The Vortex
You can find a lot of good information about St. George at Utah.com. It certainly isn’t just for hiking, but for us, well, it pretty much is just for hiking. St. George is something of an epicenter for great hikes in Utah, Arizona and Nevada, such as Snow Canyon State Park, Zion National Park, Valley of Fire State Park, Gold Butte National Monument, Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, Red Mountain Wilderness, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area.
The biggest attractions to us are the desert flora and fauna, slot canyons, sculptured rock formations like The Vortex, and if you dig deep enough, solitude. Granted, that last part is rather difficult to find, but we have discovered that hiking during the middle of the week, when school is in session, and simply walking out more than a couple of miles, will usually leave most of the crowds behind. Yes, it is nice to be retired and healthy. We are definitely thankful for both.
We have taken two trips to the St. George area: October 2020 and December 2021. In both cases we stayed in Mesquite, Nevada because we got good deals on a place to stay. Yes, it was a bit of a drive to the St. George area (½ hour to St. George) but taking 91 through Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area instead of Interstate 15, was a pleasant and scenic drive.
We decided on doing a second trip to the area simply because we couldn’t do all the hikes we wanted to in just one week. We are very glad we made the second trip, and we might even do a third. Yes, I would go again.
Because we went during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic the first time, we never went out to eat – St. George was a real hot spot for the virus. In 2021 the pandemic was still a thing, but with both of us having all three of our shots (boosted), we visited a couple of nice places: George’s Corner Restaurant & Pub in St. George and Zion Canyon Brew Pub in Springdale, Utah. Both were good. We preferred Zion Canyon Brew Pub just a bit more because of the beer and generous portions.
Great Site: If you are looking for more trails in the St. George area, then I recommend taking a look at the Hike St. George site. It is one of the best local sites I have found for finding hikes and other great information about the area.
In case you want to find other trails (and you probably will), here is my 4-stars and above AllTrails link for the area described in this document.
Spring Creek Canyon Wilderness Study Area
Snow Canyon State Park, St. George
Valley of Fire State Park, Moapa Valley, NV
Gold Butte National Monument, Bunkerville, NV
Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, St. George, UT
Red Mountain Wilderness, Gunlock, UT
Santa Clara River Preserve, Ivins, UT
Bureau of Land Management, Littlefield, AZ
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Boulder City, NV
This is a beautiful area of the country. It has it all: desert, mountains, colorful rock formations, geology, canyons, forests, wide open areas, waterways, petroglyphs, fossils, and reasonably good beer 😊, all with incredible hiking and backpacking opportunities. Just Google It!
Per Dixie, StGeorgeUtah.net: The first known inhabitants of what is now St. George were the Anasazi people. From 200 B.C. to 1200 A.D., the Virgin River Anasazi built homes, grew crops, hunted, and formed communities in this area of southern Utah. The reason for their abrupt departure is not known, but to this day, visitors can explore rock art, ruins, and other artifacts left behind by these ancient people.
It's estimated that the Pauite arrived sometime around 1100 B.C. and departed around 1200 B.C. They lived much like the Anasazi, living off the land and building tribes among the red rock landscape. Just as the Anasazi, the Pauite left the landscape and no other group was known to inhabit the land for many years after.
Petroglyphs abound in this area. Please be respectful of our past and don’t disrupt archeological sites and for goodness sake, please DON’T DRAW OVER THE EXISTING PETROGLYPS AND DON’T ADD YOUR OWN! Take only pictures and leave only footsteps.
It gets hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. Water & layers are essential.
In addition to layers, if you are going to places like The Vortex, where you will be hiking over some steep rock, wear boots with good Vibram soles. They adhere to the rock face where tennis shoes don’t.
Rattlesnakes are abundant in Utah. I have had at least one encounter with a rattler in Utah (jumped directly over it at the last moment while it was basking in the trail).
Note that in Utah rattlesnakes are protected under Utah law, making it illegal to harass or kill one. The only exception to this is if you are threatened and defending yourself; otherwise, it is a class B misdemeanor to kill a rattlesnake.
Cougars (Mountain Lions): Yep, there are cougars in Utah. I have seen one there “way over on the other side of the valley,” which was just fine.
Bears: Bears inn southern Utah are rare, but not unheard of. Black bears are the only type of bear in Utah. Black bears usually avoid contact with people but encounters in Utah’s woods and mountains are not uncommon.
Animals of the Area: List of Common Animals in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve & Utah Lowlands
Plants of the Area: List of Common Plants in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve & Utah Lowlands
Following is a list of resources I have found most helpful for planning a trip to St. George and the surrounding areas: