The Red Cliffs National Conservation Area is a 44,724-acre National Conservation Area located in southwest Utah, north of St. George at the northeastern-most edge of the Mojave Desert.
Map of St. George Basin Travel Management Area (TMA) in the BLM Arizona Strip Field Office area in Arizona. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Map of Colorado City Travel Management Area (TMA) in the BLM Arizona Strip Field Office area in Arizona. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Map of Cottonwood-Harmon Creek Trail in the Pine Valley Ranger District in Dixie National Forest (NF) in Utah. Published by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
Motor Vehicle Travel Map (MVTM) of Pine Valley Ranger District in Dixie National Forest (NF) in Utah. Published by the U.S. National Forest Service (USFS).
Fact Sheet of Red Cliffs National Conservation Area (NCA) in Utah. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Red Cliffs NCA
https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/red-cliffs-nca
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cliffs_National_Conservation_Area
The Red Cliffs National Conservation Area is a 44,724-acre National Conservation Area located in southwest Utah, north of St. George at the northeastern-most edge of the Mojave Desert.
Vicinity Map
Amenities
Access roads within the campground and day use area are
paved. Both the campground and day use area have accessible
vault toilets, potable water, picnic tables, and fire pits with
grills. Each campsite has RV or vehicle parking and a tent pad.
Trash collection is provided. Electrical and water hookups are
not available. Campsites are first come, first served.
Fees
Interagency Annual, Access, Senior, Volunteer, and Military
Passes are honored for day use fees only. All fees collected at
this site are used to fund operations, improvements, and repairs
at the recreation area.
Parking
Parking for day use is extremely limited; during the Spring and
Fall, traffic control measures may be used and all visitors may
not be accommodated. Day use vehicles with trailers must park
at the White Reef Trailhead.
Central
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Red Cliffs Recreation Area
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Red Cliffs National Conservation Area
Utah • St. George Field Office
Camping Restrictions
Stays are limited to 14 days. Camping is restricted to the
developed campground. No dispersed camping is allowed in
the Red Cliffs Recreation Area.
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Day Use Area
NORTH
Directions
From St. George
Take Interstate 15 north to Exit 22. At the end of the off-ramp,
turn right onto Old Highway 91. Travel south 2 miles and turn
right. Continue under two freeway tunnels (tunnels restrict
vehicle size to less than 12 feet in height and width) and follow
the paved road for 1.3 miles into the campground.
Campsite
BLM
Site Information
Red Cliffs
Recreation
Area
Emergencies
911 - Life Threatening Emergencies
(435) 634-5730 Washington County Sheriff
More Information
Bureau of Land Management
St. George Field Office
345 East Riverside Drive
St. George, Utah 84790
(435) 688-3200
www.blm.gov/stgeorge_fo
Public Lands USA
Explore • Enjoy • Protect
As part of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area,
the Red Cliffs Recreation Area is managed to
conserve, protect, and enhance the area’s ecological,
scenic, wildlife, recreational, cultural, historical,
natural, educational, and scientific resources.
Popular today for its recreational opportunities, this
area once sustained the lives of earlier inhabitants.
From Jurassic-aged dinosaurs, to Ancestral Puebloans,
to Mormon Pioneers, the availability and abundance
of resources played an important role in shaping this
area’s history. To learn more about this special place,
visit the public use sites within the Recreation Area
that are open for visitation.
Please protect our national treasures by acting
responsibly and following the rules.
Camping
$15 per night per site
Day Use
$5 per vehicle
Dinosaur Tracks
Archaeological Site
Pioneer History
Wilderness
Trails
» Hike the short Silver Reef Trail
to see Jurassic-age dinosaur
tracks. The red Kayenta
sandstone holds three different
types of tracks identified as
Grallator, Eubrontes, and
Kayentapus. Look for the
dinosaur footprint sign to locate
the tracks and interpretive signs.
» Take the 1/2 mile Anasazi Trail
to a prehistoric site that was
home to Ancestral Puebloan
farmers. Visitors can see the
remains of habitation and storage
rooms, and view interpretive
signs to better understand
Ancestral Puebloan culture.
» Rehabilitated in 2006,
the Orson Adams House
is a mid-19th century
Mormon pioneer residence
in the abandoned agricultural
settlement of Harrisburg. On-site
signs interpret the architecture
and history of the home’s
inhabitants.
» Navajo sandstone eroded by
wind and water has created a
landscape of rounded domes and
numerous small canyons in the
Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness.
Rugged and undeveloped,
explore the wilderness with
caution by horse or on foot.
» An extensive trail system for
hikers, mountain bikers, and
equestrians exists within the Red
Cliffs National Conservation
Area. Use the trails found in
this area, or base camp here
and explore other regions in the
National Conservation Area.
BLM
Red Cliffs National
Conservation Area
Through the Omnibus Public Land
Management Act of 2009, Congress
designated the Red Cliffs National
Conservation Area (NCA) in Washington
County, Utah, “to conserve, protect, and
enhance…the ecological, scenic, wildlife,
recreational, cultural, historical, natural,
educational, and scientific resources” of
public lands in the NCA. The new NCA
is managed by the BLM St. George Field
Office.
Where is the Red Cliffs NCA?
The NCA is located in south-western Washington County and includes 45,000 acres of public land. The
towering Pine Valley Mountains and Dixie National Forest lie to the north, while the communities of Ivins,
Santa Clara, St. George, Washington, and Leeds surround the NCA. The NCA boundary follows the Red
Cliffs Desert Reserve, a multi-jurisdictional land base that has been collaboratively managed by the BLM,
the state of Utah, Washington County, and local municipalities since 1996 to protect the threatened Mojave
Desert tortoise and other at-risk native species.
What are the special values of the Red Cliffs NCA?
Are there developed recreation sites and trails in the
Red Cliffs NCA?
More than 130 miles of non-motorized recreation trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trail
riding, are available for public use in the NCA. The Red Cliffs Recreation Area offers camping and day-use
areas in developed sites where fees are charged.
Are there special restrictions in the Red Cliffs NCA?
All motorized vehicle travel, including off-highway vehicles, is limited to designated roads in the NCA.
No motorized or mechanized vehicle travel is allowed in the Red Mountain and Cottonwood Canyon
Wilderness areas. There are also special restrictions for off-trail travel and the discharge of firearms
in certain areas of the NCA. Detailed information can be found at: www.redcliffsdesertreserve.com.
More Information:
Information about the new Red Cliffs NCA can be found on the St. George Field Office web site at:
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george.html
St. George Field Office
The Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert overlap
in Washington County. In this transition zone, unusual plant
and animal species have evolved, including the dwarf bear
poppy and Shivwits milkvetch, small native plants that grow
nowhere else on earth. The hot, arid Mojave Desert provides
habitat for diverse wildlife species such as the kit fox, Gambel’s
quail, and the Mojave Desert tortoise. This native tortoise
is listed under the Endangered Species Act and is at risk of
extinction due to habitat loss and other factors. The newlydesignated Red Mountain and Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness
areas are also within the NCA. Here, hikers, backpackers, and
horseback riders can enjoy scenic vistas, solitude, and natural
quiet, just a few miles drive from local communities.
T40S
T41S
T42S
R17W
Map Location
R17W
R17W
Red Mountain
Wilderness
R17W
St. George
State Park
Private
US Forest Service
USFS Wilderness Area
Minor Roads
State
Existing BLM Wilderness
New BLM Wilderness
1
Indian Reservation
Washington
0.5
0
R14W
1
R14W
2
Miles
3
4
5
R13W
Red Cliffs NCA
Leeds
6
R13W
7
Black Ri
Wildern
St. George Field Office
No warranty is made by the BLM for use of the data
for purposes not intended by the BLM.
This product may not meet BLM standards for accuracy and
content. Different data sources and input scales may cause some
misalignment of data layers.
Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness
BLM
R15W
Red Cliffs
NCA
R15W
Congressionally Designated
Boundary of NCA
Red Cliffs National Conservation Area
R16W
Santa Clara
Ivins
R16W
Bureau of Land Management - National Landscape Conservation System
T40S
T41S
T42S