Jenny’s Canyon Trail in Snow Canyon State Park
By Tom Garrison
Location: Snow Canyon State Park, St. George, Utah
Difficulty: Easy with no major obstacles.
Average Hiking Time: Less than one hour at a leisurely pace with many photo stops. (The hike is less than a one-mile round trip.)
Elevations: The trailhead is approximately 3,150 feet in elevation with about a 75-foot elevation change from the lowest to the highest point (top of the overlook trail).
Family Friendly: Yes, there are no difficult sections.
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 .8 miles ahead. Pay the fee and continue north on Snow Canyon Drive .5 miles past the entrance station and park in the signed Jenny’s Canyon Trail trailhead/parking area (there is room for about five cars) on the right (east). There are no toilets or water at the trailhead.
I’m pretty sure the hike to Jenny’s Canyon in Snow Canyon State Park is the shortest hike my wife, Deb, and I have done in many years of southwest desert hiking. While short, less than a one-mile round trip, it is well worth the minimum time required.
Deb and I have explored the American Southwest for over 35 years and trekked along nearly 250 different trails. While virtually all of it is wonderful, slot canyons are especially enjoyable. The high swoopy rock walls and not knowing what’s around the next bend. Maybe barely squeezing through a particularly narrow section. Yes!
Snow Canyon State Park, just outside of St. George, has one particular slot canyon we overlooked. It is a very short canyon but with all the elements of a wonderful slot—Jenny’s Canyon. If you are a novice slot canyon explorer, this hike is a great introduction.
The canyon is named after a young woman, Jennifer Patchett, who fell to her death from cliffs in Snow Canyon State Park in 1994. Since that time, the canyon has borne her name. Some reports I found via Internet research say she fell from cliffs that rim Jenny’s Canyon; others do not mention a specific area in the park where she fell.
In 1959, the 7,400-acre Snow Canyon State Park was created, and it 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. We only saw a couple of birds.
We arrived at the trailhead at about 9 AM on a late August morning. The sky was Utah blue, and the temperature was in the high 70s. The trailhead elevation is approximately 3,150 feet, with about a 75-foot elevation change from the lowest to the highest point (top of the overlook trail). Since we started fairly early, we only shared this popular trail with seven other hikers.
Just as we parked, another car pulled in behind us. We got to talking with that couple and did the hike with them—Kent and Sarah. Good people visiting from Canada who are now our new best friends.
We assembled our gear and headed east, descending into a sandy wash and walking toward red rock cliffs. After crossing the wash, we made a small uphill climb to Jenny’s Canyon. The trail is mostly sandy up to the canyon mouth and a little rocky thereafter. Just before entering the canyon is a fork in the trail, the canyon to the left (north), and an overlook trail to the right (east).
Heading into the canyon, we were amazed at the 100-foot walls of textured and sculpted sandstone in this short, maybe 75-yard-long, and narrow canyon. The rock seemed twisted as we made our way to the end—it was a slot and box canyon.
After exploring the canyon, we climbed uphill on a rocky trail, 100 feet or so, to the overlook for magnificent views of Snow Canyon. We then headed back to the trailhead.
I highly recommend this short, easy hike that should take less than one hour, even with much exploring and stopping for photos. Jenny’s Canyon is a treat for anyone. You might want to consider this hike a warm-up and couple it with another of the many nearby great hikes in Snow Canyon State Park—Hidden Pinyon Trail, Butterfly Trail, Lava Flow Trail, and several others.
