The Best Hikes in St. George, Utah

Explore the beautiful desert landscape that surrounds St. George on these top hikes.

Hiking Easy, Moderate, Difficult

Description

In the southwestern corner of Utah lies an area of incredible geologic beauty known as the Greater Zion region. Here, massive slabs of red sandstone bedrock rise from the earth, forming stunning cliffs, domes of rock, and breathtaking slot canyons. Nearby, huge flat-topped mesas rise thousands of feet above the surrounding landscape. And in the distance, snowcapped mountains tower above the entire tableau.

The largest city in the region is St. George, located just north of the Arizona border. At the time of this writing, the St. George metro area has 191,226 residents, but that number will undoubtedly be wrong by the time you read this guidebook. That's because St. George has recently been ranked as the fastest-growing metro area in the entire United States... and it's not the first time. The region has earned this label several times over the past decade, and the population growth shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. (Source)

As you drive around St. George, it's impossible to miss the dozens of housing developments being built in seemingly every expanse of uninhabited desert. So what's drawing all of the people to relocate here?

St. George's most prominent attractions include the mild winter climate, affordable real estate (especially when compared to nearby states like California and Colorado), and quality-of-life amenities. While many people consider things like golf courses to be attractive recreational opportunities, the incredible hiking trails in the region provide a strong draw to more adventurous residents.

Undoubtedly plenty of hikers have moved to St. George for the bounty of trails spread across the region, these incredible natural amenities serve tourists just as well. However, most of the hiking tourists traveling to the region head to the nearby hotspot of Zion National Park. With over 5 million visitors per year, Zion ranks as the fourth most popular national park in the USA.

While Zion is truly an otherworldly hiking destination, the desert and mountains closer to St. George also house a wealth of beautiful hiking trails that shouldn't be overlooked. IN this guidebook, you'll find a selection of the best hiking trails close to St. George.

Many of the most popular hikes in St. George are found in Snow Canyon State Park. Located just north of town, this park almost never receives snow, in spite of its name. The park is home to 16 miles of hiking trails, and in this trail system, you'll find popular hikes such as Lava Flow Overlook, Petrified Dunes, and more.

The Red Cliffs National Conservation Area protects the red rock formations located to the east of Snow Canyon. There are a few different ways to access Red Cliffs, and on the western side of the conservation area, you'll find popular hikes such as Elephant Arch, Yellow Knolls, and Paradise Rim. Moving further east in the conservation area, you'll find Red Reef Canyon, one of the most beautiful non-technical slot canyon hikes in the region!

A few other trails to make this guidebook fly a bit further under the radar, but they are still well-worth investigating. These include the Boy Scout Trails and Black Brush Trail, but if you're willing to explore, you'll find hundreds more miles of singletrack to hike in the St. George area!

No wonder everyone is moving to St. George! Time to check out some Zillow listings...