Greater Zion has long held appeal for National Park aficionados, but with the arrival of stays like Black Desert Resort, it’s now calling golfers too.

For decades, people have come to southern Utah to experience the towering sandstone walls of Zion National Park. They arrived, hiked, admired the scenery, and continued on their way. Today, the region is evolving into a place you anchor your trip, not just pass through. The region stretches across one of the most geologically fascinating corners of the American Southwest, where the Colorado Plateau, the Mojave Desert, and the Great Basin converge, each layering onto the character of Zion.

The result is cinematic—a landscape so dramatically varied that every turn reveals something unexpected. That sense of discovery and possibility has become one of Greater Zion’s defining characteristics, with the region evolving to welcome those who no longer want their trips defined by adventure at the expense of comfort.

Zion’s emerging appeal lies in experiences that allow travelers to move, explore, recover, and reconnect—all within the same destination.

Instead, Zion’s emerging appeal lies in experiences that allow travelers to move, explore, recover, and reconnect—all within the same destination. Perhaps this evolution explains why Greater Zion has begun attracting a different kind of traveler, aided by the addition of Black Desert Resort. Golf lovers stay for bucket-list rounds unlike anywhere else in the world, with the option to add in top-tier wellness experiences and access to some of the country’s most exciting national park adventures.

The New Face of the American West

For those seeking dramatic natural beauty, meaningful outdoor adventure, and a destination that still feels refreshingly undiscovered, Greater Zion has become one of the American West’s most compelling destinations. With Black Desert Resort as your base, every day begins with the promise of discovery—and ends immersed in one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the country.

With 447 rooms and suites, seven restaurants and bars, and a 15,000-square-foot spa, it’s a world in and of itself.

The resort opened in 2024 in the town of Ivins, just outside St. George—less than 120 miles from Las Vegas and considered a top hub for exploring the American Southwest. Built across more than 600 acres of preserved volcanic terrain, Black Desert Resort rises from this corner of the desert. Every pathway, terrace, and panoramic window has been deliberately positioned to frame the ways in which Black Desert Resort has expertly married geology and design. This philosophy extends throughout the property—the largest resort in the state of Utah. With 447 rooms and suites, seven restaurants and bars, and a 15,000-square-foot spa, it’s a world in and of itself.

Interiors lean into warm desert tones, natural stone, and striking onyx accents. Spacious guest rooms, suites, and multi-bedroom residences open onto uninterrupted views of the championship golf course, the volcanic terrain, and sandstone cliffs in the distance. Broad windows dissolve the boundary between indoors and outdoors. The resort describes its philosophy simply: a place where laid-back comfort and limitless adventure coexist.

A Golf Experience Unlike Anywhere Else on Earth

For many, golf is the leading reason to book Black Desert Resort. Designed by legendary architect Tom Weiskopf as the seventy-third and final course of his celebrated career before his death in 2022, the championship layout represents the culmination of decades spent crafting some of the world’s most respected golf courses. Long anticipated by the golf community, the course is unlike anything else in Weiskopf’s portfolio. Rather than reshaping the landscape, Weiskopf embraced it, routing fairways directly through 600 acres of ancient basalt lava flows at the edge of Snow Canyon.

Every hole reveals a different expression of Southern Utah’s remarkable geology. Jet-black volcanic rock frames ribbons of emerald fairways, while towering vermilion cliffs and distant sandstone mesas create a backdrop that changes with the shifting light throughout the day. The opening holes ease players into the terrain before the routing climbs and falls across hardened lava fields, where natural rock outcroppings become strategic hazards as much as visual landmarks. Sweeping 360-degree views accompany nearly every shot across the 7,500-yard, par-seventy-two layout.

Like Weiskopf’s most celebrated designs, the course rewards thoughtful decision-making over brute force. Strategic drivable par fours tempt longer hitters to be aggressive, while generous landing areas and multiple tee boxes keep the layout approachable for golfers of varying abilities. Risk-and-reward opportunities appear throughout the round, with wide fairways often narrowing around native lava formations and well-positioned bunkers demanding careful club selection. The immaculate bent grass greens provide a striking contrast against the surrounding desert. The experience extends well beyond the scorecard. State-of-the-art GPS-equipped carts provide detailed course information while expansive practice facilities—including a driving range, short-game area, and putting greens—allow players to settle into the unique conditions before teeing off. Non-golfers often choose to ride along simply to experience the landscape from within the course itself.

The professional golf world has taken notice. Black Desert Resort now hosts both PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour events, returning top-level professional golf to Utah for the first time in six decades. Watching the game’s best navigate fairways carved through ancient lava fields only reinforces what players discover the moment they step onto the first tee: there is simply nowhere else in golf that looks—or plays—quite like Black Desert.

Getting Active Off the Green

Although golf may introduce many to Black Desert Resort, the property has more to offer after an excellent day on the green. The championship pickleball complex has positioned Black Desert Resort among the country’s premier destinations for one of America’s fastest-growing sports, welcoming everyone from first-time players to seasoned competitors. Golfers with families will soon have even more to look forward to with the debut of Black Desert Rapids, a five-acre water park designed for all ages. Water slides, lazy rivers, splash zones, and resort pools will complement the property’s growing collection of outdoor experiences.

Wellness Rooted in Movement

Just as golf anchors the resort’s active pursuits, wellness shapes the experience for those seeking to rest. Those looking to deepen their longevity practice are invited to sink into its expansive offerings rather than confine “wellness” to a single spa appointment. Black Desert Resort has crafted an environment where recovery naturally follows exploration.

At the heart of the property sits Plume Spa & Wellness, the 15,000-square-foot sanctuary dedicated to restoration, recovery, and longevity. The spa was conceived for those returning from hikes, rounds of golf, cycling excursions, or days spent exploring southern Utah’s remarkable terrain. Signature treatments combine restorative touch with advanced biohacking technologies, including infrared therapy, hyperbaric oxygen sessions, sensory-deprivation float experiences, and bespoke recovery rituals inspired by the desert. We love the Desert Bloom Revitalizing Ritual, a two-hour facial, massage, and leg treatment designed to restore circulation and reduce fatigue.

Black Desert Resort has crafted an environment where recovery naturally follows exploration.

The spa experience extends beyond the treatment rooms, with the facility extending into an expansive fitness center and heated pools. Outdoors, there are more than six miles of on-property trails, creating an easy rhythm between movement and recovery woven through your days. For an even deeper experience, you can stay in one of the resort’s eight Plume Wellness Collection rooms on the property. Each is stocked with a full collection of extras: CBD-infused pillows, infrared therapy blankets, and aromatherapy sourced from locally harvested botanicals.

Beyond the Resort

One of Black Desert Resort’s greatest strengths is all that lies just beyond the property. Positioned in the heart of Greater Zion, the resort sits at the doorstep of one of the largest concentrations of protected lands in the United States.

• Snow Canyon State Park: Just a five-minute drive from the resort, Snow Canyon State Park is one of Southern Utah’s under-the-radar gems. With dramatic desert scenery, accessible hiking and cycling trails, and far fewer crowds than the nearby national parks, it’s an easy half-day adventure for families, photographers, and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
• Zion National Park: Less than an hour drive from the resort, Zion National Park remains one of America’s defining natural wonders. Whether securing a permit for Angels Landing, wading through The Narrows, or simply taking in the soaring sandstone cliffs along the scenic drive, every visit offers a different perspective. Arrive early during peak season to avoid the biggest crowds.
• Kanarra Falls: A roughly fifty-minute drive from the resort, Kanarra Falls is one of Southern Utah’s most rewarding hikes—and it presents a real challenge. The four-mile round-trip trail winds through a narrow slot canyon, following a creek past cascading waterfalls and iconic wooden ladders, which you’ll need to scale in order to complete the journey. Your SmartFlyer travel advisor can secure the required reservations; just come prepared to get your feet wet.
• Bryce Canyon National Park: A two-and-a-half-hour drive from the resort, Bryce Canyon National Park makes for one of the American West’s most spectacular day trips. Its iconic hoodoos and vast amphitheaters are especially striking at sunrise and sunset, when the landscape glows in brilliant shades of crimson, orange, and rose.

Notably, both Zion and Snow Canyon are certified Dark Sky destinations—a designation from the nonprofit DarkSky, which works to conserve natural environments by limiting light pollution. Your SmartFlyer travel advisor can book a private guided tour of one of these Dark Sky experiences under some of the least light-polluted skies in the United States with an astronomer.

Refined Taste Against Rugged Beauty.

Back on property, the culinary program at Black Desert Resort reflects the same sense of place that defines the surrounding landscape. Each restaurant and café feels intentionally tied to the rhythm of the destination, whether you’re fueling up before a sunrise tee time, lingering over lunch between adventures, or settling in for a memorable dinner after a day spent exploring Greater Zion.

Early risers will gravitate towards Lava Love ready with expertly brewed coffee, house-made pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and grab-and-go treats, making it an effortless stop before heading out for golf, hiking, or a day exploring Southern Utah. Latitude, an open-air rooftop venue overlooking Snow Canyon, is a favorite from morning to evening. Begin the day with breakfast and fresh mountain air, then return for casual bites and cocktails as the sun dips behind the surrounding red rock cliffs. Nearby, Oasis brings vibrant Southwestern flavors to the table with a Mexican taqueria-inspired menu featuring tacos, fresh chips and salsa, and refreshing cocktails, all served in another open-air setting. For guests craving classic comfort food, Club 73 delivers a welcoming backyard barbecue atmosphere complete with smoked brisket, live music, and laid-back outdoor seating.

Each restaurant and café feels intentionally tied to the rhythm of the destination, whether you’re fueling up before a sunrise tee time or settling in for a memorable dinner after a day spent exploring Greater Zion.

For a casual atmosphere, 20th Hole captures the energy of a lively sports lounge across 14,000 square feet. Oversized televisions, immersive VR golf simulators, handcrafted cocktails, local beers, nitro lemonade, and indulgent milkshakes accompany an elevated menu of all-American pub favorites—from hot wings to burgers—making it the ideal place to celebrate a memorable round, gather with family, or catch the day’s biggest game. At the heart of the resort is Basalt, the signature steakhouse, where regionally sourced prime-aged beef, sustainably sourced seafood, and Utah-made cheeses headline a menu rooted in quality ingredients. Seasonal produce, craft cocktails, and a thoughtfully curated wine list elevate the experience, while warm stone finishes, contemporary interiors, and sweeping desert views create an elegant backdrop.

Collectively, the collection of on-property restaurants creates a dining program that feels as thoughtfully curated as the resort itself—celebrating regional ingredients, spectacular scenery, and the easygoing spirit that defines Black Desert Resort.

When to Visit Greater Zion

Southern Utah benefits from incredibly varied seasons, which offers a different perspective on the region. Spring and autumn remain the most sought-after months, when mild daytime temperatures create ideal conditions for hiking, cycling, climbing, and golf. Wildflowers add unexpected color to the desert, while cool mornings give way to warm, comfortable afternoons, perfect for exploring the nearby parks.

Summer moves at a slower pace, a necessity during warmer days. Early mornings belong to the trails before the desert heat settles in, while afternoons naturally shift toward shaded terraces, the pools, or the spa. As temperatures cool each evening, outdoor dining becomes one of the day’s highlights, accompanied by fiery sunsets that illuminate the surrounding sandstone cliffs.

Winter offers cooler temperatures that make hiking exceptionally comfortable; trails become noticeably quieter, and occasional snowfall dusting the red cliffs creates one of the Southwest’s most striking seasonal settings. Golf remains playable throughout much of the season, making southern Utah an appealing escape when many other destinations are blanketed in snow.

Getting There

Despite its dramatic setting, Greater Zion is remarkably easy to reach. St. George Regional Airport is just twenty minutes from Black Desert Resort, with convenient daily connections to Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, and Dallas. You can also choose to fly into Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, then enjoy one of the Southwest’s most scenic two-hour drives through the Mojave Desert before arriving in southern Utah.

Ready to discover southern Utah’s wonder? Contact your SmartFlyer Travel Advisor today.