Snow Canyon is tucked away in the hills west of St George, close to the transition between the Color Country of southwest Utah and the rather more barren Basin and Range landscape that persists all the way across Nevada. To one side of the canyon lie the Red Mountains, while a few miles away are the White Hills, and eroded sandstone rocks of both colors make up the cliffs at either side of the valley, while an even greater contrast is provided by a large mass of black lava, which originated from a cluster of volcanoes just beyond. The lava, plus associated cinder cones and caves are the main points of interest of what is a particularly colorful, scenic and little-visited location.
Location: The state park is quite well hidden, which may be why visitation is relatively low. One road runs through the canyon, linking UT 18 with a smaller road (Sunset Boulevard), from St George to the little towns of Ivins and Shivwits, where there is a small Indian reservation. Extensive housing development is underway in this area, which has alternating patches of red earth and black lava - the buildings are part of the fast expanding suburbs of St George. There are few signposts to the park, but when found the entrance is reached just after the road passes a brand new luxurious estate, its houses extending right to the park boundary. One mile north of the far end of the scenic drive, along UT 18, several extinct volcanoes are found at the east side of the highway on Lava Ridge, and it was eruptions from here, thousands of years ago, that sent molten rock through the valley leaving deposits hundreds of feet thick.
Lava Caves: The best viewpoints are around the north end of Snow Canyon, near the junction of the park drive with UT 18, and the most interesting trail begins near here. A two mile path crosses the twisted lava field and passes at least four lava caves - these were formed when the outer edges of a lava stream cooled and solidified while the main flow continued beneath, and later drained away. Some of these caverns are large, but all seem to extend for only a few hundred feet before becoming blocked. The rocks are sharp and jagged, passages are often narrow and there are some quite deep openings in the lava surface, so some care is necessary when exploring. Other trails lead to colorful side canyons, with arches and eroded rock formations.
Scenery: Occasional islands of layered red sandstone rocks rise above the black lava; these are easy to climb and provide excellent vantage points for photography - see QTVR. The canyon also has a selection of desert plants, which add another element to the medley of colors and forms, especially during the spring wildflower season. Sand dunes are scattered around the edges of the valley, and several locations on the enclosing cliffs have examples of ancient Indian petroglyphs.
Hotels: The nearest towns with hotels close to Snow Canyon State Park are St George and Washington.
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Similar Places
El Malpais Lavabeds,
New Mexico - extensive lava flows through a wide sandstone valley | |
