The waterfall Toquerville
A free desert waterfall up a rough backcountry road
Toquerville Falls, and the rough road you take to reach it.
Toquerville Falls is a free waterfall on public land in the desert east of town, and the catch is the drive. The way in is an unpaved, rocky backcountry road that needs a high clearance vehicle and turns ordinary cars back. Here is what the falls are and what the road really asks of you.
By Scott Buehler, Toquerville local
Updated September 2026
The short answer
Toquerville Falls is a set of travertine cascades on public land a few miles east of Toquerville, free to visit with no permit or fee, and open through most of the year. You can get there, but only in the right vehicle: the way in is an unpaved, rocky road up Spring Drive that climbs steadily and needs high clearance, with a stretch where four wheel drive earns its keep. The water pours over two ledges, a cascade and then a drop of roughly twenty feet, into a clear pool that draws swimmers through the hot months. The falls run on La Verkin Creek, a separate drainage from the Ash Creek that flows through town. Come in dry weather, fill the tank before you leave, and give the drive more time than the short mileage suggests.
Toquerville Falls, at a glance
Free
no permit, no fee
~20 ft
the main drop, over travertine ledges
High clearance
the vehicle the road demands
Mar to Nov
the practical season
What you find at the falls
A desert waterfall you can actually swim in.
For a stretch of Washington County this dry, moving water is a genuine surprise. Toquerville Falls runs over two travertine ledges, an upper cascade and then a main drop of about twenty feet, and it flows year round rather than only after a storm. The pool at the base stays cold and clear, and swimming it is one of the main reasons people make the drive in summer. There are no lifeguards, no restrooms, and no railings, so treat it the way you would any backcountry water: watch your footing on the wet rock and keep an eye on kids.
The falls sit on La Verkin Creek, which is worth saying plainly because it trips people up. Toquerville itself is on Ash Creek, and it is natural to assume the waterfall a few miles away shares that same water. It does not. La Verkin Creek is a separate drainage that comes down out of the higher country toward Zion and happens to pass near the same town. If you are picturing the creek that runs through the old townsite, this is not it.
The land is public, managed by the BLM St. George Field Office, which is why there is no gate and no fee. The very first part of the road near the start does cross private property, so stay on the route and respect any posted boundary the same as you would anywhere else.
Getting there
The road is the whole story.
I will be honest with you, because the road is the part people underestimate. From I-15 you take the Toquerville exit onto UT-17, drop south into town, then turn onto Spring Drive and follow it until the pavement quits. From there it is roughly five to six miles of dirt, and the surface only gets rougher the higher it climbs: rock ledges, deep ruts, washboard, and crossings of the creek itself. There is a posted sign at the start that says exactly what it means, extremely rough road, four wheel drive recommended, and it is not being dramatic.
A high clearance vehicle is a real requirement here, not a nice to have. The early stretch can feel manageable in an ordinary SUV, which is exactly the trap, because the surface degrades further in and a standard car or a rental sedan genuinely should not attempt it. Tow operators and off road recovery crews around St. George know this road by name for that reason. Cars turn around at the rough sections all the time, and the ones that push on are the ones that get stuck or damaged.
Treat it as real backcountry driving. Go in dry weather and turn around if the sky looks like rain, because the ruts and the creek crossings both get worse fast. Fill the tank before you leave town, since there is no fuel up the road, and carry more water than a short trip seems to need. Cell service comes and goes once you are well up, so tell someone your plan and give yourself more time than the mileage suggests. If your only vehicle is a low clearance car, this is one to skip rather than force.
Skip the drive when rain is in the forecast. The dirt road and its creek crossings turn dangerous fast when wet, and flash flooding is a real risk in these desert drainages. Dry weather and a high clearance vehicle are the difference between a good day and a recovery call.
Scott Buehler
Moving Utah About Scott
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Read the pageQuick answers
The falls, answered.
Effectively, yes. The road up Spring Drive is rough dirt with rock ledges, ruts, and creek crossings, and it is posted as extremely rough. High clearance is a real requirement, four wheel drive is strongly recommended for the worst stretches, and a standard car risks getting stuck or damaged.
Yes. There is no permit and no fee. The falls sit on public land managed by the BLM St. George Field Office, and the only real cost is what the road asks of your vehicle and your time.
No. Toquerville sits on Ash Creek, but the falls are on La Verkin Creek, a separate drainage that comes down from the higher country toward Zion. The two happen to be near the same town, but they are not the same water.
Yes, and swimming is one of the main reasons people make the drive in summer. The pool below the main drop stays cold and clear through the hot months. There are no lifeguards and no facilities, so treat it like any other backcountry swimming spot.
Roughly March through November, and always in dry weather, when the road is at its most manageable. Skip the drive after rain, since the ruts and the creek crossings both get worse and more dangerous.
Plan on 30 to 45 minutes of rough driving each way from town, sometimes more, depending on conditions and how cautiously you move. Budget more time than the mileage suggests, because this is genuine off road driving rather than a rough shortcut.
Both, in that order. The falls and most of the route are on BLM land, but the first stretch of road near the start crosses private property. Stay on the road and respect any posted boundary the same as you would anywhere else.
A full tank, since there is no fuel up the road, more water than a short trip seems to need, a swimsuit if you plan to get in, and a realistic expectation about cell service, which comes and goes well up the road.
No. This is real off road driving on a route the BLM and local guides call extremely rough, and a rental sedan is a poor match for it. If a low clearance car is your only vehicle, this is one to skip rather than attempt.
The falls are the fun part. The buying part is where I actually help.
This quiet side of Toquerville runs on a different rhythm than the fast growth out along the new parkway. If you are weighing a specific place here, I can tell you plainly what living on this end of town really means.
Or call me: (435) 357-4345or send me a message
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