Snow Canyon allows dogs, which surprises people who are used to national parks that ban pets on trails. Utah State Parks says dogs are permitted on park trails and in the campground. That permission has four conditions, and all four apply at once: a leash no longer than 6 feet, the dog under the owner’s control, travel only on designated mapped trails, and waste scooped, bagged, and thrown in a trash can. Current conditions have also said all trails are open to leashed dogs. Recheck that page before you assume a specific trail is still on the list.

The park explains why the leash is not optional. Snow Canyon is inside the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, set aside for the Mojave desert tortoise. Off-leash dogs stress wildlife, including tortoises, and the park shares the space with people who may be afraid of dogs. Washington County’s leash law is part of the same picture. The park’s B.A.R.K. code puts it in plain language: always leash, bag the waste, know which trail is legal, and keep paws on the trail. A “good dog” that cuts a switchback is still off trail.

The off-trail rule applies to people, not only pets. The park says leaving the path damages fragile plants, breaks the cryptobiotic crust that holds sandy soil in place, and can collapse burrows animals use to escape the heat. Footprints last a long time in this ground and invite the next person to follow, which is how an illegal trail network starts. Designated scrambling is limited. The know-before-you-go notes name Galoot Hill, the Petrified Dunes, and the Whiterocks area as scrambling areas. Everywhere else, stay on the mapped line.

One trail is not a year-round walk. Johnson Canyon is closed from March 15 through September 14 except for ranger-guided hikes, to protect habitat during feeding and breeding seasons. The alerts page adds that Arch Canyon and rock-climbing routes in Johnson Canyon close for the same window. Do not treat a closed sign as a suggestion, and do not send a dog around the fence. If you want that canyon in summer, look at the park’s event list for a ranger hike instead of improvising.

Bikes and horses share some routes and not others, which matters if you are walking a dog. The park FAQ allows bikes on Snow Canyon Drive, the paved Whiptail trail, and West Canyon in the main canyon, and on Paradise Canyon trails except the interior of the Gila trail, which it calls impassable to bikes. Bikes are not allowed on the Johnson Canyon trail. West Canyon Road is a gravel road closed to most vehicles and popular with bikes, runners, and horses; maintenance and emergency vehicles still use it. The 2026 park brochure says to ask for a map of designated horse trails. Give horses and bikes the line, keep the leash short when you pass, and do not let a dog chase lizards off the tread.

Wildlife etiquette is the same idea. Do not harass or collect desert tortoises. If one is in the road, follow the instructions on the park brochure for a legal, careful move rather than picking it up for a photo. Snakes live here, including species the park names on its hiking notes. Give them the whole trail width and wait. Ravens and squirrels will investigate a pack. Do not feed them. Read know before you go and the Know Before You Go page if a rule here and a sign at the trailhead ever disagree. The sign wins.

Close view of a red sandstone surface with dark biological soil crust and a small plant, Snow Canyon State Park.
Cryptobiotic soil crust on sandstone, Snow Canyon State Park. Photo: joannapoe, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Practical takeaway

If the dog cannot stay on a 6-foot leash on a mapped trail, leave the dog at home that day. Johnson Canyon is closed March 15 through September 14 except ranger-guided hikes.

Related on this site: Hiking and park tips, day-pack loadout, and a sample trip plan. More guides: guides index.

Quick FAQ

Are dogs allowed on Snow Canyon trails?

Yes. The park says all trails are open to leashed dogs (6 ft max), on designated, mapped trails, with all waste bagged and binned.

Can I hike off trail?

No. The park is part of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and allows designated, mapped trails only. Designated scrambling areas are Galoot Hill, Petrified Dunes, and Whiterocks.

When is Johnson Canyon closed?

March 15 through September 14 each year, except ranger-guided hikes.