Red Cliffs

Summary

Red Cliffs Recreation Area is a campground and day use area located at the base of towering Navajo Sandstone cliffs in the stunning Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. It has many trails for hikers and mountain bikers, as well as facilities for horseback riding, and plenty of opportunities to see local wildlife such as Gambel's quail or a Mojave desert tortoise. Campsites can be reserved online or by phone and come with shade shelters, picnic tables, potable water, and grills.

Overview

Red Cliffs Recreation Area includes a campground, day use areas, a non-motorized trail system, and interpreted public use sites. Dinosaurs left their footprints, now visible in the sandstone. Ancestral Puebloans lived here in the 10th century, growing corn, beans, and squash along Quail and Leeds Creek. Mid-19th century pioneers farmed here, supplying the area’s silver miners with food. Located within the Red Cliffs

National Conservation Area, the Recreation Area is managed to conserve and protect the natural and cultural resources of the public lands. 

Recreation

The Red Reef Trail follows Quail Creek into the Cottonwood Canyon Wilderness and is a very popular hike in the spring when seasonal runoff fills water pockets and plunge pools in the stream channel. There are many other trails in the Recreation Area that are scenic and enjoyable for hikers and mountain bikers, for shorter, moderately difficult rides. The White Reef Trailhead accommodates both large and small horse trailers, making it an ideal place for equestrians to start a longer distance ride on the Prospector Trial which connects to the equally popular Church Rocks Trail for extended riding.

Facilities

The Red Cliffs Recreation Area ‘s campground is open year round and includes 11 campsites with shade shelters, picnic tables, potable water, and grills. Sites 8 and 11 are accessible for visitors with disabilities, while sites 6,7, and 10 have pull-through parking. Only two vehicles are allowed per campsite. Accessible vault toilets are located between sites 5 and 7. Pets must be on a leash and under control at all times. Quiet hours are from 9 pm to 7 am.

Reservations are required for campsites and can be made at www.recreation.gov, or by calling 1-877-444-6777. First come first serve camping is not permitted and camping payment cannot be made on site.

Fees

Camping fees are $15 per night, plus an reservation administrative fee and are paid only on recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. The Day Use Fee is $5 per vehicle and can only be paid on site. Interagency Annual, Access, Senior and Military Passes are honored for half off camping and for day use fees. All fees collected at this site are used to fund operations, improvements, and repairs to the recreation area.

Camping Restrictions

Stays are limited to 14 days. To protect the area’s natural resources and to minimize impacts to private property, camping is prohibited on BLM managed lands within one mile of the recreation area. Vehicles over 11' 9" cannot acesss the Red Cliff's Recreation Area including the campground.

Natural Features

The campground and day use areas of the Recreation Area are located at the base of towering red cliffs of Navajo Sandstone. Quail Creek flows through the campground and supports mature cottonwood trees and willows that provide shade for many of the campsites and the day use areas. You may see a flock of Gambel’s quail or hear canyon wrens as you hike the trails the follow Quail and Leeds Creeks. If you’re lucky, you might spot a Mojave desert tortoise or a Gila monster, whose beaded skin and bold color patterns make it a standout among desert reptiles. To protect all of these native species and their habitats, please stay on designated trails.

Nearby Attractions

Quail Creek State Park. Zion National Park.

Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations: When reservation is cancelled a $10.00 cancelation fee is charged. This cancellation fee is in addition to the non-refundable reservation service fee. Late Cancellations: When a reservation is cancelled on the day before or the day of arrival the $10.00 cancellation fee will be charged and the first night use fee will be forfeited (not to exceed the total paid for the orginal reservation). No Shows: If a customer does not arrive and/or does not cancel reservation by check out time (11 :00am) the day after the scheduled arrival date a $20.00 service fee charged and will forfeit the first night's user fee.