Washington County » Time to break out the shorts, hiking boots and golf clubs.
What's that you say? Spring is still months away?
Not in sunny St. George, where people have been seeking a cure for spring fever for eons. Something about the reflective redrock proves the perfect remedy for those winter blues.
The Washington County targets are predictable: Zion National Park, the plethora of golf courses and one of several Utah state parks that provide some excellent early-season fishing and boating, camping and hiking.
For years Randy Cronk escaped the winters of northern Utah, and of Montana before that, in the southwest corner of the state. Like so many others before, he soon found it was much easier to buy a house and stay put than to make the long drive so often.
"It is such a great place to get away from 4 feet of snow and 17 degrees below zero," said Cronk, who grew up in Billings, Mont., and lived in Kamas for four years before moving to St. George 13 years ago. "We get some cold weather in January, but it usually starts warming up in February."
That's when Wasatch Front folks start to make the 4 1/2-hour exodus to an early spring.
Here's why they go.
Hiking
At Snow Canyon State Park north of Ivins, Terri and Dave West from Fresno, Calif., enjoyed temperatures in the low 60s while taking a hike. The Wests were scheduled to be in Peru at the time, but a landslide at Machu Picchu made them change their plans. Southwestern Utah appealed to them for several reasons.
"We bought an RV about a year ago and figured it was time to get it out of storage and hit the road," Dave West said. "We wanted something within a reasonable distance and we heard this was a great place to visit. Everything we heard is true."
The Wests had parked their motor home at an RV park in Springdale and made trips to Bryce Canyon National Park and a golf course in St. George before taking in the Butterfly Trail hike in Snow Canyon.
"This area is so gorgeous and there are so many things to do," Terri West said. "We will be back."
Camping
On a recent February day, the night temperature dropped into the low 20s, but it didn't stop Brandon and Michelle Ward, currently residing in Las Vegas, from setting up a tent at Zion.
"My mom came in from Louisiana and she wanted to go camping," Michelle Ward said. "It's a perfect time to be here, there is hardly anybody here."
Indeed. While there were a couple dozen motor homes and trailers in the Zion campground, there were only a handful of tent campers. The trailheads were a little busy in the afternoon, but even people showing up at the Zion Lodge late in the evening were able to find a bed for the night in the park and at a discounted winter rate.
Reservations for camping at the state parks are available. There are also some first-come first-served sites available at the state parks.
Camping is also available on Bureau of Land Management lands at the Red Cliffs Recreational area 15 miles north of St. George.
Biking
Spring is also a great time for bicycling in Washington County. St. George has an extensive urban trail system for walkers, bikers and skaters. A map of the approximately 25 miles of trails is available at www.sgcity.org.
Snow Canyon State Park is another popular place to ride road bicycles.
Golfing
What would a trip to St. George and Washington County be without some time soaking up the sun on the golf course? Well, at least for duffers.
According to the Web site www.utahstgeorge.com, there are 12 golf courses within a 15-minute drive in St. George. Tee times can be hard to secure, so planning ahead is important.
Fishing/boating
Fish, it turns out, also get a version of spring fever, but it is for a different reason. Anglers really start turning their attention to Washington County reservoirs like Sand Hollow, Quail Creek and Gunlock as the water starts to warm. When it reaches the low 50s, the bass in those reservoirs will become easier to catch as they prepare to spawn.
A stop at the scenic Sand Hollow State Park turned into a front-row seat at a bass boat parade as anglers headed out on the reservoir to try their luck.
"They start moving into the shallows when the water gets around 50 degrees," Cronk said. "A guy caught two bass over 7 pounds at a recent tournament."
Fishing isn't quite as fast at Quail Creek Reservoir as it is at Sand Hollow, but Quail Creek has long been known for its big largemouth bass. The state catch-and-release record largemouth -- all 27 inches of the beast -- was caught at Quail in 1998.
Water temperatures at low-elevation reservoirs in southern Utah need to climb a bit to attract the majority of water skiers, but there are already some hardy souls braving the chilly waters.
Skiing
And just because it is southern Utah doesn't mean there won't be any snow, especially this year. Cold, wet spells are part of what makes spring so beautiful and tolerable in Washington County.
But that just means the spring skiing is good at Brian Head Ski Resort in nearby Iron County. The resort has been getting all the storms this winter and has received more than 21 feet of snow already this season.
Brian Head is scheduled to remain open through mid-April.
If you go
Check out these useful links when planning a trip to southern Utah.
Hiking
Zion National Park » www.nps.gov/zion
Snow Canyon State Park » www.stateparks.utah.gov/parks/snow-canyon
Walking trails in St. George » www.utahstgeorge.com
BLM » www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george/recreation/hiking_trails.html
Biking
St. George » www.sgcity.org
Camping
Utah State Parks » www.stateparks.utah.gov
Zion » www.nps.gov/zion
BLM » www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/st__george/recreation/day_use_areas/red_cliffs_recreation.html
Golfing
Fishing
DWR fishing report southern Utah » wildlife.utah.gov/hotspots/reports_sr.php
Skiing
Brian Head Resort » brianhead.com
General information
Washington County » www.washco.utah.gov
St. George » www.utahstgeorge.com
