Three Falls Trailhead

The name sells waterfalls. The reality is usually something better: a slot canyon carved into the Hurricane Cliffs, walls riddled with caves and pockets, and three towering dryfalls that make you understand why the desert earned that name. If you're coming for rushing water, you'll likely be disappointed. If you come for the canyon itself, you'll probably want to come back.

Three Falls sits in Gould's Wash, just east of downtown Hurricane. It has nothing to do with Zion National Park's shuttle system or entrance fees. You drive over, park at the end of a cul-de-sac, and walk into a wash that reads at first like a wide sandy corridor before the walls close in and the canyon starts doing what Southern Utah canyons do.

What the Hike Is Actually Like

The first stretch is easy. You follow the dry riverbed, a flat sandy path with good footing, and reach the lower dryfall at about a third of a mile in. It drops roughly 20 to 25 feet over smooth, wave-worn rock. When it runs (usually only after significant rain or in spring), it's a striking sight. Most of the time, it's dry and still worth stopping to look at. The scale of the stone and the bowl it's carved gives you a preview of what the canyon does with water, even in its absence.

Here is where the hike earns its moderate rating. To continue past the lower fall, you bypass it on a steep, loose trail up the north side of the canyon wall. The footing is rocky and unreliable in spots, and there's genuine scrambling involved (hands and feet, not just careful walking). It's not technical climbing, but it's not a casual stroll either. First-timers with young kids should consider the lower fall a reasonable turnaround point.

Once you're up and over, the canyon opens into one of its best stretches. The walls here are pocketed with small caves and hollows, the kind of feature that makes you slow down and look closer. The second fall appears at just over half a mile, tucked into a jumble of large boulders. The third and tallest fall, close to 170 feet according to some accounts, marks the end of the trail and the back wall of the canyon. The near-vertical walls surrounding it make for a compressed, dramatic finish.

Who This Trail Is For

Hikers who want something outside the park with genuine canyon character. The JEM Trail and Gooseberry Mesa get most of Hurricane's hiking attention, but Three Falls rewards people who don't need social validation from a famous trail name. It's also a reasonable option when the park is at peak chaos and you just want to move your legs somewhere quiet.

It is not a good choice for anyone with mobility limitations, very young children going past the first fall, or hikers expecting reliable water features. (Checking recent AllTrails reports before you go takes 30 seconds and tells you if the falls are actually running.)

Practical Notes

September through May is the window when this trail works best. Summer temperatures in Hurricane regularly push past 100 degrees, and the wash offers almost no shade. Go early if you're visiting in shoulder months and the forecast is warm.

There's no formal signage at the trailhead, and the trail requires some navigation judgment once you're in the canyon, particularly around the bypass scramble. Download the AllTrails map before you leave the car. This is not a trail where winging it saves time.

The drive from Springdale is about 35 minutes. From St. George, it's closer to 20. It pairs well with a stop at one of Hurricane's local spots on the way back, since you'll have earned a meal and the town has options that don't require driving another half hour.

The Bottom Line

Three Falls is a legitimately good desert canyon hike hiding behind a name that overpromises on water and underdelivers on description. The dryfalls are the structure that shapes the hike, not the main event. The canyon walls, the scramble, the caves, and the sense of being inside something the Colorado Plateau spent a few million years carving out: that's the actual draw. Go with the right expectations and it won't disappoint.