The Chuckwalla Trailhead is the main entrance to the Paradise Canyon Trail System just south of St. George. In fact this trail is only a six minute drive away from the slot canyon Snow Canyon Petroglyphs and 11 minutes from Jenny’s Canyon, Petrified Sand Dunes, Lava Tubes, and nearby hikes in Snow Canyon State Park. A 15 minute drive will take you to the Anasazi Valley Trail / Santa Clara Anasazi Petroglyphs.

Here is an enlarged map of the canyon from the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve Website.

The Chuckwalla Trail begins where the little green hikers are at the bottom left. The Halfway Wash Trail and The Gap Trailheads enter from subdivisions. The top north boundary on the top right of the map is where the the Red Cliffs Deseret Reserve Ends and Snow Canyon State Park begins.

These trails are great for hiking, trail running, mountain biking, horseback riding, and rock climbing. In this post I will just be describing the Chuckwalla Trail up to Turtle Wall and back.

The trail begins mostly flat with red rock views and the desert landscape around. That set of red rocks right away is where the Chuckwalla rock climbing wall is located.

As you go farther it gets closer to a water source so there is a bit more foilage.

The trail then goes near to the beautiful red rock.

At the sign post next to the rocks there is a trail junction. If you kept going straight the trail is called Beck Hill. Instead, you’ll want to look across to the left. There is another set of red rocks there that you’ll want to head towards. That section there is called Turtle Wall and there is a cool unnamed arch you will notice as you get closer.

You can hike up next to the arch. I didn’t climb into the arch, but the hole is probably 5-6 feet high.

This isn’t a destination hike like the ones above nearby in Snow Canyon State Park, but it is a great trail if you are in the area. As with all desert hiking, be very careful about hydration and sun protection. Bring plenty of water and use sunscreen and a hat.

Chuckwalla is the name of of a kind of lizard. As you hike you might see lizards, hawks, tortoises, rabbits, and other desert wildlife.

Stats: Distance – 1.9 miles round trip
Approximate hiking time – 1-2 hours
Elevation gain – 200 feet
Difficulty – Easy
Trail – dirt and rocks
Bathrooms – None
Seasons to hike – Year Round
Permits needed – None
Pets allowed – Yes

Map to trailhead