Utah Dixie - RVing with Rex

Roam Free in Greater Zion: Quail Creek State Park

Boasting some of the warmest waters in the state and a mild winter climate, Quail Creek lures boaters and anglers year-round. Camp. Hike. Explore.

Zion National Park is one of Utah’s Mighty Five national parks and (for good reason) many people travel to the state to see its natural wonders but Utah Dixie offers so much more for outdoor enthusiasts. Surrounding St. George are four superb state parks—Quail Creek, Sand Hollow, Gunlock, and Snow Canyon—all offering gorgeous scenery and plenty of ways to enjoy nature including hiking, camping, fishing, boating, photography, cliff diving, and swimming.

Quail Creek State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

These parks are great alternatives to the busier national park particularly on weekends and during Zion’s high season. Expect low entrance fees, uncrowded trails, plenty of wet and wild water sports, starlit campgrounds, and breathtaking scenery. Here’s just a taste of what you can expect.

Just minutes away from Sand Hollow, Quail Creek State Park offers another reservoir for swimming but in a completely different landscape. The picturesque mountain background with rocky landscape and blue water gives this reservoir a breathtaking view. Quail Lake, a sprawling 600-acre lake in the Quail Creek State Park, fills a valley northeast of St. George.

This park has some of the warmest waters in the state and is a popular area for fishing as well. Filled from the Virgin River the lake is home to some of Utah’s warmest water making it a paradise for water lovers and fishermen. Quail Lake is also surrounded by reefs of tilted sandstone, flat-topped mesas, and the towering Pine Valley Mountains. You’ll have breathtaking views in every direction.

The maximum depth of Quail Creek can reach 120 feet so the deeper water stays cool enough to sustain the stocked rainbow trout, bullhead catfish, and crappie. Largemouth bass which is also stocked and bluegill thrive in the warmer, upper layers of the reservoir.

Quail Creek reservoir was completed in 1985 to provide irrigation and culinary water to the St. George area. Most of the water in the reservoir does not come from Quail Creek but is diverted from the Virgin River and transported through a buried pipeline.

Two dams form the reservoir. The main dam is an earth-fill embankment dam. The south dam is a roller compacted concrete dam constructed to replace the original earth-fill dam that failed in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1989.

Powerboats and jet skis zoom across the water, making waves and pulling water skiers. The lake is a perfect destination for paddle craft with kayakers and stand-up paddlers gliding across the glassy water in the early morning. If you want to get in on the fun, you can rent a paddleboard or kayak at the park. Swimmers find coarse sand beaches along the lake’s edge but don’t forget water shoes or sandals for beach walking.

There are also a few solid mountain biking trails south of the lake including Rhythm and Blues, a 2.5-mile roller coaster, and the Boy Scout Loops.

After a fun day, settle into the park’s campground on the western shore. It offers 23 campsites with shaded tables, modern restrooms, tent sites, and pull-through and back-in sites for RVs up to 35 feet in length.

Equal parts refreshing and beautiful, clear, green water dominates Quail Creek State Park. Red, white, and orange cliffs surround the shore and are set against the powerful Pine Valley Mountains as a backdrop. Greater Zion offers a long season for playing on or in the water with high temperatures in the 80s or above from May to October. Couple that with 320 days of sun each year and you’ve got the perfect recipe for lake-focused adventure!

Things to Do

Paddleboarding and kayaking on a peaceful lake like Quail Creek Reservoir are easy activities to pick up without much experience. And they make great transportation for exploring the little coves and corners of the lake while soaking in the sun. DIG Paddlesports offers rentals at the beachfront or bring your own water toys.

Quail Creek’s size accommodates speed boats, tubes, and wakeboards with ease. An easy access boat launch accompanies ample parking for trucks and trailers. Boat rentals can be obtained from local shops.

Jump into the no-wake zone of the lake and swim, splash, and play to your heart’s content. Relax on the beachfront that offers shade and picnic tables and shade trees. It’s perfect for a day outing with friends or family.

And if speed isn’t your game, try your luck at catching some of the largemouth bass using a fishing boat. Mornings and evenings are best for fishing especially when the water is calm. A Utah fishing license is required. Try using power bait and worms and look for shady areas in which to cast.

Fact Box

Date Established: 1986

Location: Southwest Utah

Park Elevation: 3,300 feet

Surface Water: 600 acres

Park Entrance Fee: $10-$20

Campsite Rates: $25-$35

Worth Pondering…

Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive, and even spiritual satisfaction.

—E. O. Wilson, biologist

Red Sand Meets Blue Waters at Sand Hollow State Park

Red rock and red sand meet warm, blue waters at Sand Hollow, one of the most visited locations in the Utah State Park system

Sand Hollow Reservoir is the closest you will come to feeling like you are at Lake Powell, just on a smaller scale. Located near Saint George, Utah in Hurricane with the red sandstone rocks and amazing clear blue waters, Sand Hollow reservoir is a can’t-miss getaway. Sand Hollow offers activities for everyone including camping, fishing, boating, lake tours, and water sport lessons. Enjoy Sand Hollow reservoir year-round.

Sand Hollow State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Located just 15 miles east of St. George, Sand Hollow State Park offers a wide range of recreation opportunities. With its warm, blue waters and red sandstone landscape, it is one of the most popular parks because it has so much to offer. Boat and fish on Sand Hollow Reservoir, explore and ride the dunes of Sand Mountain Recreation Area on an off-highway vehicle, RV, or tent camp in the modern campground.

This park is perfect for having a picnic and spending the day in the water. A favorite for swimming, the 1,322-acre reservoir is warm and offers rentals for water activities including boating, standup paddleboarding, water sports, fishing, and more. Enjoy the surrounding sand dune areas for ATV riding, hiking, and biking.

A popular destination for nearly every recreational activity—from boaters to bikers and from off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders to equestrians—Sand Hollow State Park sprawls across 20,000-acres. Sand Mountain provides 15,000 acres of perfectly sculpted dunes. The red sand is an incredible backdrop for Sand Hollow reservoir.

At nearly twice the size of the nearby Quail Creek Reservoir, Sand Hollow State Park offers boating, fishing, kayaking, sailboat racing, and other water recreation in a spectacular desert setting. Anglers let their lines out into the water in the search for bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish.

One popular event seeing increased growth and interest has been the annual Winter 4×4 Jamboree hosted by the DesertRATS (Desert Roads and Trails Society). A premier off-road event that attracts close to 400 vehicles, the jamboree encourages all who enjoy the OHV lifestyle to join in taking advantage of the unique and stellar Utah landscape. The Winter 4×4 Jamboree is a non-competitive trail run event for high clearance 4×4 vehicles. Drivers can choose between over 20 trails, featuring rock climbing obstacles, petroglyph sites, and sand dunes.

Groups of participants are led on rated trails by experienced trail leaders and helpers. Trails are rated on a 10-point scale where a rating of 1 would be for graded roads that may be easily traveled by most cars and a rating of 10 is for purpose-built vehicles (buggies) with sophisticated suspensions and drivetrains operated by expert drivers. The number of vehicles on each trail is limited to ensure participants have an enjoyable experience.

An upcoming Winter 4×4 Jamboree is scheduled for Wednesday, January 12 to Saturday, January 15, 2022. On-line registration begins November 7, 2021 at 10:00 am.

Two campgrounds suit everyone from those who want only a basic campsite to those who want it all. Both campgrounds have restrooms with showers. The West Campground offers 50 spacious sites with full hookups, covered picnic tables, and fire rings. Some sites have views of the reservoir. ATVs are not allowed in this campground except on a trailer.

ATVs are allowed at the Sandpit Campground which is near the OHV staging area at the dunes. This campground offers 19 basic dry camping sites, six sites with electricity, and five group sites. All sites have a fire ring and picnic table. If you really like to get away from it all, Sand Hollow also offers primitive beach camping. Although there is no camping charge, you pay a day-use fee. Please note that the state park will not tow you out if you get stuck in the sand, so beware. Enter only where there are signs beckoning you to try beach camping. Be aware that some side roads can be very sandy.

Sand Hollow State Park is located approximately 15 miles east of St. George and seven miles east of the Interstate 15 Hurricane exit. Visitors should take exit 16 (Utah State Route 9), travel east for about four miles and turn right on Sand Hollow Road, travel south for about three miles, and turn left at the park entrance.

Tucked up against red sandstone cliffs and straddling Quail Creek, the Red Cliffs Recreation Area is a pleasant surprise for most visitors. The backdrop of the looming cliffs and the riparian habitat is an unexpected and welcome relief in the desert.

Fact Box

Size: 20,000 acres

Date Established: 2003

Location: Southwest Utah

Park Elevation: 3,000 feet

Surface Water: 1,322 acres

Sand Mountain OHV: 6,000 acres

Park Entrance Fee: $10-$20

Campsite Rates: $25-$35

Recreational visits in 2020: 393,907

Worth Pondering…

This is not another place.

It is THE place.

—Charles Bowden

Top 10 States with the Best Winter Weather

Here are 10 states that will make your winter warmer

It’s winter! Welcome to the season when conversations center around the weather and how unbelievably cold and miserable it is outside.In most of America, winter sucks. It is cold out. Pipes freeze. Lips, noses, and cheeks get chapped and raw. Black ice kills. It’s horrible.Growing up in Alberta, I have experienced the personal hell that is winter’s awkwardly long, frigid embrace. That’s why I’m a snowbird.

No. 10 is a state that might not come to mind when thinking of a safe haven from cold temperatures.

Golfing in Utah Dixie *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

10. Utah

Below the rim of the Great Basin sits Utah‘s warm-weather retreat, the town of St. George. And there’s good reason they call this area Utah Dixie. Like New Mexico and Nevada, you can generally count on the fact that winters will be packed with sunshine.

Main Street Downtown Las Cruces, New Mexico *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

9. New Mexico

Did you know that New Mexico is basically southeastern Arizona? I mean, in the sense of topography. They both have high plains, mountain ranges, deserts, and basins.

Laughlin, Nevada *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

8. Nevada

Other than in the northern reaches of the state, Nevada’s generally pretty well protected from the worst aspects of winter.

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

7. Mississippi

While North Mississippi can get hit with a little blizzard action (snow tornadoes!) it’s far from the norm. And even when a cold snap does hit, people are generally back to porch-sittin’, sweet tea-sippin’ weather in no time. There are also 26 miles of pristine water and white sand beaches in Mississippi without anywhere near the number of tourists or tacky T-shirt shops you’d find in Florida. And, unlike the other beach towns on the Gulf, Biloxi and Gulfport have casinos. And don’t overlook funky Bay St. Louis. Overall, Mississippi is a state with reasonably painless winters.

Alligator in southern Louisiana *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

6. Louisiana

You think they’d have Mardi Gras in February if that wasn’t an ideal time for a party?!?!! Wait—what do you mean “it’s set by the church calendar to always fall the day before Ash Wednesday?” Well, you think they would’ve petitioned the pope for a change by now if that humid subtropical climate didn’t laissez les bon temps rouler?!? Yeah, I have no idea either, I guess.

If I could eat in only three states for the rest of my life, Louisiana would be in this select group.

Boudin at Don’s Specialty Meats in Scott, Louisiana *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

More to the point, y’all know the high regard to which I hold the food culture of Cajun Country and the rest of Louisiana (thank you for Tabasco, po’ boys, gumbo, crawfish, jambalaya, boudin, and crackling) and nature abounds.

Alabama Gulf Coast near Gulf Shores *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

5. Alabama

The people of Alabama asked the Lord that He make the climate of Alabama suitable to play football outside year-round and He listened to the people and granted them a mild winter climate for which to play His game. Except up in Huntsville. While mostly known for college football and slow cooked ribs, Alabama is actually geographically diverse with the rolling foothills of the Smoky Mountains in the North, open plains in the center, and the Gulf Coast’s sandy shores in the south. This makes Alabama an excellent destination for RVers.

Corpus Christi Bay, Texas *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

4. Texas

According to a quick eyeballing of the globe, Texas is roughly the size of South America or something, and you can’t speak on the weather in Brazil like it’s the same as Chile, right? West Texas is mostly arid desert and you can get the occasional blizzard that shuts down Amarillo. East Texas is subtropical and humid even in the winter. At a spot where the U.S.-Mexico border and the Gulf of Mexico meet sits Brownsville. Warm winds blowing off the sea on 70-degree days make for an ideal scene in the wintertime especially if you’re dealing with stiff, frigid winds blowing feet of snow against the front door back home. With all that said, outside of the Northern Plains, the average temps in Texas in the winter usually stay in the mid-60s during the day, and that’s pretty darn nice.

Lovers Key, Florida *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

3. Florida

It goes without saying that the warm weather is a major draw to Florida in December, January, and February. Look out the window… if it’s anything other than sunny and 75 degrees, you probably wish you were in South Florida right now. Just think—you could go from freezing in the cold to boating, golfing, or laying out in the sun. And Key West is the furthest from depressing Northern winter you can get in the Lower 48.

Near Desert Hot Springs in the Coachella Valley, California *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

2. California

Yes, California has issues and does a lot of things wrong. Lots of ’em. Let’s talk for a minute about how this state has every single kind of scenic beauty you could possibly want. Start in the south with the expansive, natural beaches set against towering cliffs. Then move inland to the moon-like desertcapes in the Mojave and Joshua Tree. Then it’s a short drive to Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and the other desert cities of Coachella Valley where the winter weather is near perfect.

Usery Mountain Regional Park near Mesa, Arizona *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

1. Arizona

Ah, Arizona. Occasionally, retired executives from the northeast will accidentally move to Flagstaff and get very sad and angry when they realize the average winter temperature is somewhere in the 20s. But most of Arizona offers up that dry desert day heat (it was 75 in Phoenix last week) that is good for arthritis. Arizona is a warm-weather perch for snowbirds from around North America and one of the most popular getaway destinations in the Southwest.

Home to cactus, prickly pears, rattlesnakes, the Grand Canyon, roadrunners, the world’s oldest rodeo, and the bolo tie, the state is rich in attractions that entertain the young and the not-so-young. From eroded red rock formations to large urban centers, from the Grand Canyon’s stunning vistas to small mountain towns, from Old West legends to Native American and Mexican culture, and from professional sporting events to world-class golf—Arizona has it all!

Worth Pondering…

As Anne Murray sings in the popular song, “Snowbird”:

“Spread your tiny wings and fly away

And take the snow back with you

Where it came from on that day

So, little snowbird, take me with you when you go

To that land of gentle breezes where the peaceful waters flow…”

Underrated Places to Hit While it’s Still Winter

Shoveling snow under gloomy skies doesn’t do winter’s brand any favors

Numerous places in the South are enjoying warm, sunny weather—a big draw for those in parts of the country where winter is long, cold, and dreary.

Here are some overshadowed places that’ll have you reveling warm during these cold-weather months.

Mississippi

There are also 26 miles of pristine water and white sand beaches in Mississippi, without anywhere near the number of tourists or tacky T-shirt shops you’d find in Florida. And, unlike the other beach towns on the Gulf, Biloxi, and Gulfport have casinos. And don’t overlook funky Bay St. Louis.

Dip your toes in the Gulf of Mexico at the “Riviera of the South,” then tap them to the beat of authentic roots blues music. Nourish your soul and body in Mississippi, known for its preservation of historical places, creative arts heritage, and natural wonders.

Ambrosia Bakery, Baton Rouge © Rex Vogel, all rights reserve

Louisiana

If I could eat in only three states for the rest of my life, Louisiana would be in this select group.

More to the point, y’all know the high regard to which we hold the food culture of Cajun Country and the rest of Louisiana (thank you for Tabasco, po’ boys, gumbo, crawfish, jambalaya, boudin, and crackling).

Jungle Gardens on Avery Island, home of Tabasso © Rex Vogel, all rights reserve

But there is more to the Cajun appeal than just the food. Between bites of their tasty cuisine, boredom is never a problem in Cajun Country. Nature experiences are abundant on the Creole Nature Trail, an All-American Road.

Alabama

While mostly known for college football and slow cooked ribs, Alabama is actually geographically diverse with the rolling foothills of the Smoky Mountains in the North, open plains in the center, and the Gulf coast’s sandy shores in the south. This makes Alabama an excellent destination for RVers spring, summer, autumn—and winter.

Mobile, the modern and the historic © Rex Vogel, all rights reserve

The famed “Sweet Home Alabama” you may have heard is more than a song. This is a land of history, culture, music, and adventure from beaches to mountains. Music legends Nat “King” Cole, Lionel Hampton, W.C. Handy, and Hank Williams were born in Alabama. Here, Gospel is sung in churches and folks dance, while Blues, Country, and Jazz are also popular music genres.

Hank Aaron Childhood Home © Rex Vogel, all rights reserve

Alabama was home to sports greats like Hank Aaron and Joe Louis.

Alabama’s oldest city, Mobile claims America’s first Mardi Gras, a celebration that began in 1703. Every year the streets of Mobile buzz with parades and festivities for the entire family.

Historic small town Alabama © Rex Vogel, all rights reserve

It’s time to take a road trip to Alabama.

Zion National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserve

Utah

Way down south in…Utah. Dixie has it all: mild weather, red rock hiking, proximity to national and state parks, golf—even a little cotton. Since the early 1860s when Mormon pioneers came to the far southwestern corner of Utah to grow cotton, the Washington County area has been known as Utah’s Dixie.

Sand Hollow State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserve

The communities of St. George, Hurricane, and Springdale are situated near several national parks, state parks, and other scenic treasures that make the region so popular.

Utah Dixie’s climate features plenty of sunshine, low annual precipitation, and clean air.

Its year-round warm weather draws folks from the colder climates up north.

Winters are relatively mild with infrequent traces of snowfall which rarely stays on the ground more than a day making the area ideal for year-round golf—ten of Utah’s best courses are located there!

Hard to surpass for its variety of scenic beauty, this area is one of the most popular resort and retirement communities in the Southwest. Winter here—the prices are reasonable.

Worth Pondering…

No matter where we go in our motorhome, that sense of independence is satisfying. We have our own facilities, from comfortable bed to a fridge full of our favorite foods. We set the thermostat the way we like it and go to bed and get up in our usual routine.