Yant Flat (Candy Cliffs) – Leeds, UT

YANT FLAT (CANDY CLIFFS) – LEEDS, UT

YANT FLAT (CANDY CLIFFS), Leeds, UT

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Distance: 2-7 miles round-trip

TRAIL SUMMARY

Yant Flat is one of Southern Utah’s little gems that it seems you have to be from out of town to know anything about! This hiking trail takes you across a quick mile of lower forest at the base of Pine Valley Mountain, and then spits you out onto some of the most incredibly colored sandstone formations that exist on this earth! There are two main areas of exploration and you can easily spend a couple of days hiking across the candy like swirls.

TRAIL DETAILS

Difficulty Level
Moderate
Round Trip Length
2-7 miles (depending on how much exploring you do)
Average Hike Time
2-5 hours roundtrip (depending on how much exploring you do)
GPS Coordinates
Trailhead: 37°14’05.2″N 113°28’37.5″W Candy Cliffs: 37°13’09.2″N 113°28’22.4″W
Property Management
Dixie National Forest
Distance from St George
27 Miles (50 minutes driving)
Restroom Facilities
No Facilities Available
Hikers Allowed
Yes
Dogs Allowed
Yes
Bikers Allowed
No
Equestrian Allowed
Yes
Hike Type
Day Hike
Best Time of Year to Hike
Late Spring, Early Fall, Winter (watch the weather- snow and heavy rain will make the rock slippery and possibly impassible)
Best Time of Day to Hike
Early Morning, Evening
Group Limit
No Limit
Permit Information
No Permit Required
Cost
Free
Water Sources Available
Standing pockets of water after rain (do not drink water without filtering or purifying)
Camp Sites
No marked sites, but the forest is open for campers. Leave no trace.
Trail Conditions
Dirt road, sandy single track trail, sandstone
Sun Exposure
Full sun exposure. Depending on time of day there may be some shade from rocks.

TOP 3 HIKE HIGHLIGHTS

Candy Like Swirls
Spectacular Views
Family Friendly

WHAT’S NEARBY

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Shopping / Trail Gear

DIRECTIONS TO TRAIL HEAD

Map to Trailhead. From St George, head north on I-15 for about 13 miles and take exit 22 to Leeds/Silver Reef. Turn left onto Main Street and head north for about 1.5 miles. Turn left onto Silver Reef Rd and follow for 1.2 miles until it turns into a dirt road (Oak Grove Road) and continue for about 2 miles. At this point the road forks and there is a sign that says St George left and Oak Grove right. Head left toward St George. On a map this road is FR031. You will follow this road for about 7 more miles until you reach your destination on the left. (It is about 1.5 miles past Yankee Doodle Hollow Creek if you are looking on a map.) You will recognize the trailhead when you see a forest service road (FR903) head north on the right, and a little pull out just opposite on the left. Pull into the left ‘pull out’ and this will start your trail journey!

TRAIL MAP

Total distance: 5.97 mi
Max elevation: 4724 ft
Min elevation: 4380 ft

Download

TRAIL PHOTOS

FLORA & FAUNA

Plants: Typical plant life for Southern Utah lowland hiking.
Animals: Typical animal life for Southern Utah lowland hiking.

TRAIL REPORT

yant-flat-hiking (26) My visits to Yant Flat have been akin to out of body experiences. You don’t just visit Yant Flat and its Candy Cliffs, you experience it. You soak it in, and it changes you. I’ve mentioned many times that getting out on a hike and seeing the beauties around me brings me closer to God. Well Yant Flat was a list topper for me so far!

My first couple of trips to Yant Flat were prompted by some new friends who contacted me through hikestgeorge.com and mentioned they would be coming to the St George area to do some hiking and would love to have someone show them around. They said they would like to visit Yant Flat and not only had I had never been there, I had never heard of it. I quickly started doing some research and discovered (although information was limited) an incredible place that I HAD to visit. So, I took my brother (on one of the few stormy days in Southern Utah) and we set out to find this mysterious place. The rain, which had fallen all night, was not letting up like the weather channel said it would, and the road was getting more and more soupy as we approached our destination. As we pressed on with eager determination, we hit the patch of road about a mile before the turn out – yeah, the part that turns to clay, and we were zig zagging all over the road (even in 4-wheel drive). At this point, being mostly out of cell range, and in the back country, I had no intention of being stuck where no one could come get us until it dried out, so we marked the trailhead and hurried back to civilization.

yant-flat-hiking (40) My second trip was with my good friend Mark. The weather was drastically different when we went out in early October. It was turning out to be a nice clear day as we pulled up to the trail. The sun was just starting to think about coming up, and as we crossed over the forest area between the road and the cliffs it began to peek up over the cliffs of Zion National Park, which could be seen in a full panoramic view in front of us. Needless to say, it was beautiful! The first 3/4 of a mile of the trail is a nice hard pack old jeep trail that meanders through the juniper and high desert foliage. The final 1/4 mile before you get to the cliffs turns out to be pretty sandy, but we pushed through (definitely worth it!) and took the right fork of the trail that crested up on the sandstone rocks overlooking a wide expanse and canyon of the most incredible swirling colors of sandstone I had ever seen!

We explored the “west end” of Yant Flat for over an hour – bounding here and there to look at different formations and designs in the rock. The Navajo Sandstone was riddled with turtle back designs. This is the point where words lose their ability to adequately describe the spectacular experience we had. See the pictures for the “words can’t tell” description. After running out of time, and wishing we had the whole day to explore, we decided we had better start heading back, but not before heading out on the left fork of the trail to quickly see where it went. I jogged the 1/2 mile to find another overlook to an overwhelming view of a playground that I knew I HAD to come back and check out.

yant-flat-hiking (50) My third and final (as of this post) trip to this candy play ground was with my new friends Nina and Jim. We followed the trail, and as we had both previously visited the right fork, we headed to the left and began our exploration of this incredible place. As we dropped down from the sand trail onto the sandstone candy swirls my friends took advantage of the many opportunities to take pictures, and I began to scamper around, exploring this new wonderland. There were 30 ft mounds of rock stacked up in little piles like a vanilla butterscotch twist. The colors swirled in and around the rocks just like salt water taffy. I could go on and on about this place, but you really have to experience it to get the full effect.

Not only was it hard for me to believe there were rock formations and patterns that are so amazing that I never knew about, I couldn’t believe how much area there was that had these petrified dunes exposed. I felt like we could just keep going and going down the slope that heads toward Red Cliffs Recreation Area. As we explored down the ravine we came across a large puddle that had formed from the recent rains. It looked like a pond, but was only about 6 inches deep despite being about 75 feet long. The interesting thing about the water was it was churning as though there were thousands of little bugs moving about in it. Upon closer inspection we discovered there were tadpole shrimp swimming around. This was a first for me, and I was fascinated to sit and just watch them. They must burrow into the sand when the water dries up and then they come out and enjoy the water while it is there. Pretty cool little creatures.

After spending 5 hours exploring and taking our fill of pictures we decided we had better head back to town. I could spend more than 5 hours writing this post, but for the sake of the reader I will not. This was a spectacular journey and experience that I will remember very fondly. If you ever get the chance to visit Yant Flat give it a try! You will not be disappointed.

Until next time…your next adventure is right out your door!

YOU MIGHT FIND THIS INTERESTING TOO…

Bev van der Heide says:
April 15, 2018 at 8:41 am

How far of a drive from Springdale? Would love to include this on our final day of our vacation in May? Love your post and pictures- Utah has captured our hearts…
Reply
- Tim LeBaron says:
  April 16, 2018 at 1:48 pm
  
  Bev, Yant Flat is about 40 miles (1 hr 15 mins drive) from Springdale. It is a beautiful destination that I recommend if you have the time!
  Reply
Carley says:
February 12, 2018 at 3:11 pm

Hello! I have a Jeep compass, but it’s only 2WD. Do you think we will be okay on the road leading to the trailhead? We’re thinking of trying it out this upcoming weekend since we will be in the area. Thank you!
Reply
- Tim LeBaron says:
  February 12, 2018 at 3:31 pm
  
  Hi Carley! You should be just fine out there with 2WD. The only time I’d be worried is if it is really wet, and according to the weather forecast this weekend that shouldn’t be a problem. Hope this helps!
  Reply
Raymond says:
February 9, 2018 at 1:21 pm

HI there! I’m planning a visit to the Zion NP area during spring break this April. Assuming that the weather cooperates, would you recommend that I take the “left” for (your destination on the 3rd visit) with my kids ages 7 & 5? Can I feasibly visit both areas during my visit? I’d appreciate your advice.

Man, I sure hope I can take few beautiful shots of sunset at Yant Flats after I return the kids to the hotel. Gorgeous!
Reply
- Tim LeBaron says:
  February 9, 2018 at 2:24 pm
  
  Raymond, thanks for your question! I would definitely recommend the left, but I think if you dedicate a few hours to your visit you can do both. If you have to choose, there is more to see if you go left. Hope this helps!
  Reply
Dave says:
January 16, 2018 at 1:44 pm

Looks like a great place to visit. I will be in the area in a 30 ft RV. would I be able to get there. Have been down House Rock Valley Road without problems, but not sure Yant Flat is within reach with this rig.
Reply
- Tim LeBaron says:
  January 16, 2018 at 5:05 pm
  
  It is an amazing place to visit. I think you will have a hard time getting there in a 30 ft RV though. There are 5 hairpin turns that will be difficult to navigate. I would recommend renting a vehicle and visiting. I think you’ll find that it is worth it!
  Reply
Justin Scott says:
December 16, 2017 at 3:31 pm

Just went there today. Took a 2wd drive car. The dog and I loved it. We spent about three hours exploring. Very cool place. Glad you listed it or I would have never know about it.
Reply
- Tim LeBaron says:
  December 16, 2017 at 9:04 pm
  
  Glad you had a great time Justin! Pretty awesome place isn’t it!?
  Reply
Richard Rubicam says:
November 30, 2017 at 12:09 am

My wife and I have been on lengthy trips to do day hikes in Utah three times in recent years. Spring of 2016 was a six week trip focused on Capitol Reef and the Hwy 12 area. We could not drive our small motorhome on some roads to get to certain trail heads that we wanted to, much less places we did not know about. I must return to Utah again! But before our next trip I will try to arrange transportation to hike Yant Flat.

You can view some of my scenic photography at https://plus.google.com/+RichardRubicamPhotographer.
Reply
- Tim LeBaron says:
  November 30, 2017 at 10:33 pm
  
  Richard, thanks for checking in! You definitely need to get Yant Flat on your list for your next trip! When the weather is dry, the road is passable by most 2WD vehicles. Let us know if you need any suggestions or recommendations next time you are around!
  Reply
Tommy B. says:
October 17, 2017 at 12:59 pm

Are the forest service roads leading to the trailhead passable by regular 2WD passenger car? I’ll be in the area in a week and the weather appears to good, so I don’t expect it to be muddy.

Thanks,
Tommy
Reply
- Alan Cochran says:
  October 20, 2017 at 7:33 pm
  
  2WD is fine in dry weather. The road has some wash boards, most in the first couple of miles. It is 9 miles from leaving the pavement to FR903. Very worth it. Thoroughly enjoyed this hike!
  Reply
Cliff Glover says:
September 27, 2017 at 12:58 am

Hi,

Do you know of any tourist guides who visit Candy Cliffs/Yant Flats?

We are planning on visiting Utah next fall and would really like to visit this area.

Thanks,

Cliff
Reply
- Tim LeBaron says:
  September 27, 2017 at 6:53 am
  
  Thanks for your question Cliff! Someone from our team can guide you at Yant Flat, or we can recommend some others as well. Shoot me some more info and we can work through the details [email protected].
  Reply