Red Cliffs National Conservation Area (Red Reef Trail)
Red Cliffs Recreation Area
The most popular entrance to the Red Cliffs preserve. The Red Reef Trail winds up a creek canyon between red sandstone walls, with small waterfalls and pools along the way.
Red Cliffs National Conservation Area covers about 18,000 hectares across northern St. George and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect the desert tortoise. The most popular spot is the Red Cliffs Recreation Area near the town of Leeds. The Red Reef Trail is about 3 km round trip. It follows a seasonal stream into a narrow red-rock canyon, where hikers use carved stone steps and ropes to climb past small waterfalls, with pools forming after rain. Ancient Native American rock art sites and dinosaur tracks are also nearby. The entrance has a small campground and charges a small day-use fee. Be cautious of summer heat and flash floods in the rainy season, and do not enter the canyon during heavy rain.
Opening hours
Open all day (campground areas per management notices)
Nearby sights
- Quail Creek State Park
- Yant Flat (Candy Cliffs)
- Sand Hollow State Park
- Toquerville Falls
- St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm
- Pine Valley
- Red Hills Desert Garden
- Pioneer Park & Dixie Rock