The winter season is a great travel time for die-hard nature lovers.
As the chill of winter blankets much of the country Southern Utah transforms into a serene and uniquely beautiful landscape, making it an ideal off-season travel destination.
Here’s why you should consider visiting during the colder months:
1. Fewer Crowds: One of the most compelling reasons to visit Southern Utah in winter is the dramatic decrease in tourist traffic. Iconic parks like Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Arches see a significant drop in visitors, allowing you to experience these breathtaking vistas in peace. This solitude not only enhances your connection with nature but also means shorter lines, easier parking, and a more personal experience with the natural wonders.
2. Stunning Winter Scenery: Winter in Southern Utah paints a different picture than the usual desert hues. Snow-capped red rock formations, frozen waterfalls, and frost-covered hoodoos create a magical contrast that’s rare to see. The landscape takes on a new life, offering photographers and nature lovers an entirely different palette to explore.
3. Cooler Temperatures: Hiking in the summer can be grueling due to the heat, but winter provides cooler, more comfortable conditions for outdoor activities. While you’ll need to pack layers, the generally mild temperatures make for pleasant daytime exploration without the risk of heat exhaustion.
4. Special Winter Activities: The winter season brings unique activities not available in other seasons. Snowshoeing through Bryce Canyon or cross-country skiing in the quieter corners of Zion are experiences that combine adventure with the tranquility of winter. Moreover, winter festivals and holiday events in nearby towns like St. George provide cultural enrichment.
5. Lower Prices: Traveling in the off-season often means better deals on accommodations, tours, and even flight tickets if you’re flying into a nearby airport like Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. This affordability can make an extended stay or multiple park visits more feasible.
Southern Utah in winter isn’t just about escaping the cold; it’s about embracing a quieter, more reflective side of nature, offering a fresh perspective on some of America’s most famous landscapes. Whether you’re looking to hike, photograph, or simply soak in the serene beauty, winter here promises a unique and enriching experience.
This is a really fun and quick landmark to visit, on your journey through southern Utah. Just north of Kanab, on the way to Zion, are the Sand Caves. These are naturally cut caves, in the side of the sandstone mountains. You will be able to see these to the upper rightof the highway 89, just miles north of Kanab.
You’re able to park on the side of the road, and take a short hike up the mountain, and then into the caves. You’ll notice that many people have carved names into the rocks, or had an occasional campfire inside. The natural light coming in thru the holes in the rocks make for some great photos. The deepest part of the cave is about 200 feet from the entrance and is very dark.
opening to the sand caves
travelers in the sand cave
lots of natural light
Be careful not to fall from the openings of the mouths of these caverns. The side of the mountain can be climbed with regular shoes or hiking boots, but is steep and 45 degree angle in parts. Total time to visit the Sand Caves is about 20-30 minutes. This is a fun place to stop on the way to Zion or the Best Friends Animal Shelter.
Get rewired at Zion National Park. Bounce, spin, tumble, slide, trek, swing, flow, lounge, stretch, hike, walk, cruise… Zion will definitely rewire the mental stasis of “it’s just a big rock formation.”  My mother often tells me when my anxiety starts to increase, “Hang up the phone and go for a run.” Although she will never say, go jump off a rock or climb, especially one at an incline of some 70 degrees and 1500 feet above the already 5,000 feet above sea level. But… She will always tell me to have fun. So far our visits to Zion have been super fun! Many have consisted of hiking The Narrows. Once I made it to the infamous Wall Street… Three attempts up Angel’s Landing, lastly reaching the summit… Exploring the park in the snow (when hardly no one is there)… A slow and steady hike to Observation Point… A misty day under the Weeping Rocks … The day after a rock fell onto the Upper Emerald Pool path blocking the trail… Back-flips off the rocks into the secret waterfalls on a hidden trail… Ultimately one of our favorites… Tubing down the Virgin River. Â
Outfitting Zion Visitors in Springdale
We moved here to the southern Utah area in 2016. I found an outfitter group, called Zion Outfitters, that rented inner tubes from their location in Springdale UT. You start the 2 mile float-trip at their location, and their truck picks up the used inner tubes at a park, below. Â A shuttle stop is close by the exit location on the river. Â The Zion Outfitter pickup for the inner tubes stops around 18:00 while the ZNP and Springdale shuttles stop around 21:00 (times vary with seasons). Each year I called to see if they were allowing tubing from their location. Each year, I was turned down due to low water flow. After a long wait and massive snowfall in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, THIS WAS OUR YEAR!!!Â
Water Flow and Water Fall
Two visits in one week, it has to be good. With so much grand landscape and epic views of Zion, flowing with the snow-melt in the tributary of the Colorado River just seemed to be something we had to explore. After all… Utah is the state where “life [is] elevated.” We had to get a piece of the action fast. Unfortunately we only had one week to go with the flow. So we did… twice. Once it drops to 60 cubic feet per second, Zion Outfitters stops renting the inner-tubes.
You will spend most of your time getting stuck on the rocks in the river when the flow is slow.  Our second visit the flow was 65. It was nice but I got off the tube and walked around the rocks so I could follow the flow better. I’m not sure how much the water was flowing in the river our first visit was incredible fun. I had a blast getting bounced around the banks like a pinball spinning right and left. Stay alert! Some areas have fallen trees and branches placed just enough in the channel they will definitely carve some grooves in your skin.
Another super fun aspect is the small “waterfalls.”  On an inner-tube the small “waterfalls” can turn you over onto a rock.  Not cool for lack of helmet head. The helmet is not necessary because you can actually stand up on the riverbed for the most part of the tubing area (guessing one foot to six feet). While having super amounts of fun on the river, it’s sometimes harder to really pay attention to everything going on around you.
The view of Zion is so spectacular. I get caught in its elegance of natural wonder so many times I forget to watch for the next set of rapids. Falling into the river is not that bad unless of course, you fall into the rapids and hit your head on one of the rocks or an elbow! On one trip, our friend had her elbows placed on the outside trim of the inner-tube so she hit her elbow hard enough we ended up with a hospital visit.
Jeni
The first time I wore an UPF50 long sleeve shirt but the second time I did not. I am writing this two weeks after our last adventure and I still have pretty bad rash on my forearms from using my hands in the water to navigate. The first time I kept the lining of the tube inside and it left a bad rash on the back of my legs. The water was very cool, even in June, July, August, and September. I advise wearing a rash guard, if you have one. Â
Never Enough
Visitors miss out when they are limited to one long day at ZNP. Since we live in the area, we are going at least once twice a month during peak season and a few times during the off peak season. Seriously… The best trip thus far to Zion (even though we still love The Narrows) has been tubing in the Virgin River.  Don’t forget to swing on the rope swing and maybe hang out on the beach.  You are required to wear closed-toe shoes when you rent the tubes. I wore water shoes, my partner and my friend wore regular tennis shoes.
Bathing suits are fine and welcomed. Here’s the biggest downfall:  the water flow is limited to a certain time of year. This year toobing the Virgin River at Zion Outfitters was active only a few weeks from the end of June until the first of July. Snow on the Rocky Mountains was pretty amazing this year. So it took a while to start melting. Sometimes the water flow is not great enough to rent the tubes. Although, you are welcome to bring your own float or inner-tube and go with the flow. It may just be a leisurely float down a few feet of river run but it’s super refreshing to be in the water and it boasts some miraculous views of Zion National Park that will definitely leave a lasting neurological change to connect you with the way it used to be. Have fun! Get some sun! Stay connected! Stay refreshed!
Kids jumping on the bed. Loud televisions one room over. Couples doing loud, horizontal activities in the room above you. One of the worst things that could happen after you check into your room — noisy hotel syndrome. Why should you have to suffer that?
[envira-gallery id=”762″]
Here at Liberty Vacation Rentals, we’ve been in business since 2016, with over 1,000 guest check-ins, and we’re proud to say that we have (so far) ZERO noise complaints. One of the nice things about our small community is that we’re very quiet. You’re more likely to hear the wind rustling through the trees, than hear an inconsiderate neighbor. You won’t need earplugs or an extra pillow over your ears to enjoy a night here.
Our building designer took this into consideration in the blueprints. That’s why there’s extra insulation and very thick drywall separating our suites. Because most guests go out to explore the lake and the canyons, we don’t put televisions in our listings. Also, unlike a hotel or condominium, no one will be sleeping above you or below you.
That’s the difference you get with Liberty Vacation Rentals. Come try us out!
Click on OUR LISTINGS in the menu bar, or click below to see some of our complete suite listings on the AIRBNB site.
One of our absolutely favorite canyons to visit is the magnificent Zion. Its massive and naturally air-conditioned environment with unique terrain is unlike any other. Various forms of wildlife exist inside, including turkeys, deer, moose, chipmunks, mountain goats, and many birds. Occasionally, you may look on the canyon walls, and see professional mountain climbers scaling up and down.
This canyon is unlike many others in the area, as it features a lodge with hotel rooms, usually upwards of $200 per night, for two people. Because we’re just over a one-hour drive away, JennMarie and I like to go for day trips at Zion on a regular basis, and many of our guests do, as well.
The Narrows hiking trail is actually a wet and wild experience. You’ll be trekking through the Virgin River, as it flows through Zion. Highly recommended, for healthy and agile explorers.
When visiting, you may park at nearly any shoulder off the main road, which zig-zags through the canyon, or you might also park at the visitor’s center. Hop aboard the free shuttle to travel to many of the hiking trails. Popular trails include: Angel’s Landing, Emerald Pools, the Narrows, Observation Point, and Weeping Rock. Check out these great photos, here on our blog, as well as the video link of Weeping Rock, below. The sun light coming through the clouds, as drip water seeped in front of us like a veener, led to some beautiful video.
In early September 2018, Utah experienced a couple days of massive, monsoon rain, which caused flash flooding and rock falls in Zion National Park in southwestern Utah. Such rainfall is rare, but will render some trails unsafe. The park received nearly 3 inches of rain in three hours on a Wednesday night. Now, many of the hiking trails have re-opened.
[envira-gallery id=”689″]
REMEMBER: Hike on days when flash flood warnings are not in effect, to keep your risk to a minimum. Keep your balance when going up in elevation. Pack snacks and water. Get food, drinks, and beer at the cafeteria in the lodge. Take your trash with you as you hike in the trails, and don’t feed wildlife.
