Journeys: Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, Yant Flat, and Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road, Utah

The frigid, smoggy inversion that plagues the Salt Lake Valley each winter has been in full force for the past few weeks. Without any storms to clear the stagnant air, the city has been suffering from pollution and cold temperatures. Meanwhile, the higher elevations and the deserts of southern Utah have enjoyed plentiful sunshine and relatively mild temperatures. With a three-day holiday weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Roger and I decided to head south to take advantage of the unusually warm January weather and give our lungs a break from the polluted air up north.

Camping at Red Cliffs Recreation Area Campground

Red Cliffs Recreation Area

Stealing a weekend from winter!

We decided to camp at Red Cliffs Recreation Area, just north of the small town of Leeds, UT, to give us access to some of the many trails within Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. Also, I have camped at nearby Snow Canyon State Park many times so this gave us an opportunity to try something new. We arrived at the campground on Friday night and found it busier than expected. Some of the sites were under construction but we were able to find a nice, open site to set up camp and cook dinner before heading off to bed.

Quail Creek passes through Red Cliffs Recreation Area campground - an oasis in the summer!

The clear skies made for a frosty morning so we waited in the tent until the sun began to warm the air. We enjoyed the clear blue skies and glowing red rocks that surrounded our campsite as we ate our breakfast and prepared for the day. We drove back through the town of Leeds and on to Silver Reef Road before making our way along the base of the Pine Valley Mountains, following a bumpy but passable Forest Service dirt road. Our destination was Yant Flant and the Candy Cliffs, colorful sandstone formations that drop off from Yant Flat to the surrounding desert below. We found the trail leading to the cliffs and walked across Yant Flant for a mile and a half, enjoying the warm sunshine, desert scenery, and the satisfying feeling of stealing another day from winter.

Walking across Yant Flat

Utah agave on Yant Flat

We arrived at the cliffs and spent a few hours walking around the surreal sandstone landscapes. Some of the features reminded me of the famous "Wave" in Arizona, with more muted but equally beautiful colors. The views into Red Cliffs Desert Reserve were spectacular and we could see the stone towers of Zion along the eastern horizon. We had the entire place to ourselves and the quiet solitude made our visit even more enjoyable. When we were done wandering and photographing, we hiked back to the car and continued along the dirt road towards St. George, enduring some particularly bumpy and muddy patches along the way.

Roger at Yant Flat

Yant Flat and Cottonwood Canyon

Yant Flat

Yant Flat beer

Roger at Yant Flat

Yant Flat

Later in the day, we met up with Hunter, Col and their dog Kendall to do a loop hike from the Chuckawalla trail head. We spent a few hours hiking around the red rocks and enjoying the views above Snow Canyon Parkway.

Hunter and Roger

Kisses from Kendall

Col

Small arch along the trail

On Sunday morning, Roger and I hiked a portion of the Red Reef Trail from the Red Cliffs Recreation Area Campground to some small waterfalls a couple of miles from the trail head. These waterfalls and pools of water are popular swimming areas during the warmer months, but we had most of the place to ourselves for the entire morning.

Red Reef Trail

Later on Sunday, Hunter and Col offered to take us for ride in their new Jeep along Old Highway 91. We drove through some beautiful Joshua Tree forests on the Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway and made frequent stops to walk through and photograph the beautiful desert trees. After a quick stop in Beaver Dam, AZ to purchase lottery tickets (I didn't win), we met up with Col's parents in Mesquite, NV for some Bingo and casino-people watching. A big thanks to Hunter and Col for such a fun day and thanks to Roger for a great weekend of escaping the inversion in southern Utah!