Virgin River Gorge
Twenty miles of canyon so dramatic they ran an interstate through it — the Strip's grand western entrance.
America's Most Scenic Interstate Miles
Between Littlefield, Arizona and St. George, Utah, Interstate 15 abandons the open desert and dives straight through the Beaver Dam Mountains along the Virgin River. The result — the Virgin River Gorge — is routinely called one of the most spectacular stretches of interstate in the country, with sheer limestone walls rising directly from the roadway.
When it opened in the 1970s it ranked among the most expensive rural freeway segments ever built per mile. For most travelers it is their first taste of the Arizona Strip — twenty minutes of canyon that announces the character of everything beyond.
More Than a Drive-Through
The Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area (Cedar Pockets), midway through the gorge, offers the only developed campground — a surprisingly quiet base right on the river with trail access into the canyon. The gorge's limestone walls are also a noted winter rock-climbing destination, holding some of the hardest sport routes in the United States.
Mind the road itself: the gorge is curvy by interstate standards, and flash flooding occasionally closes lanes during monsoon storms. Details and campground status are on the official BLM recreation page.
The Communities at the Gorge's Mouth
Littlefield, Beaver Dam, and Mesquite hold down the canyon's western end.