Hike White Rock Peak and Peak 5024 - Snow Canyon State Park

Hike two of the highest summits on Snow Canyon's east rim for views seen by few.

Lindy near White Rock Peak's summit with the east fork of Snow Canyon below.
Red Mountain Wilderness across, on the west rim with its highest point, Snow Benchmark, the brown dome mostly covered by the tree.

Trip Stats
Location:  Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and Snow Canyon State Park near St. George, Utah.
Distance/Elevation gain:  4.2 miles out and back/1,150' cumulative gain.  White Rock Peak = 4,870',  Peak 5024'
Maps/Apps:  Topo Maps US, USGS Santa Clara Quad 7.5 min topo map
Date Hiked:  11/30/2024
Trailhead:  White Rocks Trail off of Hwy 18 north of St. George.
Considerations:  Experience in navigation using topo maps required as this route is not marked.
Coordinates:  White Rock Peak = 37.23908 , -113.64775.  Peak 5024 = 37.24431, -113.64886
Geology:  Navajo Sandstone, Lower Jurassic, ~180 million years ago.
Native peoples:  Virgin River Anasazi until ~ 1,200 AD, folowed by Shivwits Paiutes.  There is a petroglyph panel nearby.
Quote:   "There are some good things to be said about walking.  Not many, but some." 
                    -  Edward Abbey

Biological Soil Crusts Rule!

Related Posts

Snow Benchmark

Red Mountain Primitive Trail

Snow Canyon Overlook

A Cold Desert

The view west from White Rock Peak
The West Canyon Road snakes through petrified sand dunes and cliffs of Snow Canyon State Park, below.

Our GPX tracks starting from White Rocks Trail following canyon to White Rock Peak (bottom spur) and north to Peak 5024.
These peaks rise above the east fork of Snow Canyon (left), with views of basalt flows and cinder cones to the east.
North points up.

One of the outstanding aspects of this hike is the magnificent views of the entire geography of Snow Canyon State Park that only a few get to see.  We stand on top of its rim, while the burgeoning  number of Snow Canyon visitors hike popular trails in the bottom such as Petrified Sand Dunes and Lava Flow.
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​Now we've hiked the highest peaks on Snow Canyon's west and east rims.  On the west rim, our Snow Benchmark hike reached the highest point in the beautiful Red Mountain Wilderness.  On the east rim, we summited the highest peak in Snow Canyon Sate Park - Peak 5024 - along with White Rock Peak with an awesome view of the deep chasms and sheer cliffs of Snow Canyon to the west and the black cinder cones and basalt flows near the town of Veyo to the east.

The gorgeous north/south Red Mountain Primitive Trail is the only rim trail in Snow Canyon State Park noted on maps. 

We took our friends Lindy, Jeff and Robin to White Rock's summit and Peak 5024 after we had found our way to them previously.   We accessed the east rim via a pretty canyon via the sandy wash that borders Highway 18, at Winter Quarters, shown on a  topo map.   

We found an animal trail leading up from the mouth of this steep-sided canyon to the right (north).  At first, the head of this canyon looks to be blocked by a headwall, but we found a steep exit trail obviously made by hikers to avoid Class 3 or 4 obstacles.  It brought us to the base of White Rock Peak where we scrambled up its north side. 

Our ascent canyon is unnamed as far as I know.  It took a bit of navigating/maneuvering on rocky moderately steep slopes, avoiding the bouldery bed of the creek most of the way.  I left a "duck" (rock trail marker using small amount of rocks, usually 2 - 4) at our creek crossing marking our entry into the creek, so we could see our way out on the return hike.  However, even if we did miss this trail mark, I can still see our previous tracks on my GPS and phone on the Topo Maps US app.

There was no water running at this time - only pools reflecting the yellow rocks above and the blue sky, with a thin sheet of ice in the morning.  I bet the water flow after a rain in this canyon is beautiful.  I'll run up here with my camera during the next rain.

Pure delight awaits as you top out on the east rim.  At the base of White Rock, there's a gorgeous flat area with curving ramps and flat rock stacks, and perhaps petrified sand dunes - all sorts of sandstone forms, and some highly developed biological crusts (see below).
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At White Rock's summit, Snow Canyon's deep chasms, made of striped white and orange Navajo Sandstone drop down to meet up with West Canyon Trail on its floor.  So many Colorado Plateau elements to take in:  white sandstone, accentuated with pockets of junipers, pinyon pines and prickly pear cacti undulates in many fun-to-walk forms.  Orange rock-strewn peaks rise above, inviting a boulder-filled scramble to the top.   I couldn't find a peak register.

Snow Canyon's highest summit, Peak 5024, lies ~ 15 degrees to the north of White Rock Peak, where you can see its summit.  We did the fun scramble to it, finding our way up a passage between sandstone domes on a path with a few footprints on it (some refer to this trail as "Awesome Chasm Trail").  We found remnants of possibly an old wooden survey marker on top.

Since 5024 is further north, you get a great view of the cinder cones to the north and the youngest rocks in this landscape:  the basalt flows that originated from vents and cones to the north.  The age of these flows is < 0.5 - 1.0 million years old.

Basalt flows lie at the foot of the Pine Valley Mountains on the horizon in photo at right.

Summit of Peak 5024, the highest in Snow Canyon State Park, with an old wire wrapped around rock at right and remnants of possible survey marker.  Rock cairn on top!

Biological Soil Crusts Rule!
Well-established biological crusts thrive in open spaces between plants - they're miniature "mountains" of stabilizing lichens, cyanobacteria, and fungi.  The significance of cryptobiotic soils are easy to overlook as you take in beautiful sights at eye level.  The crusts in the photo are near White Rock Peak.

It's really important to avoid stepping on these crusts, as it takes many years to start building ones that have been crushed.  The crust in the image on the right represents a "pinnacled" morphology that is typical of the Colorado Plateau cool deserts.  The pinnacles are caused by frost-heaving, and can be up to 15 cm high.  These crusts can have a lot of lichen-moss cover - up to 40%.

Though it was almost December, the sun was warm and the day was perfect.  We love hiking with Robin, Lindy and Jeff and I'm always amazed at the great friends we have met here in St. George.  We did the epic Grand Canyon rim to rim hike in May with Jeff and plan on another one, this time south to north rim.  We're grateful our legs can take us to these remarkable places!

Our first attempts at finding White Rock Peak - climbing fractured sandstone just off the White Rocks Trail.
The polygonal and checkerboard fractures in this Navajo Sandstone are caused by temperature differences:  the sandstone got hot on summer days, then the shallow surface of the rock cooled down at night.  However, the deeper rock remained heated, and that created enough of a temperature difference to make the sandstone fracture.

Starting at bottom of canyon leading to White Rock Peak.

Making our way up canyon - passing a pool with a skim of ice on the surface.  You can see the dark edges of it where there was recently water.  We need more rain!!

The same pool as above, this time we were coming back from our first White Rock Peak hike.

We eventually dropped into the canyon around the corner of this big outcrop to the right, where we found a trail on the hillside above right that took us to the base of White Rock Peak.

Dropping into the bottom of the canyon to gorgeous lichen-covered sandstone, junipers and manzanitas.

Getting onto what looks like a human-made trail that leads up steep, rocky terrain on left side of canyon.

Fred (lower right) climbing trail leading out of canyon.  We passed the dome above left on our way to Peak 5024.

Nearing the top of Snow Canyon's east rim and the base of White Rock Peak, looking at the canyon we just ascended.
Diamond Cinder Cone in distance on left.

Another beautiful pool at the top of the canyon.

Arriving at the base of White Rock Peak. 

Trail to summit of White Rock Peak (lower left) that goes by the large pinyon pine with stacked rocks under it.

A great-looking "chasm" on the way up.  Looking at Deidre Peak on the west rim across Snow Canyon's valley.

Jeff and Fred near White Rock's summit.

Both images above looking at Snow Canyon's west rim from White Rock's summit.

Images from White Rock Peak's summit (clockwise).  View to the north of Pine Valley Mountains, Sue in her element, polygonal "pillows" at the base, West Canyon Trail in Snow Canyon's East Fork.

After White Rock, heading to Peak 5024 upper right.

Finding a way up to the saddle below Peak 5024.

Working our way to the saddle on Peak 5024's north ridge.

Almost at Peak 5024's summit, the highest in Snow Canyon State Park!

Peak 5024 summit:  looking south at White Rock Peak upper left.

Jeff, Robin and Lindy heading down toward ascent canyon.  Excellent hike today!

Fred heading down toward ascent canyon.

Elevation profile for White Rock Peak and Peak 5024, with a cumulative gain of 1,150'.

References
Loope, D. B. 2019.  Hexagonal Fracture Patterns On Navajo Sandstone Crossbeds At Yellow Knolls, Washington County.  Utah  Geological Association Publication #48. 

A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts of Western U.S. Drylands.  Bureau of Land Management. Publication 4