The second portion of our trip was a two night stay at Snow Canyon State Park outside St. George. We initially thought we would arrive here in the morning (it’s just over an hour drive from Zion National Park) and have most of the day to explore, but had a change of plans due to the rain in Zion. Because we hiked The Narrows on the day we left Zion, we ended up not arriving in Snow Canyon until after dark (and boy was it dark and quiet in the campground when we arrived - surprising how quiet it is for being so close to St. George, which is only ten miles away). We were up for sunrise the next morning and took a walk on the Hidden Pinyon Trail, a 1.5 mile “lollipop” trail that winds through rocks and sand with a good look at some geological features and native plants. The skies were clear so we did not get a colorful sky, but did enjoy the early morning sun lighting up the rock walls.

Just down the road from the Hidden Pinyon Trail is the trailhead for Petrified Dunes. The trail is 1.2 miles long and can be connected with other trails for a longer hike. We weren’t planning for a hike here; we stopped to take a look at the dunes and the view before returning to our car. Because it had rained two days prior I was hoping some of the larger potholes would be full of water for some cool reflection photos, but the one I had in mind from pictures I had seen was already dry again. Still a neat spot though with the cross bedding and nice views of the canyon.

We wanted to be on our way to Yant Flat in good time, so only had time for one more stop in Snow Canyon. We parked at the trailhead for Whiterocks just outside the park on highway 18. This is the most direct route to the Whiterocks Amphitheater and we climbed to the top - what a cool spot. We loved the rocks and views from here. We decided to continue on the Whiterocks trail to the Lava Flow trail and check out the lava tubes. The brochure said it was four miles, although it didn’t feel that long (mostly flat - so it was quick). The canyons were filled with basalt from lava flows when nearby cinder cones erupted many years ago. We walked among the lava fields and also had a chance to see some lava tubes, created when the outside of a flow hardens and the molten lava eventually drains.

Unfortunately we did not have a lot of time in Snow Canyon State Park, but we really enjoyed what we did see and were impressed at the variety and beauty packed in a relatively small park. The campground was scenic and quiet and we would definitely recommend a stay there. I’m sure we’ll be back eventually to see it all!

Brochure for the park that contains a handy map of the hiking trails and short descriptions of the hikes: Snow Canyon State Park brochure