St. George is one of our favorite places to vacation! There is so much to see and do, and it's only about a 4 1/2 hour drive from Salt Lake City. View a short video at the end of this post! You can also go to the St George Visitors Bureau site for much more information on the area.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Take I-15 south until you reach St. George. Use the map below for complete directions according to your starting point.
On there way there, or on the way home, you might want to stop at the following places:
View Larger Map
WHERE TO STAY:
There are many hotels in the St George area. Our favorite place to stay is in Green Valley, just on the other side of the bluff with the D on it. You can also check out the many campgrounds available in the area.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO:
- Johnson Farm Dinosaur Tracks
- Dinosaur Walkway
- Mountain Meadows Massacre Site
- Climbing on red rocks
- St George Tabernacle
- St George Temple Visitors Center
- Brigham Young Winter Home
- Jacob Hamblin Home
- See a play at the Tuacahn Theater
- St George has many golf courses
- Pine Valley "Boat Church": This church was built in 1868. The person who was assigned to build the church didn't know much about making buildings, but he did know about building boats. He designed the church like an upside down boat. You can go in the attic of this church and see how the roof is shaped like a boat.
- Grafton Ghost Town
- Silver Reef Ghost Town
- Zion National Park
- Tuacahn Theater
- Scenic Byways and Drives
- There are many surrounding cities to explore!
- Many recreational activities available!
FUN TIMES TO VISIT ST GEORGE:
- St George Marathon
- Utah Shakespearean Festival
- Dickens Christmas Festival
- Cotton Days Celebration
- Washington County Fair
- Huntsman World Senior Games
Early settlers started coming to St George as early as 1852, and St George was officially settled in 1861. Mormon president Brigham Young sent settlers there to grow cotton and wine grapes, and to harvest silk for the northern states during the Civil War. The St George area with its smaller surrounding towns make up what is known as "Utah's Dixie". Nobody knows exactly where the name "St George" came from, but there are two people who may be credited with the name: George Albert Smith, a Mormon Apostle; and Philip St George Cooke, a friend of Brigham Young. George Albert Smith earned the name "The Potato Saint" when he urged settlers to eat raw, unpeeled potatoes to help cure them of scurvy. Philip St George Cooke donated much equipment and many wagons for the settlement of Dixie.
TIPS FROM OUR READERS:
We always love hearing tips from our readers! If you have more information to share about vacationing in St George, please email us at contact@enjoyutah.org and we will add it to this post!
For more fun family vacation ideas, visit our Family Vacation Series page!
so many things you can see and do in Utah...
ReplyDeleteFound the source of the name St George today while touring Brigham Young's Winter Home there. Was named after the apostle George A. Smith, grandfather to George Albert Smith.
ReplyDelete