Snow Canyon
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Snow Canyon State Park is a
state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "Federated state, state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on accou ...
in
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, located in the
Red Cliffs Desert Reserve Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...
. The park features a canyon carved from the red and white Navajo sandstone of the Red Mountains, as well as the extinct Santa Clara Volcano,
lava tube A lava tube, more rarely called a pyroduct, is a 'roofed conduit through which molten lava travels away from its vent'. If lava in the tube drains out, it will leave an empty cave. Lava tubes are common in low-viscosity volcanic systems. La ...
s,
lava flows Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or unde ...
, and
sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
. Snow Canyon is located near the cities of Ivins and
St. George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...
in Washington County.


Description

Snow Canyon State Park contains several
sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
canyons cut in the Red Mountains. On the north end of the park, West Canyon and Snow Canyon follow a parallel southward path and converge in the middle of the park. The park then continues south-by-southeastward as a single, larger canyon, that opens near the park's southern entrance out onto the Santa Clara bench near
Ivins, Utah Ivins ( ) is a city in southwestern Washington County, Utah, United States. It is a part of the St. George Metropolitan Area as a suburb or "bedroom" community. The population was 8,978 at the 2020 census, up from 6,753 at the 2010 census. ...
. A paved two-lane road (formerly SR-300) enters the park from Ivins on the south, winds up the canyon, then climbs the eastern edge to the bench above Snow Canyon. There the road joins State Route 18. The park boundaries extend northeastward across State Route 18 to encompass two
cinder cone A cinder cone or scoria cone is a steep, volcanic cone, conical landform of loose pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic fragments, such as volcanic ash, clinkers, or scoria that has been built around a volcanic vent. The pyroclastic fragments are forme ...
s along the western edge of Diamond Valley. The highest point in the park, according to a
U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on March ...
topographical map, is a peak west of the southern cinder cone, above the eastern edge of the east fork of Snow Canyon.


Park Facilities

Snow Canyon State Park is used for activities such as
hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...
,
mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...
, and
horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the u ...
, and is open year-round. It contains 17 multi-use campsites and 14 sites for RVs. The day-use fee is $10 for Utah residents. Hikers and bikers may obtain annual passes for $100. The Johnson Canyon trail, which leads to a large
arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...
, may be accessed without payment of fees, but is closed to hikers most of the year for wildlife and habitat protection. The Johnson Canyon trail is usually open from October to March.


Climate

Snow Canyon sits at the junction of the
Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...
,
Great Basin The Great Basin () is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets to the ocean, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja Californi ...
, and
Colorado Plateau The Colorado Plateau is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States. This plateau covers an area of 336,700 km2 (130,000 mi2) within w ...
. The desert climate means the canyon receives little rainfall, averaging 7.5 inches per year, and can experience very high summer temperatures. The average temperature in the nearby town of Ivins shows summer low temperatures of around and highs of . Winters experience average lows around and highs around .


History

Snow Canyon has had human activity since the
5th century BC The 5th century BC started the first day of 500 BC and ended the last day of 401 BC. This century saw the establishment of Pataliputra as a capital of the Magadha (Mahajanapada), Magadha Empire. This city would later become the ruling capital o ...
. From AD 200 to 1250,
Ancestral Puebloans The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as Ancestral Pueblo peoples or the Basketmaker-Pueblo culture, were an ancient Native American culture of Pueblo peoples spanning the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southe ...
inhabited the nearby region, utilizing the canyon for hunting and gathering.
Southern Paiute The Southern Paiute people () are a tribe of Native Americans who have lived in the Colorado River basin of southern Nevada, northern Arizona, and southern Utah. Bands of Southern Paiute live in scattered locations throughout this territory an ...
used the canyon from AD 1200 to the mid-19th century. According to local stories, Mormon pioneers first came upon Snow Canyon in the 1850s while looking for lost cattle. Snow Canyon was designated a state park in 1958, and was one of the first inclusions in the state park system, created the year before. In 1959, the area of the park grew from the donation of 296 acres from Washington County to the State Parks Commission, and was subsequently increased with the purchases of nearby ranches. Originally called Dixie State Park, it was later renamed for Lorenzo and Erastus Snow, prominent pioneering Utah leaders. The park was first opened to the public in 1962. During the 1960s the park continued to grow via additional land purchases as well as the transfer of nearly 4,000 acres of federal land from the
Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...
to the State of Utah.


In popular culture

Many Hollywood films have been filmed at least partly in Snow Canyon. These include '' The Conqueror'' (1956) starring
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
, ''
The King and Four Queens ''The King and Four Queens'' is a 1956 American DeLuxe Color western adventure comedy/mystery film starring Clark Gable as adventurer Dan Kehoe and Eleanor Parker as wife/widow Sabina McDade. It was filmed on location in CinemaScope. Directed ...
'' (1956), ''
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' is a 1969 American Western (genre), Western buddy film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman. Based loosely on fact, the film tells the story of Wild West outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, k ...
'' (1969), ''
The Electric Horseman ''The Electric Horseman'' is a 1979 American western comedy-drama film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda and directed by Sydney Pollack. The film is about a former rodeo champion who is hired by a cereal company to become its spokesperson ...
'' (1979), '' Jeremiah Johnson'' (1972), ''
Run of the Arrow Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...
'' (1957), ''
They Came to Cordura ''They Came to Cordura'' is a 1959 American Western film co-written and directed by Robert Rossen and starring Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth, Van Heflin and Tab Hunter. It was based on a 1958 novel by Glendon Swarthout. Plot In 1916, as U.S. sol ...
'' (1959), ''
The Appaloosa ''The Appaloosa'' (also known as ''Southwest to Sonora'') is a 1966 American Western film starring Marlon Brando, Anjanette Comer, and John Saxon, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a Mexica ...
'' (1966), '' Six Black Horses'' (1962), ''
Bullet for a Badman A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. They are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax; and are made in various shapes and constru ...
'' (1964), '' Gunpoint'' (1966), ''
The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions, which takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbors, the R ...
'' (1994), and ''
High School Musical 2 ''High School Musical 2'' is a 2007 American Musical film, musical television film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Peter Barsocchini. The 70th Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), it is the sequel to ''High School Musical'' (2006) and ...
'' (2007).


Flora and fauna

Snow canyon is home to several mammal species, including
coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...
s,
kit foxes The kit fox (''Vulpes macrotis'') is a fox species that inhabits arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern and central Mexico. These foxes are the smallest of the four species of ''Vulpes'' occurring in North Amer ...
,
antelope ground squirrel Antelope squirrels or antelope ground squirrels of the genus ''Ammospermophilus'' are sciurids found in the desert and dry scrub areas of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They are a type of ground squirrel and are able to resi ...
s, and
bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...
. Common birds in the park are
greater roadrunner The greater roadrunner (''Geococcyx californianus'') is a long-legged bird in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, from the Aridoamerica region in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. The scientific name means "Californian earth-cuckoo". Along wi ...
s,
common raven The common raven or northern raven (''Corvus corax'') is a large all-black passerine bird. It is the most widely distributed of all Corvidae, corvids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. There are 11 accepted subspecies with little variatio ...
s, Bewick's and
canyon wren The canyon wren (''Catherpes mexicanus'') is a small North American songbird of the wren family Troglodytidae. It is resident throughout its range and is generally found in arid, rocky cliffs, outcrops, and canyons. It is a small bird that is h ...
, and
Gambel's quail Gambel's quail (''Callipepla gambelii'') is a small ground-dwelling bird in the New World quail family. It inhabits the desert regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahu ...
. The park is also home to lizards, snakes, and amphibians, including desert spiny lizards and
canyon tree frog The canyon tree frog (''Dryophytes arenicolor'') is a species of tree frog native to the rocky plateau areas of southern United States, primarily in New Mexico and Arizona, but it also ranges to Utah, Texas, and Colorado, and as far south as the ...
s. There are thirteen sensitive species protected by law within the park, including
peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...
s,
desert tortoise The desert tortoise (''Gopherus agassizii'') is a species of tortoise in the Family (biology), family Testudinidae. The species is native to the Mojave Desert, Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico ...
s, and
gila monster The Gila monster (''Heloderma suspectum'', ) is a species of venomous lizard native to the Southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexico, Mexican state of Sonora. It is a heavy, slow-moving reptile, up to long, and it is the only ve ...
s. Small fences to keep the ground-dwelling creatures from accidentally wandering onto roads can be seen across Snow Canyon. Plants in the park include the desert species
creosote Creosote is a category of carbonaceous chemicals formed by the distillation of various tars and pyrolysis of plant-derived material, such as wood, or fossil fuel. They are typically used as preservatives or antiseptics. Some creosote types w ...
, narrow-leaf yucca,
pinyon pine The pinyon or piñon pine group grows in southwestern North America, especially in New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah, with the single-leaf pinyon pine just reaching into southern Idaho. The trees yield edible Pine nut, nuts, which are a sta ...
, shrub live oak, desert almond,
mormon tea ''Ephedra nevadensis'', commonly known as Nevada ephedra, gray ephedra, Mormon tea and Nevada jointfir, is a species of gymnosperm native to dry areas of western North America. Its range extends west to California, east to Colorado, north to O ...
, strawberry hedgehog cactus, among others. Wildflower blooms are visible in fall and spring, when conditions are right.


Trails

Whiptail Trail - . Easy. Level with some slopes. Accessible to physically challenged. Tucked along the canyon bottom, this sinuous paved trail is suitable for hiking, jogging, biking and rollerblading. Johnson Canyon - (Open November 15 to March 1 only) - . Easy. Level with some rocky slopes and steps. Boasting the only riparian area in the park, this trail winds through lava flows and red rock to an arch spanning . Jenny's Canyon - (Closed March 31 to June 1) - . Easy, level with few slopes and steps. Trail leads to a narrow, sculpted canyon then splits with rock stairsteps to offer a scenic overlook. Sand Dunes - . Easy. Deep sand with some slopes. Trail leads to a large expanse of red sand that is an excellent play area for children of all ages. West Canyon Road - . Easy. Gravel and sand surface. Fairly level. Trail follows a maintenance road winding past washes and towering cliffs to the mouth of present-day Snow Canyon. Pioneer Names - . Easy. Fairly level with some steps and slopes. This crescent-shaped trail passes pioneer names written in axle grease, dating back to 1883. Hidden Pinyon - . Moderate. Rocky slopes. Drop-offs. This self-guided nature trail introduces geological features and native plants of the park. Three Ponds - . Moderate. Some rocky slopes. Deep sand. Trail winds through sandy washes to mouth of a canyon. Potholes eroded in sandstone catch seasonal rain, giving the trail its name. Petrified Dunes Trail - . Moderate. Some steep slopes, uneven surfaces. This trail crosses massive sandstone outcrops where you may explore sand dunes frozen in time. Butterfly Trail - . Moderate. Some steep slopes, steps and uneven surfaces. Winding along the west side of Petrified Dunes, this trail leads to West Canyon Overlook and lava tubes. White Rocks Trail/Lava Flow Overlook - . Moderate. Some rocky slopes, uneven surfaces. Passing through lava flows, juniper stands and views of West Canyon, trail leads to a natural amphitheater set in white sandstone. Or reach the amphitheater on a trail located one-half mile north of State Route 18 junction.


References


External links


Snow Canyon State Park
{{authority control Canyons and gorges of Utah Protected areas established in 1958 Protected areas of the Mojave Desert State parks of Utah Protected areas of Washington County, Utah Canyons and gorges of Washington County, Utah 1958 establishments in Utah