Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area

The Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area is located along Interstate 15 approximately 20 miles southwest of St. George, Utah and approximately 20 miles northeast of Mesquite, Nevada. It is accessed from the Cedar Pocket Exit at mile post 18. Overnight use is limited to 14-night stays. The recreation area currently has 25 of the best sites only available through recreation.gov reservations; the remaining 83 sites are first come, first serve. The recreation area provides many opportunities for hiking, wildlife viewing, water play and more, and is surrounded by two designated wilderness areas: the Paiute Wilderness east of Interstate 15 and the Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness to the west. The Sullivan Canyon Trail starts within the recreation area and heads into the heart of the Paiute Wilderness, and both the campground and day-use areas have scenic trails leading to the Virgin River. The river is occasionally runnable to small whitewater boats during spring runoff — check on the fish barriers and flow conditions beforehand. The Virgin River Gorge is also frequented by rock climbers and canyoneers. There are 108 overnight sites, with a paved access road, pull-through parking, drinking water, flush toilets (ADA compliant at the middle restroom), picnic tables, grills and/or fire pits, and vehicle or RV parking. Eight sites are ADA compliant and 12 have shade shelters. The campground has no electrical or waste dump hookups. The day-use area, open daylight hours only, has a paved access road, pull-through parking, drinking water, flush toilets, shade shelters, ADA compliant sites, an interpretative trail, and access to the Sullivan Canyon Trail and the Virgin River. The Virgin River Gorge was cut by the Virgin River. Though the river is relatively small, it is incredibly steep, dropping an average of 70 feet per mile — 10 times steeper than the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. That steepness, caused by the uplift of the Colorado Plateau, has given the river the ability to cut through sandstone and limestone canyons. The gorge provides a stunning and colorful mountain desert setting, mimicking on a smaller scale the colorful layers and striking depths of the Grand Canyon; many of the very same geologic formations are present in both areas. The gorge connects the southwestern rim of the Colorado Plateau and the northeastern part of the Mojave Desert, with a Mojave climate of hot summers and mild winters that allows for some of the most northern Joshua tree populations. The canyon is usually about 5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than St. George and can occasionally amplify winds. The river directly supports hundreds of wildlife species, including woundfin, Virgin River chub, Virgin spinedace, flannelmouth sucker, desert sucker, speckled dace and Southwestern willow flycatcher, many of which are endangered or considered sensitive in Arizona and Utah. The most popular hike is a simple 0.1 mile walk down to the Virgin River via the River Trail, easily accessed from the lowest parking in the lower loop. The easiest is the 0.4 mile Canyon Overlook Trail, a paved ADA trail beginning at the fee kiosk and leading to an overlook and interpretative compass display. The best hike is the Narrows: a steep 1.4 mile route through a Joshua tree grove down to a limestone narrows punching through a geologic fold, best started with a short drive up to the Cedar Pocket Wash Trailhead, directly across the interstate from the campground. For views, the Ridgeline Loop is a 1.1 mile loop from the I-15 trailhead following the ridgeline about 1,000 feet above the start. For the more adventurous, Greyhaven Pinnacle is an exposed 1.8 mile scramble up a limestone peak with wondrous views from the middle of the gorge, also accessed from the I-15 trailhead.