Little Mountaineers Rating: Easy Moderate (1 mile round trip to waterfall steps)

This past week we headed south to find some warmer weather to enjoy our spring break.  One of the stops we made was in St George, Utah.  The St George area has all sorts of neat trails and hikes.  This trip we found the wonderful Red Reef Trail.  This trail is part of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and we accessed it through the campground at the Red Cliffs Recreation Area.  Here is a link with more details and how to get there.

This trail was very kid friendly, especially when you follow my tips below. (my little mountaineers are 2 and 6).

TIPS

1. Don’t ever feel like you have to finish the whole trail.  Always do what is comfortable for you and your family.  If you get to a hard spot it is okay to turn around.  Spend more time at the places along the trail that interest your family.
2. If you want your kids to have fun, let them have a little control.  If they want to stay by the stream and throw rocks for a while, or hike some of the fun rock formations, let them do it.  Child led hikes are usually not quick or with a destination in mind, they are usually all about exploring, curiosity and the sensory experience.
3. Bring plenty of water and snacks.  I bought my kids Camelbak Kid’s Mini M.U.L.E. backpacks for Christmas and it was the best investment ever.  A days supply of water and snacks fits in their backpack and hydration pack and they carry it on their own backs, even my two year old.
4. Check weather and plan a time of day that works best for your family.  Kids can get grouchy when their comfort is compromised.  Make sure the clothes and shoes they are wearing are weather and hike appropriate.  If you think they’ll get wet it is good to bring spares.

Okay now for all the fun parts.  Follow along my pictures below and check out our favorite parts of this trail.  Check it out for yourself and let us know how you like it!

We did quite of bit of “off trail” exploration.  There were many cool rock formations and other neat things right along the trail, my kids were in climbing heaven.

The picture above is a tree that looks like an elephant.  Below is the same tree on the backside with a perfect little area for exploring.

We hiked this trail the end of March so there was water in the stream and many waterfalls.

Pictured above and below was some of the “off trail” exploration we did.  You don’t have to do any of this as part of the trail, but it is right along side if you are feeling brave.

Pictured above was basically the very end of the trail.  You are able to scale the rocks with the rope and on the other side there are a couple more waterfalls and more rock and narrow canyon hiking.  We did cross this area with our kids because we felt comfortable doing so.  Feel free to call it quits here if you aren’t quite ready for this step.

Well that’s about it.  We spent a couple hours (round trip) on this trail in the early afternoon and it was the perfect way to spend our afternoon.  Stay tuned for more adventures from our spring break.   This blog will also feature adventures from other parts of Utah, other states, and even around the world.  Get out and become a mountaineer with your family!