Hiking in Kane County

The Virgin River Rim Trail & Cascade Falls

This Multi-use trail (hiking, biking, horseback) follows the southern edge Of the Markagunt Plateau from a trailhead just off Hwy. 14 at Woods Ranch to a Forest Service Road at Strawberry Point. That's 32 miles total, but luckily the trail is split into four sections by Forest Service Roads, and offers nine different access points. Loops exist, but with a shuttle you can avoid hiking asphalt back to your car.

The whole trail offers excellent views of the Zion National Park backcountry, and alternates between fir and aspen forests and colorful cliffs of the Wasatch formation. The perfect choice for a short day hike in the trees, or a longer excursion into solitude. A popular section runs from the Cascade Falls Trailhead to the falls themselves, and offers excellent views of the surrounding country along a .08 mile long trail. Popular longer sections include the stretch from Woods Tanch to Te-ah Trailhead (12 mi), from Te-ah Trailhead to Cascade Falls Trailhead (8.5 mi), and from Cascade falls Trailhead to Strawberry Point (11.5 mi).

The Virgin River Rim Trail's elevation also offers an escape from the desert heat during the hotter summer month's, but spring and fall storms can make for some uncomfortable late season hiking.

Leave No Trace

All of the hiking areas mentioned in this brochure need your help. With the popularity of desert recreation on the rise, and increased media attention on Southern Utah after the creation of the new National Monument, it is more important than ever that outdoor enthusiasts teach themselves "Leave No Trace" principles. It's time to start taking personal responsibilty for the lands we love.

These six principles are:

  • Before you hike, plan ahead and prepare--know the special regulations and concerns of the area you plan to visit, travel in small groups and avoid popular areas during peak use.

  • Remember to camp and travel on durable surfaces., staying on designated trails, walking in single file, and using map and compasses to eliminate cairns, tree scars, and ribbons. Don't shortcut switchbacks. At camp, choose an established, legal site which is at least 200 feet from water sources, and restrict activities to areas where vegetation is compacted or absent.

  • Pack out everything you bring in.

  • Properly dispose of what you can't pack out, suck as dish water, wash water, and human waste (when visiting slot canyons and areas with sterile sandy soils, inquire first if the newly developed portable septic systems are requied or available.) Pack out all trash, yours and others'.

  • Leave what you find, including plants, rocks, pre-historic, and historic artifacts.

  • Minimize use and impact of fires by using lightweight backpacking stoves and candle lanterns, and where fires are permitted, by using established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.

    For more information about Leave No Trace outdoor ethics, please call the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) at (800) 332-4100 or Leave No Trace Inc. at (303)442-8222