Beat the Heat: Where to Swim Around St. George

When July hits 110, locals do not tough it out. They get on the water. Within about twenty minutes of town there are three warm reservoirs, and each has its own personality.

Sand Hollow

The famous one, out past Hurricane. Warm blue water, red-sand beaches, and a big dune field next door for the ATV crowd. It gets busy on summer weekends, but the beaches are wide and the water stays bathtub-warm well into fall. (There is a separate guide just on Sand Hollow.)

Quail Creek

Fifteen minutes north, closer to Hurricane, Quail Creek is the swimmer-and-boater pick: warm water, mild weather most of the year, and a little less scene than Sand Hollow. Good for a paddle, a fishing line, or just a float.

Gunlock

About fifteen miles northwest, Gunlock is the quiet, pretty one, tucked into red rock. Paddleboard it, swim it, camp it. And in a wet year, watch for Gunlock Falls in late spring, when the reservoir fills past the brim and spills over the red sandstone in a set of waterfalls you can walk right up to. It does not happen every year, so when it does, go.

The basics

These are state parks, so expect a day-use fee at the gate. Bring shade, because there is almost none, plus more water and sunscreen than you think, and get there early on holiday weekends before the good beach spots fill. Mornings are calm; by afternoon the wind and the boat wakes pick up.