Utah Tech and Southern Utah in 2 Days: A St. George and Cedar City College Trip
A parent-first plan for seeing Utah Tech University and Southern Utah University in two days: how each tour works, where to park, hotels from budget to upscale in St. George and Cedar City, the hour-long drive up I-15, a Zion detour and seasonal weather, every fact sourced and checked Oct 29, 2026.
The Carter Carillon bell tower, Southern Utah University, Cedar City (June 2007). Photo: SUU-University Relations · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
The short version
Trip at a glance
Schools
Utah Tech University (St. George, UT) · Southern Utah University (Cedar City, UT)
Days
2 days: Utah Tech on day 1, a drive of about 55 minutes north on I-15, then Southern Utah on day 2.
Fly into
St. George Regional Airport (SGU), about 24 minutes from Utah Tech with no traffic. Fly home from Cedar City Regional (CDC), about 9 minutes from SUU, or drive back to SGU (about 1 hour 10 minutes). Many SUU visitors fly into Las Vegas instead, about 2.5 hours from St. George.
Best base
Best Western Coral Hills in St. George for night 1, about 4 minutes from Utah Tech's Holland Centennial Commons, then the Hampton Inn & Suites Cedar City on Main Street for night 2, about 2 minutes by car or a 17-minute walk from SUU.
Car or transit
Rent a car: the campuses are about 52 miles apart on I-15, and Zion National Park is about an hour from either one.
Registration
Book a Utah Tech on-campus tour and an SUU campus tour, each from the school's own sign-up page.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to pair two public universities in southern Utah's red-rock country: Utah Tech University in St. George and Southern Utah University, a 130-acre campus in the heart of Cedar City, about an hour apart on I-15.
Utah Tech tours check in at the Welcome Center on the 2nd floor of the Holland Centennial Commons. At SUU, visitors can park in any green lot without a permit.
Why this order
Day 1: Utah Tech's standard walking tour takes about 60 to 90 minutes and covers academic buildings, student housing, campus-life hubs and recreational areas, led by student ambassadors. Family and friends are encouraged to come along.
Day 2: Southern Utah's campus tours are designed for individual students and their families, and the campus sits within a 5-hour drive of more than 20 national parks and monuments.
Plan ahead: registration and timing
Arrive at Utah Tech's Welcome Center 10 to 15 minutes before your tour time.
SUU's tour times are listed in Mountain Time. In summer, part of the housing portion of the tour may be virtual.
School and group visits are booked separately at both universities, so use the individual tour sign-up pages for a family visit.
Tour availability varies by season.
Utah Tech also hosts Blazer Blast, an overnight preview for high school juniors and seniors, and offers a virtual tour and group tours.
SUU also offers open houses, the Red Riot Overnight, virtual info sessions and a 360 photo tour; each needs its own registration.
2. The suggested 2-day drive
Drive times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, and walking times use OpenStreetMap foot routing, with addresses geocoded by OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Drive times to Utah Tech are to the Holland Centennial Commons, and to SUU are to the campus at 351 W. University Blvd.
Arrival: fly into St. George and check in
St. George Regional Airport (SGU) → Best Western Coral Hills
Driving (no traffic)
~25 min, 15.6 mi
Driving and walking
Rental car
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) → Best Western Coral Hills
Driving (no traffic)
~2 hr 34 min, 130 mi
Driving and walking
Rental car, if you fly into Las Vegas
Both of our St. George picks are on St. George Boulevard, about 4 minutes by car from Utah Tech.
Day 1: Utah Tech University, then drive to Cedar City
Best Western Coral Hills → Holland Centennial Commons (225 S. University Ave.)
Driving (no traffic)
~4 min, 1.3 mi
Driving and walking
~28 min walk, 1.3 mi
Holland Centennial Commons → Hampton Inn & Suites Cedar City
Driving (no traffic)
~55 min, 52 mi
Driving and walking
Drive (I-15 north)
Optional: Holland Centennial Commons → Zion Canyon Visitor Center, then on to Cedar City
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 4 min, then ~1 hr 14 min
Driving and walking
Drive
Park in Lot M; the green-line spots are the visitor spaces. Utah Tech's campus map helps you find it.
Lunch isn't included with the tour, but you can buy a meal in the dining hall afterward.
Day 2: Southern Utah University, then fly home
Hampton Inn & Suites Cedar City → SUU (351 W. University Blvd.)
Driving (no traffic)
~2 min, 0.8 mi
Driving and walking
~17 min walk, 0.8 mi
SUU → Southern Utah Museum of Art (13 S. 300 West)
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Driving and walking
~11 min walk, 0.5 mi
SUU → Cedar City Regional Airport (CDC)
Driving (no traffic)
~9 min, 4.6 mi
Driving and walking
Drive
SUU → St. George Regional Airport (SGU)
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 11 min, 58 mi
Driving and walking
Drive
Park in any green lot, no permit needed, or request a free short-term visitor permit online from SUU Parking.
If your registration doesn't make the meeting spot clear, call SUU Admissions at 435-586-7740 before you go.
3. Campus by campus
Holland Centennial Commons on a summer evening, Utah Tech University, St. George (July 2019). Photo: D00264450 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Check in at the Welcome Center, right as you walk in on the 2nd floor of the Holland Centennial Commons, 225 S. University Ave. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early.
The standard walking tour takes about 60 to 90 minutes and is guided by student ambassadors. Family and friends are welcome to join.
Visitor parking
Park in Lot M. The spots marked with green lines are visitor parking.
Getting there
The Holland Centennial Commons is about 4 minutes by car from Best Western Coral Hills or The Advenire, about 17 minutes from Black Desert Resort and about 24 minutes from SGU with no traffic.
What to know
Can't visit in person? Utah Tech has a virtual tour, linked from its Campus Tours page.
Contact
Utah Tech Welcome Center, Holland Centennial Commons 180: welcomecenter@utahtech.edu or 435-652-7590. Admissions: admissions@utahtech.edu or 435-652-7777.
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
The Carter Carillon bell tower, Southern Utah University, Cedar City (June 2007). Photo: SUU-University Relations · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Tours are designed for individual students and their families, with times listed in Mountain Time. In summer, part of the housing tour may be virtual.
The 130-acre campus sits in the heart of Cedar City, roughly halfway between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas on I-15.
Visitor parking
Visitors can park in any green lot without a permit, or request a free short-term visitor permit online.
During the school year there's no overnight parking on campus. In summer, no permits are needed.
Getting there
SUU is about 2 minutes by car (or a 17-minute walk) from the Hampton Inn & Suites on Main Street, about 5 minutes from the Courtyard and about 9 minutes from CDC with no traffic.
What to know
SUU's Visitors page highlights the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival and the Southern Utah Museum of Art in Cedar City.
SUU's 15 Division I teams compete in the Big Sky Conference.
Contact
SUU Admissions: 435-586-7740. SUU main line, 351 W. University Blvd.: 435-586-7700 or info@suu.edu.
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
4. Where to stay: a night in St. George, then a night in Cedar City
Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Hotel · Our pickMid-range
Best Western Coral Hills
125 E. St. George Blvd., St. George, UT 84770
Why here
About 4 minutes by car or a 28-minute walk from Utah Tech's Holland Centennial Commons, and about 25 minutes from SGU with no traffic.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists a free breakfast buffet, indoor and outdoor pools, a hot tub and free self-parking. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
The Cedar City base for night 2: about 2 minutes by car or a 17-minute walk from SUU, a 7-minute walk from the Southern Utah Museum of Art and about 10 minutes from CDC with no traffic.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists a free breakfast buffet, an indoor pool, a 24-hour gym and free self-parking. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
A downtown St. George boutique hotel about 4 minutes by car from the Holland Centennial Commons with no traffic.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3.5-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists a restaurant and bar, a gym, a terrace with a firepit, valet parking (surcharge) and a minimum check-in age of 21, so the adult booking the room should check in. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
A golf and spa resort in Ivins, near Snow Canyon State Park, about 17 minutes from Utah Tech and about 35 minutes from SGU with no traffic.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Good to know
Expedia lists two outdoor pools, a spa, five on-site restaurants, valet parking (surcharge) and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.
Sleep in St. George the night you land and in Cedar City after the Utah Tech tour, so the hour-long drive happens on day 1 and you're a short walk from SUU on day 2. Flying home from CDC saves the drive back to St. George.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
At the hotels
Both Best Western Coral Hills and the Hampton Inn & Suites Cedar City include a free breakfast buffet, and The Advenire and the Courtyard have on-site restaurants, per their Expedia listings.
After the Utah Tech tour
Lunch isn't included, but you can buy a meal in the Utah Tech dining hall after your tour.
6. Things for siblings along the route
With siblings
Zion National Park
1 Zion Park Blvd., Springdale, UT
The Zion Canyon Visitor Center is about an hour from Utah Tech, and about 1 hour 14 minutes from there to Cedar City, so it can fit on the afternoon of day 1. An entrance pass is required; check fees and conditions on the park's site before you go.
SUU's art museum, about an 11-minute walk from the campus address and a 7-minute walk from the Hampton Inn. Admission is free, and it's closed on Sundays, so check its hours before you go.
At Utah Tech, park in Lot M in a green-line visitor spot, then head to the 2nd floor of the Holland Centennial Commons.
At SUU, use any green lot without a permit. There's no overnight parking on campus during the school year, so leave the car at your hotel overnight.
Flying in and out
SGU is about 25 minutes from our St. George pick. Cedar City Regional (CDC) has daily flights to Salt Lake City and is about 9 minutes from SUU.
Many SUU visitors fly into Las Vegas, about 2.5 hours from Cedar City, per SUU, and about 2.5 hours from St. George by our routing.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: St. George and Cedar City)
Spring: April averages about 75°F highs and 46°F lows in St. George, and about 63°F/32°F in Cedar City.
Summer: July averages about 102°F/72°F in St. George and about 91°F/57°F in Cedar City. Bring water, sun protection and hats for the walking tours.
Fall: October averages about 79°F/47°F in St. George and about 67°F/34°F in Cedar City, so pack layers for day 2.
Winter: January averages about 54°F/28°F in St. George and about 43°F/18°F in Cedar City. Precipitation is light, about 1.2 inches in St. George and 0.8 inches in Cedar City that month.
Parent checklist
Register for a Utah Tech on-campus tour.
Register for an SUU campus tour (times are in Mountain Time).
Plan to park in Utah Tech's Lot M and in a green lot at SUU.
Book flights into SGU (and home from CDC or SGU), or into Las Vegas, plus a rental car.
Book a night in St. George and a night in Cedar City.
After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
2 Division I
Athletics
Utah Tech University
NCAA Division I Big Sky Conference
RecruitingWe found no department-wide recruiting page. Look for a questionnaire on your sport's team page at the athletics site ↗, or email the coaches.
RecruitingWe found no department-wide recruiting page. Look for a questionnaire on your sport's team page at the athletics site ↗, or email the coaches.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (Utah Tech University and Southern Utah University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
Expedia listing: Best Western Coral Hills (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/St-George-Hotels-Best-Western-Coral-Hills.h17854.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: The Advenire, Autograph Collection (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/St-George-Hotels-The-Advenire.h38380227.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Black Desert Resort (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Ivins-Hotels-Black-Desert-Resort.h102550550.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Hampton Inn & Suites Cedar City (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Cedar-City-Hotels-Hampton-Inn-Suites-Cedar-City.h119739657.Hotel-Information)
Expedia listing: Courtyard Cedar City Marriott (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Cedar-City-Hotels-Courtyard-Cedar-City-Marriott.h20392536.Hotel-Information)
