If you’re looking for a short canyon trail near St. George, look no further than the Red Reef Trail in the Red Cliffs Recreation Area. This 1.5-mile out-and-back trail offers gorgeous views of the surrounding sandstone cliffs and takes you into a fun slot canyon, where you can test your rock climbing abilities.
It’s a mostly family-friendly trail (until the climbing) but you don’t have to do the climb to enjoy the beauty of the hike.
If this sounds like a hike you’d want to tackle, the full guide below gives you everything you need to know.
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All About the Red Cliffs Recreation Area
Located about 20 minutes from St. George and Hurricane and about 40 minutes from Cedar City, the Red Cliffs Recreation Area has so many things to do, like camping, picnicking, historic and paleontological sites, and miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
Set beneath the Pine Valley Mountains, Red Cliffs National Conservation Area protects habitats for the Mojave Desert tortoise, native and migratory birds, and other desert species within the canyons and cliffs of Navajo Sandstone.
The full Red Cliffs Conservation Area is over 45,000 acres, but the recreation area represents a very small portion of that.
Prepare For Your Hike Red Cliffs Recreation Area
Day-Use Fees
Red Cliffs Recreation Area charges a $5 per-vehicle day-use fee. You can pay with cash or check using the envelopes at the parking lot kiosk, or with a credit card using the Recreative.gov mobile app. You can also use your America the Beautiful park pass.
Parking
The parking area at Red Cliffs Recreation Area fills up very quickly! We arrived at 10 am the lot was pretty much full. There are about 40 spots in the parking lot, though when we left, we saw many people creating their own spots. Remember, parking outside of any designated space always comes with risk.
Amenities
There are several picnic tables as you walk from the parking area towards the Red Reef trailhead. Some of labeled for day-use only and others are designated for campers at the campground.
Pit toilets are located near the start of the Silver Reef trail, and there are several clear signs directing you to them.
Cellular Service
We had cell service along the trail but it can be spotty.
Pets
Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail. However, your pup may not be able to get past the climbing portion of the canyon.
Proper Footwear
If you want to climb into the canyon, you’ll want to wear shoes with good grip. Those white foam-soled shoes or Crocs will not cut it! Hiking boots or trail running sneakers will be your best bet.
Excessive Heat in Summer
Due to the area and the lack of shade along portions of the trail, I would avoid doing this trail in the middle of summer unless you visit right after sunrise or just before sunset.
Hiking the Red Reef Trail
| Trail Location: | The trailhead is on the northeast end of the Red Cliffs Campground Loop (follow the signs from the parking area) |
| Trail Length: | 1.5 miles (or more if you go further into the canyon) |
| Trail Difficulty: | Easy side of moderate if you stop before the rock climb. Hard if you continue into the canyon |
| Trail Type: | Out and back |
| Elevation Gain: | 150 feet |
| Dog Friendly: | Yes (until the rock climbing portion) |
Getting to the Trail
Follow the signs from the parking lot, leading through the day-use area and campground to Red Reef Trail.
It’s about 2/10 mile to reach the trailhead, but the walk is pretty easy.
Starting the Trail
The beginning portion of the trail is an easy incline along a sandy trail through the massive red rock cliffs. It’s absolutely gorgeous and makes you feel so small! (I had that feeling often while hiking in Utah, especially in Zion).
There is very little shade along the section of the trail, and even in the 60-degree weather we experienced, we got hot pretty quickly. I can’t imagine how hot it would be in the summer months!
The trail is also very clearly marked, with ropes lining it, keeping you from disrupting the nearby vegetation and animals.
Entering the National Forest
Trail signs and the rope disappear as you cross the National Forest boundary. Continue on another tenth-mile until you see the slot canyon entrance.
Climbing Past the Pools
As you enter the slot canyon, you’ll encounter sandstone that’s been smoothed over after years of water erosion. If it has rained recently or it’s early spring, you’ll also encounter pools along the canyon floor. It’s absolutely beautiful, but it can be tricky to climb around on.
Your first taste of what’s to come is the small ascent over the sandstone past the pool. There are some small handholds and footholds carved into the stone to help maneuver past the pool.
Good to Know: You can stop the hike here without climbing up the rock. It was fun to continue to explore inside the canyon, but it’s not necessary to enjoy the hike.
Once inside the canyon, it becomes a bit of a bottleneck, as only one person can ascend or descend the rock at a time.
At this point, there are about a dozen hand and footholds to go around the rock. This section is very nerve-wracking since one slip can send you down into the water!
This is why you want shoes with good grip. I watched old videos of this section of the trail, and at one point, there was a rope there to assist. But during our visit, it was no longer there.
Continuing the Trail
Once past the climb, you can continue the hike along Red Reef Trail by following Qual Creek.
If it’s early spring or after a rainfall, you might have to walk through some water to follow the trail. We didn’t have the right shoes for that, so we chose not to continue much further.
Heading Back
After you’ve gone as far as you want, turn around and follow the trail back to return to the parking lot. Descending that rock climb was little scarier than going up, so keep that in mind if you’re debating about doing the climb in the first place!
Other Fun at Red Cliffs Recreation Area
While we were at Red Cliffs, we made sure to check out the dinosaur tracks! You can reach the dinosaur tracks using the Silver Reef trail, near the pit toilets. There are plenty of signs directing you to the site.
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