Featuring a 600-acre (240 ha) reservoir park offers camping, boating, swimming, and fishing.
Senior Day-use fee: $10.00 (Seniors 62 and older) per vehicle with up to 8 people.
Out-of-state visitor fee: $20.00 per vehicle with up to 8 people.
How to Get There
From St George: Get on I-15 N. Continue on I-15 N to Hurricane. Follow 5300 W/SR-318 to destination
Overview
Quail Creek State Park is a state park of Utah featuring a 600-acre (240 ha) reservoir. The park is located within Hurricane, Utah, 9 miles (14 km) west of the city center and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the historic ghost town of Harrisburg. Quail Creek State Park offers camping, boating, swimming, and fishing.
The maximum depth of Quail Creek can reach 120 feet (37 m), it is cold enough to sustain the stocked rainbow trout, bullhead catfish, and crappie. Largemouth bass, which are also stocked, and bluegill thrive in the warmer, upper layers of the reservoir.
Things to Do
Enjoy One of Southern Utah's Premier Water Recreation Destinations
Quail Creek State Park is a beautiful reservoir park located near St. George in southwestern Utah. Known for its warm, clear water and stunning desert scenery, the park is a popular destination for boating, fishing, swimming, paddleboarding, and outdoor recreation throughout the year.
Go Boating and Water Sports
Quail Creek Reservoir offers excellent conditions for boating, jet skiing, kayaking, canoeing, wakeboarding, and paddleboarding. The reservoir's calm waters and picturesque red rock backdrop make it a favorite destination for both casual visitors and outdoor enthusiasts.
Swim in Warm, Clear Water
The reservoir is one of the warmest bodies of water in Utah and provides ideal conditions for swimming during much of the year. Designated swimming areas and easy shoreline access make the park especially popular with families.
Try Fishing for Trophy Bass and Trout
Quail Creek Reservoir is known for excellent warm-water fishing opportunities. Anglers frequently target largemouth bass, rainbow trout, crappie, bluegill, and catfish, making the reservoir one of southern Utah's most popular fishing destinations.
Experience Scenic Desert Views
The park offers spectacular views of red sandstone cliffs, volcanic formations, Pine Valley Mountain, and the surrounding desert landscape. Visitors can enjoy photography, sightseeing, wildlife viewing, and unforgettable sunsets throughout the recreation area.
Explore Nearby Outdoor Attractions
Quail Creek State Park is conveniently located near Sand Hollow State Park, Snow Canyon State Park, Zion National Park, and the city of St. George. Many visitors use the park as a base for exploring the diverse landscapes and recreational opportunities of southwestern Utah.
Top Trails
Quail Creek Reservoir Trail
Length: Approximately 5.5 miles loop
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Difficulty: Easy
This scenic trail circles much of the reservoir and provides beautiful views of the water, surrounding desert terrain, and nearby mountain ranges. It is ideal for walking, running, birdwatching, and casual biking.
South Shore Trail
Length: Approximately 2 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Difficulty: Easy
Following portions of the reservoir shoreline, this trail offers easy access to scenic viewpoints, fishing locations, and wildlife viewing areas while showcasing the contrast between the blue water and red rock landscape.
Quail Creek Overlook Trail
Length: Approximately 1 mile round trip
Elevation Gain: Approximately 150 feet
Difficulty: Easy
This short hike leads to elevated viewpoints overlooking the reservoir and surrounding desert terrain. Visitors can enjoy panoramic views and excellent photography opportunities, particularly during sunrise and sunset.
Hurricane Cliffs Connector Trails
Length: Various route options
Elevation Gain: Moderate
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Nearby trail systems connect visitors to additional hiking and mountain biking opportunities featuring elevated desert overlooks, sandstone formations, and expansive views of the surrounding region.
Sources: Utah State Parks official Quail Creek State Park information, including details on boating, swimming, fishing, camping, reservoir recreation, and visitor amenities.
https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/quail-creek/
Additional information verified through Utah tourism resources covering Quail Creek Reservoir, paddling, fishing opportunities, scenic viewpoints, and nearby attractions in the St. George area.
https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/parks-outdoors/quail-creek-state-park
Further trail and recreation information reviewed through regional outdoor recreation resources covering hiking, biking, camping, wildlife viewing, and water recreation opportunities throughout Quail Creek State Park.
https://www.utah.com/destinations/state-parks/quail-creek-state-park/
History
Quail Creek reservoir was completed in 1985 to provide irrigation and culinary water to the St. George area. Most of the water in the reservoir does not come from Quail Creek, but is diverted from the Virgin River and transported through a buried pipeline. Two dams form the reservoir. The main dam is an earthfill embankment dam. The south dam is a roller-compacted concrete dam, constructed to replace the original earthfill dam that failed in the early hours of New Year's Day 1989.
Naming
The name came from the considerable population of quail that lived along its upper drainage in the 19th and early 20th century. They did not survive one particularly hard winter.
The name of Anthony Quayle who is sometimes supposed to be its namesake is a different spelling and does not have an historical connection to this particular drainage.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Quail Creek State Park", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0