Top 10 attractions in SOUTHERN UTAH
1. Zion’s National Park
The sheer red cliffs of Zion Canyon personify this beautiful national park. At about 230 square miles in size, seeing all of Zion in one trip is near impossible, but even a glimpse of the colorful sandstone cliffs, resplendent in shades of red, pink, orange, and creamy white, are enough to evoke feelings of awe.
2. Snow Canyon Park
Yet another flawless example of the stunning beauty in the state of Utah comes from Snow Canyon State Park, a place named for two prominent Utah pioneers, Lorenzo and Erastus Snow, not because of the weather. In this 7,400-acre park, which consists of sandy dunes and massive red sandstone cliffs, a huge canyon is carved out in the ground. Visitors can explore Snow Canyon State Park on foot, by bike, or on horseback, along over 38 miles of hiking trails and 15 miles of equestrian trails.
3. Sand Hollow State Park
Sand Hollow State Park, located near the town of Hurricane, is one of the newest state parks in Utah and also one of the most popular. The red rocks and sandy dunes in the park make it a popular destination for mountain bikers and those who enjoy ATVs or off-road vehicles.
4. Quail Creek State Park
The grand centerpiece of Quail Creek State Park is a 600-acre reservoir, where visitors can go swimming, boating, or fishing. At the edges of the lake, craggy red rocks rise up on all sides, underneath a blue sky that matches the water beneath it. Fishers at Quail Creek Reservoir can try their luck at catching some of the rainbow trout, crappie, and bullhead catfish that are stocked in the water, which reaches depths of 120 feet.
5. Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park, a sprawling reserve in southern Utah, is known for crimson-colored hoodoos, which are spire-shaped rock formations. The park’s main road leads past the expansive Bryce Amphitheater, a hoodoo-filled depression lying below the Rim Trail hiking path. It has overlooks at Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point. Prime viewing times are around sunup and sundown.
6. Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site
The Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site is located just south of the border between Utah and Arizona. A short and easy hike of about 1 mile around some of the massive sandstone rock formations at the site will weave visitors through a maze of stone, and everywhere in the area there are stunning ancient petroglyphs on the boulders.
7. Dixie National Forest
Dixie National Forest is a United States National Forest in Utah with headquarters in Cedar City. It occupies almost two million acres and stretches for about 170 miles across southern Utah. The largest national forest in Utah, it straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River.
8. Cedar Breaks National Monument
Cedar Breaks National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located in the U.S. state of Utah near Cedar City. Cedar Breaks is a natural amphitheater, stretching across 3 miles, with a depth of over 2,000 feet. The elevation of the rim of the amphitheater is over 10,000 feet above sea level.
9. St George Children’s Museum
St. George Children's Museum is a nonprofit children's museum in St. George, Utah. The mission statement of the museum is to provide vibrant and engaging interactive activities that invite children and families to discover, imagine and create. The Museum's green dragon mascot, “Rufus”, frequently shows up in logos.
10. St George Temple
When the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints were forced from their church in Illinois, they ventured West and eventually resettled in Utah. The St. George Utah Temple was the first church that the members of the church built as their own after they settled.