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Snow Canyon State Park
It's hard to imagine a person getting lost in natural landscape within minutes of shopping malls, subdivisions and busy downtown streets. But Snow Canyon State Park, 11 miles northwest of St. George, is such a place.
Hikers view scenery in Snow Canyon near St. George.
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The characteristic that makes Snow Canyon so attractive is its blend of volcanic activity and time-honored sandstone creations, which provide an incredible backdrop for hiking and photography.
There are a number of lava caves and several volcanic cinder cones near the north end of the park. Indian artifacts and pictographs have been found in several of these caves. In the same area there are flowing sandstone formations, along with large mountains of jagged sandstone. There are even some loosely packed sand dunes within the boundaries.
All of this is accented by the desert bloom of prickly pear cactus, pinion, sage, chola cactus, green ash and red bud.
Nomadic tribes first discovered the canyon and left behind stories of their life on rock walls within the park. Early pioneers happened into the area while searching for lost cattle. Now there are road signs and paved highways within the park, along with campgrounds, running water and marked trails.
Currently, there are eight trails within the park. Some are short walks, up to one mile, and others are longer, running about six miles.
Within the park there are 31 campground units and some primitive overflow camping areas. At peak times of the year, typically when it's cold up north, campgrounds and overflow areas are filled to capacity. About a half-million people visit the park each year.
Those planning to visit the park should call ahead for reservations. Don't expect so show up and find camping spots available, especially in the spring and fall.
Snow Canyon is about 315 miles from Salt Lake City. To get to the park take U-18 north from St. George to the park's entrance.
More information is available by visiting parks.state.ut.us/parks/www1/snow.HTM
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