The Snow Canyon Petroglyphs are a very cool, unique slot canyon. When you are there it feels like it’s straight out of Indiana Jones or The Labyrinth movies. They are in Snow Canyon, but it is out of the fee area and not well-known. In the past there was an easement on private property to make this a very short hike, but now you have to go around.
Finding the Slot Canyon Petroglyphs
This hike begins on the side of the road, where the shoulder expands to make plenty of room to park. If you look directly west you can kind of see a trail. Shortly after, you leave the side of the road you pass a paved bike trail that is part of the Snow Canyon Loop. You can see the neighborhood in the distance. The petroglyphs are directly west of that. Keep heading west. You will pass dirt road that is a sewer line and then will come to a cattle fence. Some reviews of the trail indicated that you had to crawl under the fence, but we found an obvious opening to walk through.
As we were walking that first half mile to the fence, we watched the beautiful sunrise!
After you go through the fence you will need to head north. Shortly you will arrive at petrified sand dunes you will walk over.
Map to Petroglyphs Slot Canyon
It is helpful to have a map to know exactly where it is. On Google it is called “Petroglyphs Slot Canyon” and on AllTrails it’s “Scout Falls to Snow Canyon Petroglyph Trail”, but that is a long 11 mile route. Here is a map I made. The little yellow dot halfway is the fence opening.
There are also signs as you get near. The entrance to the slot canyon is from the north, so you will have to go just beyond it to get in. When you get to the signs, it’s still kind of hard to see because the entrance is obscured by some cool trees.
Once you climb over that bigger tree, you are in the incredible slot canyon! It seems more like the rock split many years ago, rather than being worn away by water or wind, but either way, it’s super cool!
As you walk along, look for the petroglyphs carved into the walls. These are just a few!
Most of the way down there is a place where the rocks wall allows you to walk up a little higher, kind of like a ramp.
If you have more time you can explore more around the petrified sand dunes and the rest of the area, but if you head straight back it makes it about 2.5 miles round trip.
There are many more cool hikes nearby if you have more time. Inside Snow Canyon State Park there is Jenny’s Canyon, Petrified Sand Dunes, Butterfly Trail, and Lave Tube Trail to name a few. If you want more awesome petroglyphs nearby, I love the Anasazi Valley Trail. The Parowan Gap Petroglyphs are also impressive. To see all the trails in Washington County click here.
Stats for Snow Canyon Petroglyphs
Distance – 2.5 miles round trip (can easily expand it)
Approximate biking time – 1-3 hours
Elevation gain – 308 feet
Difficulty – Moderate
Trail – dirt and rocks
Bathrooms – None
Seasons to hike – Year Round
Permits needed – None
Pets allowed – Yes
Map to parking and trailhead
Map of destination
I took all the photos on this site.