I have lived in Utah, USA for 15 years and each year I enjoy discovering more and more of this wonderful place. While many people are familiar with Colorado and it’s Rocky Mountains, often people are less familiar with Utah (directly west). It is somewhat a hidden gem.
This year, I was fortunate enough to spend 10 weeks in the southern part of the state of Utah, in an area called St. George. Just outside St George is Zion National Park, Snow Canyon State Park, and Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. I had such a wonderful time exploring the paths and trails of these, and the surrounding areas, that I decided to create a list in Google Maps, of some of the fun things to see and do here. I am enjoying creating lists of places I have visited and look forward to seeing other people’s lists too.
This list is filled with fun, family-friendly activities in and near St. George, UT. St. George is easily accessible from surrounding cities, about 2 hrs NE of Las Vegas and 4 hrs SW of Salt Lake City on I15. The city has so much to offer from beautiful scenery to an abundance of activities.
If you ever visit Utah, USA. I hope you get to enjoy some of them…
Stunningly beautiful @LydiaK thanks for sharing. I drove across Utah once but didn’t really stop anywhere due to time constraints on the trip - we had driven all the way across the country and I only had 1 day to get back to San Francisco for work.
wow, the photos are very beautiful! I never been to Utah but you made me curious about it, perhaps once I’ll be discovering some places over there as well and will be keeping in mind your tips .
Thank you for sharing and happy travel! Looking forward everything is free again soon.
Hi @MahabubMunna
St George in Southern Utah lies in the northeasternmost part of the Mojave Desert. The summers are pretty hot and mostly clear, the winters can be cold and partly cloudy, and it is dry year round (low humidity). Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 31°F to 102°F. It gets 10 inches of rain, on average, per year. I live in the northern part of Utah, and it is surprising how much warmer it is just 4 hours south to here. Although the elevation plays a part in this, as it is lower at about 2700 ft above sea level compared to an altitude of 6500 ft in northern Utah. I hope you are able to visit Utah one day!
Lydia
Thanks @PaulPavlinovich . Yes, one just gets a sneak peak on the drive through Utah. If you are ever back in the States and have the opportunity to visit Utah, it is a beautiful state.
I have had the pleasure of visiting Australia twice. I went once in 1990, to visit an aunt and cousins who lived in Dee Why, near Sydney. And then again in 2018 I went to Sydney and Cairns, and got to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. Amazing experience and an amazing country! Next time I need to come to Melbourne!
Thanks @LuigiZ
Utah is an amazing place. So many state and national parks, beautiful and varied scenery to see, and wonderful weather as well! It is definitely worth a visit if you ever have the opportunity
Best wishes, Lydia
Hi @BorrisS
Thanks for sharing your photo of Morocco. It is very pretty with the palm trees and rocky mountains. I hope to visit Morocco one day. A friend brought me back a wonderful spice set from Morocco and I love to cook with it. I have heard great things about Moroccan cuisine.
Southern Utah is accessible year round. While snow is regular during the winters in Northern Utah, we do sometimes get snow in Southern and Eastern Utah too. The red rocks look especially beautiful with a dusting of snow. Here are a few photos I took during one February in Moab (Eastern, Utah).
The wildlife includes deer, bighorn sheep, elk, rabbits, birds, bats, foxes, lizards, and some wild cats roam southern Utah. But in tourist locations the sightings of wild cats are quite rare. Some people, especially solo hikers, often carry a bell to alert animals of their presence and that can keep them at bay.
If you are ever in the Western USA, Utah is definitely worth a visit
This is so gorgeous @LydiaK ! I wish I saw your post before going to the Arches. You are so right, a lot of people still don’t know about the hidden gems of Utah. Thankfully I had the chance to visit Zion National Park in 2016 and just last year I visited Arches, in Moab. I plan to go back to UT again. Next time I do that, this post will come in handy, for sure. Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience.
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