Camp Nestled Against the Water's Edge - Quail Creek State Park
Written: Jun 03 '04 (Updated Jun 04 '04)
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Pros: great scenery, camping on shoreline of reservoir, swimming and boating - access to other destinations
Cons: Beyond camping, boating and fishing - not many other recreational opportunities
The Bottom Line: Quail Creek State Park offers a beautiful lake and a well maintained campground that provides good access to destinations scattered throughout Utah, Nevada and Arizona
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| jps246's Full Review: Quail Creek State Park |
A great place to stop overnight on your way to Zion or other locations further into Utah, Quail Creek State Park offers a total of 46 camping sites (split evenly between RV and tent sites) along Quail Creek (which is damned and provides a large reservoir for boating and fishing).
The park is about 3,000 feet in elevation, giving it a generally pleasant climate where temperatures are generally slightly milder than in the lower elevation areas. In addition to camping, you can take some time to fish the shores of Quail Creek or explore Virgin Anticline, in which the park and reservoir sit.
Basics
Quail Creek SP is located about 16 miles to the north of St. George, Utah and is open year round. Access to the campground is provided is available from 6 in the morning until 10 at night. Reservations can be made through Utah’s State Park reservation system online at http://www.stateparks.utah.gov/visiting/reservations.htm or by phone at 1-800-322-3770.
There are 23 RV sites and 23 tents sites in the campground, which also feature handicap accessible restrooms and potable water taps. The restrooms have no shower facilities for campers.
The sites are situated along the banks of the Quail Creek reservoir, the furthest being about 100 yards from the water. Sites offer no hookups for campers beyond water and fires are allowed in the fire rings at each site.
Beyond the campground, visitors to Quail Creek can visit picnic areas along the banks of the reservoir, fish (with a permit) in the reservoir and go boating. There is a limit on the number of boats allowed in the reservoir at any one time, so it’s best to check with park officials on arrival.
There are no established trails in the park, though intrepid explorers can climb amongst the rock formations making up the sides of the anticline – however extended walks or hikes are limited generally to the shores of the reservoirs. For boaters there is a developed boat launch pad if you wish you put your boat into the reservoir.
What’s it like?
Quail Creek makes an excellent stop-over destination for those on their way to other destinations in Utah to the north (Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon) or for those heading southward towards Arizona and Nevada.
The scenery surrounding the campground and park is impressive – the reservoir and park sit in the bottom of the Virgin Anticline – a vast upwarping of rocks that has been eroded over time to expose the inner heart of the rocks (imagine layers of rocks – folded into an arch and then eroded – the sides of the arch remain – with rock layers arching upwards – but the center of the arch has been removed to the basement rock underneath through erosion). Excellent exposures of the layered rocks in this region of Utah are exposed on the sides of the anticline and come in many different types and colors, giving the Quail Creek area a striking appearance. You might even find some petrified wood and fossils in some of the layers (don’t remove them though, park regulations prohibit this). For more information the geology of the area – check out The Geology of Quail Creek State Park at: http://www.geology.utah.gov/online/pdf/pi-63.pdf.
The reservoir is a deep blue color and sits in the heart of the anticline, providing deep water fishing for visitors. It runs up to 120 feet in places and is stocked with rainbow trout, bullhead catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, and bluegill. The reservoir looks like a jewel nestled between the walls of the anticline.
Tent sites and RV sites are pleasant enough – surrounding by small trees, strategically placed rocks and other small improvements. Sites are generally leveled off and in sand making tent setup or parking your RV fairly easy. Not all the sites for the RVs are pull-through, so you may have to test your backing up prowess on some sites. If you’re setting up a tent – make sure that it’s very well secured, winds whistle through the anticline and can become quite strong.
What else is around?
St. George, Utah – a small city is about 16 miles to the south of the park and offers just about anything you’d expect to find in a city – restaurants, grocery stores, shopping, etc. Along a more natural vein, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Snow Canyon State Park, Zion National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park are all within a fairly short driving distance of the park. The Grand Canyon is to the south and the highway nearby, Interstate 15 runs directly to Las Vegas about 2 hours away.
My Experiences
I spent two nights at Quail Creek SP during a geology field trip in late March. We arrived as the sun was setting and were greeted to the spectacular sight of the dying sun’s rays playing on the rock formations along the edge of the anticline. After we got our tents setup we went to St. George for dinner (about a 20 minute drive) and when we returned, I understood why you needed to secure your tent in the desert – a gust of wind had ripped mine out and blown it halfway across the campground. Luckily a friendly camper had grabbed it and stowed it away until I got back. After that, I made sure to get the stakes further in and weigh the ropes and tent itself with rocks – and didn’t have any further blow-outs.
The temperatures were fairly chilly in late March – about 60 at its hottest and getting into the 30s at night. With the breeze blowing through, I was out in my fleece with a hat and gloves while we had the fire going at night.
Beyond the well-maintained restrooms at the park, there aren’t any facilities, so after spending a day in the desert tromping around and getting my body covered in grit and sand (and especially the long hair I had at the time), beyond jumping in the reservoir (swimming is allowed), which was way too cold – you can get yourself a bucket and try to rinse yourself using the water taps. I just stuck my head under it and washed my hair – but it was really cold!
I had a chance early in the morning before we had packed up for breakfast to take a jaunt with my geology professor up into the walls of the anticline. It was fun to explore the various layers or rock and in many ways, it’s like having a text book laid out in front of you – the differences in the rocks and layers are so wonderfully presented by nature.
We also explored the anticline from an overlook along the road that runs along the top of one side of the anticline – the view from its edge was amazing – with the reservoir nestled below and the anticline’s walls rising on the other side and to our left and right.
Would I stay again?
I’d stay again at Quail Creek – the park was neat, not crowded and well maintained. While I missed having a shower, I survived and in warmer weather, being able to swim in the reservoir would have taken care of that. So I keep Quail Creek SP in the back of my head whenever I plan my yearly trek to the southwest, hoping I can swing it so I spend a night here.
For more information
Utah’s state park system maintains a website for Quail Creek State Park at http://www.stateparks.utah.gov/park_pages/parkpage.php?id=qcsp. The site has basic information on the park, along with pictures from the area. If you prefer talking to a live person, you can call the park (435) 879-2378 or for the emailers out there, you can contact the park manager at parkcomment@utah.gov.
Final Thoughts
Quail Creek State Park offers a beautiful lake nestled among the walls of the Virgin Anticline and a well maintained campground that provides good access to destinations scattered throughout Utah, Nevada and Arizona. There might not be all the amenities of other campgrounds, but the park’s scenery makes up for that in spades.
Stop by and spend a night or two enjoying Quail Creek State Park, you’ll be happy that you did.
Other Southwestern US Destinations
Walnut Canyon National Monument / Wupatki National Monument / Meteor Crater / Sunset Crater / Red Rock Canyon
Travel Magazines
Travel & Leisure Magazine / Budget Travel / National Geographic Adventure / Outside Magazine / National Geographic Traveler
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: March-May
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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