Snow Canyon State Park

Overlook of Snow Canyon on the Petrified Dunes Trail.

Snow Canyon State Park is one of those state parks that is often overlooked by people traveling to Utah. While Utah is obviously known for The Mighty Five and as a prime destination for winter recreation as well, did you know that there are 43 state parks in the state? Many of these state parks are just as majestic as the national parks but without the crowds. What differs state parks from national parks too are they are generally extremely dog friendly.

After I adopted my dog Tex from a rescue a little over a year ago, I knew I needed to find destinations where he and I could both enjoy the trails together.

 
 

Overview

Day-use Fees:
$10/$5 (Utah Residents, Utah Residents 65+) / $5 pedestrian/cyclists / $15 (non-residents)

Hours and Season
6:00am to 10:00pm daily.
Park is open year-round but I suggest visiting between October and April

Getting to Snow Canyon State Park

Before heading to Snow Canyon State Park, I was in Valley of Fire State Park where I spent a day sightseeing and a night to camp there. But this park is actually only located 2 hours away from Las Vegas and 14 minutes away from St. George, Utah. If you are feeling ambitious, Zion National Park is located only a little over an hour away. There is truly lots to see in this part of Utah.

Unfortunately, I only had a day and a half to visit before I started my drive back up to Seattle. I obviously wish I had more time but I was still so glad that I was able to see this state park because it’s definitely underrated.

History of the Park

Snow Canyon State Park is a 7,400-acre park tucked in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. It was created in 1959 and opened to the public in 1962. It is likely that humans have been using this park for more than 10,000 years based on the artifacts found in the park. The users of the park ranged from Paleoindian mammoth hunters to 19th century settlers. As recently as 27,000 years ago, lava flowed through the park and reshaped the canyons and thus, creating the park’s distinctive landscapes.

Originally bearing the name of Dixie State Park, the park was later named Snow Canyon for Lorenzo and Erastus Snow, prominent pioneering leaders of Utah. The park is also known as movie sets for a few Hollywood films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Sources: Snow Canyon State Park Official Website and Visit Utah

Camping at Snow Canyon State Park

Campgrounds Fees:
Non-hookup sites: $40 / Hookup sites: $45, reserve campsites here.

There are 32 sites at the Snow Canyon State Park; 16 are standard sites with no hookups and 16 of them are sites with standard, partial hookups that come with water and electricity. All of them are reservable online through this link. Non-hookup sites cost you $40/night and hookup sites cost $45/night and any additional vehicle parked in the campsite would be an an extra $20.

The campsites are separated into you sections. I think I grabbed one of the last non-hookup sites in the loop that was closest to the visitor center. There are more on the other side of the visitor center as well. While my site didn’t have the most privacy, it did feel secluded as it was on the tail-end of the loop and surrounded by the iconic red sandstones and some trees that provided just a tiny bit of wind protection during the night. Showers are also available and once you check in at the visitor center, the ranger will let you know how to access it as well.

I spent quite a bit of time hanging out at the campground because you guessed it, the only downside about visiting Snow Canyon in December was the days were indeed short. I checked into my campsite as soon as I arrived at the visitor center and also asked for what hikes the ranger recommended. She was really selling the Johnsons Canyon Trail as that trail is closed seasonally from March 15 to September 14. Another trail she suggested was the Lava Flow Trail, which was the one I decided to go on my first day at Snow Canyon State Park.

Things to Do at Snow Canyon State Park

Source: https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/snow-canyon/discover/

There are more than 38 miles of hiking trails, a 3-mile paved walking/biking trail, opportunities for technical climbing and more than 15 miles of equestrian trails.

I only had 1.5 days to explore the park. I arrived the park a little after noon because I completely forgot that Utah was in the Mountain Time Zone (MST). Even though I had left Valley of Fire State Park at a decent time, I didn’t realize that I actually lost an hour.

Per the ranger’s recommendation, I decided to do the Lava Flow Trail and later head over to Jenny’s Canyon. Although she was really pushing me to do the Johnson’s Canyon Trail, I decided to head over to the Petrified Dunes Trail the next instead because I heard that hike gave good views of Snow Canyon.

Lava Flow Trail

Distance: 2.5 miles (roundtrip)
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate, some uneven surfaces to traverse on

The Lava Flow Trail, also known as the Lava Tubes is a 2.5 mile, family-friendly trail that takes you back in time. The trail takes you down past three lava cave entrances. Entering the caves can be a little dangerous as it can get dark and slippery at times. There is a dedicated parking lot for this trail. What makes this trail interesting is you really get to experience the rich history of the park - there are also signs along the trail that explain the geological features and how the lava tubes came to be. This trail was pretty cool as you meander closer to the deeply carved canyons that defines the present day Snow Canyon State Park.

I ventured a little further off the Lava Flow Trail which connected with the Butterfly Trail - I didn’t know why it was called that until I saw a rock formation that looked like a butterfly.

Note: There were some signs that indicated the trail but it did get confusing at times. I recommend downloading a map for offline use when getting on this trail especially when it gets hot because getting lost on this trail is not going to be fun even though it was technically only 2.5 miles from the parking lot.

Jenny’s Canyon Trail

Distance: 0.5 miles (one way)
Difficulty: Easy, very fun for kids, hiking on sand most of the time

Jenny’s Canyon Trail is a super short trail that closes up into a slot canyon. According to the park brochure, kids enjoy this trail the most due to the geological features and because it’s a slot canyon! It definitely got a little spooky towards the end of the trail but I enjoyed it a lot.

There is one small pullout parking lot so I don’t assume this trail gets too much all at once.

Petrified Dunes Trail

Distance: 1.5 miles (roundtrip)
Difficulty: Moderate, some uneven surfaces and steep slopes

The Petrified Dunes Trail was actually my favorite trail at Snow Canyon State Park.

This moderate 1.2 mile hike takes you to one of the best viewpoints of the park (I say once, because stay tuned, there is another one that can easily be driven up to). The petrified dunes were so cool to look out and at times felt like you were stuck in the past as you traverse over the slopes. The trail was probably the most well-marked trail out of all the trails I did in the park - there were these little cone things with arrows stapled into the rocks so you always knew where you were going. Even though you won’t really be hiking on any vegetation, it’s still important to try to stay on the trail to the best of your ability.

The trail itself is about 0.6 miles one way but I ended up hiking a little more up to the viewpoint and later learned that it was actually connected to the Hidden Pinyon Trail. Once you ‘exit’ the dunes, you start hiking slightly uphill and end up in the completely different environment. Here, you will find geological features similar to the Lava Flow Trail - old volcanic rock. I took a long break here and really soaked in the views of Snow Canyon. As you can see, my dog definitely had his model moment as he also enjoyed climbing up the rock formations.

I wasn’t sure why the ranger didn’t suggest this hike to me but if you only had time to do a couple of hikes, I’d say definitely do the Petrified Dunes Trail and go a little beyond it to the lookout.

Snow Canyon Scenic Overlook

Last but not least - if you are indeed feeling a little lazy or you are actually staying in St. George, it’s a good idea to take the short drive up to the Snow Canyon Scenic Overlook.

The road does get a little rough but passable to any type of vehicle. At the overlook, expect to get the best view of the park the canyons tower over the Snow Canyon road that cuts through the park.

I was able to locate my campsite and the multiple trails I did as well.

Time to turn in

I headed into St. George to stop by the grocery store and decided to eat better that night since it concluded my five nights spent camping in various places - from Death Valley to Red Rocks to Snow Canyon. I was getting ready to start my drive back up to Seattle the next day.

While it was nice to visit the park during the off season, it definitely felt extremely cold to be tent camping. Nonetheless, I started the fire as usual and made pasta and steak for the night. But because it was so cold out, my food got cold fast. I didn’t hung out in the cold for much longer and decided to call it a night.

As I slowly drifted to sleep, I was remember how I had such a good time exploring Snow Canyon State Park. I definitely would love to visit more of Utah’s state parks since most of them are generally more dog-friendly than most National Forests and National Parks in the state.

So next time you find yourself in Southern Utah, don’t forget to visit this hidden gem. It’s not as majestic as the Mighty Five but you can still experience some of the iconic red rocks that shape much of Utah’s landscape, after all, Snow Canyon is located in the Red Rocks Desert Reserve.

Until next time 🤙

Southwest, UtahCynthia Wongutah, snow canyon, hiking, camping