Hiking Southern Utah: Butterfly Trail in Snow Canyon State Park
Trail: Butterfly Trail
Location: Snow Canyon State Park, north of St. George.
Difficulty: Easy with some slickrock slopes and uneven surfaces. Much of the trail is strewn with lava rocks — literally watch your step.
Average hiking time: One to two hours.
Elevation: The trailhead is approximately 3,550 feet elevation with less than a 100-foot elevation change.
Family friendly: Due to the uneven surfaces and lava rocks embedded in the trail, this is not suitable for young children.
Getting there: From St. George, go north on State Highway 18 (Bluff Street) and turn left (west) onto Snow Canyon Parkway. Continue approximately 3.6 miles and turn right (north) at Snow Canyon Drive. The Snow Canyon State Park south entrance is 0.8 miles ahead. Pay the fee and continue north on Snow Canyon Drive 2.6 miles past the entrance station and park in the signed Petrified Dunes/Butterfly trailhead and parking area on the left (west). The entrance fee is $10 per vehicle (up to eight people) or $5 per vehicle (up to eight people) for seniors 62 and older who are Utah residents with a Utah driver’s license.
If the remainder of the St. George area was a vast wasteland, Snow Canyon would still be good enough reason to live here for outdoor enthusiasts. The 7,400-acre park was created in 1959 and has views that rival the better known Zion National Park. There is evidence that the 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.
Snow Canyon State Park is home to a diversity of plant and wildlife species. However, we only saw a couple of squirrels.
Butterfly Trail is about 1.4 miles roundtrip. Our hike was 1.9 miles roundtrip because it included two short side trips to lava tubes on Lava Flow Trail and exploring nearby West Canyon Overlook. It took us about 1.5 hours at a leisurely pace.
We began heading west on the trail and crossed over and down a sandstone hill — a petrified sand dune. Over the hill, less than a quarter of a mile from the trailhead, the route bends sharply to the right (north), and we followed the western edge of a huge petrified dune. Before long, the trail makes a sharp left turn and again heads west. At about 0.7 miles, Butterfly Trail intersects Lava Flow Trail. Be advised that much of Butterfly Trail is embedded with lava rocks, so watch your step to avoid nasty falls. You can start your return at this point, but I strongly suggest doing a bit more exploring.
We turned right (north) and proceed up the Lava Flow Trail for about 100 yards, and on our right we found a large lava tube. The collapsed tube was a black lava rock depression — worth a hundred-yard walk, but not too interesting.
Retracing our steps, we passed the trail intersection and continued down (south) on Lava Flow Trail. A couple of hundred feet past the intersection, we came to another junction with a sign indicating the West Canyon Overlook ahead. Before venturing to the overlook, we turned right (west) on Lava Flow Trail and, about 100 feet further, came to an interpretive sign next to the open lava tube. This tube is impressive, about 75 feet long and 45 feet wide. I’m glad we were not in the area when the lava was fresh.
Returning to the trail, we soon came to the base of a huge sandstone dome and walked around the northern part to get a view of the canyon, but it looked as if the southern part was better. We then traversed the southern part of the dome, much of it on slickrock, and reached a prominent viewpoint on the south side. The entire hike was worth the vista of towering multi-hued sandstone cliffs. The overlook is aptly named: The views of the main canyon sandstone ridges and cliffs were beautiful.
We retraced our steps returning to the trailhead, enjoying slightly different views of this colorful Winter Solstice hike.
I highly recommend this hike. Living so close to Snow Canyon, one tends to forget the amazing sandstone formations interspaced with ancient lava flows. Take your time as it is a short hike with amazing views of sandstone and lava rock formations.
