Snow Canyon State Park is a
state park in
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, located in the
Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.
The park features a canyon carved from the red and white
Navajo sandstone
The Navajo Sandstone is a geological formation in the Glen Canyon Group that is spread across the U.S. states of southern Nevada, northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, and Utah as part of the Colorado Plateau province of the United States.Anonymo ...
of the
Red Mountains, as well as the extinct
Santa Clara Volcano,
lava tubes,
lava flows
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
, and
sand dunes. Snow Canyon is located near the cities of
Ivins and
St. George in
Washington County.
Description
Snow Canyon State Park contains several
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
canyons cut in the
Red Mountains. On the north end of the park, West Canyon and Snow Canyon follow a parallel southward path and converge in the middle of the park. The park then continues south-by-southeastward as a single, larger canyon, that opens near the park's southern entrance out onto the
Santa Clara bench near
Ivins, Utah
Ivins ( ) is a city in southwestern Washington County, Utah, United States. It is a part of the St. George Metropolitan Area as a suburb or "bedroom" community. The population was 8,978 at the 2020 census, up from 6,753 at the 2010 census.h ...
.
A paved two-lane road (formerly
SR-300) enters the park from Ivins on the south, winds up the canyon, then climbs the eastern edge to the bench above Snow Canyon. There the road joins
State Route 18. The park boundaries extend northeastward across
State Route 18 to encompass two
cinder cones along the western edge of Diamond Valley.
The highest point in the park, according to a
U.S. Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...
topographical map, is a peak west of the southern cinder cone, above the eastern edge of the east fork of Snow Canyon.
Park Facilities
Snow Canyon State Park is used for activities such as
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
,
mountain biking, and
horseback riding
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
, and is open year-round. It contains 17 multi-use campsites and 14 sites for RVs. The day-use fee is $10 for Utah residents. Hikers and bikers may obtain annual passes for $100. The Johnson Canyon trail, which leads to a large
arch, may be accessed without payment of fees, but is closed to hikers most of the year for wildlife and habitat protection. The Johnson Canyon trail is usually open from October to March.
Climate
Snow Canyon sits at the junction of the
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily ...
,
Great Basin, and
Colorado Plateau. The desert climate means the canyon receives little rainfall, averaging 7.5 inches per year, and can experience very high summer temperatures.
The average temperature in the nearby town of Ivins shows summer low temperatures of around and highs of . Winters experience average lows around and highs around .
History
Snow Canyon has had human activity since the
5th century BC
The 5th century BC started the first day of 500 BC and ended the last day of 401 BC.
This century saw the establishment of Pataliputra as a capital of the Magadha Empire. This city would later become the ruling capital of different Indian king ...
. From AD 200 to 1250,
Ancestral Puebloans inhabited the nearby region, utilizing the canyon for hunting and gathering.
Southern Paiute used the canyon from AD 1200 to the mid-19th century. According to local stories, Mormon pioneers first came upon Snow Canyon in the 1850s while looking for lost cattle.
Snow Canyon was designated a state park in 1958, and was one of the first inclusions in the state park system, created the year before.
In 1959, the area of the park grew from the donation of 296 acres from Washington County to the State Parks Commission, and was subsequently increased with the purchases of nearby ranches. Originally called Dixie State Park, it was later renamed for Lorenzo and Erastus Snow, prominent pioneering Utah leaders.
The park was first opened to the public in 1962. During the 1960s the park continued to grow via additional land purchases as well as the transfer of nearly 4,000 acres of federal land from the
Bureau of Land Management to the State of Utah.
In popular culture
Many Hollywood films have been filmed at least partly in Snow Canyon. These include ''
The Conqueror'' (1956) starring
John Wayne, ''
The King and Four Queens
''The King and Four Queens'' is a 1956 DeLuxe Color American Western adventure comedy/mystery film starring Clark Gable and Eleanor Parker and filmed in CinemaScope. Directed by Raoul Walsh, the film is based on a story written by Margaret ...
'' (1956), ''
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969), ''
The Electric Horseman
''The Electric Horseman'' is a 1979 American western comedy-drama film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda and directed by Sydney Pollack. The film is about a former rodeo champion who is hired by a cereal company to become its spokesperson an ...
'' (1979), ''
Jeremiah Johnson'' (1972), ''
Run of the Arrow
''Run of the Arrow'' is a 1957 American Western film written, directed, and produced by Samuel Fuller and starring Rod Steiger, Sara Montiel, Brian Keith, Ralph Meeker, Jay C. Flippen, and a young Charles Bronson. Set at the end of the America ...
'' (1957), ''
They Came to Cordura
''They Came to Cordura'' is a 1959 American Western film co-written and directed by Robert Rossen and starring Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth, Van Heflin and Tab Hunter. It was based on a 1958 novel by Glendon Swarthout.
Plot
In 1916, as U.S. soldi ...
'' (1959), ''
The Appaloosa
''The Appaloosa'' (also known as ''Southwest to Sonora'') is a 1966 American Western film starring Marlon Brando, Anjanette Comer and John Saxon, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a Mexican ...
'' (1966), ''
Six Black Horses
''Six Black Horses'' is a 1962 American Western film directed by Harry Keller and starring Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea and Joan O'Brien.
Plot
Ben Lane (Audie Murphy) is breaking a horse in the desert that he believes to be stray. He is caught by ...
'' (1962), ''
Bullet for a Badman
''Bullet for a Badman'' is a 1964 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and starring Audie Murphy and Darren McGavin. The film is based on the 1958 novel ''Renegade Posse'', the working title of the film by Marvin H. Albert. The f ...
'' (1964), ''
Gunpoint'' (1966), ''
The Flintstones
''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...
'' (1994), and ''
High School Musical 2
''High School Musical 2'' is a 2007 American musical television film written by Peter Barsocchini and directed by Kenny Ortega. The 70th Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), it is the sequel to ''High School Musical'' (2006) and the second inst ...
'' (2007).
Flora and fauna
![Snow Canyon 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Snow_Canyon_2.JPG)
Snow canyon is home to several mammal species, including
coyotes
The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological nich ...
,
kit foxes,
antelope ground squirrels, and
bobcat.
Common birds in the park are
greater roadrunners,
common ravens,
Bewick's and
canyon wren
The canyon wren (''Catherpes mexicanus'') is a small North American songbird of the wren family Troglodytidae. It is resident throughout its range and is generally found in arid, rocky cliffs, outcrops, and canyons. It is a small bird that is h ...
, and
Gambel's quail
Gambel's quail (''Callipepla gambelii'') is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It inhabits the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahu ...
. The park is also home to lizards, snakes, and amphibians, including
desert spiny lizards and
canyon tree frogs. There are thirteen sensitive species protected by law within the park, including
peregrine falcons
The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, ...
,
desert tortoises, and
gila monsters.
Small fences to keep the ground-dwelling creatures from accidentally wandering onto roads can be seen across Snow Canyon.
Plants in the park include the desert species
creosote
Creosote is a category of carbonaceous chemicals formed by the distillation of various tars and pyrolysis of plant-derived material, such as wood or fossil fuel. They are typically used as preservatives or antiseptics.
Some creosote types were ...
,
narrow-leaf yucca,
pinyon pine
The pinyon or piƱon pine group grows in southwestern North America, especially in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The trees yield edible nuts, which are a staple food of Native Americans, and widely eaten as a snack and as an ingredient in Ne ...
,
shrub live oak
''Quercus turbinella'' is a North American species of oak known by the common names shrub oak, turbinella oak, shrub live oak, and gray oak. It is native to Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada in the western United State ...
,
desert almond,
mormon tea,
strawberry hedgehog cactus, among others. Wildflower blooms are visible in fall and spring, when conditions are right.
Trails
Whiptail Trail - . Easy. Level with some slopes. Accessible to physically challenged. Tucked along the canyon bottom, this sinuous paved trail is suitable for hiking, jogging, biking and rollerblading.
Johnson Canyon - (Open November 15 to March 1 only) - . Easy. Level with some rocky slopes and steps. Boasting the only riparian area in the park, this trail winds through lava flows and red rock to an arch spanning .
Jenny's Canyon - (Closed March 31 to June 1) - . Easy, level with few slopes and steps. Trail leads to a narrow, sculpted canyon then splits with rock stairsteps to offer a scenic overlook.
Sand Dunes - . Easy. Deep sand with some slopes. Trail leads to a large expanse of red sand that is an excellent play area for children of all ages.
![Snow Canyon 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Snow_Canyon_3.JPG)
West Canyon Road - . Easy. Gravel and sand surface. Fairly level. Trail follows a maintenance road winding past washes and towering cliffs to the mouth of present-day Snow Canyon.
Pioneer Names - . Easy. Fairly level with some steps and slopes. This crescent-shaped trail passes pioneer names written in axle grease, dating back to 1883.
Hidden Pinyon - . Moderate. Rocky slopes. Drop-offs. This self-guided nature trail introduces geological features and native plants of the park.
Three Ponds - . Moderate. Some rocky slopes. Deep sand. Trail winds through sandy washes to mouth of a canyon. Potholes eroded in sandstone catch seasonal rain, giving the trail its name.
Petrified Dunes Trail - . Moderate. Some steep slopes, uneven surfaces. This trail crosses massive sandstone outcrops where you may explore sand dunes frozen in time.
Butterfly Trail - . Moderate. Some steep slopes, steps and uneven surfaces. Winding along the west side of Petrified Dunes, this trail leads to West Canyon Overlook and lava tubes.
White Rocks Trail/Lava Flow Overlook - . Moderate. Some rocky slopes, uneven surfaces. Passing through lava flows, juniper stands and views of West Canyon, trail leads to a natural amphitheater set in white sandstone. Or reach the amphitheater on a trail located one-half mile north of State Route 18 junction.
References
External links
Snow Canyon State Park
{{authority control
Canyons and gorges of Utah
Protected areas established in 1958
Protected areas of the Mojave Desert
State parks of Utah
Protected areas of Washington County, Utah
Canyons and gorges of Washington County, Utah
1958 establishments in Utah