VIRGIN RIVER GORGE, Ariz. — About 20 miles south of St. George, as you drive along I-15, you'll see the sign for the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area.
Or you'll see the sign for Exit 18/Cedar Pocket and, looking to your left, you might spot a few campsites. And you might think to yourself, "If I can see the campground from the freeway, I bet I could hear the freeway from the campground." And you might just keep on driving.
But wait.
This little piece of the planet has more to offer than you might think. When you visit the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area and take a 10-minute walk, away from the campgrounds and down to the river, all is quiet and peaceful, and you are a world away from city life.
This recreation area — 75 campsites (there are picnic sites, too) is open year-round — is a gateway to one of the most remote areas of the United States. This portion of the Virgin River is the border between the Paiute and the Beaver Dam Wilderness Areas.
The Beaver Dam Wilderness Area is 19,600 acres, circumvented by Cedar Pocket Road. The Paiute Wilderness area is 84,700 acres of mountains and desert.
In a larger sense, the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area is just a tiny part of the Arizona Strip, the entire portion of Arizona that's north of the Grand Canyon. The strip consists of 3 million acres owned by the Bureau of Land Management. Some of it is designated wilderness. Some is not. (The strip contains about 5,000 miles of roads, most of which are unpaved and not recommended for motor homes.)
The Arizona Strip is home to Joshua trees and creosote bush, Anasazi ruins and rock art, peregrine falcon and desert tortoise. In the river itself, the woundfin minnow struggles to survive. Big horn sheep have been reintroduced into the area around the Virgin River Gorge.
Visitors might also spot an antelope, or a mountain lion or a wild turkey. Or they might just hike up a canyon and see nothing more exciting than the layers of sandstone and the blue sky and still count it a day well spent.
Dave Boyd, a BLM public affairs specialist, said April and May are two of the best months to visit the Virgin River Gorge. By June, it's just too hot.
If you look at the trail map on the sign in the campground, you'll notice one trail taking off for Sullivans Canyon, heading out from the recreation area right across the river. Well, there's no bridge on that trail, so if you attempted to make that hike earlier this spring, you'd have had to swim the river. In April and May the water may be lower (although it wasn't last weekend, because of the rain). Anyway, when the days are warmer you may feel more like making the wade, or taking a tube into the gorge.
Most people are interested in hiking Sullivans Canyon, Boyd said. The Mountain Sheep Canyon hike is one of Boyd's favorites, especially in spring, when you can see butterflies and blooming cactus. He also recommends the 12-mile course up Black Rock Mountain. "It's rough," he said. Lots of chaparral. Some folks use horses to make the trek. Boyd likes the route because it takes you from the low desert into the pine trees.
In the winter, retired folks find the campground appealing, Boyd said. But spring is the prime tourist time. If you want to explore the area with a ranger, there are weekly programs every Monday evening this time of year.
On April 26, there's a lecture on "Venomous Critters of the Southwest"; on May 3, a "Follow the Spring Flowers" field trip; on May 10, a Dutch oven dinner with blue grass and country music; on May 17, "Along the Virgin River," with cowboy poetry. Call for times and details (435-688-3246).
If you go
What: Virgin River Recreation Area
Where: 20 miles southwest of St. George. Take exit 18 on I-15.
How much: Campsites are $6 a night; half off for Golden Age or Golden Access holders. Many are pull-through sites.
Reservations: Only taken for three group campsites.
Phone: 435-688-3200
E-mail: susan@desnews.com