





Rating: Under 4 miles total. Easy to moderate, depending on routes taken. Total accumulated climbing will be less than 500 feet. Basic desert hiking skills are needed, but advanced skills are not required. ---- This hike travels thru two square miles of red rock knolls way out in the country west of St George. Hidden among the knolls are four separate rock art sites, and wonderful sites they are too. If you want to see petroglyphs and have a nice semi-tuff hike too, this is the hike for you. This hike is dog friendly, with very few spots where even semi-dangerous falls are possible. The main route of travel is a white-rock-filled wash, draining the side of towering Square Top Mountain, just three miles away. In that wash are occasional manganese "dendrite" patterns (fern-like) that form in flat sandstone cracks, later to be revealed when the rock is split while rolling down a wash. You just might get lucky! Then that same wash suddenly turns into a neat little slot canyon for 100 yards, gloomily complete with swoops, curves, and limpid pools in the low spots. Usually we can get thru okay, but not always, depends on recent flooding history. If we're blocked, there's an easy bypass, so no sweat. The slot travel itself is pretty easy and safe, if possibly soaking wet, oy. Hey, It's the highlite of the hike! Bring your kids! :) The rock art I won't describe except to say there are three large separate groups, plus more in the slot. I believe the Archaics, Ancestral Puebloans and near-modern Piute are all represented. Preservation is excellent. See you there! :) Prep: Plenty of water, typical desert sun gear, leather gloves for falls. Terrain is not too slippery, so poles are optional. The Meet: We meet at 12 Noon at Albertson's in the parking lot, roughly in the center of the lot where there's empty space. The Drive: The drive involves 25 miles of pavement, then 12 miles of good dirt on well-maintained Motoqua road, then 4 miles on a maintained side road and finally 2 miles on a two-track with some soft spots and ruts. This last two miles require 4x4 vehicles to handle a couple of short steep bits adjacent to a wash. Usually we carpool the last miles, so masks may be desirable for some. This final road does have deep ruts and soft sand across flat terrain, and one rocky patch to climb, and sometimes the car will tilt to the side quite a bit in the deeper ruts. Fun beginner stuff. See you there! ----------------------------------------- Please note: Meetup organizers are not tour guides and are not park rangers. Expect the same risks and take the same precautions you would if you were hiking alone. You are solely responsible for your own safety and well-being. By signing up for and/or attending this Meetup event, you acknowledge, understand, accept, and agree that hiking and other outdoor activities can be dangerous and can cause serious bodily injury and possibly death. The organizers of this group and current and former members cannot be held responsible or liable in any way for the actions of any participant - including you - at any event. All attendees participate at an event at their own risk and are solely responsible for any damage to their property, and/or injury to themselves or their guests. By signing up for and/or attending this Meetup event, you affirm that you understand this disclaimer and that you knowingly and voluntarily agree not to bring any type of claim arising out of or related to this Meetup event against the organizers of this Meetup group.