Looking for a spot to stretch our legs on a long car ride, we stumbled upon Snow Canyon State Park in St. George, Utah. We were shocked at the almost mystical feeling of the red rock hills there. With not much time to really plan out a full day, we hiked around the petrified sand dunes, and snuck into shade behind a rock for water breaks. Looking for something special to do over David’s birthday weekend, we booked a campsite at Snow Canyon State Park for a chance to explore the park more and camp in a beautiful place. It is no secret that we love St. George and we love Zion National Park, but this state park is not one you should pass up! Here are just five of the reasons we love it.
- It is much closer to the city of Saint George and it takes less time to enter the park than Zion.
We have seen the lines of cars outside of Zion National Park, and they are not what we consider a fun start to an adventure! Also, Saint George has a Target, an all-vegan restaurant (Gaia’s Garden Cafe), a splattering of great coffee shops (hello, FeelLove Coffee!), Red Fort Cuisine (Indian!), and a new favorite: Thunder Junction All-Abilities Park. Another perk of being closer to St. George is that it is also closer to Las Vegas, which means a shorter drive.
2. This place is photogenic.
I never will forget the number of families taking family photos with professional photographers around the petrified sand dunes our first trip. It makes sense too, because the scenery is breathtaking.
3. You can explore lava tubes.
Having only seen lava tubes previously in Hawaii, it was quite surprising to find a few to explore right inside Snow Canyon State Park! With very little shade throughout the entire park too, the lava tubes really provided a refreshing spot to cool off.
4. Not nearly as crowded as Zion National Park.
If you’ve been to Zion National Park already, choosing to take a trip to Snow Canyon State Park instead might not be a bad idea. There are so many trails at varying difficulties, and you are able to get out into nature right from your car. With so few trails that are accessible from the main canyon in Zion nowadays, and the rising popularity of visiting the park, you’re bound to get stuck in the middle of crowds and you likely won’t have the same peaceful nature experience you were expecting.
5. Excellent campgrounds and bathrooms.
If you’re the camping type, specifically the car camping type, the campground and available bathrooms (plus showers!) are very clean, well-maintained, and they are quite spread out. That means you’ll likely get to have the privacy of your own nature experience without dealing with too much noise from neighbors! Plus, who doesn’t love having a shower before crawling into your sleeping bag for the night? Another perk is that the visitor’s center has a real snake to look at and a few educational spots that appeal to kids!
