5 Best Sights in St. George, Southwestern Utah

In the heart of an upscale, contemporary planned community in Ivins, not far from Tuacahn Center for the Arts and Snow Canyon State Park, this beautifully situated arts colony contains several of southern Utah's top galleries, including Gallery 873, known for jewelry and ceramics; Kayenta Desert Arboretum & Desert Rose Labyrinth and Sculpture Gardens, which visitors can freely stroll through; Zia Pottery Studio, a co-op operated by talented local potters; and several others. Set against a red rock landscape, it's an enchanting neighborhood to stroll through, especially during the Art in Kayenta outdoor festival in mid-October. Also check to see what's on at the Center for the Arts at Kayenta—which presents lectures, movies, theater, and concerts—or grab a bite at the excellent Xetava Café or the expansion Xetava Bar & Kitchen, which opened in 2023.

Opened in 2015 as the state's first botanic garden devoted to desert conservation, this beautiful space in the red hills on downtown's northern edge is ideal for a peaceful stroll and learning about water-efficient plants. More than 5,000 of them—including fragrant mesquite trees, prickly pear cactus, blue agave, Joshua trees, weeping yucca, and desert willows—thrive here, along with a meandering stream that's stocked with desert suckers, Virgin River chub, and other native species. Paths also lead past a number of boulders that preserve the tracks of dinosaurs that roamed here some 200 million years ago. The garden adjoins rugged Pioneer Park, a 52-acre expanse of rock-climbing and hiking terrain, with barbecue pits, picnic pavilions and tables, and both short and long trails.

Encompassing the convergence of the Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau desert zones, this pristine 62,000-acre tract of red rock wilderness begins just north of St. George and was established in 2009 to protect the habitat of the desert tortoise. However, countless other flora and fauna—including Gila monsters and chuckwallas—thrive in this unique transition zone that can be accessed through miles of designated hiking, mountain-biking, and horseback-riding trails. Start by visiting the contemporary visitor center (open weekdays only) in downtown St. George, where you can view live animals and interactive exhibits and staff can recommend hikes and other ways to visit. You can pick up trail maps there or download detailed PDF maps from the reserve website. The trail sections closest to town include City Creek and Paradise Canyon. Although it adjoins the reserve and is part of the same ecosystem, popular Snow Canyon State Park is administered separately.

This is one of the best-preserved pioneer buildings in the entire state, and it's still used for public meetings and community events. Mormon settlers began work on the tabernacle just a few months after the city of St. George was established in 1863. Upon completion of the sandstone building's 140-foot clock tower 13 years later, Brigham Young formally dedicated the site. Visits are by guided tour.

The red-sandstone temple, plastered over with white stucco, was completed in 1877 and was the first Mormon temple in southwest Utah. It has served as a meeting place for both Mormons and other congregations over the decades. Today, only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can enter the temple, but a visitor center next door offers guided tours of the visitor center and grounds. The temple reopened in late 2023 after being closed for several years of renovations that have made it more accessible and energy-efficient and restored the exterior and interior to better replicate the original temple.