This review is for Scout Cave Trail which was a ~3.5 miles round trip that took ~2 hours to complete. This was an unique and casual hike near St George, Utah. The first half of the trail was mostly flat with sand and lava rocks. The second half was a steady incline starting from the stairs. The end requires a little bit of rock scrambling to reach the cave. The views from inside and around the cave were spectacular. Utah residents ($15 entry fee) and non-residents ($20 entry fee). Decent sized parking lot to the left shortly after entering the state park. Trailhead and restrooms are located across the street from the parking lot. The only con would be that a small portion of the trail was next to the residential area. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/JekEJc_95hg read more

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This mid March weather was hot during the day, but early morning hikes made it totally worth while. Tons of road biking, mountain biking, and hiking trails to enjoys, as well as rock climbing. The views are amazing and there are plenty of parking areas to pull off to adventure hike or bike. The campground is about $35 per night depending on your camping needs (car/tent camping-fulk RV hookups) This facility has bathrooms and shower rooms as well as covered pick up tables for some of the full hookup sites. Weekends get busy so highly recommend booking online early. read more

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There is a pay station in the south entrance where you scan a QR code and then show somebody at a gate and get a receipt. I'm not sure if they accept cash or card at the gate. This state park isn't very big in comparison to others but it's still a beautiful drive with areas to stop with gorgeous hikes and views. We stopped at the Petrified Dunes area which was perfect for my three year old to explore. The views are breathtaking and I would have loved to explore more. There is not much shade at all here so do make sure you bring LOTS and lots of water. read more

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Go early in the am or late evening due to heat. Otherwise, it's not fun and there is no shade...it's a red rock canyon! We enjoyed hiking around, went in the early evening. read more

This is definitely a Utah gem! A beautiful red rock canyon that's filled with tons of stunning rock formations and a plethora of multi purpose trails. Snow Canyon had been on my bucket list for quite sometime and it did not disappoint. When driving in, you'll have to pay a $15 fee ($10 for Utah residents) at the entrance (at least if there's an attendant at the station). The attendant will provide you with a map of the park. It isn't a huge park but you could easily spend an entire day exploring here. If you have the time, I'd suggest driving all way down to the end of the park and working your way back to avoid the crowds. The most crowded area of the park is Jenny's Canyon which is right near the entrance. Jenny's Canyon features short family friendly trails that lead to several slot canyons. If you're into slot canyons, I'd definitely check this area out. There's also another beautiful area nearby called Pioneer Names. Here you'll find some neat natural arches that are embedded within the red rocks. While driving through the park, you'll have some amazing views of the beautiful red rock formations. My favorite part of the park to explore was Hidden Pinyon. The views on this trail are absolutely fantastic and there's a fun section where you can actually do some light rock scaling. This trail is filled with the most breathtaking views of sandstone cliffs, cactus, desert vegetation, and the beautiful red stone mountains. You'll be hit with beauty at every turn. It gets extremely hot in the summers and there is little to no shade in the park. Definitely load up on water and sunscreen and make sure that you wear protective gear. Although there were some crowds near Jenny's Canyon, this park was relatively empty during the weekday in the summer. It's so peaceful and enjoyable here. It almost feels like a mini Zion or Bruce Canyon. I did see a few rock climbers here and there are also campsites located all throughout the park. It's well worth the visit, especially if you're planning to visit the National Parks nearby. read more

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Beautiful park with lots of trails to choose from. Most seeming dog-friendly. St. George has a lot to offer. We especially enjoyed the Lava Flow trail. It's mostly a casual walk, but you can climb down into the lava tunnels, which are basically just caves that are now full of bats. We really enjoyed our visit, and the views are incredible. Especially at dusk and seeing all pf the stars. Not sure why, but our Sunday visit had no attendants at the entrance. read more

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Snow Canyon is so beautiful naturally and truly is a hidden gem. They have a trail for every style of hiking whether beginner or vigorous hiker. We absolutely loved seeing this as Southern California Natives, we truly have nothing like this here. I highly recommend this park to everyone. read more

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We were visiting my daughter at St. George, and Snow Canyon State Park is only 8 miles away from our residence. This park has 19 trails, plus 4 trails in the adjacent Paradise Canyon, for a total of 23 trails. Compared with the famous nearby Zion NP, St George is a diamond in the rough. I went to multiple trails. First I went to Scout Cave which is located outside of park entrance. This trail shared the trailhead and parking lot with Johnson Canyon, unattended, Mobile charges In State $10, Out State $15.The trail is basically flat, it passes through a mixture of 3 different surfaces, including ancient lava floors, sandy road, and large rock cliffs. The reward is the beautiful views from the cave, the sunlight shines at cave entrance, making whole cave golden, you can overlook at St George in the distance. On the way back, I went to nearby Johnson Canyon trail which is flush with the rocky slope and is mostly quicksand, flanked by canyons sheltered by willows and Cottonwood. Second time, I drove to inside of the park, many trails are short and family friendly, suitable for all ages, such as Jenny's Canyon, then I went to Lava Flow, turn to Butterfly Loop, and saw two Lava Tubes - volcanic lava caves on the way. Some people try to get in, it's too dangerous. Then I went to watch sunrise at Snow Canyon two days in a row, new year's eve and new year's day, it's just too beautiful and irresistible. When I stood on Petrified Dunes, the first ray of sunshine of 2024 illuminated the surrounding mountains, I had no words to describe the beauty of the landscape. The special landforms of petrified sand dunes under my feet were layered and lined up in rows. The red cliffs in the distance were undulating like being chopped by knifes and axes. It's spectacular. I walked several trails along the way: Petrified Dunes, Hidden Pinyon, Red Sand, Whiptail, and finally went to Pioneer Names, they were all very beautiful and worthy. I can't justify why such a beautiful place is not a national park. To be fair, Snow Canyon is very comparable to Zion. My conclusion is that this park is little smaller in size and most of the trails are relatively short and cannot accommodate too many tourists. Indeed, the locals call it "Mini Zion" and believe that this park would definitely be a national park in any other state. In fact, if Zion NP were not so close, Snow Canyon would probably become a national park. read more

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Our site was clean and the views were amazing. There are many sites with power. There are clean bathrooms and showers.

We did a daytrip to Utah recently and wanted to hike but Zion has become such a cluster to visit, that it didn't seem worth it. Thankfully, a friend recommended we look up Snow Canyon SP, and it ended up being perfect for us. If you don't have a UT ID, there's a $15/car entrance fee. We're not hardcore hikers, but now we have a little +1 in the form of an 8 month old - she's fine in a chest/back carrier but trails with a lot of scrambling were out, and we didn't want to be too far on a loop if she started having a meltdown. SCSP has several trails with family-friendly lengths and difficulty - we did Butterfly Trail, part of Petrified Dunes and Johnson's Canyon (This hike is closed annually from March 15th-September 14th for wildlife and habitat protection). These three had good variety, great views and it was perfect weather. Everyone we encountered was friendly, it was easy to get around and there was plenty of parking. I especially like that the bathrooms were easily accessible. Definitely pay attention to the brochure handed out at entrance, there's a lot of info in there. We plan to come back for more trails next time we're in the area. Camping is available, too! read more

Beautiful outdoor experience to explore by yourself or with some friends and family. beautiful trails and a unforgettable canyon drive

After hiking in Zion, I wondered if it was worth visiting another park that could compete with my experience there. The answer is that if you enjoy nature, you should definitely stop by Snow Canyon to experience a completely different scenery. Since there is often no one at the entrance booth, it's best to purchase the entrance fee ($15 per car) online before entering the park, especially considering the weak Wi-Fi signals. read more

Absolutely gorgeous park, well kept and so many things to do and see. I wish they had a week pass for visitors or weekend pass, because $15 is quite a bit each day. Compare the daily fee to the $75 annual fee, not sure what they were thinking with that one. I've yet to see desert tortoise here, mostly bugs and various types of birds, including a road runner. There are many hiking trails for various skill levels, which is fantastic. You could spend days here and still find more to do. Would highly recommend and would come back. read more

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The last day of our Utah trip, we decided to hike in snow canyon state park. It is convenient, because it it not too far to the Las Vegas airport. I read in the hiking book this is a scenic place so we chose here. It is more than expected. Very pretty place. We arrived early in the morning. I liked the morning section a lot. Later on it was too crowded especially caves. I highly recommended. read more

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What an astonishing place to explore! This is a complete hidden gem with such beauty in each hike, canyon, or sand dune. Trails connect and you could spend all day here constantly finding something new. I went with: Jenny's Canyon Lava Flow Trail Sand Dunes Wish I could if stayed for more so amazing and I sat in awe with how lucky I am to experience these time lapsing world wonders. Just beautiful Thank you for having me explore in lava tubes, canyons and hanging in the sand absolutely love and hope to come back to explore you more soon! read more

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Whilst red rock canyons and mountainsides dotted with barrel cacti and sagebrush are admittedly not my favorite landscape, one must admit that areas such as these do lend some interesting visuals. The jagged, craggly rocks sliding sideways down the towering vistas mixed with salmon-colored twisted waves of petrified ground and ancient lava tubes is like something out of a sci-fi movie. It was cold, a little bit windy, and raining when we visited unfortunately, but I would definitely geek out on doing some of those trails when the weather permits. We will definitely head back there soon. If you're looking for a quick little scenic drive, it's $10 to go up and back, I thought it was worth it. We did get out and walk around a little bit, but the weather was not our friend that day. read more

Snow Canyon State Park - Parks Near Me - Ivins, Utah

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Absolutely loved this amazing park. So much to see and plenty of parking. Not too crowded at all on a Saturday afternoon. I agree with others that say this would be a national park in any other state! read more

Snow Canyon is absolutely stunning--one of the most beautiful places in southern Utah and an unbeatable spot for photography. Every time I'm there, I'm amazed by the scenery. That said, I've had some uncomfortable experiences with the Park Rangers. Despite always being respectful, following Leave No Trace, and ensuring my clients do the same, I've been met with defensiveness when asking questions in person. When I've gone into the office to clarify permit rules or ask about specific locations (even showing reference photos), I've often been questioned about why I'm asking at all, which feels unnecessary when I'm just trying to do things by the book. I always make sure to get the proper permits, but it feels like photographers are unfairly targeted, and the minimum permit fee of nearly $300 seems excessive. The park itself is breathtaking and worth visiting read more

So pretty here - normally you have to pay a daily fee of $10 (in person and/or online) but there's no one to police that. **Honor system** You are able to camp here as well - unfortunately i don't know the fees but i know it would be super amazing because it's PITCH BLACK which is perfect for looking at the stars. Happy hiking!!! read more

This park has loads of trails, some are barely 100 yards long. We went on a about 4 of the hikes listed on the map - none were super challenging - but maybe we picked them that way :) Spectacular park, very clean, nice rangers. A really cool visitor center with a bunch of hummingbird feeders and rocking chairs. The best hike we did that day was Lava Flow Trail (something like that) - It was really neat and clearly marked - it was a little challenging up and down on rock formation - but not too bad. This whole park was pretty empty on a weekday in September read more

While the wife and I were visiting St George for a couple days, we got up early and went to Snow Canyon to see what's what before the heat (90+) later in the day. We entered via the North Entrance. We did not plan that, Google Maps guided us there. A very nice gate attendant took our $15 for access, gave us a map and pointed out some points of interest. He asked if we were hiker people and I said, "No, we are mostly brunch people." He did not get it, but I laughed. The wife just shook her head. The first destination was the Petrified Sand Dunes, a 1.2 mile round trip, moderate hike according to the map info. It was a well labeled trail and once you get to the petrified dunes the markers turn in to small metal domes on the ground pointing the back and forth direction of the path they want you to follow. You could always see the next dome. It was a moderate hike with some scaling of the petrified dunes. They were great to walk on, since it was rough and you did not have to worry about slipping. The dunes were very cool and worth the short hike to see. By the time we returned to the car, it was already warm. We cooled off in the car. The goals of the Butterfly Trail is to see the rock formation that looks like butterfly wings and the lava tubes. I read the map as a 1.2 mile round trip, easy hike so off we went. The trail started easy, but soon we were scaling down a moderate decline of petrified sand. This was harder than the pervious trail, so why "easy"? We continued and it was getting hotter. Bring water, see the ProTip below. The trail went back and forth from easy to more difficult and there was some inclines that were burning my out of shape, thighs. The nice thing at this point was we were walking along the canyon, so there was shade. We walked right by the butterfly wings and when we broke out to a clearing I was hot and a bit tired. After a bit and seeing people off in the distance we headed back. We did see the cool butterfly wing stones but neither the wife or I took a pic. We got back to the car and fired up the AC to cool off and drink water. I pulled up the map and re-read the description. The hike was actually 2 miles RT and moderate. I had mistakenly read the description of the hike above Butterfly. We went to the Tortoise Walk Trail. It was short and flat walk to the end. I was expecting a rock formation with a tortoise shape, but at the end was an actual sculpture of a tortoise. About three feet high and 10 feet around. It was OK and I was glad it was an easy hike to see it. After cooling off again and some more water, we headed off to Pioneer Names Trail. A 0.5 RT hike and easy. We passed the entrance and then parked across the street in a little lot. Off we went to find the pioneer names and came across a very cool "almost" arch, see the picture. Looking up from the bottom was impressive and I had to wonder how many times slabs fall off the cliff on to unsuspecting visitors like me. Again, we were against the cliff and it was 15 degrees cooler than in the sun. Easy hike, but way more than 1/4 of a mile, but it was nice and cool so we kept walking. Finally we got there and high above in a shallow, large cave were huge letters and numbers with pioneer names and dates, some back to 1851. You don't get close unless you scale up the moderate climb and some people were up there. I'm not sure if you are supposed to, but we could see the names and took some pics. Some people can't control themselves, so two idiots named Dave and Robert some how managed to put there names up in the same location. What can you say, people are morons sometimes. What I determined was that the 0.5 mile RT hike was from the north start of the trail and we started from the south. It was not much longer, so we headed back the same way we came and got to the car. Next stop, Red Sand Dunes. This was a 0.5 mile RT, easy hike. I made sure to read the descriptions in detail now. Could not find the walking path labeled so we saw the bike path at the rear of the parking lot and walked that way. We walked for quite a bit, much more than 1/4 mile (since it was 1/2 mile RT) when we realized the dunes were just to our left and we had been walking parallel to them. I thought they would be much bigger. We cut through the grass and found them. They were certainly red sand dunes. We walked back the same way, got in the car and started driving south for another stop. As we drove a couple hundred feet on the road, there was a small parking lot and the sand dunes were right in front of it. Cool to see. Easier access if you are brining kids along to play in the dunes. By this time it was about noon and it was pretty hot, so we decided we were done and we headed to the South Entrance to get ourselves back to St George. ProTip: Bring lots of water. Even the short hikes will get you hot and sweaty. Go early to avoid the heat. Go. Have Fun!. read more

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Loved our visit to Snow Canyon today, and our highlight was enjoying the beautiful scenery in the wonderful weather and watching two guys rock climb... You have to pay an entrance fee (one per car). For 65 and older its $10 and for under 65 its $15 and it's worth every penny.... read more

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What an amazing state park to explore! We made the 2.5 hour trek from Las Vegas to spend the day hiking and exploring in Snow Canyon State Park and it did not disappoint. The ranger at the pay station was incredibly friendly, the 2 rangers inside the bookstore/gift shop at the campground were also friendly, and the park itself was well maintained. We were also surprised at the cleanliness of the real bathrooms (not pit toilets) throughout the park (equipped w/ flush toilets, sinks, hand soap, and hand dryer) - a rarity in State and even National Parks. We hiked the Hidden Pinyon Trail which was full of beautiful surprises at every turn. The views were beautiful and it was a fun hike with some light bouldering required. We also hiked around and explored the Petrified Dunes which was super cool. There were amazing views every way you looked, but being there close to sunset it was packed with couples taking engagement & wedding photos; which I don't blame them, definitely a gorgeous setting for special occasion photos. We also walked a portion of the paved bike/walking path which offered beautiful views as well. We enjoyed our time and look forward to coming back for a day trip! read more

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I recently took a family trip before Thanksgiving 2020 with my family to Utah. We did our visit to Zion, which was beautiful. The next day we wanted to visit Kolob Canyon. Unfortunately due to the ice and snow that hit the area the day before, we were unable to visit. I asked the Park Ranger of any other places she recommended and she suggested Snow Canyon State Park. Wow, what a discovery! Our whole family loved spending the day here! The scenery is absolutely beautiful, the variety of trails was fantastic and they even have places to rock climb, if you're into that. It wasn't super crowded, not sure if that is common or if it was due to COVID, but that was just fine by me. There are plenty of picnic areas and an accessible trail that our whole family enjoyed. My elderly parents and I even did a moderate trail to see the lava tubes and that was fascinating. Love, love, love this park! The definite highlight of our trip! read more

Snow Canyon State Park - Whiptail Trail is paved and accessible! - Parks Near Me - Ivins, Utah

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What a beautiful place to visit any time of the year. You can dry camp or have hookups for your RV. Many walking trails to explore as well as petroglyphs and the Pioneer Trail names writen on the Red Rock Walls from the pioneers. There are petrified sand dunes, the Butterfly Trail which is an easy must-do hike for the entire family. You have to experience it to appreciate it. St. George, Utah is nearby if you want to stay in a hotel. Lots of restaurants locally as well. Many other trails in the area as well. Please observe the 25MPH speed limit. Turtles, other wildlife and pedestrian traffic are everywhere. Thank you and enjoy read more

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Great place to check out. I recommend seeing it. Tons of red rock all around you, and different trails to hike. It's complete desert though with not a lot of shade so it can be brutal in the heat. read more

Breathtakingly beautiful views and trails! Snow Canyon has several trails to trek and definitely less busier than the ever popular Zion. So if in Saint George, make sure to check out Snow Canyon which is a convenient stop and only a 12 minutes drive from town. Signage and mobile park fee payment is setup well and easy. The Jenny's Canyon was a great warm-up hike to get you started, and the rewarding view at the end point is memorable. read more

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We stayed one night at the Campground (w/hookups). If you choose a site with hookups, you will be 5 ft away from your neighbor. I heard a TV on one side and talking in the wee hours on the other side. If you are in a hard sided RV, I don't think the proximity to one another is a problem. But if in a pop up of some sort, you will be heard and hear everything. It's much like a parking lot with hookups. As for the park, it's beautiful but somewhat small compared to other parks in Utah. I would suggest a couple nights at Snow Canyon at most. There are nice hikes, paved paths for easy biking, and a town close by for all your needs. There are two entrances to the park. And we saw a roadrunner, which was super cool. But no Wile E. Coyote around. The rangers/staff were super-friendly and available for questions. We arrived late, but our info was on the Info Board and we found it easily. Bathroom was clean, and the showers had a pull-down chain that allowed the shower to turn on. Great idea to keep showers short! I need one for my son :) The water temp didn't get hot enough for my liking, but the bathrooms are heated, so it kinda evened out. I took one star off only for the "parking lot" atmosphere of the hookup sites. The standard sites looked great and had more space. I would give the park 4.5-stars if I didn't need hookups. read more

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$10 for locals and $15 for out of towner's makes this a great spot to escape to for a day. In fact, I can't wait to come back to this spot. Camping here, 2 hours from Last Vegas, you could totally come here to get away from the hustle and bustle of the strip. Tons of small hikes make this spot perfect for families with smaller children. The geology is amazing. Lava and sand! read more

Wow!!! Such a picturesque park. For non Utah residents they charge $15 per car, but they take cash or card so that was convenient. Once we got in the park I can tell you the $15 was well worth it. We hiked several of the trails, but our favorite was the petrified dunes. You definitely need to check this trail out! read more

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There is something new that we find out about each time we explore this area. So many hidden little gems and hikes to go on. Each hike is easy. We went to Petroglyphs hike in a small slot trail, off Gila trail. Accessible outside the park and overlooks it. read more

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I have been to Snow Canyon several times for hiking and to enjoy a bit of history. One of the stops I made was to see the historic names left on the sandstone cliffs from early settlers--most dating from the late 1800s. My next stop was hike the Three Ponds trail, a 1.8 mile each way hike over some of the worst hiking conditions I've experienced. In places, you'll hike over hard lava rock. Most of the time, you'll be hiking on fine sand eroded of the cliffs. This was one of the hardest hikes I've done. After an intermission to visit an historical site miles from the park, I stopped at the Lava Flow Overlook Trail on the way back through the canyon. There is much to explore here and a great overlook of Snow Canyon. The three areas I've mention are all in the fee area. You can also hike or mountain bike in Snow Canyon without fee by parking at a large parking area off Route 18 just north of the Snow Canyon Parkway exit. From here, there are climbing walls, and a couple of trails on which you can hike or mountain bike. In any case, Snow Canyon provides a varied experience and it deserves more than just a drive through look. Get out and do some exploring. read more

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In A Nutshell: -Snoth Canyon State Park makes you feel like you landed on Mars. -The curved, rounded red rocks surrounding you, especially when you trek on the Petrified Dunes Trail is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! -Go there in the middle of the day & you'll hear ZERO noise. -This is a great place to get away & be in solace, while resetting yourself w/ natures beauty. -The only dedicated trail is the one from the small parking that leads to the Petrified Dunes Trail. -Once you are on the red rocks, you're free to roam anywhere you want to explore. Overall, this is such a great place to enjoy peace & quiet while taking in the unique rock formations surrounding you. read more

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Snow Canyon is a beautiful little park. Sure, it's not as grand as it's nearby competitors, but if you're in the area and just want a small adventure, this place has a little bit of everything for you. There are trails to hike, roads to drive, rocks to climb on and sand to bury yourself in. (Be sure to check out the sand dunes-they are one of our favorite stops in St. George. ) There are campgrounds/sites, or you can purchase a day use pass to just come hang for a few hours. Pay attention to the weather-the sun can get brutal in the afternoons, regardless of the time of year. Pack in plenty of water. read more

Jenny's Canyon: Jenny's Canyon is a place that is pretty awesome. It's a 0.3 mile hike which takes you to a sweet and short canyon. This canyon slowly gets more narrow until it ends. We had a lot of fun looking at the formation of the canyon and our children enjoyed climbing around the walls. After having fun inside of the canyon we went to the overlook above and got to see the scenery from a greater scope. Here you can see a canyon that is so engaging as a place that is so contained that getting to the overlook gives you a greater picture. There was also no one here. We had the place all to ourselves. This hike is kid friendly and so easy to get to. read more

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I visited Snow Canyon State Park with my mom, sisters, and two baby nephews. We each have varying degrees of athletic abilities, and were able to find hikes and attractions that interested us all. Everyone in our party enjoyed the quick walk to the expanses of slick rock, and the area is large enough that while there were many other visitors around it didn't feel crowded. The lava tubes were really cool, and one of my favorite parts of the park. There are some large ones that anyone can climb down into, then some that are really tight squeezes that I wasn't brave enough to try. Definitely bring flashlights if you have an adventurous spirit! Our group was a bit ill-prepared in that regard, and we most certainly would have done more exploring if we'd had flashlights. It's $6 per car or $4 if you enter on foot. There are many and varied hikes available, ranging from way under a mile (park your car and walk a few yards to a site like the Pioneer Names) to several miles. Camping is also available: both standard and group sites. There is very little to do in St. George, but this is the one thing that could almost entice me to return. read more

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First off, if the person at either of the park's 2 entrances are gone and you don't have $6 cash, just drive through and in about 5 minutes stop by the campground/bookstore. You can purchase your pass/receipt here and use a credit card. Driving through entrance to the other entrance is a 10-15 minute stretch, so don't worry about losing much time. Of course, the magnificence and majesty of the structures and geography are beyond amazing, so I'll talk about the restrooms. They are unisex and have toilet seats and are water flushable. Its not the outhouse type. But wait, their water running out of their sinks are WARM! They have liquid soap, air blower hand dryers and effective multiple rolls of toilet paper. Outside temp is 50 degrees F so the warm water was a welcomed treat! read more

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This park has beautiful views no matter where you look. There is a fee to enter the park of $6 per day, but if you plan to do several hikes, you could easily spend the entire day to get your money's worth. We did a shorter hike for 2.5 miles on the Lava Flow Trail. There were cool lava tubes along the route and several wildlife encounters. We saw many many lizards, a bunny or two, squirrels, birds, etc. We decided to take the Butterfly Trail out to the highway and then walk uphill to the Lava Flow parking area. There were some rock climbing areas on the trails, as well as some more sandy spots and lots of lava rock creating a bit of an uneven surface. I would recommend you go in the morning to beat the heat of the day, take lots of sunscreen, and a hat for shade. My arms already started to gather color after only 15 minutes of exposure. read more

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On our first day of vacation, and enroute to south-central Utah, we were anxious to get a taste of what we had come for. So we decided to exit in the town of St. George and check out Snow Canyon SP for a "quick" hiking break. Once we arrived inside the park we realized it wouldn't be so brief. After passing several trailheads leading to gorgeous settings, we were immediately smitten; and we didn't want to leave. Given the name, I had expected Snow Canyon would be at much higher elevation and be more forested (turns out it was named after a man; not the cold, white stuff). What we found was a dry, open canyon - just outside of town - that was originally shaped by a eroded, ancient sand dunes (creating gorgeous sandstone formations) followed by volcanic activity (that added black lava fields and tubes). We nearly leaped out of the vehicle to start exploring; two of my friends made a beeline to a massive, organic-looking sandstone edifice next to the parking lot. The beginning of the prolific Utah photo-shoot had begun. Snow Canyon is not large when compared to other Utah parks, but it does have a lot to offer. It is riddled with trails, and visitors can hike into lave tubes; over fantastic, weathered sandstone topography; to the edge of an old cinder cone; or even to some hidden slot canyons - some with ancient native art. There is also a small campground surrounding the main ranger station (which appeared to be filled to brimming). In addition, we noted at least one paved trail for use by bikes and strollers. We only spent about two hours at Snow Canyon, but we knew we would be back this way. And in fact we did come back for a beautiful morning hike on our return leg west. So Snow Canyon made sort of a "hiking sandwich" for our Utah travels, being the first and last Utah park we visited on our week off. read more

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My friends and I did an Exploratory hike today in Snow Canyon State Park located near St. George, UT. There is a $8 day use entry fee per car. Your National Park Pass will not work at Snow Canyon State Park. This park is an amazingly beautiful 7,400-acre scenic park with lava flows and panoramic soaring colorful sandstone cliffs. I suggest bringing at least two liters of water, a hat, sunglasses, good walking shoes, lunch, snacks and apply sunscreen. Don't forget to bring a flashlight for the lava tubes. Hikes we did and loved - Jenny's Canyon - (Closed March 31 to June 1) -One-half mile. Easy, level with few slopes and steps. Sand Dunes - One-half mile. Easy. Deep sand with some slopes and the trail leads to a large expanse of red sand that is great for all age. Petrified Dunes Trail - 1-mile (1.6 km). Moderate with ome steep slopes, uneven surfaces. This trail crosses massive sandstone outcrops where you may explore sand dunes frozen in time. Butterfly Trail - 2 miles (3.2 km). Moderate with some steep slopes, steps and uneven surfaces. Winding along the west side of Petrified Dunes, this trail leads to West Canyon Overlook and lava tubes. White Rocks Trail/Lava Flow Overlook - 4 miles (6.4 km). Moderate with some rocky slopes, uneven surfaces. Passing through lava flows, juniper stands and breathtaking views of West Canyon. We checked out the well maintained campgrounds. Really clean bathrooms with warm water, soap, and dryer. Such a wonderful place! read more

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