Hilldale UT/Colorado City AZ: September 2020

Covid, Cancelled Trips & a Cult Town Birthday

Covid. Covid was the reason several of my trips were canceled in 2020. On top of that, I work in healthcare—aka “essential”—so it was a rough seven months of nonstop chaos. My little wanderlusting heart was craving an adventure, any adventure, outside of Las Vegas.

With my birthday coming up, I knew I wanted to escape somewhere cooler, quieter, and a little off the beaten path. After some late-night research, I stumbled across a small town called Hildale, Utah. I found a dog-friendly place to stay (because obviously my four-legged best friend wasn’t missing my birthday trip), and one of my friends was down to join, so I booked it.

Then I did what I always do after booking—my deep dive for weird, quirky, and offbeat things to do nearby. That’s when I discovered something unexpected: I had just booked a trip to a former cult town.

Hildale’s Complicated Backstory

Hildale was settled in the early 1900s by Mormon pioneers and was originally called Rattlesnake Bench before being renamed after LDS Apostle Charles C. Rich’s son, Hildale. The neighboring town, Colorado City, Arizona—just across the border—was originally known as Short Creek.

Here’s where it gets interesting: Hildale and Colorado City became strongholds of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a breakaway sect from the mainstream LDS Church. The split happened over polygamy—mainstream LDS banned it, the FLDS doubled down.

Under leaders like Leroy S. Johnson and eventually Warren Jeffs, the FLDS ran much of the area for decades. It wasn’t just about religion—it was control. The church owned land, homes, businesses, even the police force at one point. In 2006, Jeffs was put on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list and later convicted of sexual assault involving underage girls. He’s serving a life sentence in Texas but, believe it or not, he still has loyal followers today.

Arriving in Hildale

We made the drive into town and checked into Zion Cliff Lodge without any trouble. It’s a large house that’s been split into separate units, and our room was on the second floor with a comfy bed, couch, kitchenette, and a balcony—the perfect little setup.

Our first stop was Cottonwood Park, a quiet, pretty green space with amazing mountain views. The vibe was peaceful… but as we drove around town, things felt surreal. There were massive homes—basically mini-mansions—scattered around in all stages of construction. Some were missing windows, some missing doors, and others just sat half-finished like time had frozen.

It honestly felt like the town hit “pause” after the big raids and legal battles in the mid-2000s. There’s this strange mix of beautiful scenery, enormous houses, and a lingering, quiet energy that makes Hildale unlike anywhere I’ve been before.

Dinner & a Sunset

Here’s the thing: circa 2020, the restaurant options were… limited. Like, very limited. Most places were closed by the time we were ready to eat, but we found a Mexican food truck that was open (bless them) and grabbed some tacos to go. We stocked up on snacks and drinks at the little grocery store next door, then headed back to the lodge.

We ate dinner on the balcony, watching the sun dip behind the red rock cliffs. Simple, peaceful, and exactly what I needed.

Day Two: Hiking, Weird Attractions, and More Patio Dinners

The next morning, we woke up ready for a little adventure and headed toward the Canaan Mountains. We decided to take the Water Canyon Trailhead as far as we could without having to do any serious bouldering. My dog is capable—he’s a total little mountain goat—but he makes me anxious on tricky climbs, and then I don’t enjoy the hike as much.

The trail itself was gorgeous. The views of the red, yellow, and orange cliffs were stunning, and there’s a stream that runs alongside part of the trail, which makes it even more peaceful. What I really loved was how quiet it was—we barely ran into any other hikers, which made it feel like we had the entire canyon to ourselves.

After Water Canyon, we headed toward Hurricane and took another trail near Short Creek. This one was also calm and scenic, with wide-open desert landscapes and incredible mountain backdrops. It was one of those hikes where you can just breathe and take it all in without feeling rushed.

On the drive back, we stopped at one of the quirkiest roadside attractions I’ve ever seen: the Apple Dumpling UFO Docking and Transportation Center. Yes, that’s actually what it’s called. It’s a small, random setup along the road—a very “blink and you’ll miss it” kind of place—but it’s totally free and definitely worth a quick stop if you like weird, offbeat things. Just be aware that you’ll have to park along a relatively busy road, so keep an eye out for traffic.

That night, we decided to keep things simple and stopped at a little country store to grab some items for dinner. We made salads back at the hotel and ate them out on the patio, soaking up another perfect sunset behind the red cliffs. There’s just something about eating outside after a long day of hiking that makes the food taste ten times better.

Day Three: Exploring Grafton Ghost Town

The next morning, we set out to explore Grafton Ghost Town, which is only a short drive from Hildale and totally worth the trip if you love history, photography, or just wandering around places frozen in time.

Grafton was first settled in 1859 by Mormon pioneers looking for fertile land to grow cotton and raise livestock. It was part of a cotton-growing initiative called the “Cotton Mission,” but the harsh desert environment and repeated flooding made life here tough. Over time, residents moved to nearby communities like Rockville and Hurricane, and by the 1940s, Grafton was largely abandoned—leaving behind several remarkably well-preserved buildings surrounded by beautiful red rock views.

Walking through Grafton feels like stepping back in time. Here are some of the highlights:

• The Schoolhouse / Church (1886):
  This two-story adobe-brick building was constructed using lava rock from Hildale. It served as both a school and a church until the last class was held here in 1919. It’s one of the most photographed spots in Grafton and still stands beautifully against the desert backdrop.

• The Alonzo H. Russell Home (1862):
  Built from adobe, this was the home of Alonzo Russell, who lived here until his death in 1910. Other families continued to live in the house until 1945.

• The Louisa Marie Russell Home (1879):
  Built by Alonzo for his wife Louisa, this charming adobe home sits nearby and gives you a sense of what pioneer life was like back then.

• The John & Ellen Wood Home (1877):
  Another well-preserved adobe home with a split-rail fence, a large log barn, and a raised granary still standing on the property.

• The Grafton Cemetery (1862–1924):
  Visiting the cemetery was both fascinating and sobering. There’s a laminated card posted that lists the order of burials, along with names, ages, and causes of death when known. Some of the causes are heartbreaking—murder, diphtheria, scarlet fever, and tragic accidents. You can walk among the old gravestones and really get a sense of what life must have been like for the families who settled here.

Even if you’re not a huge history buff, Grafton is such a cool place to explore. The views are incredible, the buildings are well-preserved, and there’s something hauntingly beautiful about wandering through a ghost town with so many untold stories still lingering in the air.

Day Four: Zion, Pies, Caves, and a Birthday to Remember

The next morning, we headed into Zion National Park and stopped at Oscar’s Café for breakfast. McAfee was allowed to hang out on the patio with us, and they even brought him his own bowl of water—which instantly made me love the place.

After fueling up, we wandered over near the South Campground and walked along the North Fork Virgin River, surrounded by towering canyon walls and gorgeous mountain views. There’s something about Zion that just feels magical—the air, the colors, the way the cliffs seem to change with the light.

We hopped back in the car and took the scenic drive on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, which included driving through the famous tunnel. Let me just say: that tunnel is dark. Like, really dark. It’s one of those drives where you instinctively hold your breath until you see daylight again.

From there, we stopped to check out Checkerboard Mesa, a striking natural formation named for its crisscrossing patterns carved into the sandstone. We took a short walk around the area and snapped a few pictures before heading back on the road.

By this point, we’d definitely worked up an appetite. Even though Zion was cooler than Vegas, the sun still had us roasting, so we made our way to the Thunderbird Restaurant at Mt. Carmel Junction—famous for its cheeky roadside sign: “Home of the Ho-Made Pies.” Naturally, we had to try a slice. Verdict? Totally worth it. Plus, there was a nice grassy area outside where we could sit in the shade and share the experience with McAfee.

Next, we stopped at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. These unique dunes were formed over thousands of years from windblown Navajo sandstone deposits. I’d seen photos and expected them to be super vibrant, but honestly? The day we went, the color was pretty muted—not quite the Instagram-worthy pink I’d imagined. Still, the landscape was beautiful, and it’s worth a quick stop if you’re nearby.

From there, we made our way into Kanab to check out the Moqui Cave. This sandstone cave was formed naturally over millions of years, with unique formations, stalactites, and stalagmites inside. We decided to skip the paid tour and just browsed the gift shop, which had a surprisingly great selection of cute, unique souvenirs. There’s also a little snack and smoothie stand outside, so we grabbed smoothies before heading to our next stop.

That brought us to Little Hollywood, a fun throwback attraction celebrating Kanab’s history as a filming location for countless Western movies and TV shows starting in the 1930s. The exhibits showcase memorabilia, costumes, props, and artifacts from the town’s film days. A lot of the movies weren’t ones I recognized, but seeing the vintage sets and learning about the actors who came through here was still a lot of fun.

On the way back to Hildale, we made one last stop at Pipe Spring National Monument. This spot is a hidden gem—an oasis in the middle of the Arizona Strip, where water emerges from a natural fault in the Kaibab Limestone. For centuries, the Southern Paiute people relied on the spring, and later, Mormon settlers used it for ranching and farming. The monument has short hiking trails, gardens, historic farming equipment, and the spring itself, which is the heartbeat of the site.

By the time we got back to Hildale, I was ready to relax—it was my birthday, after all! We swung by the grocery store, grabbed some food, a little cake, and a couple of adult beverages, then headed back to our lodge. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out on the patio, watching the sunset and soaking up one more quiet, perfect night before heading home.

Day Five: Baby Cemetery, Petroglyphs, and Glittery Disappointments

On our last morning, we decided to stop at the Hildale Baby Cemetery, which dates back to the era of Warren Jeffs and the FLDS community. There are long-standing rumors of inbreeding, neglect, and mistreatment within the sect during that time, and some believe these factors contributed to the deaths of several children buried here.

Walking through the cemetery was… unsettling. There were a number of tiny graves, some with names, some without, and the silence surrounding the place gave it an eerie heaviness. It’s not a cheerful stop by any means, but if you’re interested in understanding more about Hildale’s complicated history, it’s a part of the story that lingers.

After that, we were ready for something a little lighter, so we started making our way home—but not without a few more stops along the way.

Our first detour was at Bloomington Petroglyph Park, which features an impressive collection of ancient rock carvings created thousands of years ago by Native American tribes. The petroglyphs depict animals, human figures, and symbolic shapes, offering a fascinating glimpse into the cultural and spiritual lives of the region’s earliest inhabitants. They’re incredibly well-preserved and easy to access—the walk is short, but the experience feels meaningful, especially if you love history.

From there, we made a quick stop at Glitter Mountain, which sounds far more magical than it actually is. It’s essentially a mound of dirt covered in gypsum crystals that sparkle when the sunlight hits them. And yes, I saw the word “glitter” and had to check it out—but honestly? It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of place. Pretty in the right light, but unless it’s directly on your route, it’s not something I’d go out of my way for.

That was our final stop before heading back to Las Vegas. After seven long months of Covid lockdowns, canceled plans, and feeling stuck, this trip was exactly what I needed—fresh air, quiet roads, beautiful hikes, quirky roadside finds, and a chance to dive into an unexpected mix of history, mystery, and incredible landscapes.