Are you looking for a fun place to visit to escape the heat?? Visit these incredible waterfalls and spend the day enjoying the cool water!

To see if there are waterfalls please visit: https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/gunlock

Note: the waterfalls come during the spring when all the snows melt from the nearby mountains, flow down the Santa Clara River, and then overflows Gunlock Reservoir pushing all the excess water into the overflow area which cascades over the red sandstone rocks.  If you plan to visit the waterfalls in the hotter summer months then you will most likely be disappointed.  There may be some left over water in some of the potholes, but don’t expect to see roaring cascades.  From about April to May is typically a good time to visit.  Or when there are recent torrential rains.  Check the State Park homepage for current conditions.  You play on the waterfalls at your own risk!

On a recent trip to St. George, we made a visit to Gunlock State Park.  Since it was early spring, we knew there would be tons of water coming from the reservoir overflow area which meant we could go have tons of fun swimming in the Gunlock Waterfalls.  The reservoir is a fun area with lots to do, but this Trek focuses on just the waterfall area.

This area is a fee area so don’t forget to bring some cash and fill out an envelope at the fee station.

The lower area involves a little bit of very mild climbing on sandstone in order to get to the waterfalls.  It’s the quickest route, but may not be the best for very young children – you decide though.  From the lower parking lot, the trail is about 850 ft to the waterfall area.  From the upper parking, you need to cross over the dam, and you will be at the top of the overflow area.  The upper trail is completely flat but it’s about 1/3 mile walking.  Either way, this is not a long trek!

The waterfall area has some very steep areas, especially towards the southern parts where there is a 70+ ft waterfall into a large pond.  It’s so dangerous, in fact, someone died while cliff jumping here.  You can read the story at the Salt Lake Tribune.

You can still have a fun and safe time while swimming and doing some cliff jumping off the shorter “cliffs”.  The highest we jumped was about 8 ft, but there are a few higher and even shorter spots depending on what you want to do.  The waterfalls are setup as an open area so once you get there you can just go wherever you’d like.

This place can get VERY crowded so plan on sharing some of the pools and flatter areas with other visitors.  I would highly recommend bringing some shoes or sandals or something you can get wet because the overflow brings down lots of branches, rocks, and other debris.  Most of this stuff flows to the lower areas of the waterfalls, but you don’t want to be stepping on sharp objects.

There are tons of waterfalls and fun areas to relax at!  You could easily spend an hour or the whole day swimming – pack a picnic!

If you are looking for a more mellow experience then go on top of the waterfalls where there are plenty of shallow pools for your younger children.