BLM to Temporarily Close Parts of the Red Cliffs Recreation Area Public Lands for Maintenance

Bureau of Land Management
News Release Date: January 9, 2023

ST. GEORGE, Utah — The Bureau of Land Management St. George Field Office will temporarily close a portion of Red Cliffs Recreation Area from Jan. 16, 2023, to Feb. 6, 2023, for recreation- and cultural resource-related improvements and maintenance. The temporary closure is intended to provide for the safety of workers and the recreating public. The affected areas include approximately 100 acres within the Red Cliffs Recreation Area including Red Cliffs Campground and surrounding trails in Washington County, Utah. This closure includes the popular Red Reef Trail. The nearby White Reef Trailhead, as well as its access road, will remain open.

“Our top priority is the safety of the public, our staff and contractors,” said St. George Field Manager Jason West. “Temporary closures will ensure workers and members of the public are safe around the construction areas. I hope visitors will enjoy these improvements when the areas reopen.”

Funding for the project comes from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). The GAOA was signed into law in 2020, providing major investments to address deferred maintenance needs, increase recreational access to public lands and improve the conservation of our lands and waters. The GAOA funding supports several maintenance and improvement projects that will be completed during the closure, including repairing or replacing campground amenities such as shade shelters, picnic tables and fire rings, construction of a Red Reef Trail trailhead with an informational kiosk and additional signage, and repairs to the fence and parking lot at the historic Adams house. Once complete, recreationists will enjoy improved and more-equitable public access and an enhanced visitor experience.

The Red Cliffs Recreation Area is located within the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and provides a small campground, shaded picnic areas, historic and paleontological sites, and miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Signs will be posted to notify the public of the temporary closure.