excellent views of West Canyon and the
nearby Pine Valley Mountains are the reward for scrambling up these cliffs.
Helpful travel tips and observations
The exposed, arid and hot conditions out here make it essential to protect your skin with a hat and sunscreen. The park is fully accessible at any time of the year, including winter. Twenty two wildlife species are protected within the park due to the fragile state of their existence, including gila monsters, desert tortoises and peregrine falcons.
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Colorful cliffs as viewed from the Hidden Pinyon Trail, Snow Canyon State Park, (February 2005)
Cross-bedded Navajo sandstone as viewed from the Hidden Pinyon Trail, Snow Canyon State Park, (February 2005)
Colorful cliffs as viewed from the Hidden Pinyon Trail, Snow Canyon State Park (February 2005)
Red-orange Navajo sandstone formation as viewed from the Hidden Pinyon Trail, Snow Canyon State Park, (February 2005)
Cream-colored cliffs, Snow Canyon State Park, (February 2005)
