RED CLIFFS NATIONAL

CONSERVATION AREA

Though the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, Congress designated the Red Cliffs National Conservation Act (NCA) in Washington County, Utah, "to conserve, protect, and enhance...the ecological, scenic, wildlife, recreational, cultural, historical, natural, educational and scientific resources" of public lands in the NCA.

The Colorado Plateau, Great Basin and the Mojave Desert overlap in Washington County.  In this transition zone, unusual plant and animal species have evolved, including the dwarg bear poppy and shivwits milkvetch, small native plants that grow nowhere else on earth.  The hot, arid Mojave Desert provides habitat for diverse wildlife species such as the kit fox, Gambel's quail, and the Mojave Desert tortoise.

 I managed to hike about 50 to 60 miles of the over 130 miles of hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails available to the public.  It offers some trails that take you through some watery canyons.  I "encouraged" Linda to hike one of these trails and she managed to come back with a bruise on her hip and a gash on her shin and she is still complaining about it. 

The Red Cliffs Area also has an old Indian village.  It is a small village but it was pretty cool.  We did discover that there was a movie made here in 1959.  The movie set is all gone except for the renants of one building.  We really enjoyed this stop and can't wait to return.