Enjoy a Quality Lifestyle Year-Round in St. George
St.George is known for its stunning red rocks, lengthy desert surroundings, cozy year-round warmth, and breathtaking national parks. Which is why it provides an excellent, year-round backdrop for all of your outdoor adventures in the Southwest!
As luck may have it, the SunRiver Villas in St.George happens to be central to all that the St. George area has to offer, fitting your entertainment and outdoor-lifestyle needs, while enjoying retirement in our cozy Discovery Villas.
So now that you have SunRiver Villas as the centralized starting point for all of your outdoor endeavors, we will get into some of our favorite things to do year-round in St.George.
Honestly, there are so many great activities, it was hard to narrow down our favorites! But alas, you can Enjoy a Quality Lifestyle Year-Round in St. George with our 10 favorite outdoor activities in the St.George area:
1: Zion National Park
Perhaps it seems a bit cliche, but the reality is that Zion National Park will forever be a favorite in Southern Utah, to travelers and locals alike!
Zion was the first to be claimed a National Park in Utah, and with time, came more and more sites to see and trails to embark on. Zion is a backpacker’s paradise. You can plan a trip of two days or a week, and still have places to see.
Between the colorful sandstone rock, high plateaus, hidden pools, burnt ochre rock towers, silky orange sands, and natural arches and formations, this park has almost too much beauty to offer!
2. Snow Canyon State Park
This charming state park, just 20 minutes away from the SunRiver Villas in St.George, is a sight for sore eyes. The picturesque red rocks, trailed by the staggering contrast of white rock and lava flow throughout the scarlet canyon, will have you feeling completely rejuvenated.
Snow Canyon is also part of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve—a protective reserve for the area’s desert-dwelling tortoise. Peregrine falcons and Gila monsters also call the park home and can often be spotted during your visit.
Known to locals as the place for adventure near town, Snow Canyon State Park provides rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking and jogging trails, and views that will have you swooning.
3. Sand Hollow State Park
We love Sand Hollow, not just because of its natural red sand throughout the park and beach, but for its ability to never allow boredom! With out-of-this-world views of the surrounding St. George area and Pine Valley Mountains, Sand Hollow State Park has it all.
Spend your day on the rolling waves of the lake on a kayak or boat, do some cliff diving off of the many red rock cliffs, or spend the day soaking some runs on the beach with a nice picnic.
If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, perhaps the plentiful options for watersports, off-roading in the sand dunes, or pitching a tent for a lakeside camp happening will?
4. Kolob Canyon
Enjoy a Quality Lifestyle Year-Round when you visit Kolob Canyon anytime during the year! Though this canyon is not as well-known as Zion National Park, it is as equally as impressive.
Take our word for it!
Kolob Canyon is actually the northwest section of Zion National Park, and is part of the Colorado Plateau region of the park. Therefore, this colorful canyon sees considerably less traffic than the main part of Zion, which makes for a very quaint and peaceful hiking trip.
With many wilderness trails, untouched terrain, and unbelievable views, Kolob Canyon is just a mere 35 minutes away from the SunRiver Villas in St.George! Woohoo!
*cue the party music*
5. Kanara Falls
Ahh, a local favorite for sure. Just 45 minutes away from the SunRiver Villas lies the challenging, must-see Kanara Falls.
Get prepared before setting out to enjoy these stunning views! You’ll need some warm clothes, waterproof fanny packs, and water shoes for this baby, no matter the time of year!
The Kanara Falls hike is partially through the water, with the assistance of a handmade wooden ladder and ropes bolted to the canyon in order to explore higher areas of the hike.
If a bit of a gorgeous and slightly challenging hike is on your bucket list, then this is the place you’ll want to be my friends. It is sooooo worth it!
6. Tuacahn Center for the Arts and Amphitheatre
The Tuacahn Center for the Arts is located in the mouth of the Padre Canyon, adjacent to Snow Canyon State Park just outside of St. George.
The facility is 42,000 square feet and includes a 2,000-seat outdoor amphitheater popular with Broadway-style shows and special guests coming to perform in Southern Utah.
They also boast a 300-seat indoor theatre and even their own high school! Their show season runs during the summer months, and showcase concert series and other notable Holiday activities throughout the year.
Enjoy a Quality Lifestyle Year-Round with endless first-class entertainment from Tuacahn, just 24 minutes from the SunRiver Villas in St.George.
In addition, if you are wanting to experience a local farmers market, they are hosted on the grounds of Tuacahn on Saturday mornings during the warmer months. Yum!
7. Bryce Canyon National Park
About two and a half hours outside of the SunRiver Villas in St.George, is the famed Bryce Canyon National Park.
Although this park is a bit further than some of our other suggestions we’ve given you today, we add this in because it is simply a must-see. This beautiful canyon boasts unusual spindly hoodoo rock formations and yellow and lavender canyons that you will never find anywhere else!
You can experience its beauty by car, donkey, or hiking trails. Due to its high elevation, it often gets snow at the end of Fall through early Spring, but its a popular destination all year long.
This can easily be done in one day with the SunRiver Villas as your starting point! Make sure to put this unusual National Park on your 2020 bucket list.
8. Cedar Breaks National Monument
Enjoying a Quality Lifestyle Year-Round is impossible without this renowned area of Southern Utah.
Just an hour and a half north of SunRiver Villas St. George, lies the wonders and wildflowers of Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Crowning the grand staircase, Cedar Breaks sits at over 10,000 feet and looks down into a half-mile deep geologic amphitheater. The wilderness will captivate you, while the lush forest practically gives you a warm hug.
Why not make a day of it?
After you’ve visited this beautiful monument, stop by Brianhead Ski and Summer Resort for lunch and stroll through their shops. Ski during the winter or climb up the mountain in the summer. You won’t regret spending a day in the high country of Southern Utah!
9. Grand Canyon National Park
Of course, we couldn’t leave off the grandest of parks and adventures here near Southern Utah! Grand Canyon National Park is a natural wonder everyone needs to experience at least once in there life, and is relatively close to Southern Utah.
The north rim, while a lengthy 2-hour drive from the SunRiver Villas, boasts year-round wildlife, hiking, and views you will never forget.
Visit the original Grand Canyon Lodge, have lunch in the forest overlooking the canyon, or take a trail out to the edge and experience one of the ten wonders of the world.
11. Gooseberry Mesa
This is perhaps one of the most favorite places in Southern Utah to mountain bike. Maybe even in the entire western United States, and it’s only 36 minutes from SunRiver Villas in St.George, between LaVerkin and Hildale, Utah.
Gooseberry Mesa is known for the best technical biking trails anywhere, giving those who ride these trails a “ride” for their money!
The South Rim trail, with its rolling slickrock, twisty singletrack and vistas will challenge any ability-level mountain biker.
St.George and the surrounding Southern Utah area is simply captivating, and filled with endless activities, all year round. Trust us, it is an adventure for everyone, with many exciting places to add to the ‘ol bucket list.
And the SunRiver Villas in St.George is at the center of it all, offering a hefty amount of activities of our own. We hope you can Enjoy a Quality Lifestyle Year-Round in St. George with our 10 favorite outdoor activities in the St.George area!
