Snow Canyon's Whiptail Trail is the paved bike path that runs the length of the state park from the south entrance to the upper end near the Lava Flow Trail. Six miles one-way, paved the entire distance, with elevation gain of about 400 feet on the climb in. It is the only sanctioned bike riding inside Snow Canyon State Park — the dirt trails are hiking-only — and it is the most-ridden paved bike route in Washington County.
A road bike ride dressed as a path
Whiptail rides like a road climb on a separated paved corridor. The grade is consistent, the surface is smooth, and the views — Navajo sandstone cliffs on both sides of the canyon, the cinder-cone volcano at the north end, and the famous white sandstone domes — make it one of the most photogenic paved rides in the western United States. Locals ride it as a road-bike workout, a family path with kids on cruisers, or an e-bike route for visitors who want to see the park without driving.
The state park rules
Snow Canyon State Park charges a per-vehicle entrance fee at the south kiosk. Cyclists pay a reduced bike fee. The park is open dawn to dusk; the path is heavily used in the cooler hours and quiet at midday in summer. Pets must be leashed. The path connects to Ivins city paths at the south end, which means strong riders can pedal from downtown Ivins through the park and back in a single ride without driving.
What a Whiptail ride pairs with
Most riders who do Whiptail also walk one of the dirt trails inside the park — the Petrified Dunes, the Lava Flow, the Whiterocks Amphitheater. The combination is the standard half-day Snow Canyon visit. Bike shops in St. George rent paved-path-suitable bikes specifically for visitors planning Whiptail rides without committing to a mountain bike.
Where Whiptail sits in the 435
Snow Canyon is the named-and-protected park inside the city limits of St. George, and Whiptail is the bike route that lets riders experience it without competing with hikers on the dirt trails. The path is also the only paved riding in Washington County that actually goes somewhere — most paved paths in the area are short residential connectors. Riders who want a hard-effort climb without dirt come here.