The further south you travel in Utah, the more outdoor activities you’ll find. Southern Utah is home to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, and so much more. St. George is the best place to use as a base when headed down south to go and explore. With plenty of kid-friendly parks, splash pads, and bike trails, there’s no shortage of fun things to do with kids here.
Best Time To Hike in Saint George Utah
St. George has hikes for toddlers, teens, or for you to go out and explore on your own. We have recommendations for all of it. The thing you need to remember is, you traveled further and further south, so it’s going to be hot. St. George is home to outdoor activities galore, but it’s also home to 110-degree days in the summer.
To enjoy the local hiking trails AND stay safe from heat exhaustion, stay off the trails when it’s really hot.
The best time to hike in St George is in the winter, spring, and fall when it’s cooler. Temperatures can still get really hot in late spring and early fall, so use good judgement. During the summer, only plan on hiking early in the day or in the evening. We recommend being off the trail between 10am-5pm. Exerting yourself in really high temperatures is very dangerous and lots of visitors to the area suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke. If you are looking for places to stay these are some of our favorites.
Plan to drink at least 1 liter of water per hour of hiking outside (for kids we have them aim for 750ml). Getting kids to drink enough can be a real challenge, so consider getting them a hydration pack, or adding some flavored electrolytes to their water.
Best St George Hikes With Teens
Teens aren’t always the easiest to engage along the trails, but St. George has plenty that will keep them active and curious throughout the entire hike.
Before you hit the trail with your teens, make sure that you’re prepared for the heat and intense sun by checking out our packing list for Southern Utah to help you be totally prepared!
Lava Tube Trail, Snow Canyon State Park
Location: Snow Canyon State Park
Distance: 2.3 miles out and back
Difficulty: Moderate
The name alone attracts kids of all ages but this St George hike is especially fun for teens. The hike isn’t long, but it has plenty of amazing places that teens will love to explore. The lava tubes have created massive caves that kids and teens can climb around in, which is exciting to everyone of all ages. If you’re wanting to head into the caves, bring flashlights so you can light the way. It’s easy to get in and out of these caves with just a little bit of downclimbing.
The caves can be intimidating because the entrance to the first one looks like a giant pit, but don’t let that scare you away. There’s one spot that requires a little bit of downclimbing, so send the most confident person in your group down first, and they can help anyone else who needs help. The Snow Canyon Lava Tube hike is extremely popular, although it isn’t the most popular in Snow Canyon. Come early in the morning to avoid the heat since it gets really hot hiking out through the black lava fields.
More St. George Fun
Red Reef Trail
Location: Red Cliffs Desert Reserve
Distance: 2.2 Miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
The Red Reef Trail, set within the Red Cliffs Recreation Area near St. George, Utah, is a 2.2-mile round trip that offers a blend of easy and moderate hiking experiences, making it perfect for families. The trail takes hikers through scenic landscapes, crossing dry creek beds and featuring small wading pools and runoff cascades, especially vibrant in the spring. Its accessibility and the picturesque surroundings, including the signature small cascade and pothole pool, make it a popular choice among visitors looking to explore the beauty of Southern Utah without venturing too far off the beaten path. If you can go in the spring, there’s a beautiful small waterfall at the end of the trail where you can climb up a rope and use the moki steps to get to the top. It’s something for the more adventurous teenagers, and they’ll love it.
Best All Ages St George Hike
Chuckwalla Trail
Location: Red Cliffs National Conservation Area
Distance: 1.7 miles out and back
Difficulty: Easy
This is a popular hiking trail in the St. George area. Similar to the many hikes in Snow Canyon State Park, Chuckwalla provides hikers with unreal views of red rock mountains that will make one gasp in awe upon seeing them for the first time. There’s no day use or parking fee, so you should come and stay for a few hours.
On top of hiking, this area is very popular for rock climbing. Kids will get a kick out of watching rock climbers scale mountains as they tackle this steady, and easy hike. For older kids, it may be worth bringing some climbing gear since there are lots of beginner-friendly climbing routes here. It’s not as difficult or scary as it looks! This area has very little shade, so we recommend having kids take hydration packs so they don’t overheat!
Bikes are also allowed on Chuckwalla trail, and while you won’t find anything technical or overly difficult, it’s a great trail to let kids get some time on the trail. If you have kids with balance bikes, they’ll love hiking for part of the trail and biking for other parts. Read even more about the Chuckwalla trail here.
Best St George Hike With Toddlers
If you want to introduce your toddler to hiking in Utah, St George is a great place to do it. With plenty of easy, short trails, you’ll be set up for success from the start.
Petrified Dunes Trail, Snow Canyon
Location: Snow Canyon State Park
Distance: 1.2 miles out and back
Difficulty: Easy
The Petrified Dunes are easily one of the best St. George hikes for toddlers. Little kids can take exploring to the next level here by climbing on just about everything you see. This little hike is done with a backdrop of stunning rocks and gorgeous scenery that takes on its own unique personality at every time of day. If you want to see it at its prime, go check it out at sunset. It’s the best place to end a day of hiking in all of Snow Canyon. This is a perfect hike for little kids.
Jenny’s Canyon Trail – Best Short Hiking Trail in St George
Location: Snow Canyon State Park
Distance: 0.5 miles out and back
Difficulty: Easy
Don’t let the short length of Jenny’s Canyon Trail make you think it’s not worth doing. Even along the .5 miles that you’ll walk, there is loads of stunning scenery. It barely takes any time at all, but the kids will want to climb around and play at the end of the trail for hours. The trail ends in a slot canyon and it’s absolutely stunning, so take some time to hang around and take some pictures.
This trail does close seasonally between March 15 and June 1, so come out in late summer or throughout the fall to see what it has to offer.
Read Next: 33 Best Utah Hikes with Kids
Pioneer Names Trail
Location: Snow Canyon State Park
Distance: 0.4 miles out and back
Difficulty: Easy
This short St. George hike is truly for all ages. The trail has two entrances and gets pretty busy because of how popular it is for children. People come to see all of the names of the Mormon pioneers that are up on the hill at the end of the hike. It’s different from most other hiking trails, but is still a great way to get kids out and moving.
This can be a great lesson in history for the kids and any parents that love historical sites will enjoy this. It’s a hike that everyone should do simply because it takes no time at all! Try it out later in the evening to get some of the sunset bouncing off of the red rocks all around you.
Santa Clara Petroglyphs via Anasazi Trail
Location: Santa Clara River Reserve
Distance: 2.9 miles out and back
Difficulty: Easy
Petroglyphs are fascinating to people of all ages. The trail here allows for kids to climb up and take a guess at what each petroglyph might mean. You’ll get a lot of hilarious answers when the kids start their investigations into history.
This trail, managed by the BLM, is accessible year-round, though the best times to visit are during spring, fall, and winter to avoid the summer heat. It’s well-known for leading hikers to some of the most well-preserved petroglyphs in the Southern Utah region, offering a unique glimpse into ancient Anasazi culture and art.
While this hike is a bit longer than the others, the trail isn’t always that busy so it’s worth checking out.
Toe Trail
Location: Ivins
Distance: 2 miles out and back
Difficulty: Easy
The Toe Trail is a local favorite. In the mornings you’ll find elderly couples getting their morning exercise here. It’s a flat dirt trail that runs between the mountains and the city. It includes a great view on both sides. Kids love it because of the possibilities it brings and because it’s mostly flat so it’s really easy.
Desert tortoises have been known to roam around on this trail, and going off the beaten path a bit isn’t frowned upon like it is with some trails. This hike provides the perfect combination of a hike in the desert and a stroll around the neighborhood, and it isn’t well known among non-locals so it isn’t busy like some of the others on this list. The trailhead accommodates about ten cars, and the trail provides lovely views of red cliffs, making it a favored spot for hikers and bike riders.
Turtle Wall Hiking Trail
Location: Red Cliffs Desert Reserve
Distance: 2.08 miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy
For another trail that heads up into desert tortoise territory, check out the Turtle Wall Hiking Trail. This one connects the Chuckwalla to the Paradise Rim trail, so there are even options for extending your hike, but you can easily keep it short too! Kids will love doing a bit of rock scrambling alongside the trail. Make sure to hike up to the little arch where the adventurous ones in your group can climb all the way up.
When the trail hits the Paradise Rim trail, there’s a stunning overview that is hard to get most anywhere else. Otherwise, this trail is great for having a wide-open view of the desert with some of the best chances to see desert tortoises in the area!
Johnson Canyon Trail
Location: Snow Canyon State Park
Distance: 1.7 miles out and back
Difficulty: Easy
For the entire family, it’s hard to find a better family friendly St George hike. The round trip isn’t very long, so it’s well-worth doing. Along the trails there are often turtles wandering around, which is guaranteed to be a winner with the kids. The hike ends with a perfect chunk of shade and cool sand for the kids to play in.
Just like in Jenny’s Canyon, kids will want to stick around and play all day in this little bit of shade. It’s the perfect spot for a family picnic once you finish the short hike. Be aware that this trail is also closed between March 15 and September 14th for turtle conservation.
St George Sand Dunes Trail
Location: Snow Canyon State Park
Distance: 0.5 miles out and back
Difficulty: Easy
This almost doens’t even count as a hike, but it sure is fun. You’ll have to “hike” a bit from the parking lot to the sand dunes, but everyone will probably just be running to the dunes because they’re so excited. This is the best spot for kids to be completely free to play with each other. The Sand Dunes are a wonderful large space that the whole family will enjoy. Even when there are loads of people, you’ll find plenty of untouched sand to run through.
You could spend an entire day there as a family and play games or have a big picnic. It’s so scenic that many people come here to take engagement photos, family pictures, or any other big celebratory moments that people want to have captured. The sand can get super hot in the summer so plan on going during a cooler time of year or visiting early in the day to his popular hike in St Georg Utah.
Hidden Pinyon
Location: Snow Canyon State Park
Distance: 1 mile loop
Difficulty: Easy
If you prefer loop hikes rather than an out-and-back hike, this is a great option for your family. Kids find it very easy, it doesn’t take too long. This is a very popular hike in St Georg Utah because it offers fantastic views of the red rocks in Snow Canyon State Park.
This is a fun hike to see the different desert plants Southern Utah has to offer. There is one decent steep area and a drop-off that can be difficult for children, so keep that in mind when planning your family hike here. Young kids an do it jsut fine, but keep a close eye on them. Most hikers can do this entire hike in about an hour.