A fabulous way to spend a full day afoot is to fill the canteens with water and the back pack with sandwiches and a power snack, and hike the 20-mile Hurricane Cliffs Trail System. With the right foot gear and attitude, this superlative trek can easily be accomplished during daylight hours. Just want a piece of this adventure? No problem. The trail is really a combination of connecting trails that offer loops out and back.
There are several trailheads for access, basically wherever a named road intersects the trail system. The most popular access by far is right above the City of Hurricane on Hwy 59 where the radio antennas strike a pose along the edge of the cliffs. Park there, grab a trail guide from the info box, and start walking.
If you head north, or up, from the parking area, you will follow a common trail that switches back and forth to an outstanding overlook of Hurricane. You then need to make the decision to walk either the Rim Trail or the Canal Trail, which you can do as a loop if you want to head back to the car afterwards.
To leave enough time for the entire hike during one daylight period, choose between the Rim and Canal Trail and then stay on the single trail the rest of the way. You will walk eastward under Gooseberry Mesa, go by the Virgin Dam, then south past a quarry and within sight of Sheep Bridge Road. Halfway through the day you will be on the Jem Trail, crossing Hwy 59 to the Goulds Trail, and will now be hiking back to the parking area from the south end of Hurricane.
The Hurricane Cliffs Trail System is open year round. Respect private property along the way, and watch your footing in certain areas. Take plenty of water if hiking this entire trail system in the summer. No campfires allowed.
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