Water Canyon Trailhead — Attraction in Hildale

One of our favorite hikes. We had an easy day planned between the Narrows in Zion and Bryce Canyon. This hike turned out to be so much more than we anticipated. Head out early so the sun is blocked by the stones on your right, then on the hike down you see everything differently. A few hikers were going in with rappelling gear. I was wearing Asics instead of my hiking boots. They did the job, but I would wear boots next time. You most likely will cross water/mud a few times that make the boots a better option. Bug spray near the waterfall is a good idea. There are trails that split off every 30 yards or so, one goes down to the stream, one higher through rocks, and one in the middle, then they all converge again. It was easy enough to navigate, but some of the splits put you on rocky ankle-twisting climbs that aren't necessary if you pick the right path. We chose a higher path for some long distance views of the valley and the trail to merge with the main path was harder to decide where to take your next step as you are climbing in elevation and stepping...

We stopped by here on our way back to St George after three weeks of camping. Wow it is a delight to see all the beautiful greenery with all the water places to stop and let your pup play. So different than the rest of the places that we hiked I felt like I was back in the Pacific Northwest. We went through a lot of stuff roads in my two-wheel-drive front-wheel-drive vehicle and I have to let you know that this is pretty Rocky washboard that has some areas you need to drive very carefully on. Do follow the signs about being cautious about washouts and overcast weather coming in. We did not make it all the way up because it was overcast and I've begun to get paranoid about flash floods. I'm very protective of my blue heeler so we headed back but I plan to go back and visit. Definitely...

We do UTV tours and rentals in the area readytorides(dot)com and have rented to a few people that have hiked Water Canyon, so we decided it was past due to hike it ourselves. What an incredible hike! Lots of up and down winding through the trees next to the stream and red rock, we saw lizards, birds, butterflies, and tons of wild flowers. We did the hike in the mid afternoon, and it was hot that day, but the further up the canyon, we got the cooler it got, the water was crisp clean, and cool. Next on my list is Squirrel Canyon. It took us about 45min at a comfortable pace but I could easily spend a couple hours taking my time if I took my kids and played on the way...