Editor’s note • This article is part of 150 Things To Do, a reporting project and newsletter exploring the best that Utah has to offer. Click here to sign up for the 150 Things weekly newsletter.
For outdoor enthusiasts, St. George serves as a convenient gateway for pretty much everything — from hiking Zion National Park to boating Sand Hollow Reservoir to dark sky stargazing.
The one danger of using Southern Utah’s largest city as a jumping off point for other adventures? You might just miss one of the best ways to experience Utah’s natural beauty — from the heart of St. George itself.
The Mayor’s Loop is a five mile paved loop trail that stretches from one peak at the bridge on River Road (just north of the Dutch Bros Coffee at 1382 S River Road) to its other peak just north of 2580 S. St. (right next to 1-15) and is a popular place to walk, jog and bike.
There are a number of starting points throughout, but Crosby Confluence Park (located at 2099 S. Convention Center Drive) and St. James Park (at 741 St. James Lane) both offer ample parking along with places to refill water bottles, add air to bike tires or relax at picnic tables.
For this guide, Crosby Confluence Park will be used as the starting point, but all referenced trails can be reached from St. James Park, as well.
For spectacular views of St. George, start at Crosby Confluence Park and go south on the Virgin River North trail (the Virgin River North trail is named for the side of the river it runs along).
(Kaitlyn Bancroft | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Mayor's Loop trail and several other trails that connect to it are popular places in St. George, Utah to walk, jog or bike.
Next, you’ll almost immediately cross a bridge over the Santa Clara River. As you follow the trail around a large bend, you’ll come to a second bridge over the Virgin River. Cross this bridge, go up the hill and follow the switchback bend at the top onto the southern ridge of the Mayor’s Loop.
From here, you’ll have a brilliant, unobstructed view of the Virgin River, the city of St. George and the area’s surrounding red rocks.
At the end of the ridge, turn left and follow the trail down the hill. As you keep going, the trail will take you through St. James Park, across the bridge at River Road, and past more lovely views of the Virgin River and the desert before ending back at Crosby Confluence Park.At the end of the ridge, turn left and follow the trail down the hill. As you keep going, the trail will take you through St. James Park, across the bridge at River Road, and past more lovely views of the Virgin River and the desert before ending back at Crosby Confluence Park.
(Kaitlyn Bancroft | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Mayor's Loop trail and several other trails that connect to it are popular places in St. George, Utah to walk, jog or bike.
The Mayor’s Loop Trail is often most enjoyable in the early evening, when the day has cooled down and refreshing breezes off the rivers urge you forward. Other connecting trails can transport you to towering, rocky vistas, open deserts and family-friendly riverside rambles. Click here for a full map of the local trails in downtown St. George.
Editor’s note • 150 Things To Do is a reporting project and weekly newsletter made possible by the generous support of the Utah Office of Tourism. Sign up for the 150 Things newsletter here.