Southern Utah Gems: drive

A little known spot between Leeds and Toquerville is Babylon Mills. The remnants of what was once known as Stormont Mill in the town of Babylon is the only thing left standing here from the late 19th century, though the contemporary framework of a burned down dream home is also on the property. Citizens of the small, non-Mormon settled Babylon relied on the mill for their livelihood until the local mining industry took a dive, and the town was abandoned.
A graded dirt road takes you directly east from the I-15, descending gradually along cliff edges and tectonic uplift into a sandstone gulch carved by the waters of the Virgin. The river is beautiful and a moderate level, at least in January - we hope to float it later this year, when the temps are a little warmer.
Expect some traffic! Plenty of other off-roaders and UTV riders when we were there on a Saturday, some heading to Babylon, some to Sand Cove or Babylon Arch. 4-wheel drive is not necessary on a dry day, but might be helpful in case things get hairy.

To get to the Mills:

(1) Take exit 27 off the I-15 towards Toquerville. Take an immediate right onto the frontage road that runs parallel to the I-15 heading south.
(2) Continue south, passing the small development of homes on your left.
(3) Take a left turn at 900 N Rd, heading east.
(4) You'll pass some homes on the paved part of the road - ignore their driveways, and stay left on the main drag for a few miles.

(5) Continue past the turnoff to Sand Cove Campground.
(6) Look close and you'll see what appears to be an abandoned cabin to the east of the road here. It is worth taking a closer look at.

(7) You've made it to Babylon Mills! Stay on the track, and enjoy the incredible examples of tectonic and geologic work.

Hancock Peak is more of a knoll at the top of Cedar Mountain. I did this hike back in 2014 with a friend and the entire hike was in a thick forest with limited sunlight. Between October 2014 and September 2015, beetles wreaked havoc on the trees and when I took Trekker to it, the landscape was far different. Dead trees were everywhere, along with fields of chopped trees from the Forest Service trying to stop the spread of the bugs. We didn't get nearly as far in October due to being in direct sunlight the entire time, but we ended at one of the ponds fed by a volcanic spring which is still worth the walk.

On the way up from Cedar City, you do pass Cedar Breaks National Monument on SR14-3. It's a small monument, but worth the 10 minute stop

The Hancock Peak trail head is a few miles past Cedar Breaks, literally on the side of the road. Park on the pull-off and start the climb toward the knoll!

The trail is clearly cut in the grass but as you get closer to the knoll, you just have to pay attention to the cairns. Since there's really not much of a forest there for a while, the scenery is about the same until you get to the pond. It's a cool little hike if you have a free afternoon. You can also find arrowheads all over the area, so keep an eye out.