Pa's Pocket

5/5 (2 reviews)
Water is life in the desert. Places where water collects are called pockets in the deserts of the Southwest. These relatively verdant pockets are gathering places for animals and humans. Native tribes knew the large rock cisterns carved into a tight slot canyon of a sandstone ridge would collect...Read More
Start 7-Day Free Trial
All-Access Icon
Pa's Pocket is an All-Access Member Only trail guide. You'll need to start a 7-Day Free Trial to see this guide.

Highlights of Pa's Pocket

Beginner Category IconBeginner
Camping Category IconCamping
Desert Category IconDesert
Ghost Town Category IconGhost Town
Scenic Category IconScenic
Highest Elevation
4200 ft
Shape of Trail
Out & Back
Typically Open
Year Round
Best Direction
N/A
Official Trail Name
1246
Nearest Town
Saint George
Nearest Services
Saint George
Management Agency
National Park Service
District
Lake Meade National Recreation Area

Overview

Water is life in the desert. Places where water collects are called pockets in the deserts of the Southwest. These relatively verdant pockets are gathering places for animals and humans. Native tribes knew the large rock cisterns carved into a tight slot canyon of a sandstone ridge would collect and hold the water from infrequent rains. Early settlers often improved on these natural features. Pa's Pocket is such a place. James Bundy, a prominent Mormon settler who lived near Mount Trumbell, built a dam in 1920 to capture and hold the runoff rainwater in this slick rock sandstone canyon to support cattle ranching in the area. Atwood and Ben Bundy built the cabin in 1945. Pa's Pocket is an oasis in a beautiful but parched landscape. The small canyon leading to the dam is often 20 degrees cooler than the surrounding environment. The trail to Pa's Pocket is scenic and just challenging enough to keep things interesting. The Pocket is a great payoff for the effort. Please respectfully visit the area and admire both the natural beauty and the efforts of the hardy people who lived in this land.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Guide Overview
5 Waypoints
17 Trail Photos
2 Trail Concerns
2 Community Reviews
1 Video
Trail Tools
App Store Icon Open in App
Gaia GPS Icon Upload to Gaia GPS
Download GPX
Directions to...
Share Trail
Print Trail

Start a 7-Day Free Trial and Unlock 5,000+ Trail Guides

3000+ Detailed Trail Guides
2000+ Member Only Scout Routes
Companion App with Offline Use
New Tracks Added Weekly
Download GPX Files and Print Guides
Access to Trail Guide Writer
What makes our Trail Guides so great?

Sign Up for Free to Get a Taste of Adventure

Free Members get 206 introductory guides to explore. Upgrade to an All-Access Membership for 5,000+ trails at your fingertips.
Start a free trial and get this level of detail on every trail guide
Start Free Trial