St. George Family Vacation - July 2026
St. George is one of our kids' favorite places! We actually visited St. George before we decided to move to Utah, and it's been a favorite ever since.
We live near the SLC area, so it's so nice to have this little slice of heaven just about 3.5 hours away. We've spent the Fourth of July here a few years now, and I think it's officially become one of our family traditions.
It's also only about 45 minutes from Zion National Park, so there's honestly so much to do! (If you're planning to spend more time exploring Zion, I definitely recommend getting an Airbnb in Springdale. It's super close!)
We love staying at Desert Color Resort! It has a gorgeous man-made lagoon right in the center of the neighborhood, surrounded by beautiful homes that are mostly Airbnbs, so there are tons of rental options. The lagoon is HUGE! You can paddleboard, kayak, swim...whatever you're in the mood for. There are also several little beach areas where kids can play in the sand, which ours absolutely love. If the lagoon isn't your thing, they also have a few pools to choose from.
There's a grill where you can order food, plus shaved ice and Dippin' Dots—which were definitely my kids' favorite. 😆 They also have lots of pickleball courts and sooo many walking paths if you're a committed walker like me!
If you're visiting during the summer, I highly recommend getting outside early because the afternoons get HOT.
The only thing I wish they had is a fitness center. Hopefully they'll add one someday! There isn't a gym nearby if you like to lift, so that's the one thing I miss every time we stay here. The closest gyms are about 25 minutes away, which feels like a lot when you're trying to get back before the family gets their day started. But hey...that might not bother you at all!
We arrived on Friday, July 3rd around 3:00 p.m. and got checked in. We had our groceries delivered ahead of time, which was amazing! We ordered through the Bellhop app, but honestly you could also just use Instacart and have everything waiting when you arrive.
After settling in, we headed straight to the lagoon! We swam for a while, then got ready for dinner.
We ate at Cosmopolitan Grill. It was good, but probably not our favorite. It wasn't bad at all, the staff was incredibly kind, but there just weren't a lot of kid-friendly options, so we'll probably try somewhere else next time.
For July 4th, our plan was to hike the Zion Narrows (Bottom-Up to Big Springs). This hike definitely takes a little planning!
One thing we noticed is that even on a holiday it was surprisingly less crowded than we expected, but there were still enough people around that you never felt alone. 😆
Our goal was to get there around 8:00 a.m., but we didn't arrive until about 9:00. The drive from Desert Color is around 45 minutes. We had no idea there was a Fourth of July parade starting at 9:00, so they temporarily closed the road. We ended up parking a few miles away and walking to the visitor center.
That's where you can rent water shoes and hiking sticks if you need them. Honestly though, I liked the water shoes we bought on Amazon way better. The rental boots were really big and clunky, and I found them harder to walk in over the rocks. These water shoes are what I recommend!
We did rent the hiking sticks, and I highly recommend getting one! They make balancing in the water so much easier. They're about $25 each though, so if you're trying to save money, I'd recommend bringing your own trekking poles.
Once you're all set, you'll hop on the shuttle to Stop 9, where the Narrows hike begins.
We absolutely LOVE this hike. It's one of the coolest experiences, especially when it's over 100 degrees outside because the river keeps you nice and cool. It's such a unique adventure for kids too!
I definitely recommend getting there before 11:00 a.m. because that's when the crowds really start rolling in.
We've actually never made it all the way to Big Springs! It's a long hike, and the kids eventually get tired. One day we'll make it, but honestly it's still such an incredible experience even if you just go as far as you comfortably can.
After about 3–4 hours of hiking, we headed back and stopped at Zion Canyon Coffee. Highly recommend! It's tucked right against the mountains, and the coffee was so good.
There are also several great lunch spots nearby. Jack's is one of our favorites because it has lots of options and is super kid-friendly.
After lunch we drove back to Desert Color, relaxed for a little while, and then got ready for dinner.
We ate at Street Eats! It was really good! I'd recommend sticking with what they're known for—the burgers, fries, and grilled chicken. If those aren't your thing, I'd probably choose somewhere else. 😂 It's also right by the mall, so it's a fun area if you want to do a little shopping afterward.
July 5th was our relaxing day! We stayed at the resort and spent the entire day at the lagoon. If you're planning a lagoon day, get there early if you want chairs! The lagoon is open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the pools stay open until 10:00 p.m. If you aren't there by around 11:00, there's a good chance all the chairs will already be taken. The lagoon is honestly gorgeous, and I really think it's one of those places your kids will always remember. There are so many things to do! Most Airbnbs include paddleboards, but you can also rent them by the hour.
After a full day of swimming, we headed to dinner at Sakura, a Japanese steakhouse. Hands down our favorite meal of the entire trip! Everything was so good, especially the sushi. The staff was incredibly kind, and even the kids loved it!
On July 6th, we originally had an ATV tour planned at Lot of Canyons, but the night before I realized it was an hour and 40 minutes away. 😅 We decided that was just a little too far, so I canceled it and booked something much closer instead.
(I definitely still want to do Lot of Canyons with the kids someday—we'll save that for another trip!)
We booked through ATV Adventures. Our guide was Dave, and he was the sweetest! My kids kept saying, "He's such a cool grandpa!" 😆 We all loved him. He also offers another Back Country tour where he takes you to dinosaur tracks, and I've heard it's amazing. That's definitely on our list for next time.
After the ATV tour, we headed to Jellystone Water Park. Admission was $30 per person. They have food inside, so you really don't need to bring anything. We packed a cooler because we weren't sure, but they charged us a $15 cooler fee. I will say...they charge for EVERYTHING (even refills and cups of ice) which I felt a little crazy. 😂 Honestly, the kids loved it, so I'd still recommend going.
They have water slides, a lazy river, a kids' splash area, several pools, and even a floating obstacle course in the reservoir. It's a fun change of scenery if you've already spent a few days at the lagoon.
Afterward, we headed back to the resort and decided to stay in for our last evening. We ordered sushi from Sakura again (because it was that good 😆), grabbed some pizza, played pickleball, and watched the sunset over the lagoon. It was the perfect way to end our trip.
If you ever get the chance to visit St. George, we absolutely recommend it! We love it there, and I hope this little guide helps you plan your own trip!! Hope everyone had a Happy Fourth! ❤️🤍💙
