Berm Trail in Snow Canyon State Park

Location: Westernmost boundary of Snow Canyon State Park.

Difficulty: Easy with no major obstacles.

Average Hiking Time: Less than 1 ½ hours for the 2.5 mile round trip hike.

Elevations: The trailhead is approximately 3,116 feet elevation with almost no elevation change from the trailhead to highest point.

Family Friendly: Very family friendly on this easy trail. We saw several youngsters on the trail.

Finding the Trailhead: From St. George go north on State Highway 18 (Bluff Street) and turn left (west) onto Snow Canyon Parkway. At 3.9 miles continue west through a roundabout as the road becomes East Center Street. After 1.2 miles on East Center turn right (north) onto 100 East Street and proceed for five blocks (.4 mile) to the end of the paved road to the large dirt parking area, room for six or seven cars, and signed trailhead. There are no toilets or water at the trailhead.

At the westernmost boundary of Snow Canyon State Park, outside Snow Canyon itself, is an odd trail—an easy hike coupled with some of the best views of a red sandstone mountain you’ll ever see. Those familiar with the Ivins area know Red Mountain dominates the skyline in Ivins and part of Snow Canyon State Park. Just south of the mountain is Berm Trail. It is named for the flood control berm protecting the Ivins community to the south.

This hike is one of the easiest (perhaps the easiest) hike my wife, Deb, and I have ever done. (We have hiked more than 250 different trails in the Southwest in about 40 years of exploring.) It is flat with very little elevation change, no steep sections, not a rocky trail, no rock scrambling, and no sandy sections—almost a stroll more than a hike. But it is a fun stroll with amazing views.

Berm Trail is located in Snow Canyon State Park. In 1959 the 7,400 acre Snow Canyon State Park was created and has views that rival the much better known Zion National Park. There is evidence that the Ancestral Puebloans/Anasazi used the canyon for hunting and gathering and were followed about 1200 AD by the Paiutes. In the 1850s Mormon pioneers discovered the area. The Park is home to a diversity of plant and wildlife species.

On an early mid-week June morning we, Deb and I, headed out to Berm Trail. There are no toilets or water at the trailhead. Although the trail is within the boundaries of Snow Canyon State Park, there is no entry fee for this hike.

We arrived at the trailhead about 9:00 am under a blue Utah sky with the temperature in the high 70s. The trailhead elevation is approximately 3,116 feet with almost no elevation change from the trailhead to highest point. There are no shady parts of this trail, start early or hike in cooler weather. The trail is 2 ½ miles round trip and should take less than 1 ½ hours to complete.

The Berm Trail begins with a fork in the trail. To the right the trail is atop the berm, to the left (north), about 50 feet from the top of the berm, it follows a maintenance road alongside the berm. Strange because they both go to the same place and stay about 50 feet apart the entire way. Once a fork is chosen, you should, as we did, stay on that fork. You can change from one to the other at a junction one mile away.

The area north of the trail, excepting marked trails such as Red Mountain Trail, is closed to hikers because it is protected desert tortoise habitat. We stayed on the trail, as should you.

We started fairly early on a Wednesday morning and shared this popular trail with at least a dozen other hikers.

The wide trail heads east and so did we atop the berm. The beginning presents a spectacular view of the flanks of Red Mountain, as does the entire hike. We walked along admiring the views and one mile from the trailhead the berm ends and we came to a junction with Toe Trail on our right (south). The main trail continued straight ahead (east) for another .25 mile where it meets Tuacahn Drive. Toe Trail looked rather unimpressive—flat, even further away from the good views, and about half of it goes alongside housing developments (you would get close views of a bunch of backyard fences and walls). We decided to go straight.

We soon reached Tuacahn Drive and headed back. For a slight change in perspective, we took the maintenance road/lower trail on the return trip. During our hike we saw several lizards, some birds, and one tortoise eating a late breakfast.

I highly recommend this easy hike. The views are great and you might spot a desert tortoise.