Snow Canyon State Park is one of Utah’s most expansive state parks, with views you might expect from a national park. Just as the sun rose in Utah, so did I, thinking I had to get there early to ‘beat the crowds.’ But this state park did not require an early rise or a reservation. In fact, I found it to be the perfect combination of accessible but not crowded.

Located in the Greater Zion area, in the small town of Ivins, Utah, the state park spans 7,400 acres and features a rugged mix of rolling petrified dunes, red and white sandstone cliffs, and black lava flows, creating a one-of-a-kind landscape within the even larger Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. 

There are many ways to explore Snow Canyon, from hiking and biking to climbing and canyoneering; its available activities are just as diverse as the landscape itself. The park is known for its vast trail system for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders alike. Even photographers come to admire the park’s ancient rocks, which carry a rich history and are formed into abstract shapes—ready-made picture frames for the perfect shot.

Or enjoy a bike ride along West Canyon Road—an easy eight-mile road that winds through Snow Canyon. E-bike rentals offer a fun way to breeze through, but you won’t want to do that. You’ll want to take your time, slow down, and admire. Rent an e-bike from nearby Rampage E-bike rentals and ride from their store into Snow Canyon.

This area is also home to an ancient (and dormant) volcano, and evidence of this lies along the Lava Flow Trail where you can hike through a field of lava tubes: underground tunnels formed by hot lava flow paths, resulting in what we see today as hollow passages.

Another favorite discovery was Jenny’s Canyon Trail, where a winding slot canyon reveals a chain of narrow sandstone passageways, some only a few feet wide, sculpted by centuries of flowing water. The changing sunlight cast a beautiful, red-tinted glow across the canyon floor as I wandered through the canyon’s corridor. Don’t worry, accessing the slot canyons is fairly easy on this half-mile, out-and-back trail, leaving enough time to appreciate the ever-changing landscape of our natural world.

There are many more trails to explore beyond these two, and any path at Snow Canyon State Park will not disappoint. My advice: slow down and let it guide you toward what’s calling—whether that’s climbing the petrified sand dunes or slipping through slot canyons to see what takes shape around the next bend.