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Places We Protect

White Dome Nature Preserve

Utah

Clusters of white flowers dot the red, rugged landscape of White Dome Nature Preserve.
White Dome Nature Preserve Dwarf bear poppies dot the landscape in spring at White Dome Nature Preserve. © Daniela Roth/USFWS

The Nature Conservancy has protected nearly 95% of the dwarf bear poppy's habitat on privately owned land.

Overview

Description

Download the new audio tour before you visit, and make your phone your personal tour guide. You can also take the tour remotely!

Washington County is home to an exquisite plant that exists nowhere else on Earth—the dwarf bear poppy. Unfortunately, this unique piece of Utah’s natural heritage is facing a number of challenges. 

Human impacts, including development and off-road vehicle use, continue to destroy the poppies and their habitat and impair key plant life-cycle processes, such as pollination visits.

Listed as a federally endangered species in 1979, the survival of the bear poppy now rests in the hands of the St. George community and local conservation organizations. 

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Dogs, bicycles and motor vehicles are not permitted at the preserve.

Hours

The White Dome Nature Preserve is open year-round, from dawn to dusk.

Highlights

Hike the picturesque desert trails as you observe the rare beauty of the preserve's native endangered plant species. A number of trails intertwine at the preserve to allow for both short and extensive exploration.

Size

800 acres

Explore our work in Utah

Endangered Dwarf Bear Poppy

The dwarf bear poppy is an endangered perennial herb with long taproots, woody caudices and tufts of basal leaves.

Dwarf bear poppy flowers.
A dwarf bear poppy flower.
A dwarf bear poppy flower.
A dwarf bear poppy flower.
Dwarf bear poppy flowers.

Dwarf Bear Poppy: Dwarf Bear Poppy in full bloom (Arctomecon humilis). © Marv Poulson

A dwarf bear poppy flower.

Bee Pollinates Poppy: Dwarf bear poppy flowers open early in the morning, exposing their pollen. Pollinators visit the plants early in the morning before the pollen sheds by midday. © Utah Valley University

A dwarf bear poppy flower.

Desert Crust: Dwarf bear poppies only occur in the hard gypsum soils of Washington County. © Kody Rominger

A dwarf bear poppy flower.

Spectacular Blooms: In contrast to the harsh desert landscape, the poppy has exquisite white blooms. Plants can have as many as 300 to 400 flowers during the April to May blooming season. © Kody Rominger

Fragile Life in the Desert

Whether seen for the first time or the tenth, the dwarf bear poppy (Arctomecon humilis) elicits a sense of wonder that such beauty can emerge from the barren, gypsum-rich hills near St. George.  The blue-green rosette of leaves are each lobed like a bear paw, every lobe subtended by a silver hair or “claw.” 

Blossoms are sunbursts of yellow framed in sheer white petals that quiver in the breeze.  Older plants bear a bouquet of hundreds of blossoms, an explosion of color and life in the desert.

How You Can Help

The Nature Conservancy is working with communities, government agencies and other local organizations to protect remaining populations of the dwarf bear poppy. 

Without community support and activism, however, the plant’s future looks bleak.  Everyone can make a difference in the survival of this precious species.   

Below are some steps you can take to help preserve part of St. George’s extraordinary landscape.

  • When visiting a poppy preserve, stay on designated trails.  Any soil disturbance can decrease poppy numbers.
  • Spread the word—tell your friends and family about the wonders and plight of this beautiful plant.
  • Support local conservation efforts through volunteer work or by contributing to organizations involved in efforts to save the bear poppy.

Visit

  • Download the audio tour before you visit, and make your phone your personal tour guide!

  • Rare Plants

    The 800-acre White Dome Nature Preserve is home to two at-risk species: the dwarf bear poppy and the Siler pincushion cactus. The Preserve offers five miles of hiking trails in this stark, mysterious habitat intended to showcase these species while respecting the delicate and threatened nature of this place.

    Biologic Soil Crust

    It's alive! The soil is covered with living organisms that keep it and dwarf bear poppy seeds from blowing away. Biologic soil crust, or biocrust, takes decades to develop in any particular location and once established can persist for centuries if left undisturbed. Unfortunately, biocrust is extremely susceptible to human impacts. By staying on the marked trails, you help protect this important living component of the desert ecosystem.

  • When visiting the White Dome Nature Preserve, remember to bring water to stay hydrated as you walk the desert trails. Some trails have steep grades and loose gravel, so be sure to bring proper footwear too.

    For longer hikes, feel free to bring high energy snacks and a map of the trail. There are no trash bins at the preserve, so please remember to pack out your trash.

Find More Places We Protect

The Nature Conservancy owns nearly 1,500 preserves covering more than 2.5 million acres across all 50 states. These lands protect wildlife and natural systems, serve as living laboratories for innovative science and connect people to the natural world.

See the Complete Map

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