Rare spring runoff turns Gunlock Falls into southern Utah spectacle

This Rare U.S. Waterfall Has Only Appeared 4 Times in 15 Years—Here's How to See It

Greater Zion Gunlock State Park Waterfalls.Credit: Mike Car/Greater Zion Convention Tourism OfficeIn Southern Utah, a waterfall has seemingly sprung up out of nowhere, flowing down tiered red rock. The intermittent Gunlock Falls is a rarity in Gunlock State Park, which is located just outside St. George, Utah in Greater Zion, an area known for its rock formations, sand dunes, and slot canyons. Gunlock Falls has only shown up four times in the pa…

Rare spring runoff turns Gunlock Falls into southern Utah spectacle

GUNLOCK, Utah — When winter snowpack and early spring runoff line up just right, a normally quiet corner of southwest Utah turns into one of the region’s most talked-about natural attractions. Gunlock Falls, located at Gunlock State Park west of St. George, appears only when Gunlock Reservoir fills high enough to spill over its dam. When that happens, water pours down the red rock below the spillway, creating a series of dramatic desert waterfal…