NOTICE:
This cache appears to be within the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve
Upland Zone. Motorized vehicles are not permitted off of
designated roads.
Responsible off-trail access by hikers and those on horseback
is permitted.
Please visit www.redcliffsdesertreserve.com
for more information about the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and
responsible use of these public lands.
This cache overlooks not only Quail Creek Reservoir, but the
Virgin River as it winds down from La Verkin, through Hurricane in
the Brentwood area. If you take time to hike to the top of the hill
(not far from the cache, and well worth your time), you get a 360
degree panoramic vista, from Little Purgatory directly below to the
northeast, the pink sandstone formations of East Reef near
Grapevine Wash and Sandstone Mountain to the east near the Virgin
River, Sky Mountain Golf Course, verdant green, the "L" on the hill
above the town of La Verkin, the Hurricane Cliffs, and the ever
majestic cliffs of Zion National Park in the distance, Sand
Mountain to the south, the myriad of sandstone foothills of Pine
Valley Mountain to the west and northwest, to the stunning red
sandstone cliffs of the Red Cliffs Recreation Area.
The cache site is not far from the top of the hill, as it begins
to descend where an arm extends southward, bordering Quail Creek
Reservoir. At first, I considered placing the cache at the summit,
but decided to hide it closer to the lake. I was tempted to hike
further south and put it at southernmost point of the mountain
above the reservoir, but since I was wearing a short sleeved shirt
and was hiking in full noonday sun without sun block, I compromized
between the two (the summit and the southernmost arm).
The cache shouldn't be too hard to find, hidden from casual
hikers in a sandstone nook, covered with a few more sandstone
rocks, but is rated a "3" because you'll have to hike anywhere from
1.25 to 3 miles total round trip (or from 0.625 to 1.5 miles one
way), depending on where you start. At first I didn't think this
are would be frequented by many hikers, so I was surprised when I
saw another hiker up on top in a white shirt with a small red
backpack several hundred yards away.
I started my hike at the end of a short dirt road (at G.P.S.
coordinates North 37 degrees 12.659 minutes, West 113 degrees
22.882 minutes -- it sounds like this is on private property, so
please don't trespass -- start somewhere else) after leaving the
paved road at the southern end of Leeds, Utah.
You may decide to park in Leeds and hike from there, or perhaps
make your way up the hill from Harrisburg, or the east shore of
Quail Lake (now THAT would be more challenging).
Originally I recommended that cachers start where I did.
However, sometime since I placed the cache, probably sometime in
2003, the dirt road I originally recommended has been posted with a
"Private Property - No Trespassing" sign. At the time I placed the
cache, there was no such notice and I honestly believed the road
was a public right-of-way. Please respect that property owner's
rights, and find another place to start your hike.
The cache itself IS on public land (BLM managed, I believe).
A sister cache to this one that is a bit easier to reach is the
Quail Creek Reservoir West Overlook cache across the lake.
I hope you enjoy this overlook site as much as I did.
-Astounding
St. George, Utah