Pioneer Rim Trail

The Pioneer Rim Trail is a relatively easy hike that will afford you a great lookout over the Saint George area and out into the Red Cliffs Recreation area. We went in the morning on the weekend and had the trail to ourselves for most of the hike, treating us to the solitude we needed after a long week.

The trail leads over Pioneer Park. The red rocks are always cool to be on and walk over. You will definitely see more people here due to the access from Pioneer Park. 

The ultimate treat was seeing a baby Mojave Desert Tortoise. We have lived here for over three years and we have never seen a baby and I myself have only seen three adult tortoises in the wild. Less than 5% of these babies live to adulthood, so seeing one was the ultimate for this lover of all things nature. A very special treat for sure!

Difficulty: Mild. 

Trail Stats: 3.8 miles, out and back, 377 feet elevation gain.

Trail Finding: Difficult, the turn off from T-Bone is not marked all. Also, once you are on the red rocks, the trail is nearly impossible to know were it is in several places.

Conditions: Sandstone rock, small amounts of sand and loose rock.

Would I Repeat This: No, but I’m always glad to have tried something new.

Parking: Large parking lot.

Timing: No shade, please take this into consideration. Any time of year would work for this hike.

Downloaded Map: Yes, the trail is not clear at all in many places. It was annoying to have to keep looking at the tracks on my AllTrails downloaded map. I’d rather look at the scenery than my phone.

Fees: Unclear. Recreation.gov has a link for Red Cliffs Recreation area though no cost is listed and the ‘Purchase Activity Pass’ does not put anything into the cart. Please check prior to your day of recreation if a fee is required

Trails: Owen’s Loop, Pioneer Park, Red Hills Desert Garden, and more.