Red Sands - Snow Canyon State Park
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Distance: 3.2 miles round trip
TRAIL SUMMARY
Red Sands is another beautiful trail in Snow Canyon State Park. The path is marked and somewhat easy to follow though there are short spans without signs. Starting from a parking lot for Whiptail trail, the trail connects to both Hidden Pinyon and Petrified Dunes. The trail is pretty rocky and all sand towards the end but not too bad overall. Obviously the scenery and views are incredible as the trail winds behind red rocks to feature a unique view of Snow Canyon at the Hidden Pinyon connections. Most hikers either turn back after this view which is found a little over half a mile into the hike. From here, the trail crosses West Canyon Road and continues through sand along Padre Canyon. This stretch of the hike is a little confusing but ultimately it veers to the right and follows the canyon until ending at a small pond. There is a sign marking the end of the trail. Overall, Red Sands is a great trail for the park and really does offer some incredible views. The full hike used to worth it as there was more water and the end but now Red Sands is usually just used to reach the viewpoint at Hidden Pinyon.n There is very little shade so please be prepared with water.
TRAIL DETAILS
DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Moderate
ROUND TRIP LENGTH
3.2 miles round trip
AVERAGE HIKE TIME
GPS COORDINATES
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, Snow Canyon State Park
DISTANCE FROM ST GEORGE
23 Miles ( 20 minutes driving)
RESTROOM FACILITIES
Flushing Toilets at Ranger Station/Lodge
HIKERS ALLOWED
Yes
DOGS ALLOWED
No
BIKERS ALLOWED
No
EQUESTRIAN ALLOWED
No
HIKE TYPE
Out & Back
BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO HIKE
Great Year Round
BEST TIME OF THE DAY TO HIKE
Morning, Evening
GROUP LIMIT
No Limit
PERMIT INFORMATION
No Permit Required
WATER SOURCES AVAILABLE
No Water Sources Available
CAMP SITES
Camping Available only in Designated Camping Area
TRAIL CONDITIONS
Dirt Single Track, Sandy, Rocky
SUN EXPOSURE
Full Sun Exposure
DIRECTIONS TO TRAILHEAD
Directions to Trailhead. From St George, head north on Bluff Street and take exit to Red Hills Pkwy/Snow Canyon Pkwy. Turn left onto Snow Canyon Pkwy and travel 3.2 miles until you come to a traffic circle. Proceed through the circle and continue 0.7 miles. At the next traffic circle take the first exit onto Snow Canyon Dr. In 2.6 miles (after passing through the main gate) the parking lot for Whiptail Trail is on your left. Red Sands Trail takes off from Whiptail.
FLORA AND FAUNA
Plants: Typical plant life for Southern Utah lowland hiking.
Animals: Typical animal life for Southern Utah lowland hiking.
TRAIL REPORT
Coming Soon.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Spencer McMullin
Spencer McMullin is originally from Connecticut but has deep ties to the Southern Utah area. His passion for adventure and photography has lead him to HikeStGeorge.
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