Art, Rock, Pool, and Pie

Pioneer Park -- Tuacahn -- Snow Canyon -- Veyo -- Kayenta

This list of local favorites on the west side of St. George will get you away from the crowds. The geography along this route is similar to Zion, but on a smaller, more approachable scale. You will be surrounded by red and white sandstone as well as black volcanic rock. There are multiple options for hiking, biking, art walks, restaurants, and attractions. Be warned: you're unlikely to be able to do all of this in a single day!

Take I-15 south to exit 10. Go south on Red Hills Parkway. On your right will be Pioneer Park, with its 5-acre Red Hills Desert Garden, and Dixie Sugarloaf and Dixie Rock, which provide amazing views from their tops and the trail between them. Continue on Red Hills Parkway and take in the sweeping desert views. Find miles of paved bike trails connecting the towns of Santa Clara, Ivins, and St. George along the roadway, and extensive dirt trails in Red Hills Conservation Area.

 Red Hills Parkway becomes Snow Canyon Parkway after you cross Bluff Street.

• To go to Tuacahn Center for the Arts, turn left onto Tuacahn Drive. Tuacahn Theater is sculpted into the red rock canyon. The Tuacahn Saturday Market is open year-round but check the weather and their schedule. Wander among the booths of local artists set up near a gurgling water feature and enjoy the live entertainment. 
• Or stay on Snow Canyon Parkway to enter Snow Canyon State Park from the south entrance. Pass by the trailheads and start at the small but mighty Ranger Station. Unless you want to spend a full day here, you'll have to prioritize the sites: petrified sand dunes, lava tubes, moqui marbles, Navajo Sandstone, and Mormon history will all vie for your attention. And unlike Zion, dogs are welcome on every trail. One thing you won't find is snow: the park is named for settlers, not weather.

Exit the park headed north on SR18 and go to Veyo. Stop at Veyo Pool to swim in the spring-fed pool, catch crawdads, climb rocks, and have lunch. There are more options for lunch in town, including Veyo Pie, where you'll enjoy fruit and cream pies, pastry, cookies, and, if you get there before they're gone, to-die-for chicken pot pie.

Leave Veyo headed west on Center Street, which quickly becomes Gunlock Road and turns south toward Gunlock State Park. At certain times of the year, Gunlock Falls can be seen from the road, but the reservoir is beautiful even when the falls aren't running. Getting wet is optional, there are plenty of hikes, including a favorite across the dam. Continue south through Shivwits Paiute Reservation, turning left onto Old Highway 91.

Continue east on Old Highway 91 to Kayenta. Turn left on Kayenta Parkway. Walk the Kayenta Arboretum and the Desert Rose Labyrinth. Visit studios, gift shops, spas, and restaurants at the Kayenta Art Village. To finish your trip, leave Kayenta by heading east. The road will change to Sunset Boulevard and return you to St. George and I-15.

We know we're lucky to live here and proud to share the experience of Southwest Utah with you!