Hole-n-Wall Canyon - Segmiller Mountain

Trail Overview

This is a fun, picturesque route that climbs from the valley near Wolf Hole up Segmiller Mountain on the SE side. You climb out of the valley on the south side of Segmiller Mountain and then travel along a beautiful canyon that will lure you to stop frequently to take a long look at the canyon and the surrounding area. This trail is a portion of Clay Springs Road but calling it a road may be a bit of a stretch. You will definitely need a high-clearance vehicle with tires capable of traversing sharp rocky areas. There are not a lot of large obstacles but you will need to pay attention as you traverse the route which can be a challenge with the views.

Photos of Hole-n-Wall Canyon - Segmiller Mountain

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Difficulty

The road conditions vary with areas of very sharp lager rocks and small ledges. Some of the areas are bordered by brush that will leave some scratches on wider vehicles. The trail is passable by most higher clearance vehicles with appropriate tires.

History

In an effort to create year around income and diversify many farmers started running cattle and horses on the Arizona strip in the late 1800s. As always in the desert water played a key role. Learned of water on the south and east sides mountain south of St. George. Charles Segmiller sent his sons (Charles Jr. and Hela) to develop the springs if possible. They dug the mud out to get to the source of the water, piped the water into a trough for horses and cattle. In addition they built corrals to be used for roundup and branding. The water wasn't good drinking water because of the abondance of alkaline and salt. The ground contained an abundance of gypsum, a mineral common to the area, that caused diarrhea in humans. The Native Americans called the springs "Kicha Creek", the local ranchers called the water gypy water because of the gypsum. Water was considered good enough for the animals on the strip. Hila took over the ranch and ran the ranch until 1915 with his brothers Frank and Dan. During this time they caught wild horses on the strip and tamed them for ranching use. They also created a business of cross breeding female horses with male donkeys and the resulting offspring, mules, were sold for profit. In the early 1950s the BLM designated this area Segmiller Mountain.

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