If education is the hope of the future, then the future of the St. George area is assured. The twenty-nine schools of the Washington County School district produce students with a desire to learn. Eighty-two percent of high school graduates plan to continue their education after high school. Dedicated educators, a supportive community and a variety of advanced placement and honors programs provide young people the tools to excel.

The area’s elementary schools feature achievement and physical development at levels of national averages as a result of broad experience in classrooms, arts, and field trips. Middle Schools place a major emphasis on individual instruction creating close ties with teachers at an important time in young lives. High Schools build on early successes allowing Washington County students to score well in national competitions, and have a ninety-five percent graduation rate.

St. George’s own Dixie State College is the first stop for many local students on their higher education journey. Founded in 1911, Dixie State College boasts an average enrollment of 7,000 students. The spectacular setting on the site of the first pioneer encampment in St. George offers excellent programs in liberal arts, business and computer information systems. Athletic programs are affiliated with the National Junior College Athletics Association. In fact, the Dixie State College Rebels recently played for the NJCAA national championship in football and basketball.

Community involvement is a key part of the Dixie State College success story. The Dixie Business alliance and the Washington County Economic Development Council call Dixie State College home. The college also provides many cultural opportunities of the community with the Dixie College Theater, The Dixie State College Celebrity Concert Series, and the Cox Auditorium.

Classes are also offered in St. George by Southern Utah University, whose main campus is located in Cedar City, just 50 miles to the north. The program allows Dixie State College graduates or others in the local community to take upper level classes without leaving St. George. SUU offers Bachelor programs in Business Administration, Education, Criminal Justice and Psychology at the University’s St. George Center. A Master of Education degree is also available through the center.

For older learners, Dixie State College offers the Institute for continued Learning. The ICL provides an outlet for creative energies and involvement in college life without the constrains of test, grades, or earning credits. Programs include lectures, study and discussion groups, educational trips, luncheons and special events conducted during daytime hours.

St. George truly fulfills the need for knowledge with programs and opportunities stretching from kindergarten to Elderhostel.

Bloomington Country Club
3174 Bloomington Dr. East, St. George. . . . . . . . . 435-673-4687

Casablanca Golf Course
950 W. Mesquite Blvd., Mesquite. . . . . . . . . . . . . .702-346-7529

Cedar Ridge Golf Course
200 East 900 North, Cedar City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435-586-2970

Coral Canyon Golf Course
1925 N. Canyon Green Dr., Washington. . . . . . . . 435-588-1700

Entrada Golf Course
2511 West Entrada Trail, St. George. . . . . . . . . . .435-674-7500

Green Spring Golf Course
588 N. Green Spring Dr., Washington. . . . . . . . . . 435-673-7888

Oasis Golf Club
100 Palmer Lane, Mesquite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .702-346-7820

Palms Golf Course
897 W. Mesquite Blvd., Mesquite. . . . . . . . . . . . . 702- 346-5232
Or Toll Free. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800 621-0187

Red Hills Golf Course
1000 N. 700 W., St. George. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .435-634-5852

St. George Golf Course
2190 South 1400 East, St. George. . . . . . . . . . . . . .435-634-5854

Sky Mountain Golf Course
1030 N. 2600 W., Hurricane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435-635-7888

Southgate Golf Course
1975 S. Tonaquint Dr., St. George. . . . . . . . . . . . . 435-628-0000

Sunbrook Golf Course
2240 Sunbrook Dr., St. George. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .435-634-5866

Twin Lakes Golf Course
660 N. Twin Lakes Dr., St. George. . . . . . . . . . . . .435-673-4441

Always caring, improving, and expanding. That summarizes the ever changing world of health care in St. George and neighboring cities.

In Washington County, where the population is 90,354 as of July 1, 2000, the availability of health care is more than adequate and the quality surprisingly high. Because Utah’s Dixie is less than a day’s drive from urban centers such as Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, the demand here for more specialized care didn’t intensify until the population explosion of the last ten years. Today, the St. George area has well-equipped facilities with physicians trained in most of the standard specialties.

The 137 bed Dixie Regional Medical Center is the community health care anchor. Dixie Regional is a hospital driven by doctors, staff, volunteers, and administrators to meet the needs of others. Operated by Intermountain Health Care, the hospital is committed to care for all regardless of ability to pay.

In 2003 a second Dixie Regional Medical Center opened. It is located on sixty acres of land at the northeast intersection of 700 South and River Road. The new hospital is a compliment to the revised future role of the old hospital, as a Women, & Children's Center, and Cancer Services Center.

Services available at the St. George facility are: 24 hour emergency care, life flight, intensive and critical care, cancer treatment, radiology, behavioral medicine, sleep disorder treatment, life steps treatment, chronic wound healing, cardiac catheterization lab, an angiography suite and endoscopy lab.

Urgent care is available at other state of the art facilities such as the new IHC Health Center, Snow Canyon Clinic, Color Country Health Express, or the St. George Surgical Center. The IHC Health Center Features family practice physicians available on site, as well as mammography,
X-ray, CT scanning, fluoroscopy and a full service pharmacy.

Dixie Regional Medical Center: (435) 634-4000; 544 S. 400 E. St. George, UT 84770
IHC Health Center: (435) 688-4522; 577 S. River Road St. George, UT 84790
Snow Canyon Clinic: (435) 673-7617; 272 E. Center St. Ivins, UT 84738
St. George Surgical Center: (435) 673-8080; 676 S. Bluff St. George, UT 84770

Zion National Park:

Protected within Zion National Park’s 229 square miles (5,931 km) is a spectacular cliff-and-canyon landscape and wilderness full of the unexpected including the world’s largest arch-Kolob Arch-with a span that measures 310 feet. Wildlife such as mile deer, golden eagles and mountain lions also inhabit the park.

The Visitor Center at Kolob Canyons is accessible via Exit 40 from I-15. I-15 passes west of the park and connects with UT-9 and 17 to the Park US-89 passes east and connects with UT-9 to the Par. The Zion Canyon Visitor Center is a short distance from the Park’s South Entrance adjacent to Springdale.

Bryce Canyon National Park:

Bryce Canyon National Park is located about 3.5 hours from St. George. It is named for one of a series of a horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. Erosion has shaped colorful claron limestones, sandstones and mustiness into thousands of spires, fins, pinnacles and mazes. Collectively called "hoodoos", these unique creations are whimsically arranged and tinted with colors too numerous and subtle to name.

Ponderosa pines, high elevation meadows and fir-spruce forests border the rim of the plateau, with breathtaking panoramic views of three states. The park is open 24 hours a day all year round.

Turn north or south on U.S. 89, turn east on Utah 12 (seven miles south of Panguitch, Utah) and travel to the junction of Utah 12 and turn south (right) on Utah 63 and travel three miles to reach the park entrance. (Utah 12 continues east through the northern portion of the park.)

Glen National Recreation Area (Lake Powell)

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers unparalleled opportunities for water-based and back country recreation. The recreation area stretches hundreds of miles from lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, encompassing scenic vistas, geologic wonders, and a panorama of human history. Additionally, the controversy of the construction of Glen Canyon am and the creation of Lake Powell contributed to the birth of the modern day environment movement.

Summers are extremely hot, winters are moderately cold with nighttime lows often below freezing. Spring weather is highly variable with extended periods of wind. Fall weather is usually mild.

Glen Canyon Dam and the Wahweap Marina are located near Page, AZ on Highway 89. Northern sections of the are, Bullfrog, Halls Crossing & Hite and the Orange cliffs may be reached from Highways 95 and 276. Escalante is located on Utah Highway 12. Lees Ferry and the Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center are located just off Highway 89 A bear Marble Canyon.