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Location: La Verkin, UT
We took Leo (our 1.5yr old husky) down to La Verkin, Utah for a dog-friendly hike in the Red Rocks! I don’t take my dogs down to Southern Utah unless we’re in cold-weather months since he’s a snow dog & would likely overheat in the warmer months when the weather gets pretty high! For this specific trip, we went in January to get a bit of a break from the cold Utah winter!
LOCATION & ITINERARY
Location: La Verkin, Utah (~4 hours south of Salt Lake City)
Here’s the full itinerary:
Where we stayed: La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham La Verkin-Gateway to Zion
We picked a hotel for this adventure since it ended up being less expensive than an Airbnb and we were only going to be staying for one night! I would highly recommend staying here again cause they were SO good about making it easy to stay with a dog!
Hike 1: Red Reef Trail (2.2 mile hike- take $5 cash!)
Hike 2: West Cinder Knoll Trail (1.8 mile hike- no fee)
Location 3: Sand Hollow State Park (walked around the lake- free w/Utah State Park Pass)
HIKE 1: RED REEF TRAIL (2.2 MILE HIKE)
Red Reef Trail info on AllTrails: CLICK HERE
We picked a shorter distance for the first hike since we wanted to be able to fit several locations all in 1 day. The first location was Red Reef trail and I LOVED it, although we weren’t able to make it to the end. It’s a gorgeous amount of red rock and alternated between shaded and non-shaded portions. Here are a couple of notes about this hike:
1. Make sure to take $5 cash! When we went, we didn’t have anything other than a $20 bill on us and it’s an envelope system, so just make sure you’re prepared! Luckily we found a couple parked near us and they had change for two $10s so we just made a slight additional donation, haha.
2. There’s a rope portion that may be tough on dogs/some humans! We ended up having to turn around because Leo is not okay with heights and is not at all a climber. After this water-filled part, there are footholds and a rope which we would’ve been able to do, but dogs would likely struggle.
HIKE 2: WEST CINDER KNOLL TRAIL
West Cinder Knoll Trail info on AllTrails: CLICK HERE
I don’t have too much to say about this hike because we personally didn’t enjoy it. It was also a short one, but there weren’t any particularly cool views and it was pretty much under the sun the entire way.
LOCATION 3: SAND HOLLOW STATE PARK
Sand Hollow State Park info on AllTrails: CLICK HERE
State Parks are my favorite because dogs are allowed to join! This wasn’t a hike, but it was a nice leisurely walk around the lake as the sun set. It was gorgeous and we were able to find plenty of places without other people around where we could just relax and enjoy nature & quiet. I would definitely want to come back and spend more time at Sand Hollow just based on how pretty it was & would love to bring a kayak or a paddleboard next time!
LOCATION 3: SAND HOLLOW STATE PARK
I definitely want to create a full dog packing list later of what I take for my pups, but here’s a few specific ones I usually take on trips:
Dog Kibble Carrier from Kurgo
I love packing the dog’s kibble in this pouch whenever I travel. I used to use a million plastic ziplock bags, but honestly this is so much better. It packs up to 5lbs of dry food and has a top buckle closure that’s super easy to use.
Dog Cot
Even though the glamping tents allow dogs, I still like giving my dog his own place that he’s familiar with & hangs out on instead of the beds or floor. I have a cot similar to this one, and I’m linking this one from Amazon cause it has great reviews and seems easy to pack up for travel!
Dog Towels
Definitely take some towels specifically for the dogs cause if they’re like mine they’re going to love playing in the water, but will soak up & smell later! I haven’t used these exact ones from Amazon, but I’m about to order some for next trip to help get them drier!
Doggy Poop Bags
We all love poop-free sandy beaches! Don’t forget to take plenty of doggy poop bags to be responsible dog owners & clean up after bathroom trips!
FINAL THOUGHTS + WOULD WE COME BACK
100% YES! We would want to do the Red Reef Trail all the way through and bring a way to get Leo over the rope portion. We would also love to go back and kayak at Sand Hollow State Park and visit a couple of the other trails we looked up but didn’t have time to do! If you’ve ever been and you have other suggestions, please leave a comment!
If you want to watch the whole adventure, here’s a YouTube video of our Roadtrip to Southern Utah with a Dog in La Verkin!
