Way down South in…Utah: Dixie has it all; mild weather, red rock hiking, historic lodging, golf—even a little cotton - Travel/Recreation - St. George, Utah

Sunset, Oct, 2002 by Matthew Jaffe

* The hike we had intended as an early-morning stroll through a red rock canyon outside of St. George, Utah, has quickly become the kind of adventure better done with eyes wide open and mind alert.

The BLM Red Cliffs Recreation Area is just north of this city of 70,000, but it feels like a spot in the middle of nowhere. The canyon's twisting wind- and water-carved walls, deep red and stained by desert varnish, shut out the outside world.

Even in this dry year, water pools up in a few basins. But the scoured sandstone and dry waterfalls of polished rock reveal that the canyon has seen much higher water flows. Carved toeholds allow access around one drop-off and into a slot canyon that's no more than an arm span across.

Then comes a passage requiring an awkward scramble that seems just too daunting--particularly when the alternative is simply to turn around and head back for breakfast.

And so the siren call of the Bear Paw Coffee Company in downtown St. George drowns out the call of the wild, if only for a couple of hours. There are, after all, plenty of other adventures ahead in this southwest corner of Utah, the region known as Utah's Dixie. The name notwithstanding, Dixie is decidedly more Old West than Old South. Ghost towns and high-desert scenery combine with early Mormon history to make it an ideal destination for a long weekend.

Mining and farming flourished

St. George's rich history isn't readily apparent beneath the growth of recent years. You drive through fairly generic strip development to reach the city's historic district. But your reward is blocks of tree-shaded streets lined by 19th-century homes.

The most famous of these is the Brigham Young Winter Home. Young first wintered here in 1873 after directing Dixie's early development. He initiated the Cotton Mission, the effort to settle this region and cultivate cotton, as part of the goal to make Utah's Mormon pioneers self-sufficient. The Dixie moniker dates to this time, thanks to the many families of Southern origin, the cotton crop, or the region's mild weather--depending on the account.

St. George is the largest of Dixie's surviving 19th-century settlements. Others, like the Silver Reef ghost town, have been mostly lost to history As the town's name implies, mining powered its growth, not cotton--$10.5 million in silver through the 1880s.

Even though Silver Reef once had around 2,000 residents, including a community of 250 Chinese workers, little remains. Most notable is the stone Wells Fargo Building, which, after surviving fires and the decline of silver prices, was refurbished in the 1980s. It now houses a small museum and the Jerry Anderson Gallery & Studio.

Another Dixie ghost town--Grafton--provided a backdrop for the classic Western film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Like St. George, Grafton was founded during the Cotton Mission. But farming was mediocre, and after battling floods and Indian raids, settlers moved to nearby communities. By the 1930s, everyone was gone.

Only six buildings now stand, but with cottonwoods and producing orchards, there's still life in Grafton. During our recent visit, that sense was heightened by the sound of a bluegrass fiddle drifting in on a breeze and news of ongoing efforts to save this part of Dixie's heritage.

The Grafton Heritage Partnership Project, a 15-group coalition that includes public and private agencies and descendants of onetime Grafton residents, acquired nearby private land for $1.35 million in 2000. Now, according to group president Jane Whalen, the focus is on restoring buildings and preserving the scenic surroundings.

"It's such a rare pastoral setting," says Whalen. "Just the open fields, the green pastures, the animals grazing, and the river running through it all."

Verdant spots like Grafton are indeed special in Dixie's high-desert environment, where the Mojave Desert, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau converge. Zion National Park is its most Famous destination, but another spectacular red rock formation is at Snow Canyon State Park, about 6 miles north of St. George.

Along the trail to the White Rocks formation, you hike through a broad plain covered by black lava flows and low sand dunes that run to the base of Navajo sandstone cliffs. The trail then leads to intricately textured white sandstone formations, contoured with thin layers and crosshatched by cracks that create a checkerboard pattern. Like Utah's Dixie itself, this is a perfect place to just slow down and take in the day.

RELATED ARTICLE: Exploring Utah's Dixie

St. George is 120 miles northeast of Las Vegas and 305 miles south of Salt Lake City. Cooler temperatures make autumn an ideal time to visit. For a travel planner, contact the St. George Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (800/869-6635 or www.utahsdixie.com).

Attractions

BLM Red Cliffs Recreation Area. A 20-minute walk leads into a dramatic sandstone canyon; there are a few difficult scrambles. Take 1-15 and exit at Leeds, 17 miles northeast of St. George; make a U-turn onto the frontage road. Turn right at the Harrisburg RV park, go under the freeway, then continue to parking area at the end of the road. $2 per vehicle. (435) 688-3246.