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Spring, Fall, Summer, Winter in Southern Utah

Southern Utah is bustling with activity in the summer when adventure seekers hit the multitude of hiking trails in the area. Many will hike or backpack deep in Utah Wilderness. Exploring the national parks and national monuments is the most popular tourist activity in the state and driving along the scenic byways and backways of Southern Utah is a favorite way to travel to the parks.

ATV - Fishing - Golf - For those who like to ride instead of hike, Southern Utah offers many ATV and 4-wheeler trails. People fill the campgrounds in the national forests and other ATV friendly recreation areas.

Many fill the warm summer days with a fishing pole in hand. Fishing at Duck Pond in Dixie National Forest is a favorite spot. You will find the water stocked with trout and the setting to be almost storybook-like in beauty.

Golf abounds in Southern Utah. St. George offers many nice courses, as well as the nice one in Hurricane. To escape the heat of summer, head to the beautiful Thunderbird Golf Course in Mount Carmel Junction and enjoy the exceptionally low green fees and the fun and unique golf course. 

Directions to Zion National Park From the North: Travel I-15 south, past Beaver. Exit on Hwy 20. Follow US-89 to Mount Carmel Junction. Take SR-9 to Zion's east entrance. From Arizona: Travel US-89A through Fredonia, Arizona and Kanab Utah. Follow US-89 to Mount Carmel Junction. Take SR-9 to the east park entrance. From the South: Travel I-15 north. Take exit 16 and travel through Hurricane to LaVerkin. Continue on SR-9 to the south entrance of the park. SR-9 through Zion National Park is always open and is also called the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.			Zion Photo: Tanya Milligan enjoying a winter day on the East Rim Trail with hiking parter Bo Beck. There is something fun to do in Zion year-round.
	Zion National Park Lodging Lodging and services are available in East Zion. The main road through Zion, the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (SR-9) is open year-round, and is not a route the Zion Canyon Shuttle takes. Zion Canyon is deep inside the park. Towering 3000' walls form a slot canyon, forged by the violent rush of torrent water over millions of years. From late March to late October access through the six mile stretch of road is via the Zion Canyon Shuttle, the rest of the year the canyon is accessed in private vehicles.

Winter Activities in Southern Utah

Northern Utah is known for skiing and the Winter Olympics, held in Salt Lake City in 2002, but Southern Utah has a few winter gems of its own. Brian Head, located near Cedar Breaks National Monument, offers skiing and nearby Dixie National Forest has hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails.

History of the Thunderbird