The Best Hikes Around St. George (Beyond Snow Canyon)

Everybody hikes Snow Canyon, and everybody should. But once you have done it, St. George has a deep bench of trails that most visitors never find. Here are the ones worth the extra drive.

Red Cliffs

Just north of town off the I-15 frontage, the Red Cliffs Recreation Area is a local favorite for good reason. The short Red Reef trail follows a stream up into red sandstone with pools and slickrock to scramble on, great in warm weather and great with kids. It is quieter than Snow Canyon and easy to reach.

Scout Cave and Dino Cliffs

Right around Snow Canyon are trails people drive past. Scout Cave winds through lava and sandstone to a big cave with valley views. Dino Cliffs is short, fun, and has actual dinosaur footprints in the rock, a hit with kids.

Yant Flat (Candy Cliffs)

West of town, Yant Flat is the local secret: swirling pink, orange, and white sandstone that looks like something out of a national park, with almost nobody there. The road in is rough, so check conditions, but the payoff is huge.

When the desert is too hot: Pine Valley

In summer, drive up into the Pine Valley Mountains north of town. Thousands of feet higher, it is pines, meadows, and 20-plus degrees cooler, a completely different world an hour away.

Bonus, if you do not mind a permit and a 45-minute drive: Kanarra Falls, a stream-and-slot-canyon hike with waterfalls, limited to a set number of hikers a day. Buy the permit online in advance, because it sells out.