All the best places to see and things to do in St. George on your next trip!
Taz and I love to visit St. George! I have a good amount of family members that live throughout the city so it is always great when we make a trip to see extended family. Here is a fun fact that not many people know, but my husband Taz Smith was born in St. George. It seems that every time we come to town it keeps getting bigger. It seems to be growing very rapidly with Dixie State expanding the surrounding areas are just exploding with people. However, it’s still a great getaway for everyone that still wants that small-town feel without having to venture very far.
This is a list of my favorite things to do in St. George and spots in Southern Utah. I have broken it down into a handful of main sections “things to do” “food to eat” “places to stay” “low budget” “money is no issue”. These are all topics I have wondered about when planning a trip to St. George. I hope these things help you find things to do in St. George while you visit.
Things to Do
St George is definitely a college town, this means there are lots of fun things to do on the cheap, if not free. This means you can save a lot of money when traveling through St George by exploring some of these great spots. There are so many drop-dead beautiful state and national parks that you can drive to in less than one hour. St George is totally a go-to spot for the outdoor adventure type. These parks are also great for the average jo like me and my husband with plenty of easy walks or hikes making it great for the whole family.
Red Hills Desert Gardens
Red Hills Desert Gardens is by far one of my favorite things to do in St. George! During our move from Utah to Florida on our first night in St. George, it was just about sunset and we wanted to do explore somewhere fun because we had been driving all day. So we decided to check out and walked around the gardens. We took beautiful pictures and hiked around the red rocks. It is perfect for a cute date night or if you have a small family. There are plenty of great spots for pictures that are gorgeous. It is right next to Dixie Rock which is a great little adventure spot especially if you are looking to catch the sunrise. For the gardens, there is a beautiful walk just around the park but you can go down into the carved out walkway which you can see below, it is beautiful and full of lots of fun local art.
The price is free!
St. George Temple
The St. George temple is at the center of the city and the white walls against the red rocks take my breath away! This is a religious building for The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints and was built in St George over 150 years ago. To go inside the actual temple you need to be a member of the church but they have a great visitor Center that explains how it was built and why temples are important. There’s a beautiful walkway around the grounds with great trees and well-kept flower beds. It is a very peaceful place and great for families to take a walk and picnic if it is a nice day.
The price is free.
Downtown St. George
When we come to St. George, we always like to take walks downtown. We always end up staying pretty close to the downtown area so it makes it pretty easy to go out early before it gets too hot or late afternoons once it has cooled off. There is a lot to see like the St. George tabernacles, dozens of adorable shops and yummy restaurants. Taz and I actually went ring shopping downtown during our first trip down to St. George, but that’s a story for another day haha. Depending on the night there really on the weekends there is normally something going on.
The price is free. (unless you get a snack or buy something local from one of the cute shops)
Snow Canyon State Park
If you want to feel as if you are transported to a different world check out snow canyon. We took the quick trip through the mountains to the Snow Canyon State Park outlook and wow. You can see from the photo below that it is just stunning. I had never been before and now I’m convinced that everyone should put that at the top of their list of things to do in St. George! There’s a ton of places to hike, ride your bike, or there are lookout points if you want to just drive through. it is only a 15-30 minute drive outside of St. George so how can you not! if you can spend at least half a day exploring this park because its amazing.
The basic price just to drive in to spend the day is $10 unless you are a Utah resident then it is $5. Below is the complete price guide from the state park website in case you are interested in camping or group passes.
PARK FEES
Day-use Fees: $10 per vehicle (up to eight people); $5 per vehicle (up to eight people) Seniors 62 and older (Utah residents with UT driver’s license); $5 pedestrian/cyclists (up to eight people); $3 per person commercial use or vehicles with nine or more people
Camping Fees:
Non-hookup sites: $20 per night; Hookup Sites (W&E): $25 per night
Extra vehicle fees (one extra vehicle per site permitted): $15 per night
Group Day Use:
Lower Galoot Day Use Area: $60 (Reservation / Permit required)
Group Overnight Camping:
Cottontail Group Campground: $3 per person + refundable cleaning deposit at the park (25 people min – 35 max – 10 vehicles max)
Quail Group Campground: $4 per person + refundable cleaning deposit at the park (25 people min – 55 max – 20 vehicles max)
Food to Eat
The food in St. George is amazing. It has some unique great places that are absolutely delicious. There are of course the regular places you can find in any town across the U.S. Don’t get me wrong I love myself some Chilis chicken crispers but if you are only in St. George for a short time there are so many yummy spots you have to try. I find food and restaurants are one of the easiest ways to dive into the culture of an area and really understand and get a feel for the local people.
George’s Corner
George’s Corner was the first place I ever ate when I came to St. George with Taz. We were in town for a wedding in early summer and it was one of those beautifully hot days in St. George. We were exploring the downtown area and looking for a yummy cold snack. This led us to Georg’s Corner and our waiter recommended the banana split, so we ordered it. LET ME TELL YOU! I was blown away and so was Taz. When they brought it out to our table both of our jaws dropped. It was picture perfect and tasted like it was crafted by angels. Every time we are in town if we have time we stop in for this amazing icecream dish. I’m sure they have good meals too or you can just make the banana split your meal. I’m not judging! I think it costs around $7.00 Dollars.
Frost Top
Since I like putting dessert first, make your way over to Frost Top! If I’m being honest, their menu isn’t my favorite except for their milkshakes. They’re thick and have a TON of different toppings! Taz though really enjoys the old-style fast-food feel of the place. He normally will get their chicken sandwich or burger and fries. Overall if you are in a rush and want to try something new I would recommend this over the usual McDonalds or Wendys but definitely stop in for a yummy milkshake.
Price range $5.00-$15.00
Cafe Rio
Cafe Rio is a Utah “staple” that almost has its own section in Utah’s food pyramid. The first Cafe Rio is actually located in St. George and it is worth a stop! If you end up here, I love the grilled chicken tacos with rice no beans but the dish they are known for is the sweet pork burrito and if this is your first time trying Cafe Rio you should start there. The eternal debate, however, is whether someone prefers Costa Vida or Cafe Rio. They are a very similar type of restaurant so if you can definitely go to both to pick your favorite. If you make it to both let me know which one you prefer, I would love to know your thoughts!
Viva Chicken
My friend suggested Viva Chicken to us on our last trip so we knew we had to try it. It did not disappoint! The chicken is absolutely delicious and the french fries are to die for. If you have a chance to come down to St. George, this place is a MUST!
Zeppes
I wanted to start and end with dessert and Zeppe’s was my favorite place I’ve had while in St. George. The soft-serve custard is mouthwatering. I ate all of mine in minutes and then some of Taz’s too. It was THAT good!
Places to Stay
My Place St. George
When we go down to St. George, we usually stay with family, but this time we decided to go to a hotel. My Place St. George opened only a few months previously and we wanted to check it out. Every room contained a kitchenette to make your own meals if you were in town for an extended stay, pool, hot tub, and even breakfast in bed! We were definitely spoiled and will definitely be staying there during our future trips to St. George.
Local Airbnb/VRBO
These websites are one of the best ways to find adorable places to stay. With the natural beauty of St George, there are some truly spectacular Airbnb/VRBO. You can find some pretty cheap options as well as very high-end places. so no matter your budget you will be able to sleep very comfortably.
Those are all of my favorite things to do in St. George! If you find any other hidden gems, tell me down in the comments. Also, if you liked this post, here’s a couple of my other favorite things to do in Utah.
XOXO Kayla