Join Conserve Southwest Utah and local experts on a series of guided hikes celebrating the 9 resource values (aka “treasures”) protected inside the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area (NCA).
*Hike dates are subject to change to accommodate the schedules of our guides.* Please express interest in any of the hikes listed below by emailing sarah@conserveswu.org.
The Red Cliffs National Conservation Area was designated by Congress in the 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act (OPLMA) for the following purpose:
“To conserve, protect, and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations the ecological, scenic, wildlife, recreational, cultural, historical, natural, educational, and scientific resources of the National Conservation Area; and To protect each species that is located in the National Conservation Area; and listed as a threatened or endangered species on the list of threatened species or the list of endangered species published under… the Endangered Species Act of 1973.”
September – Wildlife Values
Sunday, September 22, 8:30 am -11 am
T-bone Trail – 4 miles roundtrip, easy to moderate
Conserve Southwest Utah and the BLM invite you out for a morning of tortoise-spotting and learning about the adaptations that help plants and animals thrive in the Mojave Desert. This is the first-ever Red Rock Pride Hike dedicated to the LGBTQ community in St. George!
Red Rock Pride Hikers pointing at a threatened Mojave Desert Tortoise!
October – Natural Values
Saturday, October 26, 10 am – 2 pm
Hell Hole Trail – 3 miles roundtrip, moderately difficult
Natural sounds, starry night skies and solitude are a few of the perks of having designated wilderness areas in the Red Cliffs NCA. Join us for an exploration of natural values and a guided walking meditation in the peaceful Red Mountain Wilderness. Lhamo Kay, an ordained Tibetan Buddhist teacher, will provide Tonglen and meditation instruction before the hike in the Desert Rose Labyrinth in Kayenta.
Email sarah@conserveswu.org to RSVP.
Hikers experiencing natural soundscapes and practicing meditation in the Red Mountain Wilderness in the Red Cliffs NCA.
November- Scenic Values
Date TBD, please RSVP for details
Hell Hole Trail – 4 miles roundtrip, moderate to strenuous
Explore the relationship between geology and the stunning scenery of the Red Cliffs NCA. We’ll learn about the Navajo and Kayenta formations that dominate the beautiful Red Mountain Wilderness and finish off with some “geology yoga” at the base of a seasonal waterfall!
Email sarah@conserveswu.org to RSVP.
Bonus November Hike- Historic Values
Saturday, November 23, 10 am – 1 pm
Orson Adams House and Cordura Movie Set – .75 miles roundtrip, easy
Historian and author Reuben Wadsworth will guide a short hike to the Orson Adams House, a Mormon pioneer residence built in 1863. Then we’ll visit the heritage site and film set for They Came to Cordura (1959) where Rita Hayworth and Gary Cooper roamed the sand stone reefs in 1959.
Email sarah@conserveswu.org to RSVP.
Hikers visit the “They Came to Cordura” Movie Set in the Red Cliffs NCA.
Hikers learn about the 1863 Orson Adams Mormon Pioneer House
December- Cultural Values
Saturday, December 7, 10 am – 2 pm
East Reef Trail in Babylon – 3.5 miles roundtrip, moderate
*4WD necessary, carpooling is easily arranged
Join Conserve Southwest Utah and Shivwits Band elders to learn about Southern Paiute history and visit petroglyph sites and dinosaur tracks near the Virgin River. This hike is part of the annual Shivwits Toy Drive Fundraiser. Donations go toward the purchase of Christmas gifts for children from the Shivwits and Kanosh Bands.
Email sarah@conserveswu.org to RSVP.
January- Scientific Values
Saturday, February 1, 10 am – 1 pm
Dino Cliffs Trail – 3 miles roundtrip, easy to moderate
Fern fossils, bone beds and dino tracks protected in the Red Cliffs NCA help scientists learn about the Jurassic Period. Join local paleontologists on a visit to Eubrontes tracks to learn about the many dinosaurs that once hunted and foraged here. Dino models, casts and pictures of what Red Cliffs looked like 150 million years ago will help us travel back in time! Plus, win a free day pass to the Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm!
Email sarah@conserveswu.org to RSVP.
Jaleesa Spore from the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Center teaches hikers about Grallator and Eubrontes tracks on the Dino Cliffs Trail in the Red Cliffs NCA.
Little hikers kneeling in front of a Grallator track while looking at a model Dilophosaur.
Brushing sand out of a Eubrontes track in Navajo Sandstone.
February- Education Values
Date TBD, email sarah@conserveswu.org for updates
White Reef Trail – 3 miles, moderate
Learn about Conserve Southwest Utah’s popular education programs, including the Red Cliffs NCA Jr. Ranger Book project and the Site Steward and Petroglyph Patrol Programs. On a visit to the White Reef petroglyphs, we’ll discuss CSU volunteer opportunities that are waiting for you!
Email sarah@conserveswu.org to RSVP.
March- Ecologic Values
Friday, March 27, 9 am – 12 pm
Virgin River Trail in Babylon – 4 miles roundtrip, moderate to strenuous
*4WD required, carpooling can be arranged
BLM biologist John Kellam will lead a guided naturalist hike to explore the incredible species richness of the Red Cliffs ecotone- a place where 3 distinct biological communities converge. Endangered Southwestern Willow Fly Catcher, Gila monster, snapping turtle and threatened Mojave Desert Tortoise sightings are possibilities on this hike.
Email sarah@conserveswu.org to RSVP.
April – Recreation Values
Friday, April 24, 6 pm – 8 pm
Hurricane Cinder Knolls Trail – 4 miles roundtrip, easy to moderate
Celebrate Earth Day with Conserve Southwest Utah in a little-visited portion of the Red Cliffs NCA. Learn about current visitation trends, recreation impacts and how to plan an enjoyable, Leave No Trace hike away from the crowds. Enjoy a gorgeous sunset overlooking the Virgin River on the rim of an ancient cinder cone dotted with fragrant, purple desert sage.
Email sarah@conserveswu.org to RSVP.
May- Historic Values
Date TBD, Please RSVP
Orson Adams House and the Prospector Trail – 2 miles roundtrip, easy
BLM archaeologists invite you to celebrate National Historic Preservation Month by visiting the Orson B. Adams Pioneer House. John Kemple stayed here with the Adams family in 1866 and made the first discovery of silver in southwest Utah. This led to the establishment of the mining boom town Silver Reef. On the Prospector Trail, we’ll learn more about local mining history and the Chinese and Irish Americans who lived and worked here.
Email sarah@conserveswu.org to RSVP.