I have visited St. George several times, and each time I fall deeper in love with St. George and the surrounding region. Every time I visit, I come away with an even longer list of things to do in St. George, Utah. If it weren’t for the hot summers, I would move there in an instant. Luckily, I can drive to St. George in less than five hours and get my fix of desert weather and scenery. On my most recent visit in May, I got to see cactus blooming, which made me miss living in Tucson, just a tiny bit! In any case, I look forward to more St. George vacations as there are always new things to see in St. George. November seems to be a good time to visit for Utah fall colors; my Thanksgiving 2024 visit was about 2 weeks past peak.

This post contains affiliate links. Buying through these links will not cost you extra, but I will earn a small commission.

Best Things to Do in St. George

St. George is a fantastic outdoor recreation destination, and most of my trips here have been based on the outdoor activities in St. George. However, it’s also a very popular golf destination and there are many cultural attractions as well. I just haven’t made time to explore the cultural side of St. George yet. I really want to see a performance at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts, but I seem to keep missing the season, which runs May through October. There is also a lot of LDS history in St. George, and you can learn about the Mormon settlers at the St. George Utah Temple Visitors Center and the Jacob Hamlin home.

If you plan on hiking in St. George, I highly recommend downloading the All Trails app before you head out! Desert hiking is a lot different than hiking in the woods, and it’s not always easy to see the trail!

Snow Canyon State Park

Snow Canyon State Park is a small, but stunning state park in Southern Utah. It is technically in Ivins, Utah, but it is just minutes from St. George. This Utah State Park has 20 miles of hiking trails through lava tubes, petrified sand dunes, and sand dunes. There are 30 campsites, including several with water and electricity; each time I visit, the campground is full, but I look forward to camping here in the future. While Snow Canyon State Park is not an official “Dark Sky Park” it’s still an amazing place to view the night sky.

Some of the best hikes at Snow Canyon State Park include:

• The Petrified Dunes area doesn’t have a specific trail that I know of, but you can climb all over the dunes and it’s a great place to watch the sun go down.
• Johnson Arch is a nice short hike with a great payoff, although it’s only open from November 1st through March 15. The round-trip hike is less than two miles to the arch!

• Scout Cave is an easy hike with a great payoff. I can’t believe I haven’t hiked this trail sooner! It’s 3.4 miles round-trip, mostly flat with a steep climb to Scout Cave at the end.

Red Cliffs Desert Reserve

The Red Cliffs Desert Reserve encompasses a huge swath of land where the Mojave Desert, Colorado Plateau, and the Great Basin all meet. All told, there are 60,000 acres of protected land in the reserve, which is near twice the size of Bryce Canyon National Park. The reserve encompasses many areas, including the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, so there is not just one entrance or trailhead. However, I can recommend a few of my favorite dog-friendly hikes in Red Cliffs. I found this dog-friendly hiking area thanks to the book Best Hikes with Dogs Utah.

Northeast of St. George, the Mill Creek trailhead in Washington leads to another fantastic dog-friendly hike to Elephant Arch. Also clocking in at just under four miles, the hike to Elephant Arch is mostly through a sandy wash, which is great for kids and dogs, although more challenging on your ankles and feet! At the end of the hike, you are rewarded with this arch that very much resembles an elephant’s trunk!

If the sand is warm, don’t forget to bring dog boots to protect your pup’s paws!

Red Reef Trail is in another area of Red Cliffs, north of St. George near Leeds. In the spring, there are cool waterfalls at the end of a short hike from the day use area.

Sand Hollow State Park

This Utah State Park was only “recently” created in 2003, with a 1300-acre reservoir that is popular with boaters, and 6,000 acres of OHV trails in the Sand Mountain OHV area. The park has two campgrounds, two boat ramps, and a scuba diving area complete with a sunken airplane! On a recent May visit, I joined a UTV tour at Sand Hollow – it was so much fun!. You can also rent your own ATVs or UTVs, but I think a guided tour is the way to go. My guide, Joel, gave me a ton of geologic history on the area, plus lots of recommendations for the rest of my trip. Sand Hollow Rentals also rents boats, jet skis, kayaks, SUPs, and canoes. For boating or off-roading, Sand Hollow is the place to go!

Quail Creek State Park

Another fun State Park near St. George is Quail Creek State Park. Like Sand Hollow, this 600-acre reservoir is very popular with boaters. The scenery is breathtaking, and best enjoyed from a kayak or stand-up paddleboard. You can rent kayaks and paddleboards, or join a guided tour. The tour takes you to the quiet end of the reservoir, where you can paddle through tree tunnels to see turtles basking in the sun. Then, you paddle across the reservoir and take a short hike to some petroglyphs before returning to the beach. My guide Rod was full of local information and gave me enough tips to fill another trip to St. George.

Check out my favorite places for paddleboarding in Utah!

Santa Clara Petroglyphs

Another place to see petroglyphs near St. George is in Santa Clara, which is a darling little town I’d love to check out on my next visit. On All Trails, this is labeled as “Santa Clara Petroglyphs via Anasazi Trail” which is not to be confused with the Anasazi Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. This is an easy 3-mile round-trip hike with little elevation gain. The petroglyphs aren’t really marked, but you can’t miss them, and you’ll also have nice views of the Great Basin. There is no shade on this trail, so bring water!

Gunlock State Park

My ATV guide told me about this spot and I’m so glad I checked it out! Gunlock State Park has a 260-acre reservoir and boating and fishing are the main attractions. I came to hike the Gunlock Slot Loop. If you’ve never been to a slot canyon, this is a good one to visit as it’s not super narrow, so you won’t feel claustrophobic at any time.

This trail is not marked at all! I had my All Trails app on navigation mode and I probably checked it every 30 seconds. I still managed to get off course a few times. The hike is only two miles round-trip, so I wasn’t too concerned, but without the GPS, I would never have found the slot canyon. If you have time before returning to St. George, you can take Old Highway 91 which goes through a Joshua tree forest. This road ends up back at I-15 near the Arizona border and you can double back to St. George.

Veyo Pool & Crawdad Canyon

If you visit St. George in the warmer months, you just might want to cool off rather than hike. It can easily get over 100 degrees in summer, so Veyo Pool & Crawdad Canyon is a great spot to stay cool on a hot summer day. The natural, spring-fed pool is set alongside beautiful cliffs and the Santa Clara River. It’s a unique destination that offers swimming, camping, and rock climbing. In fact, the Crawdad Canyon rock climbing park is one of the largest privately-owned outdoor climbing spots in the US. Kids will love (catch-and-release) crawdad catching in the river.

Zion Canyon Hot Springs

While there are several hot springs in Utah, I haven’t found any like the Colorado Hot Springs I love so much! So I’ve been waiting for these new St. George hot springs to open. I actually had a Google Alert set for “Pah Tempe hot springs.” Zion Canyon Hot Springs opened in 2025 and it will be my first stop on my next trip to St. George. I can’t wait!

More St. George Utah Activities

There are even more things I haven’t seen or done in St. George, so I know I always have a reason to come back and visit again! Some other things I plan to check out next time:

• Visit the Coyote Art Village in Ivins
• Learn about fossils at the St. George Discovery Site
• Visit the Red Hills Desert Garden (free holiday light display between Thanksgiving and Christmas)
• Visit the Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site
• Explore downtown St. George and the St. George Town Square Park
• Go hiking at Pioneer Park
• Tuacahn Center for the Arts

Day Trips from St. George

With a wide variety of accommodations in St. George, it makes a great home base for exploring southern Utah. If you’re willing to drive a few hours, there are a ton of amazing things to do near St. George.

Cedar City is another great Southern Utah base; there are tons of cool things to do in Cedar City!

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is just one hour from St. George, so it’s an easy day trip. Zion is one of my favorite parks and it’s the reason I fell in love with Utah, however it is incredibly crowded. It’s a narrow canyon with one road in and out, and while they have an excellent shuttle service, it currently doesn’t run year-round. There have been many days when the shuttle is not running that the park has filled up and closed to new visitors for short periods of time.

Some of the best (and most popular) hikes in Zion include the following:

• Angel’s Landing (permit required)
• Virgin River Narrows (permit required to hike from top-down, but you can hike bottom-up without a permit)
• Emerald Pools

Valley of Fire State Park

This Nevada State Park is also a great day trip from Vegas, about 90 minutes from St. George. The park has some beautiful rock formations and the winding road is a popular spot for photographers. It was incredibly crowded on Thanksgiving weekend when I visited. I definitely want to come back mid-week and do more of the hikes. Petroglyph Canyon from the Mouse’s Tank Trail is a nice short hike with one of the larger parking lots.

Grafton Ghost Town

If you are driving to Zion from St. George, you’ll pass through the small town of Rockville. From Rockville, you can easily access the ghost town of Grafton. It’s a really well-maintained ghost town that includes interpretive plaques that tell you how Grafton became a town, and why it was later abandoned. You can also visit the old cemetery which is down a side road before you reach Grafton. I was able to navigate to both spots with Google Maps on my phone. Or, you can join an Off Road Tour to Grafton Ghost Town.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Another National Park near St. George Utah is Bryce Canyon National Park. Ok, this is a bit of a stretch, but I’ve visited twice as day trips from St. George/Springdale. Again, it depends on your full itinerary whether you stay overnight, but Bryce Canyon National Park is about two hours from St. George, Utah. Bryce Canyon is one of the more visually stunning places I’ve visited, but in terms of hiking, I didn’t find it as intriguing. There are many short trails you can take below the canyon rim, and I feel that can all be done in a short one-day trip. I’m sure sunrise and sunset are worth staying the night in the area, but if you just want to roll up and take a few photos, I would do it as a day trip from St. George or Springdale.

That said, visiting Bryce Canyon in winter was so far the highlight of my year! I have seen photos of the red hoodoos covered in snow for years, so on a February trip to St. George, I decided to make the 2-hour detour to check it out! It literally took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. I feel incredibly lucky to have seen this, without the hassle of driving through snow or bad weather to get there. If you get the chance to see Bryce Canyon in winter, I highly recommend it!

Utah’s most scenic drive is between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks!

St. George Restaurants

I’ll be honest – most of my St. George trips are based on hiking and I often just grab fast food and eat at the hotel. (Especially now that I live in a small town with not many fast food choices!) I haven’t tried too many St. George restaurants. However, there are a few worth mentioning, both from my own personal experience as well as local recommendations.

• Wood Ash Rye in the Advenire Hotel has great food, service, and atmosphere. I had breakfast here all three days of my last trip, plus a really good steak dinner.
• Bear Paw Cafe is on Main Street next to the Advenire. This is a cute little diner-style restaurant with large portions and breakfast all day.
• The Painted Pony is highly recommended by nearly every local I’ve spoken with; I’ll definitely make time for it one of these days.
• Likewise, the Stage Coach Grille in La Verkin is also supposed to be really good.

Where to Stay in St. George

St. George accommodations include camping, glamping, roadside hotels, budget hotels, and luxury resorts. No matter your budget, you’ll have plenty of options for St. George hotels and campgrounds. There are also some cool glamping resorts in Southern Utah!

As far as chain hotels go, I’ve stayed at both Tru by Hilton and Hyatt Place. Both are adequate for a night or two. For Marriott travelers, I highly recommend the Advenire, an Autograph Collection property. It’s by far my favorite place to stay in St. George

The Advenire, Autograph Collection

On a recent trip to St. George, I splurged a bit on the Autograph Collection and now I’m not sure I’ll stay anywhere else in St. George. This boutique hotel is so charming, with unique decor in every part of the hotel. My favorite part of the hotel is the rooftop terrace and hot tub. I was in that hot tub every night of my stay; it has a great view and is super relaxing. The location is also fantastic as it’s in the heart of downtown St. George. (The only downside is $18/night for valet parking, but that’s to be expected with a downtown location.)

Check prices at The Advenire, Autograph Collection

Black Desert Resort

In November 2024, Black Desert Resort became the newest resort in St. George. By 2027, it will offer over 1,000 rental units, including hotel rooms, condos, and private homes. I had the opportunity to stay here during the Preview phase in December 2024. The resort is located near Snow Canyon State Park and Red Mountain Resort. I had a beautiful room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony perfectly positioned for sunset.

Black Desert is built around a 19-hole golf course which will host PGA and LGPA golf courses for the next four years.

Red Mountain Resort (closed Nov.2026)

I followed Red Mountain Resort & Spa on social media for years and after a couple of stays, it became one of my favorite hotels in St. George. Sadly, Red Mountain Resort & Spa closed in the fall of 2026. The resort was purchased by the same group that opened Black Mountain Resort, so I’m sure they have something fantastic in mind.

See St. George and more on this Southern Utah Road Trip itinerary!

Getting to St. George

Getting to the St. George area is fairly easy, assuming you have a rental car. Even if you fly directly into St. George, you still want a rental car to explore all of the cool things to see in the area.

• Las Vegas Airport is 120 miles away, or less than two hours
• Salt Lake City Airport is 300 miles away, or just over four hours to drive
• St. George Regional Airport (SGU) has several daily connections through Salt Lake City and Denver.