St. George • Not far from the throngs of tourists in Zion National Park, fins and spires of orange sandstone rise quietly from the sandy bottoms near the Virgin River. Redbuds frame a waterfall pouring into a slickrock basin, and rare desert tortoises emerge from the sand to eat meals of wildflowers that will help them survive the torrid summer to come.
This is Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, where April is the kindest month.
The 62,000-acre reserve north of St. George protects Utah's sliver of the Mojave Desert. It provides habitat for plants and animals that are rare to Utah and usually live farther south — especially for reptiles such as the chuckwalla, gila monster and desert tortoise.
It's also staggeringly beautiful and less crowded than nearby Zion.
But where elevation drops south of the Pine Valley Mountains, summer comes early and ferociously. To see Red Cliffs at its finest, visit soon.
As of early April, wildflowers were coming into bloom in the Sandstone Mountain area south of Leeds, and many unopened buds remained. On a rare day of constant, gentle rain, water rushed through Quail Creek, northwest of Harrisburg, and the smell of sage wafted over the nearby Red Reef trail.
Spring also is when the reserve's famed Mojave desert tortoises are most active. The tortoises, listed by the federal government as "threatened," spend most of their lives underground, in burrows. But in spring, they forage for plants and stock up on water their bodies can store during the coming dry days of summer.
A number of tortoises recently were transplanted from a housing development to near the reserve's Babylon trailhead south of Leeds, said Dave Kiel, recreation planner for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Biologists feared the move would end badly for the tortoises, as the Babylon area was rated low-quality habitat.
"In reality, they're thriving," Kiel said. "It was amazing."
A Washington County sheriff's deputy who checked my permit at the reserve's Sand Cove camping area agreed with Kiel that the Babylon area was the best spot to look for tortoises and said he saw them frequently. I was visiting early in their foraging season and didn't see one. Kiel recommended looking for mounds of disturbed, soft soil next to rock walls. The tortoises are roughly the size of a football and are most active when temperatures are below 90 degrees.
Don't approach or handle tortoises, reserve employees warn. Stress may cause the tortoise to pee, which could leave it at risk of dehydration in a land where every drop of water counts.
If you can't find a tortoise, spring is a great time to enjoy other wildlife, like birds, lizards and rabbits. For flora, look for globemallows, marigolds and cactus blooms.
And enjoy the opportunity to explore the trails, canyons and rock formations while it's not ungodly hot. The Quail Creek waterfall near the Red Cliffs campground, now gushing, typically dries up in early summer; the sand at Sand Cove may soon be too hot for hiking.
The brevity of spring's beauties makes them all the more exciting.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A cliffrose blooms April 1, 2017 along the Babylon Arch trail in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A cliffrose blooms April 1, 2017 along the Babylon Arch trail in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A cliffrose blooms April 1, 2017 along the Babylon Arch trail in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A dock blooms April 1, 2017 near the Sand Cove primitive campground in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Spectacle pod and dock bloom April 1, 2017 near the Sand Cove primitive campground in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Hikers enter the Babylon Arch trail April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A young hiker climbs in a rock formation along the Babylon Arch trail April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A family plays near the Virgin River on April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Hikers climb on Babylon Arch on April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Hikers climb on Babylon Arch on April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Hikers gather under Babylon Arch on April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Young hikers play under Babylon Arch on April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Hikers make their way through the Babylon Arch trail April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Hikers make their way through the Babylon Arch trail April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A young hiker finds a cozy nook in the Sand Cove campground April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Fins of rock rise around the Sand Cove campground March 12 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A snake's trail is visible in the morning sun March 12, 2017 along the Babylon Arch trail in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Buds prepare to bloom March 12, 2017 along the Babylon Arch trail in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Hikers climb between fins of sandstone near the Sand Cove campground March 12, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Hikers climb between fins of sandstone near the Sand Cove campground March 12, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Fins of rock form a maze near the Sand Cove campground March 12, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Young hikers play in the Sand Cove campground March 12, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Two lizards sun themselves near the Sand Cove campground April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A young camper contemplates the desert in the Sand Cove campground April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Shrubs dot the desert landscape in the Sand Cove campground April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A young camper puts her feet up and enjoys the view from the Sand Cove campground April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A lizard camouflages itself on salmon-colored sandstone near the Sand Cove campground April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A family sleds down a sandy slope in the Sand Cove campground April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A family sleds down a sandy slope in the Sand Cove campground April 1, 2017 in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Blue dicks bloom April 2, 2017 near the East Reef of Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, east of Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A penstemon blooms April 3, 2017 along the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Purple desert sage blooms April 2, 2017 near the East Reef of Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, east of Leeds.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A penstemon blooms April 3, 2017 along the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A penstemon blooms April 3, 2017 along the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A redbud frames an alcove April 3, 2017 along the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A redbud frames an alcove April 3, 2017 along the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A rock wall looms above a serviceberry shrub blooming April 3, 2017 along the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune The fragrance of sage cuts through a rare rainy day April 3, 2017 on the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A young hiker walks through the rain April 3, 2017 on the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A young hiker walks through the rain April 3, 2017 on the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Young hikers negotiate Quail Creek just below the waterfall April 3, 2017 on the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Hikers climb on rocks next to the Quail Creek waterfall April 3, 2017 on the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
(Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune) Young hikers help each other scale the Quail Creek waterfall April 3, 2017 on the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg, Utah.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Young hikers plot their way up the footholds carved alongside the Quail Creek waterfall April 3, 2017 on the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Hikers dodge prickly yucca plants April 3, 2017 along the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Sages and cottonwoods stand in green relief April 3, 2017 against the maroon rock walls of the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A young hiker stands in a rotting tree trunk April 3, 2017 along the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A young hiker stands in a rotting tree trunk April 3, 2017 along the Red Reef Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, north of Harrisburg.
