In the far southwestern corner of the state of Utah, just outside the town of St. George, lies a little known gem of a state park that was created to protect the desert tortoise and it's habitat. Amid striking desert scenery you can hike to lava tubes, climb to view the canyon, play in a big sand dune, view history, camp, bike ride, view wildlife, enjoy 15 miles of equestrian trails and picnic. All for only $6 per vehicle (with the exception of camping which is $20 for non-hookup sites and $25 for hook-up sites)
We brought a picnic lunch on a still-cool May morning and other than a tour group of college kids and a few other picknickers, we pretty much had the state park to ourselves. We checked out some of the pull-offs and viewpoints, did the short walk to view the Pioneer names and had a nice lunch.
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| A group of college students hiking to the lava tubes (start left below the just below the rock and follow - can you see them?) |
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| Pioneer names from the 1890's |
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| Part of the sand dunes |
If you're in Southwestern Utah to see The Big Five, put this state park on your itinerary. Maybe not in the heat of the summer but any other time of year it's worth a stop!
You can visit the Snow Canyon State Park web site
here.It is located a few miles outside of St. George, Utah which is one hour and 50 minutes driving time from Las Vegas, Nevada.
I'm linking up with Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Traveler's Sandbox, Friday Postcards at Walking On Travels, Weekend Travel Inspiration at Reflections En Route and Weekend Wanderlust at A Brit and A Southerner so check em out!
I have wanted to visit this park since the day I saw a photo of it in Sunset magazine. I have been to St. George but only as a base to visit Zion National Park. One day I have to base myself in the town and explore the surroundings. It is an area that deserves attention.
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised by St. George and Snow Canyon. A very cool area that I would like to explore more of also Ruth. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteYour header photo is wonderful. I love all the textures and colours - such an interesting photo - and an interesting area too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jan! It's a beautiful area.
DeleteI'm dying to go to this area of that States...I've never been! I'm kind of loosely planning a potential US road trip so I'll have to add this!
ReplyDeleteHope you make it there Sara - it's a fun little side trip and not expensive either!
DeleteThis place looks stunning! Did you camp here? I'd definitely want to try that!
ReplyDeleteNo camping this time - only a short morning visit. But I would love to camp here!
DeleteI found the lava tubes in your photo. That's so cool. At first, I was a little disappointed that people would carve their names into the rocks, but when you said the graffiti was over 100 years old, I decided it was interesting after all. I hope to get out to Las Vegas one Thanksgiving week and see a few of the parks near there. I'll have to add Snow Canyon to the list.
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun and inexpensive side trip from Vegas - along with Zion and the Grand Canyon. I needed some nature after a few days in the hustle and bustle of Vegas so it's a nice place to unwind for a few hours.
DeleteSuch a vast landscape. Compared to what I'm used to along the eastern seaboard, the long expanses out west are magnificent. Each place has its own unique beauty.
ReplyDeletePlease come link up your photos at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/08/say-yes-to-neigh.html
Hi Jill. Beautiful rock formations. I love the starkness as well. Thanks for linking up this week. #TPThursday
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting!
DeleteJill, Wow! Gorgeous. Yet another park to add to my list. I have a lot of state parks to visit next I'm in the area! Happy Weekend Travel Inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Corinne!
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