RED REEF TRAIL – RED CLIFFS RECREATION AREA – LEEDS, UT
Difficulty Level: Easy
Distance: 1.44 miles
TRAIL SUMMARY
The Red Reef Trail is known by some as the Red Cliffs Hike, as most people travel the lower portion of the hike from the Red Cliffs Recreation Area Campground up to the pools and then circle back. (The full Red Reef Trail is actually part of The Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness trail system and can be a full 5.9 mile back country experience for someone seeking a more challenging adventure. This report only covers the lower segment of the trail.) This trail provides spectacular views at any time of the year because of the variety of plants and rock formations. If you are looking for a water hike, this trail is best traveled in early to late spring, or after a series of good rain storms in the area.
TRAIL DETAILS
DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Easy
ROUND TRIP LENGTH
1.44 miles
AVERAGE HIKE TIME
1 hour
GPS COORDINATES
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
BLM, Red Cliffs Desert Reserve
DISTANCE FROM ST GEORGE
19.9 Miles (30 minutes driving)
RESTROOM FACILITIES
Vault Toilets at Trailhead
HIKERS ALLOWED
Yes
DOGS ALLOWED
Yes, on 6 ft leash
BIKERS ALLOWED
No
EQUESTRIAN ALLOWED
No
HIKE TYPE
Out & Back
BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO HIKE
Spring, Fall, Winter
BEST TIME OF THE DAY TO HIKE
Morning, Afternoon
GROUP LIMIT
No Limit
PERMIT INFORMATION
No Permit Required
COST
$5.00 Day Use, $15.00 Camping Fee. Stop by the pay station for more information.
Interagency Annual, Access, Senior, Volunteer, and Military Passes are honored for day use fees only. All fees collected at this site are used to fund operations, improvements, and repairs at the recreation area.
WATER SOURCES AVAILABLE
No Water Sources Available, Water Available at Trailhead, Stream/River Along Trail (Purify & Filter Before Drinking)
CAMP SITES
No Camping Available on Trail, Camping Available only in Designated Camping Area
TRAIL CONDITIONS
Dirt Single Track, Rocky, Dry Wash, Stream/River
SUN EXPOSURE
Partial Sun Exposure
DIRECTIONS TO TRAILHEAD
Directions to Trailhead. Take Interstate 15 north to Exit 22. At the end of the off-ramp, turn right onto Old Highway 91. Travel south 2 miles and turn right. Continue under two freeway tunnels (tunnels restrict vehicle size to less than 12 feet in height and width) and follow the paved road for 1.3 miles into the campground.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Plants: Typical plant life for Southern Utah lowland hiking.
Animals: Typical animal life for Southern Utah lowland hiking.
TRAIL REPORT
Information Coming
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tim LeBaron
HikeStGeorge is a project that began as a seedling for Tim LeBaron in the early part of 2008, but really didn’t begin to blossom until the latter part of 2011. The original idea behind the site was to bring to light all of the harder to find, or “less known” hidden gems of the area. It was more of a pet project than anything. As excitement about the site began to spread, there was more of a push to develop information about all hikes in the Southern Utah Region.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!