The Yant Flat Cliffs is area is northwest of St. George down a dirt road that leads to a gorgeous view of red and orange rocks. This sandstone layer extends about 3 miles long at the southern boundary of a rocky plateau (Yant Flat), and the cliffs and buttes offer a variety of unusual striped rock formations. The wavy bands occur in shades of orange, red, pink, yellow, and white. Exploring the Yant Flat Cliffs (aka Candy Cliffs to locals) is relatively easy as you maneuver steep slopes across slickrock.

About

The best time to explore the Yant Flat Cliffs is Spring or Fall, before the temperatures get extremely hot. There’s no shade or water, so you’ll want to start early in the morning to beat the heat. In Winter, despite the belief that Southern Utah rarely gets snow, the road leading to the unofficial trailhead, known as Anna’s View Point Trail, can be closed off. This area is dog and kid friendly, but watch out for cactus. If you get too late of a start to the day, dogs can easily burn their paws on the hot sand and slickrock. Make sure you bring a minimum of 3 liters of water even when temperatures seem cooler.The best thing about the Yant Flat Cliffs, is once you reach the view point, it’s an “explore on your own” area. There’s no official trails or famous places to see – adventuring on your own is what makes it special. You’ll notice that my map below ends at the view point, 1.3 miles in. This is because it’s up to you to decide where you want to hike to, and I didn’t want to put my exact location on here. Because it’s easy to keep hiking and admiring the colorful rocks and possibly get lost, make sure you have a GPS or good map to keep track of where you are. I always use my app, Gaia GPS, to track my routes. 

Directions

If you are heading south on I-15, use this map. Take exit 23 and drive slowly through the neighbor hood, road FR032. Eventually you’ll come to this split in the road.

Stay stright for St. George. From here reset your odometer to 0. Drive 7 miles to an area that can obviously fit 10-15 cars on either side of the road – the road is now FR031. If the road has recently been graded, small cars should be able to make it to the TH. Otherwise, you’ll need 4×4 cars. I would call the Pine Valley Forest Ranger before heading out, to check on the road condition. My friend went here in May and said her RAV4 couldn’t make it all the way, yet this past weekend the road was in perfect shape and even my Sonata could have made it. We drove in a Tacoma just to be safe. It really depends on the weather. Call the Ranger at 435.7834338.

 

Trail Info

Distance: 1.3 miles to Anna’s View Point

Elevation gain: flat

Time: varies, 1 hour minimum

Dog friendly? Yes, off leash

Kid friendly? Yes

Fees/Permits? None

This road generally stays in really good shape, except after recent rains.

Anna’s View Point Trail starts on the south side of the road. You’ll see these boulders and the brown post. You used to be able to take a Razor/ATV down here, but has been closed off for revegetation. There is no official TH sign.

 The first mile weaves through a typical pinyon-juniper pine forest, dotted with desert plants. In Spring the yucca and cholla cactus will be in bloom with bring pink flowers.

I love hiking here in early spring/late winter – it was a perfect hiking temperature in the upper 50Fs. A cool breeze made it feel colder. Check out all the gear I use on the RockPorch app here!

 The last 1/3 mile turns into a sand pit, making it hard to hike through.

 At 1.3 miles you’ll reach the overlook, Anna’s View Point. From here, explore on your own!

 Look at those deep blue skies!!! A perfect day to be in the desert.

So many good spots to take in the view of Yant Flat!

 Beautiful orange and yellow slickrock.

 Charlie takes in his view.

A day in the desert can wear a pup out!

On a clear day you can see all the way to Zion National Park!

Can’t forget to mention the great view of Signal Peak on the hike back to the car!

Yant Flat was my last hike on my trip to St.George, so when I got back to my car I cleaned up with some baby wipes and put my clean and comfy custom t-shirt on from Rush Order Tees! I love having my own logo on a t-shirt!

 

Check out my video!

Trail Map

Trail map to Anna’s View Point overlook. From here, explore on your own.

Recommended Gear

Nearby Hike

Signal Peak

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