Shinob Kibe Trail

The Shinob Kibe Trail is one less traveled, but brings a great reward! Although the trail starts in the heart of the bustling community below, it has a very secluded nature, and once you reach the top of the plateau, it feels like you have left everything behind. Shinob Kibe (pronounced shin-o-bee kai-bee) is named after a Paiute deity who was considered to be a local protector for the tribe. The mesa was a sacred place for the local Paiute’s and its name means Great Spirit (Shinob) Mountain (Kibe). It was a place of refuge from attacks from the neighboring Navajo tribe that would capture women and children and use them as slaves. Hikers can still find an ancient medicine wheel near the summit. (As with all ancient sites and artifacts, please leave this site undisturbed. Observe it from a distance and appreciate the ability to enjoy the natural history.)

This mesa is special for another, more modern, reason. Before airplanes were equipped with the sophisticated instruments they have now, pilots would use landmarks to help navigate. This peak houses one of the three old cement aviation navigation arrows that can be found in the St George area. These arrows were used to guide pilots on the mail routes from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City. Others like it can be found throughout the country. These are a fun piece of forgotten and little known history!

This trail takes you up a fairly quick elevation gain, which can be difficult for some hikers. Just take it slow and mind the little ones as you get closer to the top, as the trail narrows and there are some steep drop offs. When you get to the top, make sure to sign the guest sign in by the navigation arrow!

***Update 11/20/18*** The private land owner just off Paiute Dr has closed the access from the pavement to dirt with a gate. Hikers can still access the trail by going around the gate to the left. Updates on trail status can be found on this Facebook page as well.