Snow Canyon State Park

Snow Canyon State Park is a roughly 7-square-mile protected area in Washington County in southwestern Utah, shaped by red and white sandstone cliffs, old lava fields, and coral-toned dunes. The terrain sits within the Mojave Desert and ranges from flat valleys to steep rock walls that rise above the dry landscape.

Between 200 and 1250 CE, Ancestral Puebloans lived in this area and left traces of their daily lives on the rock walls. Later, Southern Paiute used the area until Mormons arrived in the 19th century and began settling the land.

The sandstone walls carry rock carvings that reach back thousands of years and speak of the people who lived here. Visitors today walk the same paths once used by Southern Paiute groups traveling between water sources.

The park offers roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) of trails that range from short walks to longer routes through canyons and over lava fields. The campground has 31 sites with electrical hookups, and the grounds remain open year-round.

Extinct cinder cones and lava tubes from past eruptions run through the grounds and provide shelter for rare desert animals like Gila monsters and leopard lizards. These volcanic remnants sit right next to the colorful sandstone formations and create an unusual mix of rock types.

Location: Washington County

Inception: 1958

Website: https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/snow-canyon

GPS coordinates: 37.20310,-113.64100

Latest update: December 20, 2025 15:35