A trip all the way across the United States and back must have a beginning. For us, it was the long drive from Southern California to St. George, Utah. This is an excellent launching point for us, as it is the home of my mother. A few days spent visiting her is always nice, and then we are ready to begin the 12,000 plus miles of driving to see the country. As always, the drive through the deserts of Eastern California and Southern Nevada is filled with vistas of empty, beautiful landscapes. We marvel at the pinnacles which jut up to the sky as we drive down Highway 15 on the decent into the City of Baker. As the sun sets, the distant purple mountains majesty become a real thing and not just a line in the song we sang as school kids. Our journey to St. George is just a start. We plan to explore many, many State and National Parks along the way and hike about a million miles over the next few months.
Snow Canyon State Park
One of the most spectacular state parks in all the the United States is Snow Canyon State Park near St. George, Utah. We have visited this park on a few other occasions and it never gets old. The park is only a 20 minute drive from downtown and the entry fee is $15 for out-of-state visitors.
It has been said by others too, but I have long contended that Snow Canyon State Park is so special that if it were in other states around the country, which are not already loaded with so many National Parks, it would be a National Park too. There are trails all over the place and several entrances, but the main section, which should not be missed is the hiking and viewing areas along Snow Canyon Drive. This section of road closes down for a few days each October for the St. George Marathon. It is known as one of the most scenic and enjoyable marathons in the world.
Snow Canyon State Park is great any time of day, but we found some special photo opportunities at sunrise or sunset. Summer is very hot too. June, July and August will be more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit during mid-day.
The next day brings us back into Nevada after a long drive to Great Basin National Park,
Left Coast Footprints 