Hurricane Utah

Hurricane Utah is situated along the corridor between St. George, Utah, and Zion National Park, on State Scenic Route 9. This road is also referred to as the Zion Canyon Scenic Byway. Its central location between St. George to the southwest (17 miles) and Zion National Park (20 miles to the east) makes it a central hub for experiencing many outdoor recreation areas, attractions, and Utah state parks.

While strong winds do infrequently come through the area, it’s not likely you’ll ever run into an actual Hurricane. So what is the real story behind the city's name? History records that on a gusty day, back in the 1860's, a whirlwind pulled the top off Mormon leader Erastus Snow’s buggy, and his verbal response was, “Well, that was a Hurricane. We’ll name this the Hurricane Hill.” The name soon was also applied to the growing community near the hill. Early settlers, from Liverpool England,  pronounced the word Hurricane as “Her-ah-kun” and pronunciation as continued to this day.

Officially settled in 1896, the Hurricane area was part of the “Cotton Mission” established by Brigham Young to develop agricultural products for which this lower desert region of southwest utah was more conducive. The community of Hurricane became known for its pecans, pistachios, and peaches which are still produced today on farms throughout the Hurricane Valley. To celebrate the community’s heritage, each Labor Day weekend a major event is held in Hurricane entitled Peach Days.

From Hurricane to Salt Lake City is approximately four hours drive, to the north, and it is just a two hour to Las Vegas to the south. For those who prefer air travel, the nearby St. George Regional Airport (SGU) offers non-stop service from Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City.  With its location on the Utah/Arizona border, this airport is as quickly accessed from Hurricane Valley, as it is for most people in the St. George area.

With the scarecity of water in this area the residents of Hurricane Valley originally relied on water supplied by a canal that took 11 years to construct (1893-1904). Workers primarily used picks and shovels to forge a canal that originates in a deep gorge on the Virgin River. This canal was decommissioned in 1985, but efforts to preserve the canal and its heritage include the construction of a walking/hiking trail along this course. A monument at the trailhead commemorates the construction and tells the story of the water canal. The dirt trail provides panoramic views of Hurricane Valley and enables hikers to walk right inside sections of the canal.

The Virgin River is the primary water source that is the cause of erosion within the main deep canyons of Zion National Park. The river gathers moisture from the area north of the park and then continues its winding course through Hurricane Valley on its journey past St. George, Mesuite Nevada, and on toward Lake Mead. This waterway is generally quite shallow and may not seem like much, but on average more than one million tons of sediment is removed from Zion National Park each year. In Hurricane the Virgin River receives contributions from Ash Creek and La Verkin Creek at a point that is now referred to as Confluence Park. Situated just west of the La Verkin Bridge this 344 acre park is home to wildlife such as deer, rabbits, raccoons and many large birds; hawks, ravens, vultures, and even Blue Herons. These three water sources provide a more moist environment that is different than the surrounding desert scape. Access to the park is located in at least two locations, the most common of which is from State Route 9 just north of the Hurricane-La Verkin bridge.

A wide range of outdoor activities are found within the Hurricane Valley and among the most popular are golfing, watersports, off-roading, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing.

Off-road adventures are commonly experienced on deep red sand dunes south of Hurricane, at an area called Sand Mountain near Sand Hollow State Park.  Hiking in the Red Cliff Desert Reserve in area such as Babylon or on the Hurricane Rim trail are popular hiking trails outside of Zion National Park, and there are many others. Mountain biking is even more popular on world-class trails such as Gooseberry Mesa, and the Jem Trail. Quail Creek and Sand Hollow State Parks are part of the back-yard of Hurricane Valley and visitors these parks enjoy fishing, paddleboarding, boating and other motorized watercraft sports. There are four scenic golf courses within the Hurricane Valley and these are considered some of the best and most challenging courses of the many that are found in southwestern Utah.

Scenic drives on paved and unpaved roads are abundant options in this area. Of course the Zion Canyon Scenic Byway is one option, but roads expand into the upper sections of the Kolob terrace and well graded back-country roads lead in all directions as well. The downtown historic district of Hurricane offers a museum and quaint shops, while many will enjoy the city park splash pad or fishing at Grandpa’s pond. Target shooting at the Washington County Shooting Park is becoming more popular and in summer months visitors love to go tubing on the Virgin River.