The Vortex at Gunlock Mesa is located by lower sand cove reservoir near Gunlock state park. The hike is about 2.5 miles total over slickrock and sandy trails if you don't wander from the straight route.
To get there go north of St George through Santa Clara toward the town of Gunlock, which is north of the reservoir. At the bridge on the south edge of Gunlock take the dirt road to the right for 2.8 miles and pull off on the right where you will see a side track leading to parking. You can also see the white rock dome of the Gunlock Mesa.
This is the white dome you can see from the car. There is a red dome to the right of it and the route goes between the two up a slickrock valley after you get through the sandy approach through the trees. There are cairns, and footprints to guide you. But first you have to get down the slope from the car and there is no clear trail.
The trail goes down into the trees and turns right to go around the end of the white rock and then cuts left to go between the white rock and the red rock behind it.
This is looking up the drainage between the two rocks. Go straight up the drainage following cairns.
When you get to the sandstone there may be tanks.
Looking backward to the white dome. The car is on the other side of it on a volcanic ridge.
As you go up the valley this is the view to the right. It might be possible to get on top of the ridge and follow it left to the Vortex.
There are people up on the ridge but they did not continue along it. It might be too steep to walk.
As you continue following cairns you come to this place where you can see the pass straight ahead. When you get to the pass, you turn right and follow the ridge about 300 feet to the Vortex.
Again this is looking back toward the way we came.
Arriving at the pass. We came from the left of the screen and turned right to where I am standing. The Vortex is behind me just past a flat area.
The flat area on the ridge.
View from the saddle.
This is the down slope just past the pass. The Vortex is still behind me.
The Vortex is a strange depression in the sand stone. Looks like it could easily hold water if it was in a drainage path.
On another day there was water.
Walking out to the knobs to see if you can get past them....we couldn't.
Another lake between the vortex and the knobs.
Looking along the ridge past the Vortex at the knobs along the main ridge that we could see on our right all the way up.
Many people have carved their names into the sandstone all around the vortex.
Lower side of the Vortex.
going back to the cars.
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