Water conservation gardens are educational, social and recreational amenities for public use. Washington County is currently home to two water conservation gardens: Red Hills Desert Garden in St George City and The Boilers in Washington City. Both gardens feature water-efficient landscaping that is identified with name plates and scannable codes allowing guests to learn more about the various plants, trees, and shrubs. The garden is an example of how to incorporate native and climate-appropriate vegetation to make landscapes beautiful and water smart.

Red Hills Desert Garden, managed by the Washington County Water Conservancy District

375 E. Red Hills Parkway, St. George

Red Hills Desert Garden is Utah’s premier interactive garden featuring water-efficient desert landscapes, endangered species and prehistoric dinosaur tracks in one central location.

The nearly five-acre garden features 5,000 water-efficient plants, a replica slot canyon, clear acrylic panels revealing rarely seen native endangered fish, a display of unearthed dinosaur tracks and other prehistoric trace fossils found onsite, meandering trails, shade structures and more – all set in a picturesque location with Washington County’s signature red hills to the north and panoramic city views to the south.

Gardening workshops, hosted by the district, are held frequently at the garden and cover a wide range of topics. See the workshop schedule here.

The garden, which opened in 2015, is funded and maintained by the Washington County Water Conservancy District in cooperation with the City of St. George and Virgin River Program.

Visit redhillsdesertgarden.com for more information.

The Boilers, managed by Washington City

295 W. Buena Vista Blvd, Washington

The Boilers: A Natural Spring and Conservation Garden opened in Washington City in October 2020. The park includes a natural spring swimming area, playground, pickleball courts, pavilion, and walking paths through a water conservation garden that was created in partnership with the Washington County Water Conservancy District. Click here for more information on this Washington City park.