Babylon Arch is a cool trail in Red Cliffs Recreation Area near St. George, Utah. It has red rocks, the arch, the river and sand dunes. It is a confusing trail though. It is pretty easy to get off track. We tried to follow the recommendations on the All Trails app, but we ended up going up the hardest hills, because it wasn’t clear. I definitely recommend downloading the map, but you’ll want to read on unless you are hoping for an incredible workout!

The two arrows represent sand hills. The one heading up from the arch is especially steep and challenging. I am in fairly good shape, but every step you sink into the sand and I definitely had to rest a few times on the ascent. I would recommend you do the hike so that you can follow the arrows down, rather than hiking up.

I had a mishap with my phone. I got a new one, but I did this trail over the couple days that I didn’t have a good one. That means most of these photos were taken by friends and a couple with the subpar camera on the phone I was using. Here is a view of the arch.

From inside the arch, you can take this cool photo from the side.

Definitely make your way to the Virgin River. It is a fun place to play and there are cool little caverns!

Also, remember that this area gets very hot, so especially if your doing it in the summer, start early and bring plenty of water.

Stats: Distance – 2.6 miles round trip
Approximate hiking time – 2-3 hours
Elevation gain – 396 feet
Difficulty – Moderate
Trail – sand, rock and dirt trail
Bathrooms – None
Seasons to hike – Year-Round
Permits needed – $5 per vehicle or National Parks Pass
Pets allowed – Yes

Other hikes nearby are Red Reef Trail, Snow Canyon Petroglyphs, Petrified Sand Dunes, and Church Rocks Trail. Click here for more St. George Area Trails.