ST. GEORGE, Utah — Above the hustle and bustle of St. George lies an oasis that many residents don't even know exists.
The Red Hills Desert Garden is celebrating its 10th anniversary as both an educational center and tourist attraction.
"We didn't even know this existed until we came out here one day," said Lisa Bates, a St. George resident visiting the garden. "And lo and behold, we found this and it was beautiful."
The five-acre garden features plants, rivers and other landscape elements created by the Washington County Water Conservancy to demonstrate how to create natural beauty without wasting water.
"The initial intent of this garden is we want to teach people about water efficient landscaping and desert adapted plants that they can grow in their own yard and certainly it's grown beyond that for many people," said Ryan White, landscape education administrator for Washington County Water Conservancy.
The garden has evolved into a major tourist attraction, particularly known for its special events. White said of the 1 million annual visitors, 50% come during the holiday lights display and the Halloween Haunted Canyon event happening now.
"We get a lot of out of town visitors," White said. "In fact, we're one of the top destinations within St. George proper. And we get so many people who come in here and they just can't believe that this is free to the public. They're stunned that a garden of this caliber is available for free."
Debbie Carlson of Ivins brought her best friend since age 11, Robin Nunes from California, to experience the Halloween festivities.
"Totally worth it," Nunes said. "It's great to see all the native plants, but also in addition to that, all the cool, fun decorations."
The Scarecrow Walk and Haunted Canyon will continue through Oct. 31, then the holiday displays take over for the winter season.
