7 Fun (and Cheap) Things to Do in St. George Utah

Our Trip to St. George Utah

Earlier this year we wanted to do something fun with our kids before my oldest graduated from high school. March in Idaho is still chilly and after a long winter, I’m always craving warm sun!

So when my sister suggested we take a trip to St George in southern Utah it sounded like a fabulous idea! In March you can expect to see highs in the upper 60’s – lower 70’s in St George. PERFECT weather if you ask me!

Finding Affordable Housing 

The first thing we needed to do was find a place to stay. We have a big family (7 kids at the time) so a hotel room wasn’t going to cut it (we’d need to get multiple!). So instead, we looked for a condo or home for our crew.

I checked VRBO.com – a fantastic resource for these types of needs – and set the criteria of my search (we wanted a pool and accommodations that would fit our entire family). We ended up going with Ocotillo Resorts (who had a deal running!).

We got a 2 bedroom condo that officially sleeps 7 but the lady I talked to (who was super helpful) was fine to let our family of 9 stay there. They had air mattresses in the condos for us to use and we put some kids out on the living room floor.

Not only was this more comfortable and less expensive than multiple hotel rooms, but it also saved us money because we could buy/bring food and cook in our condo.

Once we arrived, we were so impressed with the resort. It was well maintained and our condo had a private patio with an outdoor fireplace and a grill. There was an indoor AND an outdoor pool, basketball courts, and a tennis court.

We had free wifi, and there was an amazing golf course nearby. The views were gorgeous and the weather was perfect!

7 Things to See and Do in St. George Utah

If you’re wondering what to do in St. George Utah, we’ve got you covered. Of course, you’ve got a ton of great restaurants and shopping… but what we were really after was an outdoor adventure!

1. Explore Snow Canyon

Snow Canyon is gorgeous and the only cost is a $6 admission fee. We spent hours there and thoroughly enjoyed exploring lava tubes (I opted out of those, just to be safe) and hiking on some beautiful red Navajo sandstone.

You can also go camping in Snow Canyon State Park! There are several different trails and you could spend the entire day there. Just don’t forget your sunscreen and water!

NOTE: If you aren’t in great shape and super active, the walking and hiking here is something you can totally do (in fact I was nearly 5 months pregnant at the time), BUT you will be sore the next day!

I was so grateful my husband packed his massage stick. I massaged my legs that night and had minimal pain the next day! I was grateful for this because I didn’t want to miss out on any of the fun!

photo credit

2. Hike at Zion National Park

We had a blast in Zion National Park. It’s HUGE! You could camp there if you wanted to! There are a TON of trails in some of the most beautiful country in the world!

The map of Zion National Park clearly indicates the “level” of each hike listed (there are six “easy” trails), approximate distance covered, and approximate time it will take to do the hike.

The entrance fee is $25 per vehicle, but it is TOTALLY WORTH IT! I mean how gorgeous is this?! No picture can do it justice!

My sister and I took the kids ages 5-15 on the Emerald Pools Trails (my husband stayed behind with our 4-year-old who had a fever that day). We went to the lower as well as the upper.

The kids tackled this hike easily. I will admit that the last portion in between the lower and upper pools slowed me down a bit (the hike to the Upper Emerald Pools is more of a “moderate” hike). But I saw elderly people on this hike and was thoroughly impressed!! It was gorgeous and so fun!

My brother in law took the 3 oldest kids 16-18 to do Angels Landing. This is a much more difficult hike but it has the most incredible view! This is one I’d love to do without the little ones the next time I visit St George. I also want to hike The Narrows.

3. UTV’s and Warner Valley

This was also another favorite part of our St George Spring Break Trip! Ocotillo Resorts had a deal with Ideal Sports of Southern Utah for us. We rented UTV’s for a day and were so impressed with the rates.

We rented a Razor 4 and a Prowler ATV for the entire day and the cost was only $440! All helmets and goggles were included in the price.

The owners of ISSU Rentals, Mike and Courtney, met us in Warner Valley then picked us up at the end of the day and actually drove us back to our cars! We were free to explore for hours! We packed a lunch and snacks, which was super easy because we could store our coolers in the back of the ATV’s.

We drove and checked out a few historical sites, like Fort Pierce and even some dinosaur tracks!

If you have dirt bikes you’ll have a blast riding on the dunes and all the trails. It was amazingly beautiful country that you just can’t explore in a car!

The teenagers even took a turn to drive the ATV’s! There were some challenging trails and some perfect for the younger drivers. We totally had a blast! Here is more information about Warner Valley.

Other free or super cheap things to do in St George are:

4. St George Children’s Museum (donations are accepted)
5. St George Temple visitors center
6. Pioneer Park
7. Bryce Canyon (a little farther away, but more adventure awaits!)

 What are your favorite things to do in St George? I’d love to hear your recommendations because I plan on returning!

If you’re looking to save money on any family vacation, I’d always look for a vacation package deal. Living Social often has family vacation packages.

Also, check Living Social and Groupon for deals on activities in the are you’re going to. Finally, check out VBRO for great rentals!

Looking for more Spring Break Vacation ideas? Check out what to do at the Oregon Coast!