Red Cliffs Hike in St. George

The Red Cliffs hike was our favorite quick activity from our President’s Day getaway to St. George. We will definitely do this one again.

But, next time hopefully it will be a little warmer (the canyon you hike up has a lot of shade) and we will all be wearing swimming suits (the natural pools and water falls looked like a great way to cool off) and more appropriate footwear.

The Red Cliffs hike is easy to get to: from St. George just head north on I-15 to Exit 22 (Leeds) and then take a right (heading south) along Old Highway 91 for almost 2 miles. There are signs pointing to the Red Cliffs campground which are pretty easy to follow; it’s almost impossible to get lost.

The Red Cliffs campground has a bunch of day-use parking spots right near the trail head, so getting from your car to the beginning of the trail is also very easy.

The trail is well-marked and is a great hiking trail for little kids. It’s not very long, there are some ups and downs, but no significant elevation gain. But, you can’t just let your kids run amok — there are some points where there is some exposure. I also had to stop some kids from coming over to “throw rocks off a cliff” when there were a bunch of people playing in the pools below.

There is plenty of red rock scrambling to be had. I’m not sure what it is about the slickrock stuff, but my kids absolutely love climbing around on that stuff. Lots of nooks and crannys to hide and play in.

Further up the trail are some deep pools and steep walls which require a little more technical scrambling. Nothing crazy, as Claire was able to make it even without her shoes. Since it was February, none of us got wet, but we will come back to this spot again if we are in Saint George when it gets hot. This would be a great place to come to beat the heat.

Up above the rope section, the official trail disappears. I overheard a local saying you can follow that creek for miles further back. It was a beautiful spot, and it was tempting to keep going, but it was time to head back for dinner. Maybe next time.

We had a great time hiking the Red Cliffs trail while we were in St. George. I highly recommend it during your next stay down in Utah’s Dixie.