A Hiker’s Dream Honeymoon Getaway / St. George, Utah 2022 Travel Guide

Hey friend!

I hope you’re having an amazing week. If you’re not and have a prayer request, click the contact button at the bottom of the screen and send me a message so I know how I should be praying for you!

For this week’s blog post I figured it was finally time to share about my husband, Chris, and I’s honeymoon in St. George, Utah. I posted on my Instagram last week about missing my honeymoon, but I realized I haven’t actually talked about why it was worth missing. 

Honestly, Utah as our honeymoon destination was kind of a joke at first. Chris had found a golf course he really wanted to play, and even though I rolled my eyes as he told me about it *classic girl move when their man talks about golf* I looked at the pictures he wanted to show me. 

What I saw actually amazed me! I mean, it’s not everyday you see a hole on a golf course that is legit in the red rocks. As I looked through the pictures I told him we should go there because I had always wanted to go out west, and this man thought I was kidding!

10 months later we found ourselves not only getting ready to be hitched together for life, but also packing up for the trip of a lifetime – mainly because Chris just wanted to play at that dang golf course. 

I can’t really complain though because we hiked almost every day which is 10/10 my love language. 

From hiking the famous Angels Landing in Zion National Park, to golfing in 30+ mph winds, to getting lost in Dixie National Forest, our honeymoon was nothing short of an adventure. 

I’ve had some people ask me what my favorite part was and it’s not an answer you would expect. No, it wasn’t hiking Angels Landing (which was AMAZING) or the once in a lifetime golf experience (also amazing).

I don’t mean to go all simple on ya, but after some thought I realized that my favorite part(s) – there was definitely more than one – came from the little moments of the trip. 

• Chris and I making lunch at our Airbnb and eating it on the patio.
• Jamming out in the car and saying “woooahhhh” every time we saw a new big red rock. 
• Staying off social media the entire week to spend quality time with one another. 

These little moments are what made the trip spectacular.

On a serious note, big trips filled with exciting itineraries can be fun, but I find that the smallest of moments have the biggest lasting impact. 

With all that being said, I really wanted to put together a little recommendation list for anyone taking the trip to the area. I’ve heard this statement too many times to count: “What’s there to do in Utah? Why would you go there?”  

So I figured I’d tell ya!

If you’re planning a trip to the area, check out the list below to see some fun things to add to your itinerary. And even if you’re not making a trip to Utah anytime soon, look at the pictures and see why you should 100% add it to your bucket list!

*This list is mainly filled with day hikes , but there are plenty of other great things to do in the area too – we just pretty much hiked the entire time we were there so these are the recommendations we have (links of places included)*

St. George Recommendations

As always, please make sure you follow the leave-no-trace principles and take out what you bring in!

Places to hike in/close to St. George (up to 1 hour away)

• Owen’s Loop – this trail is minutes away from the downtown area and once you hike to the top it gives you a great view of Saint George and the surrounding red rocks and mountains.
• Pioneer Park – This isn’t your traditional park, but that’s what make it so cool! What’s not to love about having red rocks as your playground and spectacular 360 views? This may be a better option for people who don’t want to complete a long day hike. We only spent about an hour exploring here.
• Snow Canyon State Park – I had never heard of this place before, but WOWZA it was amazing. It’s home to stunning red rocks, lava formations, and petrified dunes. Hiking here is an experience unlike any other!
• Other hikes recommended to us by locals that we didn’t get to do: Pine Valley and Cedar Brakes.

Places to hike near St. George (up to three hours away)

• Zion National Park – Okay, c’mon…how can you NOT add Zion to the list of places you should go when you’re only an hour away? It’s considered one of the most popular national parks in the U.S. and it 100% lives up to the hype. It will take you less than an hour to get there from St. George. While we were there we completed the Angels Landing hike (one week before they started the permit system) and even with the crowds, it was the hike of a lifetime. The views from the top are spectacular. If you weren’t able to get a permit, don’t fret! You can take the shuttle to “The Grotto” stop and hike on the West Rim Trail towards Scout Lookout. You may not be able to hike Angels Landing, but you’ll still get an incredible view of it from the trail!
• Kolob Canyons (Zion National Park) – Yes, this is still a part of Zion National Park (as you read). This section of Zion is a hidden gem though and not many people know about it. It’s about 45 minutes from the welcome center, but it’s totally worth the trip. There are short hikes available, but the views are just as spectacular from your car.
• Bryce Canyon National Park – Bryce Canyon was on our list of “must-do hikes”, but unfortunately we weren’t able to make the trip. After a full day of hiking at Zion we were beat! If you can make the 2h15m trip then I recommend doing it! Just like Zion, it’s another one of the most popular national parks with amazing views. Whenever Chris and I are back in the area we are definitely completing a hike here!

The BEST place to stay in St. George

• St. George Village OASIS – We rented an Airbnb in this complex and would 10/10 stay there again if we go back to the area. Not only was it the perfect size for us, it also is loaded with amenities! Chris and I got to play pickleball, racquetball, basketball, and were able to relax in the hot tub after long hiking days (they even have a private pool and hot tub for adults). I linked the exact Airbnb Chris and I stayed at above. You can’t go wrong with staying here. Keep an eye out on my Instagram for a tour of the Airbnb we stayed at!

Food recommendations in/near St. George

Chris and I didn’t want to eat out for every meal, so we actually went grocery shopping the morning after we got there. We spent quite a pretty penny (since we basically had to start from scratch with nothing in the fridge) to get groceries for the week, so we wanted to eat it all and make sure nothing went to waste. Aka we didn’t spend our days aimlessly wondering around trying to find the best restaurants.

I will admit that St. George isn’t know for being a “foodie” town, so we loved being able to eat out only a handful of times and spend the rest of the time in the kitchen cooking simple meals together.

Here’s what we recommend (from the places we went when we chose to eat out):

• The Grille – Sand Hollow Resort – What’s better than chowing down on delicious food after finishing 18 holes of golf? Chris would say nothing. When we finished the round of golf we were tired and hungry (maybe even a little hangry), so this spot was perfect. We recommend any of their signature pizzas and the coconut shrimp. Not playing a round of golf? You’re still allowed to eat here!
• Zion Canyon Brew Pub – After a long day of hiking enjoy plenty of delicious food and drink options at this brewery/pub. It’s only steps outside of Zion National Park (we walked there from our parked car in the Visitor’s Center Parking Lot). We recommend the Foray Pomegranate beer, Zion Brew Burger (Chris was obsessed), and Emerald Burger (I was obsessed – I love a good meat-free option).
• Cappeletti’s Restaurant– One of the staff members at the Zion Brewery Station II (in downtown St. George) gave us the recommendation to go here. Overall, it was pretty good. Chris definitely recommends their lasagna.
• Painted Pony – We didn’t actually eat at this restaurant, but heard good reviews from the locals. It’s more of an upscale restaurant, so be prepared to spend more money than other places in St. George.

That pretty much sums up our honeymoon! Is there anything else you want to know about our time in Utah? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Till next time friend,

Kaitlin

*I felt inspired to leave a little challenge at the end of every blog post. These challenges are going to be super simple and super doable! I just think it’s a fun way to engage with and protect the beautiful world that God has given us! Find this weekend’s challenge below.

Weekend challenge: go for a short walk today and pick up any trash you see. It helps if you bring a bag to collect it all and hand sanitizer to use after you’re done! Let’s make the world a cleaner place, one simple walk at a time 🙂