ST. GEORGE — St. George is the perfect place for a sunny weekend escape. It's a desert playground that offers hiking, golfing, biking, climbing and many more family friendly activities.

Here are five fun things to do in St. George:

1. Explore Snow Canyon

Do not miss this place! It offers beautiful scenery and several good hiking trails. These are the trails I enjoy most in the canyon:

Jennys Canyon trail — A short and easy walk that ends in a slot canyon. This is a great hike for kids because they will love climbing around the small alcoves in the slot canyon.

Johnson Canyon — This is an easy hike that winds through a natural spring and trees with a stunning arch near the end of the trail.

Sand dunes — Located near the canyon entrance, this is a fun spot for the kids to roll and jump down the soft sandy hills. Bring along some sand toys and they will dig for hours.

Lava tubes — This trail offers a flat walk through a field of underground lava tubes. Bring a flashlight. The tubes don't go back very far, but they are fun to explore for a bit.

Pioneer Names trail — A quick walk up a smooth rock slope allows hikers to view names of pioneer settlers written in axle grease on the rock face. The names date back to the 1800s.

Canyon address: 1002 N. Snow Canyon Road in Ivins.

2. Discover stunning petroglyphs

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6 fun things to do in St. George this weekend

Sunshine all day is just a few hours away. In October, the St. George landscape and residents are barely starting to acknowledge fall. While it's not quite swimming weather any more, put on some shorts and head south for a weekend.

This place is too spectacular not to share with the public. After a short hike up a dirt road, you will arrive at a cliff's edge, dotted with large square brown and cream boulders. As you explore the angles of these massive rocks, you will discover a variety of stunning petroglyphs.

*For directions visit http://www.globecandy.com/

3. Go mining for gypsum Crystals

The crystal mine is a sparkling hole in the ground where you can chip away at the rocky edges and take home chunks of gypsum crystals. It's so much fun, and your kids will feel like they are digging for treasure. Make sure to bring along hammers and chisels to mine with and bags to carry home your loot.

*For directions visit http://www.globecandy.com/

4. Ride the canyon bike path

St. George has a great paved bike pathway that stretches through the city, past the Entrada area, then up through Snow Canyon. Perfect for a long road bike ride.

* You can start your ride at the top of Snow Canyon or you begin in a parking area on the right side of Snow Canyon Drive.

5. Have a family picnic at an adventure park

Pioneer park is a 52-acre red rock hillside with no playground equipment needed. Boy scout cave is also fun to explore (my kids like to think it was an old jail). There is also a slot canyon challenge to try (if you're not claustrophobic.) As you make your way through, it becomes more narrow, and you feel like you may get stuck between the rock walls.

Address: Red Hills Parkway

Cottonwood Cove Park is possibly the most well designed park for kids that I've seen. It's landscaped beautifully, and it features a small climbing wall and a huge playground made up of creative contraption-style equipment.

Address: 1027 South Dixie Drive

If you haven't experienced St. George's striking landscape, warm air, and abundance of outdoor activity options, then get yourself there soon. If you have visited, go back and try something new and adventurous!

Amber is co-founder of the travel blog Globecandy. http://www.globecandy.com/ She currently resides in Cedar Hills, Utah with her husband and three boys. Email: amber@sldestinations.com

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