St. George Travel Guide

St. George is known for its red hills, beautiful landscapes, hot climate, and many golf courses. With only a short drive to Las Vegas (and slightly longer to Salt Lake City), sunny St. George is a great place to either stop for a breather on your way through or to even create a vacation around.

The area offers plenty of paths to take by bike or on foot through national parks, lush golf courses, and along the many red cliffs. Just south of town lies some great hills perfect for ATV's. Find plenty of area to skimboard along the Virgin River, or go boating & swimming at Gunlock, Quail Lake, or Sand Hollow Reservoirs.

History

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormons, entered and settled the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.  In 1861, Brigham Young, the leader of the Church, called 309 families to the St George area for the express purpose of growing cotton, grapes and other produce conducive to the warmer climate. 

One of the key players in the settlement of St George and the southern territory was Jacob Hamblin.  In 1854 Brigham Young assigned Jacob Hamblin to be a missionary to the Indians in the southern Utah.  He was considered a great friend by the Indians because of his unquestionable integrity, and was heavily involved in keeping the peace between the early settlers and the Paiute Indians.  His home on Santa Clara Drive in Santa Clara is a favorite tourist attraction.

The area became known as "Dixie" because of the warm climate, southern location and the products the area was able to produce.  The Utah Territory was officially declared a state in 1896 and the St George area is still generally known as "Utah's Dixie."

Life was very difficult for these early settlers and pioneers.  Intense summer heat, with little rainfall made it difficult to raise crops and flash floods would often destroy their crops and buildings.  However,  they stayed and persevered and built their city.  These pioneers built the first Mormon temple completed in the west.  The St. George Temple dedicated in 1877 at a cost of $800,000.  Intense labor  and hard work by all resulted in the Temple as it stand today as a monument to those first settlers.  The Tabernacle and the summer home of Brigham Young have been restored and are on the city's historical tour and register.