St. George is fast becoming the family, recreation, and retirement center of the West. No doubt this is due in part to its excellent golf courses, beautiful surroundings, and great shopping here.
St. George has an exciting selection of stores. The Red Cliffs Mall is a fully enclosed mall with more than 50 stores and shops. Zion Factory Stores and The Promenade across the street from each other feature 50 other stores with everything from discounted name-brand clothing to sporting goods, to books, to home furnishings.
St. George has also developed a reputation for great arts and entertainment. The Tuacahn Center for the Arts, a $25 million facility, is situated close to the Snow Canyon State Park and is home to famous outdoor musical dramas and concerts.
In St. George the pioneer legacy lives on in the beautiful Historic District. A delightful downtown walking tour of the Historic District begins at the Chamber of Commerce Office (the restored Pioneer Courthouse) on St. George Blvd. and 100 East. The tour includes beautiful buildings such as the St. George Temple, Tabernacle, the Brigham Young Home, and the Opera House. St. George’s Historic District features a number of shops, boutiques, galleries, and more.
Families will enjoy the Fiesta Fun Center (next door), the Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum or the Dinosaur Tracks Museum.
Select any of these many options for an enjoyable day in St. George.
The main entrance to Zion National Park is just 45 minutes from downtown St. George. Taking the shuttle is a great way to tour the Park, especially since most private cars are not allowed into the canyon while it runs. The Zion Park shuttle runs from late March until late October and operates daily from 6:30 a.m. until about 9:30 p.m.
The shuttle will take you on a six mile scenic drive into Zion Canyon, the complete round trip will take about 90 minutes and you can get on and off as often as you like to take pictures and enjoy the views. You can drive your own car into the main canyon during the winter months.
Many of the hikes in Zion National Park are located along this short section of road in the canyon. Some of the ones you may want to try are: Weeping Rock (.5 miles), Riverside Walk (2 miles), or Emerald Pools (2.4 miles).
Don’t forget to take water, snacks, sunscreen and/or sunglasses, and your camera, and be sure to wear good walking shoes. The shuttle will pick you up at the Zion Park Visitors Center just inside the gates of the Park. On your way back be sure and take some time to tour the Visitors Center, and the Zion Human History Museum, which offers an outstanding movie (free of charge) as well as some interesting displays about Zion’s history.
When you exit the canyon you will want to visit the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theater, which shows the epic Kieth Merrill film "Zion Canyon: Treasure of the Gods" on a six story high IMAX screen.
No trip to St. George is complete without an exciting round of golf. In sunny St. George you will find a variety of courses to choose from all surrounded by unmatched scenery. Imagine working on your swing in pleasant weather and surrounded by towering red-rock cliffs. After a few holes of golf you will be ready to relax at one of our first-class spas. You can enjoy a great massage, acupuncture, facial, or more spa services at any one of St. George’s many spas. In fact, you may find our spas so inviting that you will want to skip the game of golf all together and spend your whole day being pampered while relaxing and rejuvenating at the spa.
While you are here you will want to visit the ghost towns of Grafton and Silver Reef.
Grafton was established in 1859, to provide a settlement for people to grow cotton on the fertile plains next to the Virgin River. Frequent floods and Indian attacks caused problems for early pioneers and in the 1930s residents moved away to better land in Hurricane. A few old buildings still remain in good condition and nearby there is a well-preserved cemetery with many graves dating from the 1860s.
Silver Reef is an old silver mining town that was the largest town in southern Utah in 1880. There are several old buildings and the remains of others to see and tour.
Another great St. George adventure is to take an ATV tour of the surrounding canyons. On an ATV, you have the ability to explore a lot of territory and quickly climb to the best lookout points. If you are the type that prefers to pedal we suggest exploring some of the great mountain biking trails in the area. Gooseberry Mesa, located near Springdale, is a very popular ride that offers unparalleled views into Zion National Park. There are several bike shops that offer rentals as well as guided tours.
A short 10 minute drive from downtown St. George will take you to the north entrance of Snow Canyon State Park. There is a $4.00 entrance fee per vehicle. The drive through the park is spectacular, and you may stop at many turnouts to walk to view points or points of interest such as; caves, ponds, sand dunes, arches, and other formations.
After visiting the beautiful Snow Canyon you can travel south and then west through the rural town of Ivins. On the southwest end of the town you will come to a short dirt road, the road is about one mile long and (weather permitting) navigable by car. From the end of the dirt road, a short walk over a ridge will take you to the upper edge of the Santa Clara River Valley. Here you may view nearly 1,000 ancient American Indian historic images. Some of these glyphs may have been placed on the rocks more than 1,000 years ago.
If you are looking to spend a fun day on the beach, then St. George has just the thing. Sand Hollow, Quail Creek, and Gunlock Reservoirs are all within 12 to 20 minutes from St George, and each reservoir offers excellent opportunities for swimming, boating, jet-skiing, fishing, and other lake activities. These beautiful reservoirs are all stocked with fish and are popular with anglers year-round.
The recently opened Sand Hollow reservoir lies in a very scenic setting and reminds many people of a miniature Lake Powell. With sand dunes on the south, the Sand Hollow area is ideal for boating, ATV riding and other outdoor activities. Other reservoirs such as Baker, Kolob, and Enterprise are more suited specifically for fishing. |
