A Curated Guide To Utah’s Most Iconic Landscapes

These elevated retreats in Park City, Great Zion and Canyon Point offer the perfect vantage point to take in the scenery.

ByKatie Lara,

Contributor.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.

I am the South Florida correspondent for Forbes Travel Guide.

for Forbes Travel Guide

Apr 27, 2026, 11:03am EDT

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Zion National Park’s grand-scale scenery is nearly unmatched.

Greater Zion

Utah’s landscapes are vast, cinematic and deeply varied, from alpine peaks to sculpted desert canyons. What elevates a trip here is how those natural wonders are paired with stays that feel equally intentional.

The state reveals itself through distinct regions, each with a different pace and perspective. From the mountainous refinement of Park City to the quiet expanse of Canyon Point to the dramatic scale of Zion National Park, these destinations showcase Utah’s range at its best.

The St. Regis Deer Valley offers luxuriousness and memorable landscapes.

St. Regis Deer Valley

Park City: Alpine Energy Meets Elevated Après

Park City is polished and compelling in every season. For a stay that fully captures the destination’s spirit, Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star St. Regis Deer Valley provides a refined and well-positioned base.

Arrival sets the tone as guests ascend via the resort’s private funicular, which builds anticipation. At the top, expansive mountain views, standout restaurants La Stellina and RIME Seafood and Steak and seamless ski-in, ski-out access define the stay.

In warmer months, Park City settles into a quieter rhythm with just as much to offer. Hiking and mountain biking trails extend in every direction, while outdoor concerts, fly fishing and scenic lift rides provide a balanced mix of activity and ease.

Historic Main Street is a big Park City draw.

iStock-Denis Tangney Jr.

Winter brings a more energetic pace. Deer Valley’s meticulously groomed runs attract skiers who prioritize quality and service, while Park City Mountain Resort adds scale and variety. The culture extends beyond the slopes, and the St. Regis’ après-ski scene is a destination in itself, centered around its terrace and seasonal après tent, where guests gather for cocktails, mountain panoramas and a lively atmosphere. The hotel’s daily champagne sabering ritual adds a sense of ceremony and is a can’t-miss event.

Year-round, Historic Main Street anchors the town. Acclaimed restaurants such as Riverhorse on Main are a major draw. So, too, are places like Kemo Sabe, which acts as both a shop and a social hub where custom Western hats and boots are crafted with precision. A discreet speakeasy tucked inside adds an unexpected layer to the visit and is the perfect place to don your new cowboy gear.

Zion National Park: Scale, Light and Landscape

Zion National Park stands apart, even within Utah’s extraordinary landscape. Towering sandstone cliffs rise sharply from the canyon floor, while narrow passageways and river-carved terrain create a setting that feels both expansive and immersive. The scale is dramatic, yet the attraction remains surprisingly accessible. A complimentary shuttle system connects key viewpoints, allowing you to move through the park with ease.

What distinguishes Zion is not just its landmarks, but how you experience them. The landscape unfolds gradually — wide valley views give way to shaded canyon paths and river-level walks, each bringing a different perspective on the same towering formations. Start early, when the light is softer and the park feels quieter, before the pace of the day builds and trails turn into traffic jams. For a quick, well-executed start, Perks Café is a reliable stop for strong coffee and a simple breakfast before entering the park.

Zion Narrows’ walls may be 1,000 feet tall, but some areas are just 20 feet wide.

Greater Zion

For a stay that prioritizes both access and comfort, Cliffrose Springdale, Curio Collection by Hilton, is one of the best-positioned options. Set along the Virgin River and just steps from the park entrance, it creates a seamless transition between the intensity of the landscape and a more relaxed pace.

Dining in Great Zion is unfussy but consistently strong. Cliffside Restaurant pairs panoramic vistas with polished American fare, while Balcony One remains a longstanding local favorite with a welcoming, easygoing atmosphere (perhaps why it’s rumored to be a favorite of Kevin Costner). Spotted Dog at Flanigan’s Resort delivers a more elevated menu, with well-executed seafood and pastas in a refined but approachable setting. For something more casual, River Rock Roasting Company pours strong coffee that you can enjoy on a terrace overlooking the Virgin River. Lastly, don’t miss Bumbleberry Bakery, a local institution known for its pies and pastries.

Just a little under an hour’s drive from the park, Snow Canyon State Park is a striking counterpoint. The terrain shifts to rolling dunes, black lava flows and red sandstone cliffs — equally dramatic, but with far fewer crowds. It feels stiller and more expansive, making it a natural extension of the Zion park rather than a separate stop.

Nearby, St. George adds another layer, serving as a gateway to the region’s more rugged terrain. Guided experiences allow a more active way to engage with the landscape. Rock climbing with Paragon Adventures provides direct access to the area’s vertical terrain, while horseback rides with Western Trail Rides deliver a slower, more scenic perspective — especially at sunset.

Canyon Point’s deep oranges and reds are unforgettable.

iStock- Marcischauer

Canyon Point: Desert Stillness

The landscape shifts dramatically as the terrain opens into Canyon Point, which sits in Southern Utah, almost to the Arizona border. Vast desert expanses, sculpted rock formations and uninterrupted horizons define the visit.

Four-Star Amangiri is not simply a place to stay; it is the destination. The architecture is intentionally restrained, blending into the surrounding landscape so seamlessly that the transition between built environment and nature feels almost imperceptible. The design allows the desert to remain the focal point.

The desert remains the focal point at Amangiri.

Amangiri

Days here are immersive but unhurried. Guided hikes, via ferrata climbs and desert explorations, give access to the region’s more remote terrain, while the property itself encourages a slower pace. The expansive pool curves around a natural rock formation, and the spa reflects the same quiet, grounded design.

You’ll want to plan your day around the light here — early mornings and late afternoons bring out the most depth and color in the canyon walls, making the landscape feel most striking.

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Inside St. George, a beautiful and surprisingly rich golf mecca

By: Josh Sens March 25, 2026

The 13th hole at Sand Hollow in Hurricane, Utah.

Brian Oar

“Rocky” is a good name for a caddie and an excellent description for the lie where my errant drive has settled.

It’s midday, midwinter on the edge of the Mojave. The sky is cobalt blue. The grass is emerald green. And everything beyond the fairway of the short par 4 I’m playing is stone-hard and black as night.

Once it was molten. Millions of years ago, volcanoes belched magma from the belly of the earth, spilling rivers of fire across what we now call southwest Utah — flows that cooled into the black lava fields that ring the desert city of St. George today. They make for arresting scenery and an awful place to miss.

My ball has come to rest in the ebony rubble, where little but a scuffed wedge or a sprained ankle awaits. Even Rocky Price, my look-on-the-bright-side looper, sees no point in trying to advance it.

“Drop one,” he says. “You can still get up and down for par.” Or blunder on to double bogey.

On the plus side, the blemish on my scorecard is outshined by the beauty of the setting. Not just the jagged, inky lava underfoot but the multicolored canvas all around. In the near distance, ruddy Red Mountain shows its blushing face, backed by the white-dusted peaks of Snow Canyon, their sharp lines cutting the horizon.

It’s golf inside a geology textbook, and if the scenery looks familiar that’s no coincidence. You may have seen it last fall, when Black Desert Resort staged the Bank of Utah Championship, which debuted in 2024 as the first PGA Tour stop in Utah in more than 60 years. A coming-out party of sorts for Black Desert, the final golf course design completed by the late Tom Weiskopf, the event also signaled something broader: St. George’s growing presence in the game.

dixie red hills golf course in utah — The 3rd hole at Dixie Red Hills in St. George, Utah. Brian Oar

THE CITY WAS ALREADY on the map for other reasons. Situated near the Arizona border, a two-hour drive from Las Vegas and at the gateway to Zion National Park, St. George has long been known as a magnet for two groups: outdoor recreationists and retirees. The young and restless come for the adrenaline, the silver-haired show up to slow things down. Golf happens to appeal to both. But in a region that marks time by reading lines on ancient rocks, the sport is a relatively recent arrival.

St. George got its first course in 1965, a seven-hole layout that came into being as a roadside temptation. The idea was to get travelers to stop rather than barrel straight through toward the Strip. Dixie Red Hills soon expanded to nine holes but retained its quirky traits, etched through sandstone outcrops at a city-owned facility where the dress code today leans toward denim and the clientele skews AARP. It’s one of 14 courses within a 20-mile radius in Washington County, ranging from high-end resorts and pedigreed daily-fee layouts to modest munis, all spread across a landscape shaped by forces far greater than a dozer.

Rocky fits neatly into the region’s arc of change. Born and raised in northern Utah, one of 13 kids, he moved with his wife to St. George eight years ago, drawn by warmer weather and cleaner air. Year-round golf was part of the pull too, but Rocky didn’t get out as often as he liked. He was in his 50s and had worked more than half his life as a banker when a health scare prompted him to press refresh. That was in 2023. Fifteen months later, he left Wells Fargo. Six months after that, he started looping at Black Desert.

The transition suits him. He has lost weight, shed his wristwatch and let his hair grow, tying it back in a ponytail.

“I love my new office,” he tells me as we move to the next tee. “You can’t beat the views, and it’s so much more relaxed.”

In migrating from north to south, Rocky followed a path blazed more than 150 years earlier by travelers with very different motivations. In 1861, 309 families set off from Salt Lake City, answering a call from the religious leader Brigham Young to settle this sun-scorched corner of Utah. The Civil War had erupted and Young envisioned a cotton-growing settlement in a friendly climate — a Mormon answer to the Confederacy’s stranglehold on the textile trade. His grand plan earned St. George the nickname “Utah’s Dixie,” a moniker that hasn’t aged especially well, though a bold letter D still sits on a hillside overlooking the city, looking like a radically shortened version of the Hollywood sign.

Young had a penchant for prophecies. One was a promise that St. George would become a “city of spires.” That vision was realized in the late 1800s with the construction of a temple and tabernacle, both built from rock quarried from the same slopes that flank Dixie Red Hills today.

What Young couldn’t have foreseen was everything else. In downtown St. George, the city has designated an 11-block historic district that blends contemporary commerce with trips in the wayback machine. On and around Main Street, pioneer-era buildings share blocks with art galleries, farm-to-table bistros and boutiques selling $150 overalls. A jailhouse built in the late 1800s out of black lava rock now houses an ice cream shop. At Thomas Judd’s General Store — the oldest continuously operating business in town — you can get a throwback soda from a fountain and a grape-studded chicken salad sandwich served on a croissant.

St. George is a Mormon town, but it’s not a dry town. On a late-day stroll through the historic district, I have my pick of watering holes, their taps flowing with local craft beers, their wine lists stocked with homegrown petite sirah and cabernet sauvignon. The hills here are alive with many things. I hadn’t known that vineyards were among them.

In the area? Stop at Thomas Judd’s General Store. Getty Images

Brigham Young’s winter home still stands downtown as well, preserved as a museum. A brochure for a self-guided walking tour refers to its original inhabitant as “St. George’s first snowbird.” It’s an apt description for a man whose seasonal retreats from Salt Lake City’s bitter cold presaged the exodus of cold-climate transplants who have since flocked here, trading ice storms for tee times. St. George has swelled to accommodate them. A population that stood at 5,000 in the 1950s now tops 100,000. What was once considered an inhospitable patch of desert — too hot, too remote, too austere — is now one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country, with a real estate market to match. The key, it turned out, wasn’t cotton. It was recreation.

Of the area’s outdoor sports, golf is the biggest economic engine. Momentum behind it surged in the 1990s, when courses like Sky Mountain — with its postcard views of Zion — and Entrada arrived in quick succession. The latter, a private club originally designed by Johnny Miller and later renovated by David McLay Kidd, boosted the area’s bona fides. Coral Canyon followed, its holes flanked by arroyos and rock walls that blaze orange in afternoon light. Other headliners have taken shape more recently, including Copper Rock, now a stop on the Epson Tour and host of the 2024 and 2025 LPGA Legends Championship. But the course that first gave St. George a national golf profile was Sand Hollow, a John Fought and Andy Staples design that opened in 2008 alongside a state park of the same name. It has since become a fixture on Top 100 lists (including GOLF’s Top 100 You Can Play in the U.S.) and the star of countless photo spreads and Instagram posts.

IT’S EASY TO SEE WHY influencers love Sand Hollow. A massive red rock outcrop looms beside the pro shop and the first tee, which tumbles downhill, a gentle warm-up for what’s ahead. The front nine is the mellower half, with big, sweeping fairways and plenty of red rock scenery but also houses framing the holes. The back nine, by contrast, is entirely undeveloped, which underscores the drama of its arresting holes. Greens nestle into red rock amphitheaters. Fairways curl along sheer bluffs, dizzying drops that make me think of Wile E. Coyote crashing-landing in a cloud of dust.

Rocky’s with me for this round — not carrying my bag but playing alongside. He golfs every chance he gets. He also seems to know everyone we see: the head pro, the superintendent, the guy filling divots on the 14th tee. As we make our way up the final hole, we bump into a foursome unloading their bags. The group includes Gifford Nielsen, former quarterback for the Houston Oilers who went on to a career as a broadcaster and to a leadership role in the Church of Latter-day Saints. I don’t recognize him but Rocky does. The two embrace. Of course, they’re friends.

Like Rocky, Nielsen has roots farther north in Utah but now calls St. George home. “I’ve played a lot of desert golf around the southwest area, but this is just different,” he tells me later. “You don’t get scenery like this in Scottsdale or Palm Springs.”

There are other ways to experience the landscape: on foot, by bike, or from the basket of a hot-air balloon. You can rappel into slot canyons, kayak rivers and reservoirs, or do what any sensible person does when confronted with miles of dunes and granted access to an ATV.

“How’s this for a course to play on?” Jason Reeves asks me. It’s early morning, in teeth-chattering cold that’s typical of winter in the desert, where it takes a few hours for the sun to do its work. We’re on Sand Mountain, and Reeves is my guide with Mad Moose Tours for a two-hour tour on a vast expanse that could pass for planet Tatooine. The sand glows burnt ocher in the early light. Alien rock formations rise from the dunes.

Reeves is an off-road guy in all seasons, a ski instructor who also races ATVs. Time was when he did a lot of motorbike racing too, until a bad collision recast his relationship with speed.

“There’s a saying in off-roading,” he says, patting the roll bar of his Polaris. “With age comes a cage.”

I’m happy to have that protection on our tour, which pivots from pedal-to-the-metal runs along snaking rutted paths to slow rock-crawling climbs over terraced sandstone, up slopes I’m certain will be too steep to summit, through channels in the rock that look too narrow to pass.

It’s exhilarating. But nothing we traverse compares to what lies 30 minutes north. The entrance to Zion National Park is there, and on a clear winter afternoon I drive a scenic route into the canyon, retracing in reverse the patient work of the Virgin River, which, over epochs, carved these sheer, soaring walls and still courses along the canyon floor. Without summer’s crowds, Zion’s grandeur only grows, along with the sense of perspective it imparts. How small we are in the big picture, how silly it is to fret about our score.

It’s a thought that lingers the next morning when I tee it up at Dixie Red Hills. It’s a modest operation — $27 for nine holes — and the price is only part of its popularity. There’s also its winning personality: classic muni golf, unfussy and authentic. No bag drop, no starter, just a pro shop P.A. system to announce the next group. Tee times get snatched up as soon as they’re released.

I’m paired with a couple of old pals, Sid and Jerry, both in blue jeans, both of the Greatest Generation. Sid wears a bucket hat that reads “Been there, done that, can’t remember.” What I won’t forget is the 7-wood he smacks from 68 yards to birdie range on a par 3 that plays over a dry riverbed. I tip my own non-bucket hat in tribute.

Back at Black Desert, the landscape commands a different kind of respect. A tournament-level test that accommodates resort play with an assortment of tees, the course was built with the brute force of dynamite blasts in places but also with artful choreography. The routing works through the compass to showcase the panoramas, bringing lava fields and ridges into play in ways both scenic and strategic.

I’ve read enough about the place to pick up some facts. I’m aware, for instance, that Snow Canyon State Park, just across the road, was where portions of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were filmed. I’ve also learned that Jay Don Blake, a St. George native who spent years on the PGA Tour — remember the Sansabelts and the ’70s ’stache? — practices regularly on property. He was given a special exemption into the Utah Championship. He missed the cut but made a lot of people’s day.

Black Desert is big-time golf, and ownership has talked of adding more of it on nearby reservation land. But for now the course is all that I can handle.

It’s late afternoon as our round winds down, the sun painting the landscape in shades of rust and amber. Rocky and I are moving up the 18th fairway. He’s reflecting on his new life and the liberating feeling of being unburdened of what used to weigh him down. I realize I’m doing something of the same—not dwelling on the double at the 2nd or the three-putt on the 10th, or…why take inventory? I’m pushing forward, soaking up the splendor. Out here, where Rocky has found his reset and the landscape puts poor shots in proper context, the only reason to look back is to enjoy the view.

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Josh Sens

Golf.com Editor

A golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLF’s platforms. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the co-author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook.

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What’s New In The Zion National Park Area For 2026?

Discover what’s new around Zion National Park for 2026, from hot springs and luxury resorts to reopened trails, shows, and scenic adventures.

ByBrittany Anas,

Contributor.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.

I cover travel, specializing in adventure and the great outdoors.

Jan 20, 2026, 08:49pm ESTUpdated Jan 20, 2026, 09:07pm EST

The Narrows of the Virgin River in Zion National Park. Now the No. 2 most visited national park in the United States, Zion and its environs are seeing major updates for 2026—including a new hotel (the largest in Utah), a hot springs retreat, and private flight tours over the park—making it an especially exciting time for the region.

getty

Thinking about visiting Zion National Park? Whether it’s on your bucket list to hike through slot canyons, tackle the iconic Angel’s Landing ascent, or bike through the park while gawking at towering red and pink sandstone cliffs, 2026 is shaping up as a great year to explore the Zion region of Southern Utah.

Zion National Park ranks No. 2 among the most visited national parks in the country, according to 2024 visitor data (which is the most recent available), trailing only the Great Smoky Mountains.

While the park itself is the main draw, attracting nearly five million visitors each year, the surrounding region now offers several new ways to round out a Zion getaway—from a hot springs retreat ideal for post-hike soaks to a brand-new resort with a futuristic spa and a golf course set among ancient lava tubes.

Here’s what’s new in the Zion National Park area for 2026 and why this year is a good time to visit.

Soak in Global-Inspired Hot Springs

Zion Canyon Hot Springs under a starry sky.

Zion Canyon Hot Springs

It might sound like a riddle that requires a hot tub time machine, but here goes: How can you hike the Narrows in Zion National Park, and, on the same trip, soak in mineral waters of the Blue Lagoon, the Dead Sea, and Japan’s Hokkaido Hot Springs?

The answer lies just outside the park. Zion Canyon Hot Springs, which opened last summer in La Verkin, Utah, offers travelers a restorative escape with 50 pools—from geothermal soaks fed by local springs to cold plunges and mineral baths that replicate the world’s most iconic hot springs and their therapeutic benefits.

The mineral formulas are inspired by top hot springs destinations around the world, as close as its sister property in Colorado’s Glenwood Springs to those that mimic the magnesium-rich waters that are heated by a volcano in Fuentes Georginas, Guatemala.

The hot springs retreat includes a 21-and-over area and a family zone, along with barrel saunas, fire pits, a café, and private cabanas.

Book a nighttime reservation to soak under the stars. This part of Utah is known for its dark skies which makes for optimal stargazing.

Tee Off, Play Pickleball, and Relax at Black Desert Resort

Black Desert Resort, outside of Zion National Park, is now the largest resort in Utah.

Black Desert Resort

Outside of Zion National Park in Ivins, Utah, Black Desert Resort sits amid a dramatic mash-up of burnt-red sandstone cliffs and inky black lava beds. Opened last fall, the resort rests where three ecosystems collide—the Mojave Desert, the Colorado Plateau, and the Great Basin—creating scenery that feels somewhat otherworldly.

In its inaugural year, the resort’s golf course got some great national exposure, hosting both LPGA and PGA tour events. The 18-hole, par-72 championship course designed by Tom Weiskopf winds through lava fields and offers sweeping canyon views, delivering big scenery with every swing. Navigate the course in high-tech carts that feature hole-by-hole audio commentary from Weiskopf. Fun fact: The closing hole features a devilish green inspired by Augusta National’s fifth, with lava rock and bunkers shaping the fairway.

Lava fields surrounding hole 11 at Black Desert Resort’s golf course.

Black Desert Resort

Pickleball fans, take note, too. In spring 2026, the resort will debut 21 state-of-the-art courts, including a “Championship Court” with seating for 1,000 spectators, which signals some big tournaments will be coming to the desert.

When it’s time to slow the pace, Plume Spa & Wellness offers 15,000 square feet of restorative indulgence. Treatments like the “Lava and Ice Massage” draw inspiration from the landscape, while high-tech wellness experiences include a dry-float nap session that cradles spa-goers in warmth, sending subtle vibrations to tired muscles.

The resort’s many restaurants include Basalt, which serves refined steakhouse fare with cuts sourced from Utah ranches, while the convivial 20th Hole pairs burgers with wildly over-the-top milkshakes that are best enjoyed between rounds on the golf simulators.

The 600-acre resort is still growing, too. Plans include expanded lodging beyond its current 447 rooms, plus more dining, shopping, entertainment, as well as a water park.

Emerald Pools Bridge at Zion National Park is Reopened

Emerald Falls in Zion National Park.

getty

After being shut down for two years for construction, the bridge that connects Zion Lodge to the Emerald Pools Trail system is once again open.

The National Park Service relocated the historic bridge upstream with new foundations designed to withstand flash floods and landslides, which restored visitor access to one of Zion’s most iconic trail systems.

Emerald Pools hiked in Zion National Park takes visitors through lush scenery, dramatic cliffs, and cascading waterfalls.

The trail system features three destinations—Lower, Middle, and Upper Emerald Pools—each increasing in distance and difficulty.

The Lower Pool is an easy, family-friendly walk along the canyon floor. The Middle Pool requires a steeper climb to scenic viewpoints overlooking the lower basin, while the Upper Pool is the most strenuous, following a path that’s eroded in some points to a larger pool fed by a towering waterfall. The trail system can be hiked year-round, with spring runoff creating the most dramatic waterfalls.

Tuacahn Amphitheatre is Celebrating its 30th Season

A gorgeous amphitheater surrounded by 1,500-foot red rock cliffs in the mouth of Padre Canyon, Tuacahn will be celebrating its 30th season in 2026. The outdoor theatre hosts concerts and off-Broadway performances.

On the schedule for the 2026-27 season is “Finding Nemo,” “Les Miserables,” and “Grease.”

Explore the Parks Via a Private Flight

Luxury travelers can explore the national parks via a helicopter that departs from Amangiri’s helipad.

Amangiri

Amangiri, a luxury resort in Canyon Point, Utah, announced it will be offering guests exclusive private flights to Utah’s “Mighty 5” national parks, including Zion. One of the options is a helicopter flight to Bryce Canyon and Zion as well as the Grand Canyon, which is located in neighboring Arizona, departing directly from the resort’s helipad that’s set among sandstone towers. Guests on these bespoke flights can remain in the air for aerial views or touch down to explore the parks.

The other route is a private flight to Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef aboard a KingAir 200 or Pilatus PC-12 NG.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Zion National Park in Utah.

getty

What Month is the Best for Zion National Park?

Zion excels in the shoulder seasons, including April and May and September and October. Travelers can avoid the summer’s heat, which puts 100-degree days in forecast. With fewer crowds, the trails are also less crowded.

Which is Better: Zion or Bryce Canyon?

About 85 miles from Zion, Bryce Canyon is another popular national park in Utah.

getty

Zion wins when it comes to visitation as the No. 2 most visited national park. But both Zion and Bryce are part of Utah’s Mighty 5 national park system and each offer unique visitor experiences.

While Zion is famed for its slot canyons, Bryce is well known for its photogenic crimson-hued hoodoos, including a dense collection of them in the Bryce Amphitheater.

Zion and Bryce Canyon are about 85 miles apart, so a visit to Southern Utah could certainly include visiting both parks.

What Major City is Closest to Zion National Park?

Springdale is at Zion National Park’s southern entrance. For those flying into Southern Utah, St. George has a regional airport that serves Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

What’s So Special About Zion National Park?

Warm light at an opening in Wire Pass, a narrow slot canyon in Zion National Park.

getty

People visit Zion for its gorgeous landscapes, from towering plateaus to a labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons. The park also offers scenic waterfall hikes and is home to around 800 native plant species—more flowering plants than anywhere else in Utah.

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By Paige Townley

SOUTHERN UTAH

An aerial view of the Black Desert Resort. — Black Desert Resort exists where the Colorado Plateau, Mojave Desert, and Great Basin meet. *Courtesy Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office*

GreaterZion.com; @GreaterZionUtah—Tucked in the southwest corner of the state, Greater Zion is a picturesque destination to gather, connect, and be inspired. “Meeting planners, attendees, and visitors tell us they ‘feel something different here,’ and that feeling is what keeps them coming back for future meetings or events,” shares Joy Schroeder, meetings and conventions specialist for Greater Zion. “Meetings in Greater Zion aren’t measured in square footage, but in pure inspiration.”

With Zion National Park as the crown jewel, four diverse state parks, and 14 world-class golf courses, Greater Zion is more than a location; it’s an experience. There are endless opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, UTV riding, paddleboarding, and more—all of which can be worked into the meeting agenda, Schroeder adds.

From large-scale conventions to intimate executive retreats, Greater Zion has the infrastructure to support events of all types and sizes. Its premier convention destination is Dixie Convention Center in St. George, a full-service venue just 90 minutes north of Las Vegas and 45 minutes from Zion National Park. With 100,000 square feet of versatile space, a 46,550-square-foot column-free exhibit hall, 32,000 square feet of flexible meeting space in 19 meeting rooms, a round atrium-style Garden Room, and pre-function areas, it delivers amenities in a relaxed setting. The convention center is nearing completion of a thoughtful refresh designed to enhance the attendee experience, Schroeder says, and it should be completed by the end of summer. The Hampton Inn St. George is currently undergoing renovations to its guest rooms, meeting space, and exterior as well.

For groups seeking elevated experiences, Greater Zion’s newest luxury golf and event destination, Black Desert Resort, is a game-changer. Spanning 600 acres, this luxury destination is set against a backdrop of ancient lava fields and vibrant vermilion cliffs. The property features nearly 800 guest rooms and suites, multiple dining options, and a unique 19-hole Tom Weiskopf-designed championship golf course. With more than 45,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including a 10,000-square-foot ballroom, the resort is ideal for large conferences and stylish celebrations.

People walk along Zion National Park. — Zion National Park is a natural wonder, made of massive cream, pink, and red sandstone cliffs. *Courtesy Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office*

Other notable options include the Best Western Plus Abbey Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, and the Courtyard by Marriott—all in St. George, offering flexible meeting layouts, onsite catering, and quick access to recreation. For a cultural twist, Tuacahn Amphitheatre offers the 325-seat Hafen Theater indoors and the 2,500-seat amphitheatre outdoors. “No matter the venue, meeting attendees can explore a destination full of adventure, culture, and relaxation, turning every gathering into something memorable,” Schroeder says.

Zion Canyon Hot Springs provides a new level of relaxation and wellness in Greater Zion. Designed to blend with the natural environment, it offers a semi-private area for events, allowing groups to unwind in thermal waters with views of the surrounding cliffs.

Groups can easily add teambuilding activities to their agendas in Greater Zion, such as guided art workshops at Kayenta Art Village, custom scavenger hunts in historic downtown St. George, and culinary competitions.

While many destinations boast strong culinary scenes, few can say they feature a unique range of elevated culinary options at the doorstep of a national park, says Schroeder. Guests can enjoy a range of menu options in Greater Zion, from innovative global fusion to artisan favorites at local bakers—all paired with red-rock views. “This blend of world-class flavors with one-of-a-kind surroundings sets this destination apart,” Schroeder adds. “Greater Zion is anything but ordinary and will exceed expectations every time.”

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Editor’s Note

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Traveling solo is one of life’s greatest adventures. Freedom, flexibility, empowerment and reflection are just some of the reasons to plan a solo trip.

Over the past decade, solo travel stereotypes have evolved from gap-year students backpacking the Gringo Trail in South America to trips encompassing a wide variety of themes, experiences, budgets and locations, including some right here in the U.S.

For first-time and experienced solo travelers, there are plenty of U.S. destinations that combine easy access, relative affordability, welcoming vibes and diverse experiences to help streamline a solo vacation. This enables you to step out of your comfort zone and experience travel in a new way.

Here are nine of the best places to travel solo in the U.S. in 2026.

San Luis Obispo, California

Paso Robles near San Luis Obispo. MIMI DITCHIE PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES

Best for: Surfing by day, wine tasting by night

Equidistant from San Francisco and Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo County combines lush scenery, coastal adventures, historic charm and superb wine tasting within a relatively small and easy-to-navigate area. Often referred to as “Little Santa Barbara,” the city is a charming, laid-back stopover for solo travelers embarking on a Pacific Coast Highway road trip.

The unpretentious downtown area is studded with historic landmarks, including the 18th-century Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, now a museum housing artifacts from Native American and Mission-era history. Food lovers should time their stay with the bustling farmers market (Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.), where more than 100 vendors sell a variety of farm-fresh produce, flowers and even farm-to-table dinners.

Downtown SLO’s welcoming wine bars and tasting rooms are a cozy backdrop for solo travelers looking to make new friends. They provide a fun initiation into coastal California’s prized pinot noir and chardonnay varietals.

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Just a 10-minute drive from town, family-owned vineyards and tasting rooms dot the lush rolling hills of the Edna Valley. Some 30 miles north of SLO, the Paso Robles wine region is often touted as an affordable and more laid-back dupe for Napa.

At Pismo Beach, adventure lovers can surf, boogie board or ride an all-terrain vehicle across the largest swath of coastal dunes in California. This classic California beach town is surrounded by the Pismo Preserve, which provides sanctuary to owls, hawks, peregrine falcons and other wildlife.

TPG tip: If you are looking for a coastal base for exploration, the Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, Autograph Collection offers reasonable room rates for its prime beachfront location. Rooms start at $240 or 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

New York City

The Brooklyn Bridge looking toward the Manhattan skyline at sunrise in the fall — If you want to walk the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise, you don’t have to worry about forcing a travel partner to wake up early. ONFOKUS/GETTY IMAGES

Best for: Big city adventures, all day and night

New York City squeezes a lot of solo travel fun into one tiny island. You can’t see it all in one trip, but you can see the whole city from one of several high-rise observation decks. Many visitors default to the Empire State Building, but if you want to actually see the Empire State Building, visit One World Trade Center or Top of the Rock.

Of course, you should hit up the obvious spots like Times Square (you have to see it at least once in your life), Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History, but leave time to explore some of New York City’s walkable neighborhoods on foot. Some favorites include Greenwich Village, SoHo and Chelsea (especially for the weekend vintage flea market) for shopping and Williamsburg for more shopping and dining.

Because solo travelers aren’t looking for multiple seats together, they not only have the best chances of snagging walk-in bar seating at some of the city’s most popular restaurants, but also of landing last-minute, discounted Broadway tickets. The options are all outlined here, including digital and in-person opportunities.

TPG tip: The surprisingly spacious rooms (by New York standards) and convenient location near one of Manhattan’s primary subway hubs make the Hyatt Union Square New York a top choice for solo travelers. Rates start at $388 or 21,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Boston

Best for: History buffs

From its crucial role in the Revolutionary War to long-standing icons like Fenway Park, Quincy Market and its many museums, Boston hosts a wealth of attractions for solo travelers who want to soak up some history.

For a firsthand look at Boston’s early days, step onto The Freedom Trail, a walking tour of 16 sites that played integral roles in the birth of our nation. You can continue your exploration in the nation’s oldest public park, Boston Common & Public Garden.

For a panoramic look at the city sights, head to View Boston. View Boston features 360-degree views of the city from one of the tallest buildings in New England, the Prudential Center, along with several exhibits that offer more about the city.

TPG tip: For a points-friendly option, book a room at The Liberty, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Boston, where rates start at $256 or 59,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. The building once served as the home of Boston’s Charles Street Jail, and you can dine among the preserved jail cell facades at the hotel’s restaurant, Clink.

San Antonio

Best for: History, music and prickly pear margaritas

Exploring San Antonio’s history, entertainment and dining is easy, as so much of what the city has to offer is accessible via the San Antonio River Walk.

You can start your day at the Alamo (admission is free, but timed reservations are necessary to enter the historic Alamo Church) and then walk down the steps to the River Walk to explore the shops and galleries. Make your way toward Boudro’s for tableside guacamole and the best prickly pear margaritas in the city, then hop on a boat tour along the River Front. We recommend the “Mariachi Sip & Cruise” package for a taste of San Antonio culture while you sail.

Spend a day venturing away from the River Walk to see the San Antonio Missions, the historic Market Square (the largest Mexican market in the U.S.) and the Pearl district, an arts, dining and entertainment hub with weekly events like yoga under the stars, outdoor movies and a weekend farmers market.

TPG tip: It’s most convenient to stay along the River Walk. The Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk is located directly on the waterfront and also features its own restaurants, bars and shops. Rates start at $223 or 9,000 World of Hyatt points per night.

Key West, Florida

Key West Snorkeling Reefs — Snorkeling in the reefs around Key West. EDB3_16/GETTY IMAGES

Best for: Laid-back days and lively nights

It’s difficult to describe Key West, but if you know all the words to “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and think flip-flops and shorts should be accepted attire no matter where you go, it’s definitely your kind of place.

The best way to see Key West’s iconic sites is aboard the hop-on, hop-off Old Town Trolley Tour, with stops at iconic locations like the Ernest Hemingway House Museum, Sloppy Joe’s Bar, the Southernmost Point buoy and the Key West Aquarium. When night falls, you need only meander down Duval Street until you come across a bar that feels like your vibe.

If you are looking for an underwater adventure, head to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park or Bahia Honda State Park for snorkeling. Bahia Honda is a bit farther out but offers incredible snorkel boat tours, while Fort Zachary Taylor has easy-access shore snorkeling.

TPG tip: La Concha Key West, Autograph Collection recently marked its centennial with an extensive renovation to guest rooms and public spaces. This historic property on Duval Street exudes 1920s glamour with a tropical twist and features its own mojito bar and rooftop pool deck. Nightly rates start at $354 or 77,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Charlottesville, Virginia

Best for: History and nature with a dash of wine

If you are craving a quiet solo vacation spot where you can take things at a slower pace, add Charlottesville to your list. You can take your time exploring Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, James Monroe’s Highland and James Madison’s Montpelier homes, all in or around Charlottesville; commune with nature on the Saunders-Monticello Trail and the Sugar Hollow Dam and Reservoir; or stroll the shops and eateries along the Downtown Mall, one of the longest pedestrian malls in the country.

There are too many wineries and breweries worth checking out in Charlottesville to name here, but Veritas Vineyard and Winery, King Family Vineyards, Stinson Vineyards, Blue Mountain Brewery and Starr Hill Brewery are worthy options to get you started.

TPG tip: Check into the Kimpton The Forum Hotel, which has a stately red-brick exterior with a modern yet refined interior. Amenities include complimentary bikes for riding around town, a complimentary evening wine reception and an arboretum and botanical gardens. Nightly rates start at $178 or 39,000 IHG One Rewards points per night.

Zion National Park, Utah

river with red rocks in the background — Zion National Park. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY

Best for: Breathtaking scenery and an accessible gateway town

One of the nation’s most popular national parks, Zion offers an awe-inspiring solo adventure with breathtaking landscapes, epic hiking and biking trails, and fascinating wildlife.

In terms of transportation, accessibility and accommodation offerings, Zion National Park is a relatively straightforward place to plan a trip to. The gateway for exploration is charming Springdale, Utah, a small town just steps from the park’s main entrance that has maintained its quirky vibe despite its soaring popularity.

Amid the winding canyon of sandstone buttresses, sheer red-rock cliffs and slot canyons, you’ll find lush evergreen forests, kaleidoscopic wildflowers and mystical hanging gardens. If you’re short on time, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (accessible only by shuttle bus from March through October) provides a glorious glimpse of the park’s red rocks and easy access to several visitor-approved trailheads. All visitors need an entrance pass to enter the park.

Angels Landing and The Narrows are iconic hikes you won’t want to miss. Hikers need to enter a lottery in order to secure a permit for Angels Landing, and you are advised to rent waterproof gear for The Narrows. If you prefer your hikes a little drier or closer to the ground, go for the beginner-friendly Pa’rus Trail or the Emerald Pools Trail.

TPG tip: Just 1 mile from the park’s entrance, the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Springdale Zion National Park is one of the brand’s finest iterations. The property offers modern, well-equipped suites that are both large and comfortable; it also offers complimentary breakfast every day and an outdoor pool with phenomenal views of Zion National Park. Rates start at $107 or 53,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Portland, Oregon

Best for: Exploring the lush landscape of the Pacific Northwest

Portland is surrounded by natural beauty on all sides. Because the city lies in a valley, you can often see Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens and, on a clear day, possibly Mount Adams and Mount Rainier. To take in these natural wonders all at once, visit Powell Butte for panoramic mountain views — or the outlook behind Pittock Mansion for city views with Mount Hood in the background.

Voracious readers could spend hours in Powell’s City of Books, the country’s largest independent bookstore. There’s also the outdoor Portland Saturday Market (seasonal), considered the largest continually operating arts and crafts market in the country. In addition to a citywide coffee tour and several food tours, the city has so many food carts that it created a handy guide to help you find exactly what you’re hungry for.

TPG tip: For a luxurious and central home base, book a room at The Ritz-Carlton, Portland, which opened downtown just a few years ago. You won’t have to go far for delicious eats since The Flock PDX food hall is on its ground floor. Rates start at $339 or 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.

Sedona, Arizona

Best for: Reconnecting with nature

Few places in the U.S. have more spectacular scenery than Sedona. Surrounded by striking red-rock buttes and majestic canyons, this desert destination is ideal for communing with nature. For some, that could mean a solitary day of hiking at the picturesque Bell Rock; others may prefer a more spiritual experience, such as a yoga hiking tour of Sedona.

Sedona’s art scene is as vibrant as its landscape. Peruse shops and galleries in the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village or the Sedona Artist Market. On the first Friday of every month, many galleries stay open late, hosting special artist receptions and other events.

TPG tip: The Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock (starting at $277 or 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night) is about as close as you can get to Sedona’s best hiking trails.

Bottom line

When you take a solo trip, you have the freedom and independence to go where you want and do what you want, whenever you want.

Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures, foodie heaven or big-city excitement, these destinations are among the best cities in the U.S. for solo travelers.

Related reading:

Featured image by DOUGBERRY/GETTY IMAGES

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Rooted in the American West: Food, History and Culture

A Smithsonian magazine special report

Waterfall spilling over red rocks with trees surrounding — This year marks the fourth time the waterfalls have flowed in the past 15 years. Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office / Mike Carr

A rare red rock waterfall is flowing once again in southwest Utah, leaving visitors in awe of its cinematic beauty.

Gunlock Reservoir, located in Gunlock State Park roughly 20 miles northwest of St. George, Utah, has exceeded 105 percent of its capacity, reports KSTU’s Chris Reed. Now, water is flowing onto the red rock boulders underneath, resulting in an unusual natural phenomenon.

“It’s something [people] just need to come see for themselves,” Carson Hadley, a college student visiting the region, tells KSTU. “The red rocks and the waterfalls, it’s something that you expect to see in a movie, not in real life.”

Rushing white water flowing down red rocks — Visitors must hike over slippery rocks to see the falls. Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office / Mike Carr

The waterfalls at Gunlock State Park don’t flow every year. According to the Salt Lake Tribune’s Mark Eddington, this year marks their fourth appearance in the past 15 years. The last time the falls made an appearance was in 2024.

“It’s … absolutely gorgeous,” Pamela Selemon, a visitor from Mesquite, Nevada, tells KTVX. “You can’t beat it. You can’t get that anywhere else.”

Since the water started trickling in late February, visitors have been flocking to the state park for a chance to see the falls. But viewing them requires completing a short hike over slippery rocks, and state officials urge caution.

Waterfall on red rocks — Officials are urging visitors to be careful while exploring the falls. Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office / Mike Carr

“The waterfalls at Gunlock State Park are FLOWING,” according to a March 18 update on the state park’s website. “Recreating on the rocks near the waterfalls is dangerous. Rocks are slick, water is swift and covered hazards exist in the pools. We strongly encourage visitors to use caution and be observant in the area.”

In the past, visitors have put themselves in danger while exploring the falls. The water is just two to three feet deep in most places, and diving or jumping can result in injury or death.

“The falls are running … which is absolutely a beautiful thing, but it’s bittersweet for us,” says Charley Guthrie, chief of Northwest Fire and Rescue, to KSL’s Arianne Brown. “We love it, but we get a lot of people, and we can get some injuries out here that can be kind of problematic. … You’ve got to make sure you’ve got proper footwear and you’ve got your head on a swivel, because it can get pretty rough back in there.”

Key takeaway: Timing your visit

Gunlock State Park’s waterfalls usually flow in the late spring—but only during years when enough rain has accumulated in the preceding months.

This winter has been hot and dry for southwest Utah, as well as many parts of the western United States. However, recent storms and runoff following a summer wildfire have temporarily filled Gunlock Reservoir to the brim.

Still, officials with the Washington County Water Conservancy District, the agency responsible for managing the county’s water supply, are concerned about the summer ahead.

“It does give a false sense of how well we’re doing,” Corey Cram, associate general manager for the Washington County Water Conservancy District, tells KUTV’s Samantha Hoffman. “Quail Creek Reservoir and Sand Hollow Reservoir in particular are going to be about 70 percent of normal.”

Cram says the region is “not in a crisis” but that the agency is asking residents to be “really conscious” of their water use.

NATIONAL PARKS

Zion National Park

Why Zion National Park is so special and what to know before you go

Eve Chen

USA TODAY

Updated July 20, 2024, 7:40 a.m. ET

It’s no secret. Zion National Park is one of America’s most spectacular national parks.

It’s also one of the most popular, coming in second or third in visitation each year in recent years, according to National Park Service numbers. And it’s easy to see why.

“Zion National Park encompasses some of the most scenic canyon country in the United States,” said Jorge Hernandez, education supervisor at Zion.

Unlike the Grand Canyon, which most visitors approach at rim level, visitors begin exploring Zion from the canyon floor.

“You look up, and you see these massive Navajo Sandstone cliffs on either side of you. And as you start going into the canyon, you start to see those walls becoming narrower and narrower, which I think is really fascinating,” Hernandez said. “Also, Zion National Park is located in the juncture of the Colorado Plateau, the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin ecoregions, and that creates a very unique environment for a variety of lifeforms and ecosystems here at Zion. Zion also preserves a plethora of human history.”

Here’s what else travelers should know about visiting Zion, the final park in USA TODAY’s yearlong series.

Where is Zion National Park?

Zion is located in southwestern Utah and the most visited of the state’s Mighty Five national parks.

The other four parks are Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef.

The closest airport with commercial service is St. George Regional Airport, but the closest major airport is Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, 176 miles away from Zion Canyon Visitor Center.

How much time do you need to spend at Zion National Park?

Hernandez recommends spending at least a couple hours in the park to take in sights along the free park shuttle and maybe a short hike. However, many visitors choose to spend multiple days exploring Zion.

Do you need a reservation for Zion?

Reservations are not required to enter Zion.

Permits are, however, required to hike popular Angels Landing as well as the 16-mile through hike of the Virgin River Narrows. They’re also required for activities like backcountry camping and technical canyoneering.

Can I take my car into Zion?

Yes, but Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is only open to private vehicles for a few months each winter.

Visitors are prohibited from driving along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive during the Zion Canyon Shuttle’s operating season, from March through November.

The entry fee is $35 for cars, $30 for motorcycles and $20 for snowmobiles. Entry costs $20 for individuals over age 15 arriving without a vehicle.

Sunrise sheds light on Temples and Towers of the Virgin at Zion National Park.

Where to stay in Zion National Park

There is one hotel inside the park, Zion National Park Lodge, which is operated by a third-party concessionaire and open year-round. There are also three campgrounds: Watchman, South and Lava Point. However, South Campground is closed for rehabilitation work. Backcountry camping is also allowed with a permit.

What is the best month to visit Zion National Park?

Snow dusts Timber Top in the Kolob Canyons area of Zion National Park

It depends on what visitors are looking for. For instance, Hernandez said summer offers blue skies and green foliage but also hotter weather and sometimes monsoons.

“Winter offers cold temperatures, of course, but in the winter, when it snows, sometimes you see snow-capped sandstone cliffs, which I think is really beautiful,” he said. “There’s no bad time to visit Zion. Depending on the season, you’ll see Zion completely different.”

How to avoid crowds at Zion

“Arrive early in the morning or later in the day,” Hernandez said. Parking lots can fill up before 8 a.m. during the summer.

The park’s main visitor center is open every day, and park rangers can help suggest places to get away from crowds.

“In a very busy place like Zion, there are spaces where one can find solitude and reflect and connect with natural and cultural resources we have here,” Hernandez added, noting that the park is 84% wilderness.

Visitors should prepare to get wet hiking the Narrows at Zion National Park.

Who are the Native people of Zion?

At least 37 Native tribes and nations have historic ties to the land. Those include but are not limited to:

Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation, California
Confederate Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Nevada and Utah
Hopi Tribe of Arizona
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation, Arizona
Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony, Nevada
Moapa Band of Paiute Indians of the Moapa River Indian Reservation
Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah
Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah – Cedar Band
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah – Indian Peaks Band
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah – Kanosh Band
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah – Koosharem Band
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah – Shivwits Band
Pueblo of Acoma, New Mexico
Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico
Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico
Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico
Pueblo of Laguna, New Mexico
Pueblo of Nambe, New Mexico (Nanbe Owingeh)
Pueblo of Picuris, New Mexico
Pueblo of Pojoaque, New Mexico
Pueblo of San Felipe, New Mexico
Pueblo of San Ildefonso, New Mexico
Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico
Pueblo of Santa Clara, New Mexico
Pueblo of Tesuque, New Mexico
Pueblo of Taos, New Mexico
Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico
San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona
Santo Domingo Pueblo
Skull Valley Goshute General Council
Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado
Ute Indian Tribe of the Unitah & Ouray Reservation, Utah
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
White Mesa Ute
Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico

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GOLF

Uncommon ground: New Black Desert in Utah soars into Golfweek’s Best course rankings

Jason Lusk

June 10, 2024Updated May 2, 2025, 11:27 a.m. ET

Sunrise hits a little differently in Greater Zion. As morning light comes to life, it’s not what it does to the sky. Or to the ground. All eyes are on the towering orange cliffs between – they seem to belong to neither land nor the heavens.

The sunlight strikes the tops first, the mountains bursting in color. Time is marked quickly as illumination slides downward, casting aside the last of the night and presenting the full scope of the escarpments. Sunsets are beautiful in this patch of desert, but mornings are magical.

No. 16 at Black Desert Resort in Utah (Black Desert Resort/Brian Oar)

This all sound perhaps a little too earthy-crunchy or mystical for you? There are plenty of folks who flood the outskirts of Zion National Park looking for such moments, but this is a golf magazine, after all. Fret not. We’re getting to the good stuff.

As the shade on the mountains is lowered by the sun’s ascent, another darkness shines. The new golf course at Black Desert Resort soaks up the light, a slanted field of ebony lava laced with fairways. The contrasting palette – orange, black, green, blue – plays tricks with the eye, and the whole aesthetic is somewhat overwhelming.

Best of all: You can play it.

No. 1 at Black Desert Resort in Utah (Jason Lusk/Golfweek)

Despite the sea of lava, the course is very manageable, wide where it needs to be and tricky where it counts. Black Desert can accommodate a resort guest or a tour pro, which is good, because it was laid out with both in mind.

Opened in 2023, Black Desert was the last course designed by Tom Weiskopf before his death caused by pancreatic cancer. Phil Smith, Weiskopf’s partner in golf architecture, finished the job.

The layout has quickly climbed the rankings and is No. 1 in Utah on Golfweek’s Best list of public-access courses, No. 26 among all resort courses in the U.S. and No. 81 among all modern courses in the country.

And it’s all part of one the most ambitious endeavors golf has seen in decades.

Black Desert Resort will have a 148-room hotel. A village of condos focused on golfers, another focused on families. A 3,000-foot boardwalk promenade of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. There will be a PGA Tour event this fall, an LPGA event next year – both of those come on the heels of an Epson Tour event in 2023 in which players were feted with luxuries not normally reserved for that tour.

The developer, Reef Capital Partners, wants even more: concerts, NBA exhibitions and possibly preseason games featuring the Utah Jazz, maybe the NFL’s involvement at some point. Plenty of discussions are ongoing for the resort that is scheduled to open in full later this year.

The sky appears to be the limit at Black Desert. And what a sky it is in this southwest corner of Utah.

Lava, the pros and cons

No. 11 at Black Desert Resort in Utah (Courtesy of Black Desert Resort/Brian Oar)

There’s nothing easy about building a golf course in a lava field. Dramatic, yes. Simple, no.

Phil Smith had seen the site before, while pursuing a job at nearby Entrada Country Club. That job went to another architect, but Smith was able to look a mile or so northwest across the landscape at the then-barren lava field. The site had been the source of speculation and investment for years, but no golf course had been built.

Lava has at times blasted and oozed out of the areas near Ivins — several of which have become national and state parks — for millions of years. The National Park Service reports that the latest volcanic eruption was 32,000 years ago from what is now Snow Canyon State Park just a couple miles north of the golf course. The site for Black Desert looks much more like something to be found in Hawaii, minus the ocean views but with plenty of promise.

When word came that new investors were ready to move on the site, Smith and Weiskopf jumped at the job. Then came the hard part.

Just surveying the site was ankle-breaking work. On several occasions Smith and Weiskopf walked the site, which was almost all lumpy and sharp lava with just a few trails.

“There were areas that were complete lava fields where you’re just going up and down and climbing, crawling,” Smith said. “Unfortunately we lost Tom a couple of times. He fell in some of those places and got bloodied up pretty good. I can say I never fell on that site, which is shocking, but I’m probably jinxing myself. Just looking for a golf ball the next time I play out there, I’ll probably crack my head open.”

No. 17 at Black Desert Resort in Utah (Jason Lusk/Golfweek)

Weiskopf — known as a hands-on architect who would throw himself into his course projects — was 76 years old, but he was determined to keep up.

“We started trekking, and he walked every bit of it with us,” Smith said. “I always credited Tom with his personal attention to projects, which was just not matched as far as many player-architects goes, so I was always able to get a lot of information from him as an architect working with him that was just invaluable for me.”

Knowing there would be lava in play, and knowing that the winds can reach 40 mph on the Black Desert site, Weiskopf and Smith came up with a routing that provided plenty of room to swing away. This serves two purposes: Width provides strategic options for skilled golfers choosing a route to a flag, and it also allows plenty of room to avoid the lava.

“Because we knew you’re pretty much dead outside of the turf, we wanted really wide fairways,” Smith said. “That’s why when you’re out there, you see those really super wide fairways with just a nice band of rough around them.”

There were plenty of options in choosing the routing, dozens of cool pockets that could hold a green. But they had to pick and choose among the great sites to develop the best 18 cohesive holes. Smith said he still looks around and wonders, what if?

The plans for the resort made that simpler, as Reef Capital’s directors did not intend to introduce neighborhoods or roads on the interior of the course. All the resort amenities sit on the perimeter of the layout, which gave Weiskopf and Smith room to work. There would be long views across the neighboring town and residential areas, all with incredible backdrops of desert and mountains, but Black Desert’s golf course would be constructed with the integrity of the routing in focus.

Get the routing right

Tom Weiskopf would sketch holes at Black Desert. (Courtesy of Phil Smith)

“Our first priority was getting the routing right, because that’s what makes the golf course work and feel right, getting the holes where they need to be,” Smith said. “Sometimes you have owners that don’t allow that to happen. But not in this case. These guys were great.”

As was his custom, Weiskopf would draw potential holes on a legal pad after scouting the site. These would become the basis of the design and all the work that would follow.

“He would sketch the strategy … just diagrams with yardage,” Smith said. “Even when we were in the field, he could sense yardage better than anybody I’ve ever seen. I guess that’s from playing golf all those years.

“I would take those sketches and start integrating those into the topography, and then take a more detailed version of that into the grading plans. And so it was really his ideas that I put on paper and then started working with all the different consultants, civil engineers and people working on everything.”

Despite its inherent difficulty as a site, the terrain and surrounding landscapes are certainly eye candy. Using Weiskopf’s sketches, Smith would try to blend all aspects of the architecture to highlight that beauty, never detracting from what nature provided. It’s no easy task to make everything look like it belongs in a lava field.

“It’s an interesting combination, you know, golf course architecture — the reason I think I love it so much is because it’s a great combination of civil engineering skills and art skills and architecture,” Smith said. “It’s very artistic, and it has to look right and look like it flows. The key to good design, I think, is that it feels good and doesn’t hurt your eye to look at it. It has to feel right in order to play right.”

Things didn’t get any easier for the actual clearing of fairways. The team dynamited every square inch of the routing, blasting its way to more than 100 acres of what would become turf. Then the routing was capped with three feet of sand, half a million cubic yards in all that was conveniently available in a nearby site that needed to be excavated to build the resort’s parking garage.

It’s the depth of that sand capping that allows for such smooth fairways amid the lava, Smith said. The edges of each hole might be jagged, but the course itself is perfectly contoured. The sand also provides excellent drainage and the firm, bouncy conditions that are a hallmark of great courses, be they a links course in Scotland or a desert course in Utah.

Built for the pros and the amateurs

Black Desert Resort in Utah (Courtesy of Black Desert/Brian Oar)

After all the lava hikes and blasting and sand capping, then came the most creative part.

Black Desert has to play as a resort course 51 weeks a year, hosting amateurs of all skill levels. The width certainly helps — my group in two rounds lost a handful of balls in the lava, as would be expected, but to be honest those sideways shots probably deserved to be lost. There’s plenty of room to play.

The other week this year, the course will host PGA Tour players in October in what has been named the Black Desert Championship, part of the Tour’s FedEx Cup Fall series of events. In May of 2025, the course will be home to an LPGA tournament of the same name.

How do you build a course that can properly challenge top-tier professionals while making sure every-day amateurs don’t brain themselves in the lava?

First off, most of the greens are large enough to offer many pin positions, Smith said. Holes can be cut to accommodate amateurs, or they can be located in more nuanced spots to challenge pros attempting to make birdies in bunches.

There is a solid mix of holes. The opener is a medium-length par 4 that introduces all the landscapes from a high point, then the layout dives into the lava. There are two drivable par 4s, Nos. 5 and 14. From the back tees the par 3s range from 151 yards to 202, including No. 17 with a rumpled but smaller green that pays homage to the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon in Scotland, where Weiskopf won the 1973 British Open.

No. 7 at Black Desert Resort in Utah (Courtesy of Black Desert Resort/Brian Oar)

The par-3 third hole plays downhill to a green with a bunker inside the putting surface, similar to No. 6 at Riviera in California. The par-5 seventh features islands of lava in the middle of the fairway where most players would want to lay up on their second shots, the green sitting above and to the left behind walls of lava that pinch in. The 18th is a classic risk/reward par 5, allowing players to bite off what they dare as the fairway bends left beyond desert scrub and more lava.

It’s frequently risk versus reward throughout Black Desert. Challenge the lava at the edges to gain a strategic advantage, or tack safely around it. Make great players think while providing safer passage for the rest of us.

“We certainly designed it to challenge the best players in the world,” Smith said, noting that yardage has been added to a few holes at the Tour’s request. “That’s something Tom and I did throughout our careers together. We always designed golf courses with that possibility in mind. Think about TPC Scottsdale (also designed by the pair), where one week of the year it’s got to challenge the best players in the world but 99 percent of the time, it’s a resort course. So you’ve got to be playable.

“I am just always intrigued and excited to watch Tour players play something that I’ve been a part of. It’s always the best part, not only Tour players but just watching people play and enjoy the fruits of your labors. And it’s just so rewarding to see the best in the world take a crack at it. I love it. You know, I’m sure there’s some guys that are going to shoot some low numbers, but I can’t wait to see it.”

Tom Weiskopf\’s last design

May 1980; Dublin, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Tom Weiskopf in action during the 1980 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY NETWORK

Weiskopf started treatment for his cancer just as course construction began at Black Desert. He made two site visits during construction despite his progressing illness. Smith and Weiskopf had always been a good team, Smith said, because each focused on different aspects of any build.

“Tom always said, ‘All right, Phil, I’ll be the designer and you’ll be the architect,’ ” Smith said. “And so it worked out great, because it was his visualization. He had a great memory of all the holes that he played during his days on the Tour. He had great recall of shots that he played in certain tournaments. And so he had that sort of memory bank. Jack Nicklaus (for whom Smith had previously worked as a design associate) was the same way — they both had really good photographic memories for those types of situations.

“And Tom was a great listener, and I think that’s something you have to be good at to be a good architect.

You have to understand, what are my client’s needs? And who’s going to be the user of the golf course, right? He knew it’s a hard game, so he wanted to make it fun. He created angles and different strategic elements in the golf courses that sort of trick your eye. He would do so many little subtle things that I loved.”

Weiskopf designed 73 courses in all, and Smith worked with him on more than 30 of those. It was up to Smith to complete Black Desert with Weiskopf’s plans in mind. Weiskopf – winner of 16 PGA Tour events and one major championship — passed away in November of 2022. Black Desert was completed and opened in May of 2023 in his absence.

“For it to be the last project that Tom and I got to work on together, I don’t think it could have been a more fitting finish,” Smith said. “I was able to get him out there a couple times to see some things, and he stayed up to speed with what we were doing. It was just my goal to make that man proud, and I hope that’s what we did.”

Job well done.

Golfweek\’s Best public-access courses in Utah

1. Black Desert Resort*Ivins (81m)

2. Sand Hollow (Championship)Hurricane (T154m)

3. HideoutMonticello (m)

4. Soldier Hollow (Gold)Midway (m)

5. Copper Rock*Hurricane (m)

6. Soldier Hollow (Silver)Midway (m)

7. Sunbrook (Pointe/Woodbridge)St. George (m)

8. Thanksgiving PointLehi (m)

9. Green SpringWashington (m)

T10. Coral CanyonWashington (m)

T10. The Ledges of St. GeorgeSt. George (m)

*New to or returning to list

Click here to see Golfweek’s Best public courses in each state

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LOCAL

St. George Marathon recognized as one of nation’s 10BEST. Here’s why it stands out

Nate Trela

St. George Spectrum & Daily News

April 4, 2025, 7:00 a.m. MT

Utah is renowned for its outdoor beauty, and readers and experts in the USA TODAY 10BEST Reader’s Choice Awards gave a St. George race a nod in its latest rankings in part because of the scenic course.

While no event in Utah was ranked the best in the nation In its category, the St. George marathon was ranked the nation’s third-best marathon by readers in results released Wednesday. The rankings also honored the best 5K, half marathon, sprint triathlons, road cycling and fun runs.

The awards program aims to highlight the “best of the best in various travel and lifestyle categories, including destinations, food and drink, and attractions.”

Here’s a look at a Utah run that stood out:

What makes the St. George Marathon one of the best?

The scenery is one of the standout features of the St. George Marathon, according to USA TODAY 10BEST.

“Nestled in the northeastern Mojave Desert, the course showcases stunning red rock formations, offering an unforgettable backdrop for your race,” the site says. “St. George is not just a race destination; it’s an immersion into the scenic grandeur that defines this unique region.”

The race is one of the top qualifiers for entry into the Boston Marathon each season and welcomes thousands of runners each year.

If you’re not up to a marathon yet, the event also includes a half marathon, 5K and fun run.

This year’s race is on Oct. 4. Registration is open and you can find out more information at stgeorgemarathon.com.

What are the nation’s best races

Here are the selections from USA TODAY 10BEST readers:

Best 5K Race: Credit Union Cherry Blossom 5K in Washington, D.C.
Best Fun Run: San Diego Santa Run in San Diego
Best Half Marathon: IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis
Best Marathon: Detroit Free Press Marathon in Detroit
Best Road Cycling Event: TD Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City
Best Sprint Triathlon: Tri CLE Rock Roll Run in Cleveland

How were USA TODAY 10BEST Reader’s Choice Awards decided?

USA TODAY 10BEST says a panel of experts nominates events in each award category, with the final nominees selected via editorial review by its editors. Once the nominees in an award category are announced, the public has four weeks to vote online for their favorites. People can vote for one nominee in each category each calendar day.

Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network.

Featured Weekly Ad

‘A win-win for everyone’: May declared as Women in Golf Month; 3 events in Washington County

Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Washington County Commissioners and stake holders at the proclamation of Women in Golf Month, St. George, Utah, April 15, 2025.

Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Black Desert Resort managing partner Patrick Manning attended the proclamation of Women’s Golf Month at the Washington County Commissioners meeting, St. George, Utah, April 15, 2025.

The Washington County Commissioners capped off an ongoing effort from a host of organizations and community members by proclaiming May of 2025 to be Women in Golf Month in Washington County.

The proclamation approved unanimously by the commissioners was read into the official record during the commissioners’ meeting Tuesday afternoon by Brittany McMichael, director of the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office.

WC Women in Golf Day — Washington County Commissioners proclaimed May to be Women’s Golf Month during their regular meeting on Tuesday, St. George, Utah, April 15, 2025.

Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Washington County Commissioners proclaimed May to be Women’s Golf Month during their regular meeting on Tuesday, St. George, Utah, April 15, 2025.

Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Brittany McMichael, director of Greater Zion Convention and Tourism, attended the proclamation of Women’s Golf Month at the Washington County Commissioners meeting, St. George, Utah, April 15, 2025.

Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Brittany McMichael, director of Greater Zion Convention and Tourism, attended the proclamation of Women’s Golf Month at the Washington County Commissioners meeting, St. George, Utah, April 15, 2025.

Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

WC commissioners — Washington County Commissioners proclaimed May to be Women’s Golf Month during their regular meeting on Tuesday, St. George, Utah, April 15, 2025.

Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

Photo Gallery

Brittany McMichael, director of Greater Zion Convention and Tourism, attended the proclamation of Women’s Golf Month at the Washington County Commissioners meeting, St. George, Utah, April 15, 2025.

Photo by E. George Goold, St. George News

E. George Goold

Reporter

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Uncommon ground: New Black Desert in Utah soars into Golfweek’s Best course rankings

Lava, the pros and cons

Get the routing right

Built for the pros and the amateurs

Tom Weiskopf\’s last design

Golfweek\’s Best public-access courses in Utah

St. George Marathon recognized as one of nation’s 10BEST. Here’s why it stands out

What makes the St. George Marathon one of the best?

What are the nation’s best races

How were USA TODAY 10BEST Reader’s Choice Awards decided?

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