The Southern Utah Tribune asked Washington County residents who or what deserves more attention for their good works — and we kept hearing about the St. George parks and recreation department, technically called Parks and Community Services.
Residents love the events that bring the community together, like free movies and concerts, how well the parks and trails are maintained and how the department promotes healthy living and fun.
“My family’s favorite thing is definitely the movies in [the] park they do every summer! It really brings the community together,” wrote Giovani Dominguez in an email.
Rexanna Jones praised a maintenance employee at Vernon Worthen Park in particular: “He works so diligently every day, but always has time to say something positive. He knows the names of all the regular dogs, and even carries treats for them on his golf cart.”
No wonder residents overwhelmingly approved a $29 million Trails, Parks and Recreation general obligation bond in 2023.
In reality, the money will total around $100 million because it will be leveraged with recreation, arts and parks (RAP) taxes, park impact fees collected on every new house, and grants, said Shane Moore, director of parks and community services.
“We are in almost the golden age of parks and recreation in St. George,” Moore said. “We have an advantage other communities don’t have. People really support our projects. We’re a very progressive parks and rec department in a very conservative city.”
He credits his staff: Bathrooms are cleaned every day and painted every winter, he said. Graffiti is taken down within 24 hours.
And staff listens to each other and the community. Which is how Thunder Junction All Abilities Park, a dinosaur-themed park, will be adding an asteroid and mammoth and other elements by December 2026 because someone suggested creating a meteor strike that caused an Ice Age.
And how the popular Cops and Robbers 5K and 10K —hosted by the police department in which participants are Team Cop or Team Robber, and robbers are given a head start — will expand to a half marathon in May and start near a prison in Hurricane.
“Everybody feels like they can voice their opinion without getting laughed at,” Moore said.
He expects to complete 32 projects in the next eight to 10 years.
Here are the four new park improvements and one trail that will be open over the next several months:
Rim Rock Wash Trail
(St. George City) A schematic shows the new Rim Rock Wash Trail that connects St. George Regional Hospital to the Virgin River trail system. The one-mile, $500,000 project was paid for via a general obligation bond voters approved in 2023.
The new Rim Rock Wash Trail, at a $500,000 cost, adds 1 mile to the city’s 70-mile-plus trail system and connects St. George Regional Hospital to the Virgin River trail system. Last year, the city tracked 1.1 million trail users across 12 locations. The trail opened in September.
Sycamore Park
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sycamore Park in St. George on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.
For $400,000, Sycamore Park, 655 S. 1100 East, got a new playground (covered by a sun shade), a new, larger pavilion and drinking station, along with new grass, planter box and a decorative sidewalk. It opened in late September.
Vernon Worthen Park
(City of St. George) Vernon Worthen Park in St. George has a new, permanent stage for concerts in the park, like this one in September at Dixie Days.
For $269,000, Vernon Worthen Park, 300 S. 400 East, has a new permanent stage for concerts in the park on the corner of 300 South and Flood Street, and a new 32-foot pavilion to replace a beloved but crumbling gazebo that was used for weddings and as the backdrop to many wedding photos. The stage opened in mid-September to launch Dixie Days.
Springs Park
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Springs Park, under construction in St. George on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.
For $850,000, Springs Park, 2395 E. Springs Drive, will get a new playground with shade, a new pavilion, a repaired and expanded asphalt trail that wraps around the pond and connects the pond and the Virgin River trail, additional trees and shrubs and a new pond dock. It’s set to open in November.
Las Colinas Park
(St. George City) This schematic of Las Colinas Park, 810 W. Las Colinas Drive, shows what will be built for $2.8 million, including two dog parks and permanent spots for horseshoes and cornhole. It is being built after residents approved a general obligation bond in 2023.
Thirteen years in the making, Las Colinas Park, 810 W. Las Colinas Drive, will be built for $2.8 million and is set to open in January. It will have two dog parks (separate spaces for large and small pups), pavilions, restrooms, a playground, built-in spaces for horseshoes and cornhole, and a swing bench that overlooks the Virgin River.