Hiking St. George, Utah: Three Ponds Trail in Snow Canyon State Park

Escaping the cold of the upper Midwest for a few days in the Southern Utah sun has become almost an annual ritual for us. Typically, the sun basking starts as soon as we arrive, but this year we were greeted with some cold, wet weather that felt like it belonged in Seattle rather than the Southwest.

But the sun finally came out and we made the most of it. Although Zion National Park is a favorite retreat, we explored some easy hikes near Snow Canyon State Park that we actually hadn’t done before. All of the hikes from this and the next two blog posts are 4-year-old approved (he walked the whole way with no piggy back rides or anything!) – although we always pack plenty of snacks and water to keep their tanks full. Hope you enjoy!

Three Ponds Trail

Trailhead: Red Sands in Snow Canyon State Park

Distance: 3.75 miles out and back

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation Gain: Minimal

Time: 2 hours (3-4 with little kids)

Fee: yes – daily, weekly, or annual

This was a very family-friendly hike with a decent pay-off at the end. The trail criss-crosses with several other trails, so you could access from various points within the park, including Hidden Pinyon and Petrified Dunes (our kids’ favorite).

The trail winds through some lava fields and traverses the base of the petrified dunes before crossing over a wash and the old West Canyon Road. You then hike through some majestic 400 foot red cliffs along a sandy wash. Trail is very flat but sandy, so kids did get a little tired at this point but were rejuvenated with a snack and water.

The wash takes you to the terminus where you can glimpse the first of the ponds. You can scramble up around the backside of the cliff wall to view the other ponds from above (4-year-old approved). The pools are beautiful and serene – the trail is just long enough that the crowds aren’t bad. My favorite part was the quiet solitude in the canyon. With all the rain before we got there, the red cliffs were covered in velvety green moss and lichen – a different view than what you’d see in the dry summer months.

We definitely recommend this one. It’s long enough that it feels like a hike, but super easy for kids with little elevation gain.

Tips

Bring plenty of water – especially in the hotter/dryer summer months
Our favorite months are April-May and October-November
On this trail you’re walking through a wash, so you’ll want to check rain forecasts – even in summer, to avoid flash-flood risk. This isn’t a slot canyon, so danger would be low, but would definitely put a damper on your hiking fun
Snacks for kids. We had two snack breaks to avoid tears and whining