Hiking Project Logo

Explore the Virgin River Gorge.


Your Rating: Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List
Zoom in to see details
Map Key

2.0

Miles

3.2

KM

Point to Point

2,234' 681 m

High

2,108' 643 m

Low

130' 39 m

Up

130' 40 m

Down

2%

Avg Grade (1°)

13%

Max Grade (8°)

Dogs Unknown

Features River/Creek · Views

Family Friendly This route features great views, running water, and fairly easy hiking, which will all add to a great experience for the whole family.

Description

The Virgin River Gorge is beautiful but most people only ever see it from their car at 60+ mph. This is entirely understandable because one is already four hours into a journey from Salt Lake City with who knows how many hours to go or is hitting it near nightfall from the south after a similarly long drive. So despite a clearly marked exit off I-15 for Cedar Pocket, this area receives few visitors.

But one trip I decided to camp here (just $6 / night) and set out on this trail just before 8 am. The early start provided interesting light and a good hiking temperature (in June). The first 60% of the trail follows the Virgin riverbed before climbing a slight plateau and then descending to a wash.

I've rated this trail as only 3-stars due to the distant freeway noise but I feel 3½-stars is more accurate.

The formal trail ends at the wash, though based on Google Earth it appears one could follow washes all the way down the gorge. One choice is cross the big wash at the end of the trail, catching a smaller wash that heads SSW, then south, and finally curving westward to end at I-15 near the bottom of the gorge. Following the main wash south would get one in the vicinity of Mt Bangs for a possible pickup along BLM 1004 (4x4 required) in Arizona which could be reached from Mesquite, NV and Scenic, NV via BLM 1299 or from the Utah-Arizona border via BLM 1009 off the Southern Pkwy (Highway 7). These look like intriguing journeys but careful planning would be required as it looks like the chance of finding water along the way would be slim to none.

Note: the Sullivan Canyon trailhead sign mentions a Cougar Spring 15.9 miles from the start, i.e. 14.1 miles beyond the wash at the end of the Sullivan Canyon Trail. Bill Weir mentions Cougar Spring which appears to be about a 1.6 miles SSE of Mt. Bangs where BLM 1299 the intersects the Mt. Bangs Rd, which is about where one would end up by following the big wash at the end of the Sullivan Trail, navigating carefully near the end where the wash narrows near the Paiute Wilderness northeast of Mt. Bangs.

Note: Trail sign calls it Sullivan Canyon. Google Maps has it as Sullivan's Canyon. Others call it Sullivans Canyon without an apostrophe.

Contacts

Shared By:

Matthew Kidd

Trail Ratings

  2.0 from 2 votes

#44670

Overall
  2.0 from 2 votes
5 Star
0%
4 Star
0%
3 Star
50%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
50%
Trail Rankings

#1,297

in Arizona

#44,670

Overall
17 Views Last Month
2,853 Since Apr 2, 2017
Intermediate Intermediate

0%
50%
50%
0%
0%
0%

Photos

Virgin River Gorge (via Sullivan Canyon) offers a great look at the area's immensely stratified rocks.
Apr 2, 2017 near Beaver Dam, AZ
The Virgin River cuts through the landscape near Cedar Pocket.
Apr 2, 2017 near Beaver Dam, AZ
Cedar Pocket wildflowers awaken in the morning light.
Apr 2, 2017 near Beaver Dam, AZ
June means decent waterflow in the Virgin River near Cedar Pocket.
Apr 2, 2017 near Beaver Dam, AZ
loading

Weather


Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 43 days ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

none

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.