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TRIPS AND TRAILS

CHUCKWALLA TRAIL----RED CLIFF DESERT RESERVE

TYPE:                 Mostly two track

LENGTH:             0.91 miles

DIFFICULTY:       Easy / more difficult

AREA:                Red Cliff Desert Reserve

SUB AREA:         Paradise Canyon

 

 

TRAILHEAD:       From St. George, Go north on Bluff Street ( State Road 18 ). Go thru the intersection of Red Hills Parkway and Bluff Street and travel about .2 miles. The trailhead is on the left and is well marked.

The Chuckwalla Trail is one of the most popular trails in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve because of its close proximity to residential areas, a friendly network of trails in Paradise Canyon, and the red rock formations throughout the area. A little less than 1 mile in length, it serves as a major connector to Beck Hill, Turtle Wall, Halfway Wash, and Paradise Rim Trails.

Trailhead parking area on the west side of Bluff Street

The Chuckwalla climbing wall is close and popular and provides suitable climbing for both novices and intermediates.

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Observant visitors may see cottontail rabbits, lizards, hawks, roadrunners, eagles, an occasional tortoise during there active season, and on rare occasions, a coyote.

Red Rock formations abound throughout Paradise Canyon.

I found a good spot to spend the night, but not a very comfortable one. I spent the entire night just trying to stay warm enough to get a few hours sleep, but seemed like I spent more time awake and shivering than I did sleeping.

When the sun finally started to show itself the next morning, I did nothing but thank God for the light and the fact that I had made it thru another cold night of shivering and trying to stay warm. I decided that day that I was not going to go anywhere. I was going to sit there and wait for any sign of people or maybe the sound of a chopper. Besides, I was too beat up and exhausted from bushwhacking and not getting any sleep. Finally around 10am that morning, I hear the faint sound of a chopper. Getting louder by the second, I knew they were out there for a reason and was hoping that reason was me.. Growing louder and getting closer, I see him coming over the ridge behind me and almost lost it with joy. I jumped up, grabbed my red bandana and started waving it hoping that they would spot me down below. They flew right over me and kept on going. Hopes were shattered just for a few seconds until I see them make a U turn and fly back to my location. When they got to me, they stopped and hovered above for a couple minutes, and then flew away. Not knowing what was going to happen next or what their plans were, I tried to relax and stay calm until the 2nd stage of the rescue took place. It was about 4 hours later that I heard someone yelling in the distance. They had finally arrived at my location. I yelled back again and again. They had come to my rescue :) 

I find out later the story behind the rescue effort and the chopper coming and going. As they were hovering above me , they were getting a GPS track on my location. They then flew back to the trailhead and put together a hiking team to hike up to my location. I can't thank WCSAR for their expertise and their concern about the condition I was in when they found me.      

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. It was an experience that I will never forget and one that I hope I never have to go thru again

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