25 of The Best Things To Do in Southern Utah

Southern Utah is a place you need to add to your bucket list. There are so many fun things to do in Southern Utah including visiting 5 national parks, numerous state parks and so much more.

If you’re planning a trip to Utah there are so many fun places to visit and things to do in southern Utah (as well as up north, but that’s another post!).

I grew up in northern Utah near Salt Lake City and Southern Utah, especially St. George was a frequent vacation spot for my family and many of my friends.

Even though I don’t still live in Utah I have made several trips to southern Utah with my husband and kids. Southern Utah is such a fun place to spend time together as a family and there are so many fun places to visit.

Before we get into the exciting things to do in Southern Utah let me share where I’m considering Southern Utah for the sake of this post.

Where is Southern Utah

If you aren’t very familiar with Utah you might think southern Utah is St. George, Moab, or Lake Powell. While those are popular places to visit in Southern Utah there is a lot more to the southern part of the state.

Southern Utah is full of small towns, national parks, and more.

Some of the Towns in Southern Utah are:

Cedar City
Enterprise
Leeds
Washington
Santa Clara
Kanab
Big Water
Panguitch
Escalante
Monticello
and more.

I won’t name all of the towns in the area but that gives you an idea of what area of Utah we are talking about when you look on a map.

Now that you have an idea of what area of Utah I’m going to be talking about in this post let’s get on to the exciting part sharing things to do in Southern Utah!

Taking a road trip to St. George? Here are 10 places to stop on your trip from Provo to St. George!

There are so many things to do in southern Utah that it would be hard to include them all in this post. Especially because we are always discovering new things to do and places to visit.

So while I won’t get everything there is to do in the southern part of the state I hope I get all of the things you definitely don’t want to miss!

Things To Do in Southern Utah

Let’s start with the most obvious the National Parks! Southern Utah is home to 5 national parks (often called the mighty 5). These 5 parks are Arches, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands.

All of these national parks are a great place to start exploring Southern Utah. Some of them are easier to access than others, but they are all some of the best places to have an outdoor adventure.

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is the southernmost national park in Utah and was Utah’s first national park. It’s one of the top 10 most visited National Parks in the United States.

During the busy season at the national park, you will need to take the Zion Canyon shuttle to many areas of the park. The shuttle starts at the visitors center and goes through Zion Canyon.

In this national park, you can explore the paths that Native Americans and pioneers walked. Enjoy sandstone cliffs and narrow slot canyons formed by erosion from the Virgin River.

Don’t miss the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive when you visit. We all loved driving through the mile-long tunnel.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon is about 2 hours northeast of zion. This national park is known for its amazing pinnacles and hoodoos.

The hoodoos formed by erosion are amazing to see. Enjoy several hiking trails at this national park and don’t miss seeing Bryce Amphitheater, Bryce Point, and Sunset Point.

Arches National Park

Arches National Park has over 2,000 natural stone arches. Delicate Arch, Double Arch, North Window, and Landscape Arch are just a few of the amazing arches you can see when you visit.

This national park is located only about 5 miles from Moab, making it an easier park to access than some of Utah’s other national parks.

Only have one day to visit? Here is an awesome One Day in Arches for first-time visitors guide.

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef is the least visited national park out of the 5 in Southern, Utah. Enjoy exploring cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold at this national park.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands is only a short drive from Arches National Park and a great place to go rafting and hiking. Over time the Colorado River helped shape the landscape of this national park. The river formed canyons and buttes in the wilderness area.

Snow Canyon State Park

Snow Canyon State Park in Ivins Utah is one of our favorite places to go hiking when we go to St. George. It’s close and has an easy hiking trail perfect for all ages.

Sand Hollow State Park

Enjoy boating, swimming, and scuba diving at Sand hallow in Southern Utah. With its warm blue water and beautiful red rocks, it’s a fun place to enjoy outdoor activities on the water.

Monument Valley

Monument Valley on the Utah-Arizona border has towering sandstone rock formations from 400 to 1,000 feet high. Visiting this beautiful valley will give you an idea of what the area looked like hundreds of years ago.

When visiting Monument Valley in the Navajo Reservation you might recognize some scenery from the Forrest Gump movie.

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Cedar Breaks National Monument is located 23 miles east of Cedar City and it’s a fun place to stop on a trip to St. George.

The entire monument sits above 10,000 feet. At Cedar Breaks National Monument enjoy cool hiking trails, camping, and amazing views as well as a dark night sky.

The best time to visit is during the warmer months, the road can be hard to travel (and closed) during the winter.

Dixie National Forest

The Dixie National Forest has a mix of landscapes from desert canyon gorges to forests and alpine lakes spanning almost 2 million acres.

The forest serves as the gateway to national parks and monuments in Southern Utah. It’s a great place for mountain biking, hiking, driving a scenic byway, and more.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Enjoy beautiful hiking trails, breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, and the dark night sky at Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab.

Don’t miss the famous Dead Horse Point Overlook just 1 mile from the visitor center. The overlook is one of the most photographed spots in Utah and is beautiful any time of day.

Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park is one of our favorite things to do in St. George for free. It’s a fun area filled with natural wonders for kids and adults to explore right near downtown St. George. There are several short hike trails over and around the rocks.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Situated between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument sits along Highway 12. The area has the most extensive network of slot canyons in Utah as well as active waterfalls, arches, and more.

Quail Creek Reservoir

Located in Hurricane Utah Quail Creek Reservoir has some of the warmest water in the state and is open year-round. Fishing, boating, and swimming are some of the best things to enjoy at the reservoir.

Play at the Playground

There are a lot of fun playgrounds throughout Utah and one of our favorites is Thunder Junction in St. George. With a dinosaur-themed play area, train ride, splash pad, and picnic tables it’s a fun place for the whole family and the perfect place for a hot summer day.

Tuacahn

The Tuacahn Amphitheater is an outdoor theater situated in the midst of red rock cliffs near St. George. Experiencing an outdoor theater production at the Tuacahn is an amazing experience. The beautiful surrounding area adds to the experience of the outdoor productions.

Explore a Waterfall

Toquerville Falls and Kanaraville Falls are both popular waterfalls in Southern Utah. Kanaraville falls is easier to access with access to Toquerville Falls being accessible for trucks and ATVs via a dirt road.

Lake Powell (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area)

With 1.25 million acres Glen Canyon National Recreation Area includes Lake Powell and so much more. I grew up going to Lake Powell each year and had no idea that the recreation area also included Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Lees Ferry, and Horseshoe Bend.

Hot Springs

There are hot springs throughout Utah, the one I visited the most growing up was the Homestead Crater in Midway. A couple of hot spring options in southern Utah are Veyo Pool and Fat Man’s Misery.

Dinosaur Discovery Site

The Dinosaur Discovery Site is a museum in St. George where you can learn about the dinosaurs discovered here. See the actual fossils discovered here as well as life-sized models of prehistoric animals.

Four Corners Monument

Utah is one of the four corners states (Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico) and the only place in the USA where 4 states meet in one location.

Kolob Canyon

Kolob Canyons is a section of Zion National Park that sits on its own 40 miles north of Zion Canyon and 17 miles south of Cedar City.

At Kolob Canyons you can take a five-mile scenic drive to view the canyons and access trails and scenic viewpoints.

With canyon streams, cascading falls, over 20 miles of hiking trails, and soaring peaks Kolob Canyons is a place you definitely want to spend some time exploring.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Just over an hour away from St. George is Utah’s Coral Pink Sand Dunes state park. This park has unique pink-hued sand dunes right alongside red sandstone cliffs.

Parowan Gap Petroglyphs

Just a short drive from I-15 you will find the Parowan Gap Petroglyphs.

Several centuries ago Native Americans carved designs into the boulders on the east side of the Parowan Gap. Many of the boulders are covered with these petroglyphs that are believed to be the work of a number of different groups.

What these petroglyphs mean is still unknown and debated among archaeologists.

Kanab

Kanab is a town along the Arizona border and a great place to stay when exploring things to do in Southern Utah. There are several favorite spots to enjoy near Kanab.

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is located in Arizona but the north rim is just a short drive from the Southern Utah border so I decided to include it in the list of things to do in Southern Utah. It’s definitely worth a visit if you can.

Don’t stop after exploring southern Utah there is so much to enjoy throughout the state of Utah.

50 Things to do in Utah

Utah is filled with fun and unique things to do. There are so many I decided to make a list of 50+ of our favorites.

Antelope Island

Antelope Island State Park is located along the Great Salt Lake. Antilope Island is a fun place to drive around and explore. With free-range Antilope and bison among other animals, the whole family will enjoy the adventure.

Bonneville Salt Flats

The salt flats cover more than 30,000 acres and are the setting for many films and a favorite for photographers.

This is the Place Heritage Park

This Heritage Park is a fun way for families to step back in time and experience things as they would have been in the past. Many activities at This is The Place Heritage Park are hands-on like panning for gold and arts and crafts.

Nebo Loop

The Mount Nebo Loop is a scenic byway that crosses the Uinta National Forst connecting the towns of Payson and Nephi. This drive is breathtaking with little traffic and lots of fun overlooks. When we were first married the Nebo Loop was one of our favorite places to go on motorcycle rides.

Continue reading 50+ Things to do in Utah and get the printable list.