How to Spend a Day at Snow Canyon State Park

Skip the crowds swarming Zion National Park; a similarly stunning, less-populated landscape awaits nearby. Located where the Great Basin, Mojave Desert, and Colorado Plateau meet, Snow Canyon State Park protects 7,400 acres of carnelian-and-cream sandstone cliffs, rust-colored sand dunes, and charcoal-black lava flows within the larger Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. Most of the highlights are strung along 4-mile Snow Canyon Drive, between the north and south entrances, so there’s no need to choose between climbing dunes, slipping into slot canyons, or spotting roadrunners and desert tortoises—you can do it all in one thrill-filled day.

Geological Playground

The forces of water, wind, and fire that forged this otherworldly terrain over millions of years are on display along the 2.5-mile Lava Flow Trail, which traverses a 27,000-year-old volcanic field to reach multiple lava tube entrances open to exploring (flashlight or headlamp required). Clamber over mounds of Navajo sandstone known as the Petrified Dunes, reached via a 1.2-mile trail. Or, at the Sand Dunes Picnic Area, head out on a path that transforms into a vast cinnamon-hued sandbox.

Movie-worthy Moonscapes

In Jenny’s Canyon, join the photographers craning to catch that perfect slice of azure sky framed by sheer ochre walls. Families favor the canyon’s gentle half-mile trail, where kids can scramble up slopes and tuck themselves into gullies. For a more peaceful experience, go late in the day, when sunset colors the cliffs a deep crimson. A number of westerns, most notably Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, feature the park’s Kodachrome backdrop.

Desert Dwellers

Hike the 2-mile trail to Johnson’s Canyon to see peregrine falcons soar overhead, while white-throated swifts swoop from high crevices in the rock. After passing Johnson’s Arch, the trail terminates in an oasis-like valley, where a 200-foot waterfall tumbles from the cliff top after a good rain. Desert tortoises, a threatened species that can live up to 100 years old, sun themselves here on the slickrock. Keep an eye out for roadrunners, Gila monsters, and kit foxes too.

Gourmet Picnic Possibilities

Fuel up in St. George, 10 miles south of the park. Kick off the morning with an oat waffle parfait or a country-fried steak and biscuit at Liberty Cafe. For lunch, pack a picnic with hearty sandwiches and salads from Tom’s Deli. Dine on seasonal fare, such as bison tenderloin with butternut squash risotto, at the Painted Pony, an upscale restaurant in a historic brick building.

Top Time to Go

Visit in fall or winter to avoid sweltering summer temps and share the trails with fewer people. Plus, Johnson’s Canyon trail is only open from Sept. 14 to March 15 and is otherwise off limits to protect the white-throated swifts that nest in the cliffs.