How to Get a Hike-In Permit
Red Navajo sandstone on three sides, black lava on the fourth, and a 38-site campground where the hike-in tent sites are the only way to sleep away from an RV.
Check Hike-In permit availability$40 per night for a non-hookup site, $45 with water and electric. One extra vehicle per site is permitted at $20 per night. Day use is $15 per vehicle for Utah residents and $20 for non-residents, up to eight people.
Permit Cost
1-3 nights
Duration
easy
Difficulty
About Hike-In
Snow Canyon State Park has one campground and no alternative. The park states outright that backcountry camping is not permitted in Snow Canyon, so the 38-unit campground - which mixes partial hookups, tent camping, hike-in sites and group camping - is the whole of the overnight inventory. Booking has a specific shape here. The park says reservations can be made 48 hours to 4 months in advance online, and camping within 48 hours is walk-up only. That two-day window at the end is worth knowing: a site that frees up inside 48 hours does not come back online, it goes to whoever shows up. Rates are $40 per night for a non-hookup site and $45 for a hookup site with water and electric, with one extra vehicle per site permitted at $20 per night. Group camping runs separately: Cottontail Group Campground at $175 a night for up to 35 people, and Quail Group Campground at $200 for up to 50. Snow Canyon is part of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, a conservation area for Mojave desert tortoises, and both the Reserve and the park enforce a trail law requiring people and pets to stay on designated, mapped trails at all times.
Snow Canyon has exactly one legal place to camp. The park is unambiguous about it: backcountry camping is not permitted in Snow Canyon. Everything that happens overnight happens in the 38-unit campground two miles into the park on Snow Canyon Drive, and the hike-in sites are the tent-only end of that inventory. There is no dispersed alternative inside the boundary, which is why a cancellation on a hike-in site is worth watching for.
The Experience
The campground sits tucked into orange sandstone cliffs, and the walls hold the day's heat and then release it after dark. Snow Canyon is small enough that you can walk to most of what matters from your tent - petrified dunes, lava tubes, and slot-like sandstone drainages - and the light on those cliffs at the two ends of the day is the reason people keep coming back to a park this size.
The campground is two miles into the park on Snow Canyon Drive, with the Park Office and Bookstore inside it, so you can sleep, plan and start walking without moving your vehicle. The 38 sites cover partial hookups, tent camping, hike-in and group camping. Hike-in means a short walk from parking rather than a backcountry trek - Snow Canyon does not permit backcountry camping at all. Two group campgrounds sit alongside: Cottontail at $175 a night for a maximum of 35 people, and Quail at $200 for a maximum of 50.
What to Expect
A 38-site campground covering partial hookups, tent camping, hike-in and group camping - and nothing outside it
A short walk from parking to a hike-in site, not a backcountry approach
The park office and bookstore inside the campground
Reservations available 48 hours to 4 months out, with anything inside 48 hours being walk-up only
Dogs permitted on all park trails and in the campground, on leash
A parkwide trail law: people and pets stay on designated, mapped trails at all times
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Permit Requirements
Backcountry camping is not permitted in Snow Canyon - camping is in the designated campground only
Reservations can be made 48 hours to 4 months in advance online; camping within 48 hours is walk-up only
One extra vehicle per site is permitted, at $20 per night
Snow Canyon is inside the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, and both the Reserve and the park require people and pets to stay on designated, mapped trails at all times
Off-trail hiking is prohibited: it damages desert plants, disrupts the cryptobiotic crust that holds the sandy soil, and can collapse wildlife burrows
Johnson Canyon is closed March 15 through September 14 except on ranger-guided hikes
Washington County leash law applies in addition to the statewide Utah State Parks regulation
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •A tent that can be carried a short distance from the parking area
- •Sun protection and more water than you think - this is low-elevation Mojave-edge desert
- •A camp stove, and firewood only if the park is not under fire restrictions
- •Warm layers for winter and early spring nights, which drop hard once the sun leaves the canyon
- •Sturdy shoes with grip for slickrock and petrified dunes
Hazards & Safety
Summer heat: this is one of the hottest corners of Utah and the campground is at low elevation
Slickrock that is far steeper than it looks, especially on the petrified dunes
Mojave desert tortoise habitat - staying on designated trails is a legal requirement, not a suggestion
Flash flooding in the sandstone drainages during monsoon season
Lava rock, which is sharp enough to open a knee on a simple slip
Best Time to Visit
Autumn through spring. St. George area summers regularly run past 100 degrees and the campground sits at desert elevation with limited shade. The park is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily year-round, and winter here is genuinely pleasant hiking weather while most of Utah is under snow.
Pro Tips
Set your reservation window for exactly four months out. There is no earlier bite at this.
If you are inside 48 hours, stop refreshing and drive over - that window is walk-up only, so cancellations in it never appear online.
Do not plan on camping anywhere but the campground. Backcountry camping is prohibited parkwide, and the trail law is enforced.
Come in autumn through spring. Summer here regularly runs past 100 degrees.
The park office and bookstore are inside the campground, which makes it the easiest place in southwest Utah to get current trail information without a drive.
Johnson Canyon needs a ranger-guided hike between March 15 and September 14 - book that separately rather than showing up.
Groups over eight should look at Cottontail or Quail rather than stacking individual sites.
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Hike-In permit?
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Hike-In permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Hike-In?
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Autumn through spring. St. George area summers regularly run past 100 degrees and the campground sits at desert elevation with limited shade. The park is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily year-round, and winter here is genuinely pleasant hiking weather while most of Utah is under snow.
How difficult is Hike-In?
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Tent campers who want the only legal overnight in Snow Canyon, and hikers using the park as a base for petrified dunes and lava tubes.
What gear do I need for Hike-In?
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Essential gear includes: A tent that can be carried a short distance from the parking area, Sun protection and more water than you think - this is low-elevation Mojave-edge desert, A camp stove, and firewood only if the park is not under fire restrictions, Warm layers for winter and early spring nights, which drop hard once the sun leaves the canyon, Sturdy shoes with grip for slickrock and petrified dunes.
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