Things to Do in St. George, Utah

St. George sits in the heart of Utah's red-rock country, a short drive from Zion National Park and surrounded by state parks, hiking trails, and reservoirs. Whether you are planning a weekend, a golf getaway, or a full Greater Zion road trip, these guides cover the outdoors, attractions, day trips, dining, and events that make the area worth the drive.

What the area is good for

Four things carry most of a visit here, and they are unusually different from one another for somewhere this size. The first is red rock you can walk into: Snow Canyon State Park sits at the edge of town, the Red Cliffs reserve wraps around the north side, and there are 53 parks, preserves, historic sites and landmarks within roughly half an hour of downtown.

The second surprises people, because a desert is not where you expect it — water. Sand Hollow, Quail Creek and Gunlock are reservoirs within thirty minutes of the city, and between them they cover boating, paddling, fishing and swimming against red-rock backdrops. The third is golf, played twelve months a year, which is the reason a large share of winter visitors come at all. And the fourth is Zion, close enough to treat as a day out rather than a separate trip.

What is within a day's drive

Very little else in the country puts this many landscapes inside a morning's drive, which is the strongest argument for basing yourself here rather than moving hotels every night. Using the drive times Greater Zion publishes:

Under an hour — Zion National Park at Springdale, Zion's quieter Kolob Canyons entrance off I-15, Snow Canyon State Park, and all three reservoirs
About two hours — Bryce Canyon National Park, and Cedar Breaks in the summer months when the road over the mountain is open
About three hours — the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and Lake Powell
An hour and a half south — Las Vegas, which is also the nearest large airport

Planning around the season

Spring and autumn are the best of it, and busy for that reason. Winter is the season most visitors underrate: courses open, trails empty, and Zion in January is a different park from Zion in June. Summer is genuinely hot, regularly past 100 degrees through the middle of the day, which changes how you plan a day rather than whether you come — see the questions below for what that looks like in practice.

One piece of desert caution worth repeating whatever the month. In late summer, a storm you cannot see from where you are standing can send water through a slot canyon or a dry wash miles downstream. Check the forecast for the whole drainage above you, not just for the trailhead.

Attractions & places to visit

National parks

State parks

City parks

Nature preserves

Museums

Arts & theater

Historic sites

Scenic landmarks

Outdoors & parks

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Things to do

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Day trips & getaways

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Eat & drink

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Upcoming events

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Golf getaways

Year-round desert golf is one of St. George's biggest draws. Plan a stay-and-play golf trip, or compare every course.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in St. George with kids?

More than the red-rock reputation suggests. Thunder Junction All-Abilities Park was built so that children of any mobility can use the whole of it, and it is the single easiest afternoon in town. The Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm is a genuine trackway left where it was found and roofed over, which is a rarer thing than most families expect before they walk in. The Children's Museum and the Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum are both downtown and both indoors, which matters in July. And the shallow, warm edges of Sand Hollow are better for small children than any of the hiking is.

How far is St. George from Zion National Park?

Under an hour to the main canyon entrance at Springdale, which is why so many people base themselves in St. George and drive in. Zion's Kolob Canyons section, a quieter entrance off I-15 to the north, is closer still. Bryce Canyon is around two hours, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell roughly three, and Las Vegas an hour and a half south down I-15. That radius is the practical argument for staying put and driving out each morning rather than changing hotels every night.

How do you plan a summer day in St. George?

Treat the middle of the day as unavailable and build around it, the way people who live here do from June to September. Hike or ride at first light, while the rock is still cool and the trails are quiet. Take the afternoon on the water or somewhere air-conditioned. Come back out in the evening, when the town does most of its living. Golfers tee off early for the same reason, and shade is scarce enough on the trails that you should carry more water than feels necessary. A day planned this way is a good one; the same day planned around a noon hike is the reason some visitors leave saying it was too hot.

What is there to do when it is too hot to be outside?

Plenty, and it matters more here than it would elsewhere. We list 11 museums and performing-arts venues, including a working dinosaur trackway under cover, a children's museum downtown and a wildlife museum. The city and county recreation centers have pools, and there are cinemas in town. Tuacahn stages its productions outdoors against the cliffs in Ivins, so those are evening events rather than an escape from the afternoon.

Do you need a car to visit St. George?

Effectively yes. St. George has a regional airport with a handful of connecting flights, but most visitors fly into Las Vegas and drive the hour and a half up I-15, and there is no rail. Once here, the parks, reservoirs and trailheads are spread across the county rather than clustered downtown, so a car is what makes the area work. The upside is that almost everything worth seeing is a short drive rather than a long one.