Description: Deer Hollow Winter Recreation Area is the premier cross-country ski area on Cedar Mountain. It is managed by the Dixie National Forest for non-motorized winter recreation and is closed to snowmobiles. DNF and local volunteers maintain 16.3 miles of ski-only and multi-use trails (11.2 miles are groomed regularly). Snow Conditions: Some of the best snow on the mountain. Elevations: 9432 ft. (2875 m) to 10,078 ft. (3072 m) Access: Best access is at the official trailhead, near mp 23 on SR-14, east of Cedar City. It has a plowed lot, with a restroom and information kiosk. Deer Hollow can also be accessed indirectly from any of the parking lots and pull-outs between mp 17 and 26 on SR-14. Suggested Routes: Deer Hollow can fulfill a variety of needs, from an easy ski around a meadow on groomed trails to a more challenging exploration of un-groomed primitive areas, or almost anything in between. The easiest route is to ski around the well groomed Sinkhole Trail - Hollow Trail Loop, which is mostly flat with a few small hills, around an open meadow; a little over three miles round trip. Intermediate skiers can head up one of the “draws” and make any of a number of “loops” depending on time and inclination. It’s best to try to make it up to one of the viewpoints on the southern rim for great-to-magnificent views of Navajo Lake, Zion National Park, and much of southwestern Utah. For a bit more adventure, try exploring around the more primitive area northwest of the groomed trails. This area is a maze of old logging roads and unmarked routes that lead to the rim for even better views of southwestern Utah and beyond. Then, return down one the short steep slopes north of the Hollow Trail. Or go east from the trailhead on the groomed snowshoe (multi-use) trails and then take off through the forests and meadows into the more rugged terrain the Eastern “wilds.” |