St. George, Utah, sits in the shadow of steep, multicolored sandstone cliffs, making it popular with nature lovers. Visitors to the area will find an array of available activities, including golf courses, hiking and biking trails, museums and theaters, along with some more unusual features in a city that blossomed out of the desert.
Dinosaur Discovery Site
- Before it was St. George, the area teemed with volcanoes and dinosaurs. You can see the volcanic leftovers in the geology around the city and the remnants of dinosaurs at Johnson Farm’s Dinosaur Discovery Site. This museum has preserved tracks from the dinosaurs that roamed the area, along with interactive displays, a children’s area and lifelike replicas of several dinosaurs.
Tuacahn Center for the Arts
- Productions of “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid” look entirely different with a red sandstone cliff as the backdrop. The Tuacahn Amphitheatre, an outdoor theater in St. George’s Snow Canyon, hosts Broadway musicals, plays, concerts, rodeos and comedians. Shows often sell out, but tickets can be purchased in advance. Because events take place outside and the desert nights can get chilly, attendees are advised to bring a jacket for later shows.
St. George Temple Visitors Center
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is widespread in Utah, and St. George is home to the oldest operating LDS temple in the world. Although the temple is not open to the public, tourists can go to the visitors center on the temple grounds. Other nearby historic sites provide a look at the early Mormon settlers in southern Utah. The Brigham Young House, which was completed in 1873 and still retains some of its original furnishings, is open daily for tours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Brigham Young, the second president of the LDS Church, wintered in St. George as he got older. The St. George Tabernacle is open daily for tours and also hosts a number of musical performances. It was renovated in 1993 but still retains the historic feel of its construction by pioneers.
Zion National Park
- Zion National Park, about 30 miles outside of St. George, is surrounded by sheer red rock cliffs, desert scrub and blue sky that seems to stretch for miles. Hikers can tackle the switchbacks up to Angel’s Landing, wade through the Virgin River’s famous narrows or backpack the 14-mile long West Rim Trail. The park has dozens of other trails at varying levels of difficulty, and also offers camping, cycling, canyoneering and rock climbing.
St. George Art Festival
- The refurbished town square in the St. George's historic district has a splash pad and waterfall, bronze statuary, carousel and dozens of boutiques and restaurants. In April, the St. George Art Festival brings more than 100 artists downtown to display their original work. The festival has live entertainment, traditional and international food booths, activities for children and thousands of works of art including painting, pottery, sculpture, jewelry and leather work.
