St George Utah Blog - Trail Tuesday

Red Reef at Red Cliffs

Trail Tuesday took me on my favorite hike of the summer – Red Reef at Red Cliffs.    The Red Reef hike begins at the Red Cliffs campground and it takes you by beautiful red rock formations, arches, caves and great water holes.  There are spectacular views and numerous photo opportunities.  The trail follows Quail Creek and you enter a winding beautiful canyon.  There were several pools of water and at one point you have to navigate around a large pool, over an 8-foot sandstone wall, with carved-out foot holds.  These are called the Moki steps by locals.  Going up these steps is scary, but coming down them was fairly terrifying.  There is an anchored rope for you to hold onto, but if you fall you land right in the pool of water.

This pool is…

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Toquerville Falls

Trail Tuesday took me on more of a wild drive than a hike this week.  I have been hearing about the Toquerville Falls for several months, but have not had the chance to explore the area until today.  It is beautiful!  It has been described as an “oasis in the desert” and that is truly what it is.  You need to drive a truck, SUV, or ATV to get to the Toquerville Falls because the road is extremely rough in some places.  You need clearance on whatever vehicle you are driving because of the rough road, more than you need 4-wheel drive. 

When we arrived at the falls we found that the water was flowing heavily due to the recent rainstorms.  We were ready to jump in the swimming hole, but the water current was too fast to do it.  The water was red…

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Anasazi Valley Trail (Tempi'po'op)

Trail Tuesday took me out to the Anasazi Valley Trail, or Tempi’po’op, which leads to some spectacular ruins and some of the most well preserved petroglyphs in St. George and the Southern Utah region.    The trail leads to an Anasazi Farmstead that is fenced in by wooden fencing.  The ruins are fascinating.   Tempi’po’op means “rock writing” in Paiute.  There are dozens and dozens of petroglyphs and they are right out in the open for visitors to enjoy.  They are beautiful to look at.  I spent about a half an hour just finding petroglyphs and probably only saw a fraction of those on the plateau.   I hope that visitors will continue to treat this area with respect so that these petroglyphs last for many generations to come.    

TRAIL DETAILS

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Temple Quarry Trailhead

Trail Tuesday took me up on the red cliffs above St. George, Utah, to the Temple Quarry Trail.  The views were wonderful!  I went early in the morning because the sun hits this trail directly, but I also read that you should hike this trail right before sunset because the views are even more beautiful.  Whichever you choose, it was a great hike!

According to the sign on the Temple Quarry Trailhead, “Pioneer workmen transported basalt stone blocks for construction of the Saint George LDS Temple foundation by wagon over the trail.”  The trail is flat except for a few steps at the beginning of the hike.  There are three or four benches along the trail for those who want to sit and enjoy the view.    Further along the…

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Gunlock State Park

Trail Tuesday took me for a walk around beautiful Gunlock State Park, about 15 miles northwest of St. George, Utah.    According to  the Gunlock State Park website, Gunlock is named after William Haynes Hamblin, a Mormon pioneer who settled the Gunlock farming community one mile north of the reservoir.  “William Haynes Hamblin (nicknamed Will or Bill) was a good hunter and sharpshooter, and was skillful in repairing gunlock, which are the firing mechanisms for muzzle leaders.”  The park site talks about how the road next to the park is the “Old Spanish Trail used by horsemen and raiders from Sante Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles from the 1820s until the gold fields became the destination after 1849 and a shorter route was taken.”  Gunlock was…

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Pioneer Names Trail – Snow Canyon State Park

Trail Tuesday took me back to beautiful Snow Canyon again this week.   There are so many trails in the area, I don’t think anyone could ever be able to find and complete all of the hikes that are available in Snow Canyon.  I hiked the Pioneer Names Trail, a very easy, short .4 mile out and back trail, just outside of St. George, Utah.

This was one of my favorite hikes in Snow Canyon.  The trail passes by pioneer names, written in axle grease, high on the cliff walls.  The earliest date I could see was 1881.  This hike took me back to a time when my ancestors, pioneers, came west to Utah and passed through the incredible red cliffs of St. George.  I pictured young pioneers climbing these cliffs to write their names for all to see and remember…

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