If you’re planning a trip to Zion with your dog and want more than the one trail that allows them, this is a better way to do it.
There’s a point on the drive south where Utah changes over. The air dries out, the vegetation thins, and the ground turns that deep red that shows up all over this part of the state.
For me, the trip from Park City to St. George is a little over 300 miles, but it’s a straightforward drive, and at 80 mph most of the way, the distance feels compressed in an almost Einstein-ian way. By the time you get there, it feels like you’ve left one place and arrived somewhere else entirely.
This trip started with that shift.
Scamper and Loki’s people were headed to Zion National Park (they flew in to Las Vegas and it is a hop, skip and a jump from neon lights to red rock) and wanted photographs that actually included their dogs. Zion doesn’t make that especially easy. One official dog-friendly trail, and not much flexibility beyond that.
So instead of working around the rules, we went somewhere that doesn’t have as many.
SNOW CaNyon: A better way to "do" zion National Park
Snow Canyon sits just outside St. George and carries a lot of the same visual weight as Zion without the same limitations. Red rock, open terrain, fewer people, and just enough unpredictability to keep it interesting.
I drove down the day before to wander around and get a sense of it again. Locations like this don’t need much scouting so much as they need time. Time to notice where the light falls, how the terrain changes, and where a dog is likely to stop on its own instead of being asked.
Scamper made that easy.
She found the high ground early and stayed there, looking out over the sandstone like it was something she’d been doing for years (she probably had been – she’s definitely an old soul!). Loki had a different approach, which mostly involved moving steadily in whatever direction seemed worth investigating, checking back in occasionally to make sure we were still part of the plan.
Both of them are older, which meant we kept things reasonable. No rushing, no long sequences, and a steady supply of fresh baby carrots, which turned out to be the only negotiation tactic that mattered to them!
Sand, Time, and the occasional Volcano
The ground in Snow Canyon tells its own story if you spend enough time walking across it (or you buy the pamphlet in the Visitor Center!).
The sandstone started as wind-blown dunes somewhere around 183 to 173 million years ago, when this part of Utah sat closer to the equator and stayed dry enough for sand to pile up and stay put. Over time, those dunes settled and hardened into the formations that are still there now.
Much later, volcanic activity moved through the area and filled in lower sections with basalt, which cooled into the darker rock that cuts across the landscape in uneven stretches.
You don’t need to know the timeline to notice the difference. It’s obvious as soon as you walk from one surface to the other. It’s hard to miss the big chunks of basalt (or just call them black rocks if you aren’t picky!) interspersed along the red rock.
following the dogs rather than directing them
Most of this session was spent following Scamper and Loki rather than directing them.
Scamper moved carefully and picked her footing, as princesses are wont to do. Loki covered more ground, sometimes for a reason and sometimes not. Between the two of them, we ended up with a pace that made sense for everyone.
With older dogs, everyone is much happier if you don’t ask for perfect behavior but instead work with what they’re willing to give you and at their pace. (This is actually true of most dogs, regardless of age, and while it takes a bit more patience it results in a ton more natural personality.)
The carrots helped keep things moving, but Scamper and Loki were pros at managing their humans and the accompanying puparazzi.
When it comes together
Sometimes you get a moment without having to work for it too hard.
Scamper stopped and stayed put. Loki stepped in beside her like he meant to do it all along. They held it just long enough, then lost interest and went back to wandering.
That’s usually how it goes. Without staying too long in one spot, we can explore the area without getting bored or losing interest in the entire experience!
Stepping Back for the View
The next morning, we drove out to the LaVerkin overlook. Not to skip Zion, just to give the dogs a trip that actually centered on them.
After a couple days in Snow Canyon, the view opens up all at once. The cliffs sit out in the distance, broad and familiar, even if it’s your first time seeing them. I lived in Virgin for a while, years ago, and that stretch of road still gets me every single time I’m there.
We were hoping for sunrise light. It never showed up.
Cloud cover flattened everything out and kept the color more muted. Scamper stood steady. Loki checked in to make sure the carrot situation hadn’t changed.
We stayed there for a while anyway. It doesn’t need dramatic lighting to be worth the time.
Zion is Still Zion
Zion is as good as people say it is. There’s no need to argue with that.
You can bring a dog, but your options are limited, and most of the park is set up for people moving through it on a schedule.
Step outside the boundary, though, and things open up. Snow Canyon, and so many other places nearby offer the same kind of terrain without the same constraints.
That’s where Scamper and Loki made the most of it.
I’m based in Park City, but I tend to wander. Utah gives you plenty of reasons to, especially once you step outside the national park boundaries and start finding the places that don’t come with quite so many rules, but still close enough that you can also visit those ‘bucket list’ locations.
Snow Canyon State Park is one of those places. Same landscape, fewer limitations, and a better setup for dogs who want to be part of the whole thing.
If it’s worth going, I’ll get there.
And, the dogs don’t care how far I drive. They’re just checking to see what I brought for them (and I always bring the good stuff!)
If you want to explore southern Utah, northern Utah, or any place your pet may be comfortable, feel free to reach out and we’ll plan the perfect adventure for your pet!
Dogumentary Pet Photography
