White Rocks TrailHiking Difficulty
Moderate
Length
4.00 mi
Trail Traffic
Light
Route Type
Out and Back
Highlights
Trail Surface
Slickrock
Accessibility
Suitability
Recommended Use
Hiking
Directions
White Rocks Trail lies outside of Snow Canyon State Park and is accessed from a trailhead .5 miles north of the north entrance to Snow Canyon State Park on SR18. Pass the north entrance ranger station and come to the T in the road. Turn left and then left again into the trailhead parking area. Look for the gravel pullout on the west side of the road. If coming from St. George, you can drive straight up Highway 18 (north on Bluff Street and keep going straight).
Description
The White Rocks Trail edges around the white rocks at the north end of Snow Canyon which stands out from the surrounding red rock country, beckoning to be explored. This is a great trail that is less traveled. Some sandy sections are like walking on a beach. Easy slopes transition to a moderate incline towards white rocks. This is a great trail to see lots of April/May wild flowers in the park. There is a nice resting bench located on the trail just below the white rocks.
The Whiterocks Trail is approximately 4 miles round trip and is an out and back trail. It heads west over a sandy, sagebrush plain, dotted with small lava outcrops, then crosses a small dry wash lined with pinyon pines, and arrives at a junction near the base of a steep white rock slope formed of thin-layered Navajo sandstone. Left is the main path, while right is a spur that ascends a little way up a minor wash to a slickrock amphitheater, from where it is easy to climb further up the smooth slopes for better views. The main route continues south along the base of the white rocks, past plenty of large specimens of banana yucca, and comes close to a white sandstone dome. As the land begins to fall away to the west, dropping down by 200 feet. The trail descends the slope, initially quite steeply while staying close to the dome, then more gently, moving away from the outcrop over a broad sandy ridge with a sprinkling of trees. The white rocks viewed against a backdrop of red rocks is simply beautiful. This is a great place for kids to run and play.
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