St. George Area

[moab mark]

Headed to St. George for Turkey weekend. Soccer tourn. Any fun routes around St. George other then Yankee Doodle? Do not want to have to deal with water and looking for some half days, so most of Zion would be out.

Mark

[trackrunner]

I have a bunch a stuff around YD I've explored. Some will have water though.

[Iceaxe]

Not exactly canyoneering but Valley of Fire is a cool place to visit and explore if you have never been. Below is a link that will get you started.

http://climb-utah.com/VoF/index.htm

http://climb-utah.com/VoF/Files/voffire70.gif

[levity]

Valley of Fire is a drive from St. George (~90 miles) but has nice scenery and a number of short, easy hikes.

Here are some pics from the upper section of the Mouse's Tank area.

http://levity.smugmug.com/Hiking/Valley-of-Fire-2007/CIMG0011/204669480_t4xRr-L-1.jpg

http://levity.smugmug.com/Hiking/Valley-of-Fire-2007/CIMG0012/204669518_N3fzR-L-1.jpg

[Bo_Beck]

Headed to St. George for Turkey weekend. Soccer tourn. Any fun routes around St. George other then Yankee Doodle? Do not want to have to deal with water and looking for some half days, so most of Zion would be out.

Mark

I will be meeting with Snow Canyon management this friday focusing on "Canyoneering" issues within Snow Canyon SP. There is a really fun Canyon that I've had the pleasure of doing twice. It terminates in Johnson Canyon. I took the Head Ranger through about 6 months ago and she is convinced to try to push it through as an official route within SCSP and RCDR. Should find out friday if all is well and if so will post a map and beta for you next week?

[ratagonia]

Headed to St. George for Turkey weekend. Soccer tourn. Any fun routes around St. George other then Yankee Doodle? Do not want to have to deal with water and looking for some half days, so most of Zion would be out.

Mark

Pipe Spring Canyon - no water. ha ha...

there's a few dry things. Spry and Behunin, for instance. Heck, until last week, Imlay was practically dry!!!

T

[moab mark]

Headed to St. George for Turkey weekend. Soccer tourn. Any fun routes around St. George other then Yankee Doodle? Do not want to have to deal with water and looking for some half days, so most of Zion would be out.

Mark

I will be meeting with Snow Canyon management this friday focusing on "Canyoneering" issues within Snow Canyon SP. There is a really fun Canyon that I've had the pleasure of doing twice. It terminates in Johnson Canyon. I took the Head Ranger through about 6 months ago and she is convinced to try to push it through as an official route within SCSP and RCDR. Should find out friday if all is well and if so will post a map and beta for you next week?

:2thumbs:

[jman]

Mark,

This isn't totally, canyoneering, I know, BUT these will give at least some back-up ideas if you can't find anything you like or long enough.

Pioneer Park on Skyline Drive in St. George (its in the same area where "Dixie" (not the "D) is printed on the RedRocks - short tight slot of 100+ feet. I've seen LOTS of people boulder, rappel, and rock-climb here. All dry. Plus, great views of the city.

Leeds Recreation Site (Leeds, Utah - 15+ miles north-east of St. George)
There is usually a stream (including a large swimhole) till mid-summer, but regardless its a short canyon hike with a potholes (that you can easily walk around). If you haven't been, I'd highly recommend it, at least once. And it costs $3 (cash) for parking - but that was back in 07.

Cougar Cliffs (about 5miles north of St. George Blvd). Great rappelling site just a 2-min hike off the road. And you can choose your height for rappelling anywhere from 60-130+ feet, with a short, but intense return climb back to the top.

Lava tubes in Snow Canyon. Although the park, removed the tubes from the maps, they let them remain open, if you can find them. But there is about 5+ or so and some are impressive (definitely bring headlamps). Also, there are some tubes just north-east of the access to Snow Canyon, just 10-feet away from the highway that I "discovered" including a lava arch. Plus, if you want a really good tiresome short-challenge, you can climb the cinder cone which is just right across the street from the lava arch.

Another good half-day adventure would be Bloomington Cave. About a 30-45min drive from Bloomington on a dirt road. I've been over 10+ times and have done all the routes numerous times, and if you need a map or coords then head to the Caving forum and Jumar has more info on it. And just recently, it is gated, so you will need a key, but its easy to get and its at the BLM office.

Although, I don't have the GPS coords to these, I can give you a Google Earth file and you can do the map-routing from there if you want. And I have plenty more ideas of the same sort if you want more....

[Deathcricket]

Leeds Recreation Site (Leeds, Utah - 15+ miles north-east of St. George)
There is usually a stream (including a large swimhole) till mid-summer, but regardless its a short canyon hike with a potholes (that you can easily walk around). If you haven't been, I'd highly recommend it, at least once. And it costs $3 (cash) for parking - but that was back in 07.



Are you talking about red cliffs? If you aren't, I have never tried this one and would like some more info, pretty please.
:five:

[moab mark]

Mark,

This isn't totally, canyoneering, I know, BUT these will give at least some back-up ideas if you can't find anything you like or long enough.

Pioneer Park on Skyline Drive in St. George (its in the same area where "Dixie" (not the "D) is printed on the RedRocks - short tight slot of 100+ feet. I've seen LOTS of people boulder, rappel, and rock-climb here. All dry. Plus, great views of the city.

Leeds Recreation Site (Leeds, Utah - 15+ miles north-east of St. George)
There is usually a stream (including a large swimhole) till mid-summer, but regardless its a short canyon hike with a potholes (that you can easily walk around). If you haven't been, I'd highly recommend it, at least once. And it costs $3 (cash) for parking - but that was back in 07.

Cougar Cliffs (about 5miles north of St. George Blvd). Great rappelling site just a 2-min hike off the road. And you can choose your height for rappelling anywhere from 60-130+ feet, with a short, but intense return climb back to the top.

Lava tubes in Snow Canyon. Although the park, removed the tubes from the maps, they let them remain open, if you can find them. But there is about 5+ or so and some are impressive (definitely bring headlamps). Also, there are some tubes just north-east of the access to Snow Canyon, just 10-feet away from the highway that I "discovered" including a lava arch. Plus, if you want a really good tiresome short-challenge, you can climb the cinder cone which is just right across the street from the lava arch.

Another good half-day adventure would be Bloomington Cave. About a 30-45min drive from Bloomington on a dirt road. I've been over 10+ times and have done all the routes numerous times, and if you need a map or coords then head to the Caving forum and Jumar has more info on it. And just recently, it is gated, so you will need a key, but its easy to get and its at the BLM office.

Although, I don't have the GPS coords to these, I can give you a Google Earth file and you can do the map-routing from there if you want. And I have plenty more ideas of the same sort if you want more....

I have now been informed by my wife that one of the days I need a cool half day activity for her soccer team. I will probably be getting with you for some google maps.

Thanks
Mark

[jman]

Leeds Recreation Site (Leeds, Utah - 15+ miles north-east of St. George)
There is usually a stream (including a large swimhole) till mid-summer, but regardless its a short canyon hike with a potholes (that you can easily walk around). If you haven't been, I'd highly recommend it, at least once. And it costs $3 (cash) for parking - but that was back in 07.



Are you talking about red cliffs? If you aren't, I have never tried this one and would like some more info, pretty please.
:five:

whoops, sorry, I meant "Red Cliffs Recreation Site". not Leeds...my bad.

[jman]

I have now been informed by my wife that one of the days I need a cool half day activity for her soccer team. I will probably be getting with you for some google maps.

Thanks
Mark

Let me update the map a bit and I'll send it to ya in a PM later tonight.

If it was me taking that large soccer group for half-a-day, my choice would be first the "little narrows" for a tight short-slot at Pioneer park, and then second, the lava tubes in Snow Canyon for a few hours (although, if I recall the prices for entering the park are $7+ per vehicle)

And if you want more adventure, you could drive up from Snow Canyon another 3+ miles and set up a rappelling station...although you would probably need 8+ harnesses for the girls/boys.

But if that's too much work with the harnesses, see the lava tubes and take them up Red Cliffs Recreation Site - if you want a canyon *semi-similar* to yankee doodle - although no rappelling required, and there are tons of rocks to climb on.

[Bo_Beck]

I will be meeting with Snow Canyon management this friday focusing on "Canyoneering" issues within Snow Canyon SP. There is a really fun Canyon that I've had the pleasure of doing twice. It terminates in Johnson Canyon. I took the Head Ranger through about 6 months ago and she is convinced to try to push it through as an official route within SCSP and RCDR. Should find out friday if all is well and if so will post a map and beta for you next week?

As promised: The word as for now is that the canyon is illegal. Private property access issues and approval hasn't happened yet. It's in the works, and hopes are that it may become a reality eventually.