Southwestern Utah
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Southwestern Utah - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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21. Grafton
A stone school, dusty cemetery, and a few wooden structures are all that remain of the nearby town of Grafton, which is between Springdale and Hurricane, a few miles west of the turnoff onto Bridge Road in Rockville. This ghost town, which has a dramatic setting with striking views of Zion's peaks, has been featured in several films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
End of W. Grafton Rd., Springdale, Utah, 84767, USA -
22. Hell's Backbone Road
For a scenic, topsy-turvy backcountry drive or a challenging mountain-bike ride, follow 35-mile Hell's Backbone Road (aka Forest Road 153) from Escalante, where it begins as Posey Lake Road, to Boulder. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 1930s, it's a gravel-surface alternate route to scenic Highway 12. You can make the drive with an ordinary passenger car in summer (it's impassable in winter), assuming dry conditions, but a four-wheel-drive vehicle is more comfortable. Allow about two hours to drive it. At roughly the midway point, the dramatic 109-foot-long Hell's Backbone Bridge, which crosses over a breathtaking 1,500-foot chasm, makes for a memorable photo op.
Hell's Backbone Rd., Utah, USA -
23. Hole-in-the-Rock Road
On the way to southeastern Utah in 1879, Mormon pioneers chipped and blasted a narrow passageway in solid rock, through which they lowered their wagons. The Hole-in-the-Rock Trail, now an extremely rugged 60-mile unpaved washboard road that's officially known as BLM 200, leads south from Highway 12, 5 miles southeast of Escalante, to the actual hole-in-the-rock site in Glen Canyon Recreation Area. The original passageway ends where the canyon has been flooded by the waters of Lake Powell—you can hike the half-mile from the end of the road to a dramatic viewpoint overlooking the lake. Just keep in mind that it can take up to three hours to drive to the end of the road, and high-clearance vehicles are best (and a requirement when muddy—check with the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center before setting out). However, there are some amazing hiking spots located along the route, including Zebra Slot Canyon (at mile 8.5) and Devil's Garden (at mile 12), which are less daunting to reach. Other worthwhile hikes and stops along the route include Peek-A-Boo Gulch (off Dry Fork Road, at mile 26) and Dance Hall Rock (at mile 36).
Hole-in-the-Rock Rd., Utah, USA -
24. IG Winery
In a state with few wineries, this popular operation in downtown Cedar City sources grapes from respected vineyards in California's Napa and Sonoma valleys, Washington's Columbia Valley, and Oregon's Rogue Valley. The Bordeaux-style reds are well-crafted, though spendy, while more moderately priced Tempranillo and Sangiovese also have plenty of fans. With exposed brick walls and hardwood floors, the handsome tasting room is hung with local art and warmed by a fireplace in winter. There's also a sunny patio, and live bands perform regularly.
59 W. Center St., Utah, 84720, USA435-867–9463Sight Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. -
25. Kanab Heritage House Museum
One of the most stately residences in southern Utah, this 1890s redbrick gingerbread Victorian home in the center of town is surrounded by herb and flower gardens and contains many of the original owners' furnishings. Guided tours are offered throughout the day, and historical demonstrations are presented from time to time. Visits provide an interesting look at pioneer life in the Southwest.
115 S. Main St., Utah, 84741, USA435-644–3506Sight Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., and Mon.–Thurs. in Oct.–mid-May -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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26. Larb Hollow Overlook
The arresting 35-mile drive along Highway 12 from Boulder to Torrey climbs high up through the evergreen-dotted mountains of Dixie National Forest and passes a handful of dramatic pullouts where you can stop to stretch your legs, dine alfresco at a picnic table, and soak up the eye-popping easterly views of Capitol Reef and Escalante. Interpretive signs discuss the area's history and show the names of mountain peaks and geological features in the distance. At around 9,000 feet in elevation and offering restrooms and plenty of parking, Larb Hollow is one of the most inviting of these overlooks. Homestead and Wildcat Rest Area are other scenic options.
Hwy. 12, Utah, 84773, USASight Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–Apr. -
27. Maynard Dixon Living History Museum and Gallery
Midway between Orderville and Mount Carmel Junction, you can tour the final summer residence of the famous painter of Western life and landscapes. Dixon lived from 1875 to 1946 and was married to the renowned WPA photographer Dorothea Lange, and, following their divorce, to San Francisco muralist Edith Hamlin. He and Hamlin summered on this property from 1939 until his death; shortly after, she scattered his ashes on a ridge behind the property, which consists of the original log cabin structure and an exceptional Western Art gallery, both of which are maintained by the nonprofit Thunderbird Foundation for the Arts. From mid-April through mid-November, self-guided and docent-led tours (by appointment only) are offered. The gallery and gift shop are open daily year-round.
2200 S. State St., Utah, 84755, USA435-648–2653Sight Details
Rate Includes: Gallery free, self-guided tours $20, guided tours $40 -
28. Paria Movie Set Day Use Site
Surrounded by stunning striated bluffs and rock formations, here in this remote valley you can visit two ghost towns at once at the Paria (sometimes called Pahreah) townsite and movie set, one settled by hardy pioneers and one built by Hollywood but lost in 1998, briefly rebuilt, and then lost to a fire in 2006. In fact, floods also caused the demise of the original settlements along the Paria River, with the original town fully abandoned by around 1930. Films shot here include the 1962 Rat Pack comedy Sergeants 3, the Gregory Peck film Mackenna's Gold, and the famous Clint Eastwood Civil War western, The Outlaw Josey Wales, which was released in 1976, making it the last of the site's movie productions. To get here, drive 33 miles east of Kanab on U.S. 89, turning left—shortly after mile marker 31—at the Old Town Paria rock marker, and following the unpaved road about 4½ miles north to the parking area and wooden restroom.
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29. Pipe Spring National Monument
A 20-minute drive southwest of Kanab, this 40-acre plot of stone buildings and sagebrush- and red rock–dotted hillsides with a pond and gardens preserves a site where indigenous Kaibab Paiute people thrived for a thousand years, followed by Spanish missionaries and Mormon pioneers in the mid-19th century. A modern visitor center contains artifacts and interactive exhibits and presents a short video detailing the history of this community and its reliance on the natural springs that run beneath it. Rangers give guided tours and crafts demonstrations during the summer months, but any time of year you can explore the grounds, buildings, orchards, and horse and cattle corrals on your own and hike the ½-mile Ridge Trail for an astounding view of the Arizona Strip, as this region is known.
406 N. Pipe Springs Rd., Utah, 86022, USA928-643–7105Sight Details
Rate Includes: $10 -
30. Red Cliffs Desert Reserve
Encompassing the convergence of the Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau desert zones, this pristine 62,000-acre tract of red-rock wilderness begins just north of St. George and was established in 2009 to protect the habitat of the desert tortoise. However, countless other flora and fauna—including gila monsters and chuckwallas—thrive in this unique transition zone that can be accessed through miles of designated hiking, mountain-biking, and horseback-riding trails. Start by visiting the contemporary visitor center (open weekdays only) in downtown St. George, where you can view live animals and interactive exhibits, and staff can recommend hikes and other ways to visit. You can pick up trail maps here or download detailed PDF maps from the reserve website. The trail sections closest to town include City Creek and Paradise Canyon. Although it adjoins the reserve and is part of the same ecosystem, popular Snow Canyon State Park is administered separately.
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31. Southern Utah Museum of Art
Set in a striking modern building that opened in 2016 and was designed to resemble the region's canyons and rock formations, this excellent regional art museum with a peaceful sculpture garden is part of Southern Utah University's cultural compound, along with the Utah Shakespeare Festival theaters. The galleries feature selections from the museum's permanent collection of some 2,000 works—including pieces by Renoir, Dalí, Picasso, and Thomas Hart Benton—along with rotating shows that shine a light on emerging regional artists as well as students and faculty.
13 S. 300 W, Utah, 84720, USA435-586–5432Sight Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. -
32. St. George Art Museum
The downtown centerpiece of St. George's growing art scene occupies an attractively reimagined former sugar-beet warehouse. The permanent collection celebrates the works of mostly regionally based potters, photographers, and painters, many of them depicting the region's spectacular landscapes. Rotating exhibits highlight local history and lore and showcase emerging contemporary talents. There's also a Family Discovery Center, with materials for kids to create their own works.
47 E. 200 N, Utah, 84770, USA435-627–4525Sight Details
Rate Includes: $15 suggested donation, Closed Sun. and Mon. -
33. St. George Children's Museum
Next to Town Square Park and the downtown library and set inside a former school building with a striking red-stone exterior, this well-designed museum contains two floors of touch-friendly exhibits, including an earthquake-simulation table, a science discovery lab, a transportation center with planes and an auto shop, and a miniature version of St. George's red-rock–framed Tuacahn Amphitheatre.
86 S. Main St., Utah, 84770, USA435-986–4000Sight Details
Rate Includes: $7, Closed Sun. -
34. St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site
Unearthed in 2000 by property developers, this site preserves and exhibits ancient footprints left by dinosaurs from the Jurassic Period millions of years ago. A modern museum displays dinosaur fossils and replicas and presents several short informative videos about the Jurassic era. There's an interactive area for children and a Dino Park outside the museum with shaded picnic tables and a Walk Through Time exhibit.
2180 E. Riverside Dr., Utah, 84790, USA435-574–3466Sight Details
Rate Includes: $8, Closed Tues. -
35. St. George Tabernacle
This is one of the best-preserved pioneer buildings in the entire state, and it's still used for public meetings and community events. Mormon settlers began work on the tabernacle just a few months after the city of St. George was established in 1863. Upon completion of the sandstone building's 140-foot clock tower 13 years later, Brigham Young formally dedicated the site. Visits are by guided tour.
18 S. Main St., Utah, 84770, USA435-229–8647 -
36. St. George Temple
The red-sandstone temple, plastered over with white stucco, was completed in 1877 and was the first Mormon temple in southwest Utah. It has served as a meeting place for both Mormons and other congregations over the decades. Today, only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can enter the temple, but a visitor center next door offers guided tours of the visitor center and grounds.
250 E. 400 S, St. George, Utah, 84770, USA435-673–5181
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