Zion National Park

  • Zion is full of slot canyons, amazing hikes and also archaeological sites of ancient people who have called the canyons and plateaus home for over 10,000 years.
  • Angels Landing is the most popular hike at Zion. The 2.2-mile hike has been listed to be of the most dangerous hikes in the world. However, those who take on this hike, are rewarded with incredible vistas.
  • Zion's canyons are constantly getting deeper and wider. On average, the Virgin River removes 1 million tons of sediment yearly.

Bryce Canyon National Park

  • Bryce Canyon National Park is famous for its hoodoos.
  • Hoodoos are tall rock formations protruding from the ground. They are often formed in dry places from sedimentary and volcanic rock.
  • On clear days, it is possible to see more than 100 miles from Bryce Canyon.
  • There are three endangered wildlife species that live in Bryce Canyon: the California Condor, the Utah Prairie Dog, and the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher.

Cove Fort

  • The Fort was originally built in 1867 to offer protection and refreshment to travelers or settlers moving west.
  • The Fort is unique because of its volcanic rock walls, rather than wood used in many mid-19th-century western forts.
  • The Fort has two sets of large wooden doors on the east and west sides. These were originally filled with sand to stop arrows and bullets.¨
  • Free, guided tours of the fort are provided daily.

Fillmore

  • Fillmore is a town located in Millard County, Utah. The area was named for the thirteenth U.S. President, Millard Fillmore.
  • Fillmore was the capital of the Utah Territory from 1851 to 1856. It was chosen due to its central location.
  • The original Utah Territorial Statehouse still stands.
  • In the area, hikers can explore unique cones and lava-tube caves.

Brian Head Ski Resort

  • Brian Head is Utah's highest elevation ski resort.
  • It has 8 chairlifts, 71 runs, and 650+ skiable acres.
  • During the summer months without snow, guests can still enjoy the resort through mountain biking, disc golf, archery and hiking.

Fish Lake

  • Fish Lake is six miles long and one mile wide.
  • Fish Lake is home to many different kinds of fish: Rainbow Trout, Splake, Lake Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Brown Trout, Tiger Trout, Yellow Perch, etc.
  • To the southwest of Fish Lake, in Fish Lake National Forest, stands the world's largest living organism. A one hundred acre grove of quaking aspens, called the "Trembling Giant," or "Pando," all grow from a single shared root system.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Manti Temple

  • The Manti Utah Temple was the third temple build in Utah.
  • The temple was built on a rattlesnake-infested site, known as the Manti Stone Quarry.
  • A Norwegian boat builder was in charge of designing the ceiling in some parts of the temple. He was not sure how to go about it, so he used the design of a boat and turned it upside down.
  • There are three large-scale stairways in the United States constructed with no central support. Two of those are located in the Manti temple. Each makes six complete circles and has 151 steps.

Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument

  • The National Monument contains the richest fossil trove of the Late Cretaceous period in the world.
  • The Ute, Hopi, Zuni, Navajo, and Paiute nations all have cultural affiliation with the lands protected within the monument.
  • The oldest evidence of human habitation on the Colorado Plateau is found here.
  • The National Monument was originally slightly larger than the state of Delaware. In 2017, the park size was reduced by presidential proclamation, and is now only slightly more than one million acres.

Lake Powell

  • Lake Powell was named for explorer John Wesley Powell. Powell was a one-armed American Civil War veteran who explored the river via three wooden boats in 1869.
  • It is the second largest man-made reservoir by maximum water capacity in the United States.
  • The dam is a major source of hydroelectricity, averaging over four billion kilowatt hours per year.

Mystic Hot Springs

  • Native Americans who lived in this area would often make their camps on the warm ground near the Hot Springs.
  • Water from the springs is abundantly flowing at 200 gallons per minute and a consistent 168 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • The main mineral in the water is calcium carbonate, which forms ever-growing large travertine mounds.

Old Frisco

  • Frisco, also known as Old Frisco, was an active mining camp from 1879 to 1929, after the discovery of silver ore in the area.
  • At its peak in 1885, Frisco was a thriving town of 6,000 people. In its first six years of operation, the mine had produced 54 million dollars-worth of ore.
  • In 1885, the mine caved in, and the town slowly started to dwindle in population and activity.
  • Frisco is located in Beaver County, where many charcoal kilns and old buildings still stand.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

  • The Dunes were formed from the erosion of pink-colored Navajo Sandstone surrounding the park.
  • The Dunes are estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 years old.
  • Many people like to camp and ride their off-road vehicles at the Dunes.

Kanab

  • The Kanab area was first settled in 1864, and the town was founded in 1870.
  • Kanab was named for a Paiute word meaning "place of the willows."
  • For many years Kanab was one of the most isolated cities in the nation.
  • The region has been used as a back drop for many films. Many classic and modern westerns have been filmed near Kanab.

Shakespeare Festival

  • The Utah Shakespeare Festival was founded in 1961. Its first season was in 1962.
  • The Festival now plays to nearly 100,000 patrons who view almost 300 plays each year over a sixteen-week season.

Southern Utah University (SUU)

  • SUU is located in Cedar City, Utah. It was established in 1897.
  • When Utah was first founded, the State Legislature authorized a branch of the state's teacher training school to be located in Southern Utah. Cedar City, Beaver, Parowan and Paragonah were in the running. Cedar City won out, gave 15 acres of land to the state and constructed the first college building in the city.

Veyo

  • The population of the town, Veyo, was only 483 in the 2010 census.
  • When the area was originally settled in 1911, it was called "Glen Cove". When the settlers decided it was time to have a permanent name, they asked the local LDS girls to provide a name. The girls came up with an acronym of virtue, enterprise, youth, and order. Another version of the story records the girls creating the name from parts of the words "verdure" and "youth."
  • This area is full of dormant volcanoes and volcanic rocks.

Tuachan Center for the Arts

  • Tuacahn comes from a Mayan word meaning "Canyon of the Gods".
  • The theater was founded in 1995 by Utah playwright, Douglas C. Stewart.
  • Their beautiful red rock, outdoor amphitheater seats an audience of 1,920, and is located in Ivins, Utah at the mouth of Padre Canyon.
  • The first production shown was entitled "Utah!"

Dixie Rock (Sugar Loaf)

  • The graduating class from Dixie High School rappels and paints the word "DIXIE" the day after graduation each year.
  • From the top of Dixie Rock, one can see spectacular views of the city and the distant Zion National Park.
  • Dixie Rock is a considered to be part of Pioneer Park, and includes 52 acres of climbable red rock.

St. George Children's Museum

  • The museum began as Dixie Academy in 1911. It was the first school in St. George.
  • The outer walls are red sandstone and the foundation is made of volcanic stones excavated nearby.
  • The museum's original mascot was a jackrabbit named George. Now, the museum is home to Rufus the dragon.
  • The museum got its start in 2013 as $1 million worth of exhibits were purchased for only $30,000 from the expanding Discovery Children's Museum in Las Vegas.
  • Over the years, the museum has begun renovating and creating its own exhibits, making the museum what it is today.

St. George LDS Temple

  • Completed in 1877, the St. George Temple was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' third temple completed, but the first in Utah.
  • The walls of the temple were built with the red sandstone common to the area. They were then plastered with a white finish.
  • The original tower of the St. George Temple was struck in a lightning storm about a year after its dedication, leaving it badly damaged. A new, taller tower was completed in 1883.

St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm

  • St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site is a fossil site and museum in Saint George, Utah. The museum preserves thousands of dinosaur footprints right at the original site of discovery.
  • The accidental discovery of the footprints was by a retired St. George eye-doctor, Dr. Sheldon Johnson, on February 26, 2000.
  • Instead of the usual indented dinosaur tracks (impressions), these were well-preserved 3-D casts of dinosaur footprints.
  • Experts later came in and uncovered an extensive "trackway" of dinosaur footprints.

Pine Valley Mountain

  • The highest point in this mountain range is Signal Peak at 10,365 feet (3,159 m).
  • Pine Valley is a laccolith. This means that magma lies between the layers of rock, uplifting the area, making it into a mountain range. Pine Valley is the largest laccolith in the country.
  • The establishment of the town, Pine Valley, predates St. George which was established in 1861.

Cedar Breaks National Monument

  • Cedar Breaks is a natural amphitheater, stretching across 3 miles (4.8 km), with a depth of over 2,000 feet (610 m).
  • It was established as a national monument in 1933.
  • Early settlers called the unique formations they saw badlands or breaks, and created the current name by combining breaks with cedar.

Yuba State Park

  • Yuba State Park was originally called "U.B. Dam." Over time, because of its phonetic sound, its spelling was changed to "Yuba".
  • Local farmers and ranchers built the dam to keep from losing their water rights.
  • People use Yuba Lake for many recreational activities including boating, swimming, water skiing, picnicking and year-round fishing.

Modena Ghost Town

  • This is an old abandoned railroad town near the Utah-Nevada border.
  • The town was founded in 1898 when the railroad first came through the area. Water reserves at the nearby Desert Springs made it a convenient place for steam engines to refill their water tanks.
  • The invention of diesel engines removed the need for trains to stop for water. This is what eventually led to Modena becoming a ghost town.
  • A dozen or so residents still live in Modena.