Trails in Southwest Utah

[funcrew]

Hi - I've been Googling for backpacking trails within ~2 hours of St George & not coming up with much. I'd like a high altitude trailhead and a fishable stream.

Anybody have advice or a link to good information?

Thanks!

[oldno7]

Do some looking in the area around the town of Pine Valley. 2 good trails leave from the area and go up to the Pine Valley Wilderness. Limited water on top for fishing but there is one small stream containing Bonneville Cutthroats.
Find the trail from PV up over the top and down Mill canyon to grass Valley, good 2-3 day trip. Just to get a taste go from PV up to Whipple Valley.
Quite a few other trails in the area but this will get you started.

[tanya]

Check out Cedar Mountain as well.

http://www.zionnational-park.com/cedar-breaks.htm

http://www.zionnational-park.com/dixie-national-forest.htm

[blarson]

beautiful views on top of pinevalley and the stream has brooks, browns, and rainbows at the bottom of the mountian but not on top where most of the hiking trails are.

above tropic reservoir there are some trails up high on the mountains and down in the valley there is a beautiful stream with cutts, rainbows, browns, and brooks. l

if you were up for a challenge, hike down kolob creek into zion, lots of fish along the way.

the subway is a fun hike and there are alot of rainbows in the middle to lower sections of the hike although i've heard that lately the fishing has gone downhill a bit.

[funcrew]

beautiful views on top of pinevalley and the stream has brooks, browns, and rainbows at the bottom of the mountian but not on top where most of the hiking trails are.

I'm more interested in good fishing than a strenuous hike. Are there good spots to camp near the lower section of the stream where the fishing is good? If so, what trailhead - Whipple? Are good maps available at the St George visitor center?

Thanks to all for your replies! My 11-year-old son and I are planning to hike this Friday thru Sunday 8/8 thru 8/10.

[blarson]

i'm sure you can find some maps at the blm office or the visitor center or a sporting goods store. whipple is a fun hike, be prepared for alot of switchbacks with some great views along the way. most of the good fishing is down in the meadow or actually down towards central is really good too, i've caught browns up to 21" long down around central and below baker. most of that stream is really thick and bushy but the meadow is open and grassy. the water is pretty low right now so you have to be really sneaky if you want to do well. there is a stream for the first half hour or so along whipple but most of the streams that are going up the mountain tend to have few fish and they're really small. if you want to catch some small but beautiful brookies, and some smaller browns and rainbows, drive up the canyon until the road finally dead ends (the road makes a little loop). get out and start fishing upstream, there is a trail that follows the stream off to the left. this stream is the bigger of the streams that merge together coming off of the mountain and i've caught some 14" fish in there but most of them are much smaller. there are lots of camping spots up in the canyon but there are also quite a few people that camp up there so it wouldn't be a bad idea to call up there first.

[theking648]

i know a good one... leeds creek has fish in it. hard to believe but it does.

Oak Grove Campground to the west of leeds. has a trail that goes from the base of pine valley mountain to the top. leeds creek starts up by the campground and fallows the road down.

BUT...the only real way to fish leeds creek is to get in it and work your way down the canyon. A real challenge!

http://www.publiclands.org/explore/site.php?search=YES&back=Search%20Results&id=1243

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if you want to go a little north east i suggest panguitch lake. and brian head

white bridge campsite is right next to the stream with super good fishing. (Tip: Salmon Eggs Rock) and your able to catch fish with a fly rod. (Tip: prince nymph for early in the year, but i've never fished it in late summer)
if you wan't to have some real fun... hike up the canyon to the north of the campground. but the water will be to strong for your son.\