Snow Canyon Without the Crowds: A Local's Hiking Guide
Ten minutes from downtown, a fraction of Zion's crowds, and the same red-rock and lava scenery. Here is how a local actually hikes Snow Canyon.
Snow Canyon sits about ten minutes from downtown St. George and pulls maybe a tenth of Zion's crowds, which is really the whole point. Same red-and-white sandstone, same black lava, same slot canyons — minus the shuttle lines and the crowd fighting for your photo.
A few things I've picked up after hiking it more times than I can count.
Go early, or go in winter
From June through September, be at the trailhead by 8 a.m. or plan on suffering. There's almost no shade out there and the sandstone throws the heat right back at you. The park is honestly at its best November through March — 60s and sunny while the rest of the country is scraping ice off the windshield.
The trails actually worth your time
- Petrified Dunes. A quarter mile to the slickrock, and the most fun per minute of anything in the park. Turn the kids loose. Stay for sunset, when the whole dune goes copper.
- Jenny's Canyon. A tiny slot, half a mile round trip, perfect for little legs. It closes in spring for raptor nesting, so check before you drive out.
- Lava Flow. The one people skip and shouldn't. You walk across an old lava field, and if you bring a headlamp you can drop down into the collapsed lava tubes.
- Whiterocks Amphitheater. Fewer people, bigger views, and that pale Navajo sandstone that photographs like another planet.
The practical stuff
It's $15 a car for out-of-staters, $10 with Utah plates, good for the day. Bring more water than you think you need — a liter each for anything over an hour, double in summer. There's a small visitor center at the south entrance but no store, so top off in Ivins or St. George first. Cell service comes and goes in the canyon.
If you've only got an hour, do Petrified Dunes at golden hour and call it a night well spent.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to get into Snow Canyon State Park?
It is $15 per vehicle for out-of-state visitors and $10 for Utah residents, good for the day. Utah State Parks annual passes are accepted too.
When is the best time to hike Snow Canyon?
October through April for comfortable temperatures. In summer, go at sunrise, since there is very little shade and the sandstone radiates heat.