Washington

Surrounded by rock formations, mountains and the desert, Coral Canyon is a 2,600-acre planned community with an 18-hole golf course and housing in a variety of price ranges. Outdoor enthusiasts are drawn to the stunning red sandstone of Southwestern Utah and views of Bryce Canyon’s snow-capped peaks in the winter. “Coral Canyon is a pristine community close to Zion National Park, and southern Utah is about the outdoors,” says Erika Rogers, a Realtor with Red Rock Real Estate with two decades of experience. “A lot of people buy second homes or vacation homes here because of the amenities. There are swimming pools and walking trails.” Situated ten miles north of county seat St. George, Coral Canyon features modern housing, open spaces and access to major roadways. Houses here can have two to seven bedrooms and reach up to 4,000 square feet. The houses are primarily from the 2000s and 2010s, and many are still being constructed. Ranch-style designs have gotten a contemporary update, with a mixture of modern and traditional elements such as sharply pitched arches and multi-level roofs. HOA fees range from $47 to $75 monthly, depending on if a home is on a premium lot. “Coral Canyon is a golfing community surrounded by beautiful homes in all different price ranges. The grounds are meticulously kept, and it has a resort feel. It’s the overall feel of the place that’s attractive to buyers. There’s lots of walking trails throughout it, and it has one of the nicest community centers around,” says Rand McCullough, a broker with Realtypath St. George with 26 years of experience. Homes sell for a median price of $525,000 after 59 days on the market, although townhouses sell for slightly more with a median of $710,000. This is due to their prime location overlooking Razor Ridge Park. Smaller houses with two to three bedrooms range from $315,000 to $715,000, while four-to-six-bedroom homes range from $715,000 to $1.6 million. Seven-bedroom estates sell for around $2 million. Niche B-minus-rated Coral Canyon School teaches children from prekindergarten to fifth grade. It’s a Platinum Level STEM School, the highest level achievable in the state. B-minus-rated Fossil Ridge Intermediate School offers sixth and seventh graders the chance to join multiple fine arts courses, like choir and orchestra. B-minus-rated Pine View Middle has career technical education courses like marketing and digital literacy. B-plus-rated Pine View High provides tenth through twelfth-grade students with with a wide variety of sports teams and clubs such as swimming, ballroom dancing and ping pong. Coral Canyon Golf Course is located in Utah’s famed “‘Color Country,”’ named for the red and pink rock formations surrounding the region. The challenging championship course offers lessons from a PGA General Manager. Coral Canyon is also home to Razor Ridge Lake Park, a 28-foot-deep fishery filled with trout, bass and bluegill for local anglers. Quail Creek State Park is four miles north and is a fishing and boating hotspot. Sand Hollow State Park and Reservoir lies just over 10 miles southeast of the community. This is one of Utah’s newest state parks, and the 20,000-acre area is already a major aquatic attraction. One of the most popular activities here is scuba diving to experience the submerged VW bus and Cessna light aircraft in the depths . Twenty-five miles northeast is Zion National Park. This massive natural area encompasses 150,000 acres and was Utah’s first national park. Known for its stunning vistas bursting with color, Zion has miles of trails to explore while taking in the views. There are also archeological sites, a history museum and various ecosystems to explore. Dining options are plentiful further along Interstate 15, but there are fewer options in Coral Canyon. La Fonda Grill and Koral Kafe are located along the northern edge of the development. La Fonda Grill is a Mexican restaurant featuring portraits of artist Frida Kahlo, while Koral Kafe has a more minimalist atmosphere and dog-friendly outdoor seating. Other shopping options are just down the road in St. George. Numerous shopping centers like Red Cliffs Mall have a range of retailers, eateries and services. Coral Canyon is 18 miles from the Tuacahn Center for the Arts, a regional treasure for live performances. It’s home to a year-round Saturday open-air market selling the work of local artisans. Coral Canyon is bordered by Interstate 15 and is the exit for Zion National Park . The Zion Park Scenic Byway, one of the community’s major roads, lets travelers take a 34-mile journey through the natural beauty of Southwestern Utah. Those taking a more direct route to St. George or Zion can use I-15. This freeway helps 90% of commuters travel less than 30 minutes for work daily in nearby cities like Washington, Saint George and Santa Clara. Abundant sidewalks and walking trails encourage daily strolls. Multiple medical centers are less than ten miles away in St. George, and the neighborhood is 18 miles from St. George Regional Airport. In any desert environment, flash flooding can be a problem. In fact, it’s the deadliest natural disaster in Utah, as the dry soil easily slides and is carried away by sudden heavy rains. This creates fast-moving water that can overwhelm hikers and cars. Washington County’s hazard mitigation plan is working to save lives and property by increasing the size of its drainage basins.

Five miles north of Washington County seat St. George, Green Spring is an early 2000s master-planned golfing community built around a lush fairway and surrounded by red rock landscapes. Adjacent to the Red Cliffs Preserve, this bedroom community is an outdoor enthusiasts' playground, with numerous hiking trails, preserves and a natural spring called ‘The Boilers’ nearby. The neighborhood offers a tranquil, laid-back lifestyle with scenic views of the Pine Valley Mountains. “Green Spring is Southern Utah’s Palm Springs. It’s a very outdoor-oriented area, with hiking and biking trails right above the community. The location draws people in, with easy access to the freeway and shopping. There’s a new development just east of Green Springs called Solente that will have high-end luxury homes, retail stores and restaurants, so it’s close to everything,” says Allen Holland, president of Red Rock Real Estate and a Realtor with more than 20 years of experience.   Green Spring is a residential community with single-family dwellings and townhouses in a variety of styles and price points. Homes circle cul-de-sacs, and HOA fees vary according to the subdivision. Some properties have views of the golf course, but all have views of the Pine Valley Mountains and red sandstone hills. “It’s a unique area, so it’s highly sought after. The views there are amazing. You can see all the way to Zion National Park. It’s a well-planned community, meticulously completed. Lots of areas in St. George don’t have backyards, but Green Spring was developed completely. The HOAs require a backyard there,” says Shane Wood, a real estate agent with Equity Real Estate with over 30 years of experience. “The houses tend to have a Southwestern look that fits the area, but there’s some contemporary designs, too.” Homes in Green Spring sell for a median price of $725,000 after 67 days on the market, although townhouses sell for slightly less at $326,000. Ranch-style homes range from $500,000 to $700,000, while estate-style residences begin around $750,000 and continue to $1.5 million. Townhouses sell for between $290,000 and $370,000.     Niche C-plus-rated Sandstone Elementary serves children from prekindergarten through fifth grade, while B-minus Fossil Ridge Intermediate teaches sixth and seventh graders. B-minus Pine View Middle helps eighth and ninth graders aged 15 or older to get a driver’s license through its driving courses. B-plus Pine View High offers eleventh and twelfth graders the chance to play on one of more than a dozen sports teams.    Green Spring Park covers nine acres just above the Green Spring Golf Course. The park has a splash pad, pickleball courts, a covered playground and large garden areas. The Green Springs Golf Course is owned by Washington City and is known for its rugged and challenging fairways. Built in 1989, the course features several elevation changes and views of the surrounding mountains and desert. Red Cliffs National Conservation Area lies three miles north of Green Spring. This stunning area encompasses 45,000 acres of red and pink sandstone. The ecologically diverse preserve has over 130 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails alongside fossils and Jurassic-era dinosaur footprints. Zion National Park is 30 miles away and easily accessible by Interstate 15. The massive preserve features archeological sites, rare plant and animal species and miles of multi-use trails.    Numerous shopping and dining opportunities lie just beyond Green Spring’s borders. The Wagon Wheel Diner is 1.5 miles southwest on Red Cliffs Drive and is famous for its wild west decor and hearty breakfast plates. The French Bakery makes pastries and sandwiches with artisan recipes and offers a selection of organic juices. The Pizza Factory-Pineview opened in 2007, one of four local chain restaurants. Pineview Plaza has an assortment of retail shops, restaurants, and entertainment options, such as the multi-screen Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatres. Natural Grocers, Costco and Albertson’s are just three nearby grocery stores.   Green Spring is a car-dependent area just outside Washington City and St. George, an economic hub for the county. The No. 7 bus route runs through the community, taking people two miles down Buena Vista Boulevard into Washington. Interstate 15 borders the neighborhood and connects Green Spring to the rest of the region. There are no bike lanes here yet, so cyclists should use caution. Sidewalks are plentiful and lead residents to the golf course or the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area’s hiking trails. The community is three miles from Zion Medical Center and 13 miles from the St. George Regional Airport.  Wildfires are a danger throughout Southern Utah. Extreme temperatures and high winds worsen the fast-moving blazes. To guard against these natural disasters, the city and county of Washington ensure that homes are built with flame-resistant materials, that flammable debris is removed from around buildings, and that water reserves are kept at a minimum level.

Perched along rolling hilltops, the unusually shaped neighborhood of Highland Park rests between the county seat of Washington and Zion National Park. The extended, amoeba-like community’s full name is Highland Park at the Coral Canyon and is part of the Coral Canyon master-planned development. “Highland Park is located on a hill, so people get great views of the desert and mountains. It’s close to the freeway, and you can get anywhere in Washington very quickly. Living there gives people a sense of community and lets them feel removed from the city,” says Bryan Burnett, a Realtor with Century 21 Everest St. George with over a decade of experience. Highland Park is three miles from the Coral Canyon public golf course and four miles from Washington’s town center. The neighborhood offers a unique, secluded feel and easy access to a variety of outdoor activities, like boating, scuba diving and hiking. Students attend Coral Canyon Elementary, Fossil Ridge Intermediate, Pine Valley Middle and Pine Valley High. Niche B-minus-rated Coral Canyon Elementary is a Platinum Level STEM School, the highest-level Utah facilities can reach. B-minus-rated Fossil Ridge Intermediate has extracurriculars like a math competition club, theater and cross-country track. B-minus-rated Pine View Middle prepares students for college and career opportunities with a challenging curriculum and new technology. B-plus-rated Pine View High lets students learn and socialize through activities like the Technology Student Association, Ballroom Club and Game Club. Highland Park is a community green space with large and small pavilions, an amphitheater and two playgrounds for kids of different ages. Older patrons can conquer the climbing rock wall or set out on trails, like the Highland Park Loop Trail. Sienna Hills Park provides kids with a 1,000-square-foot splash pad and playgrounds just outside the neighborhood. Just east of the community, Canyon Park is home to a ninja-style obstacle course and the famous Hell Hole Trailhead, a paved hiking and biking pathway with steep inclines and gorgeous views. Quail Creek State Park lies seven miles northeast of the community, while Sand Hollow State Park and Reservoir is 12 miles to the east. Both parks have lakes for swimming, boating or scuba diving. In fact, Sand Hollow Reservoir has submerged vans and an airplane for divers to explore. Highland Park is also 29 miles from Zion National Park, Utah’s first national preserve area. The neighborhood doesn’t have retailers or restaurants within its boundaries, but luckily, everything residents need is a short drive away. Seven Brothers is just northwest of Highland Park and serves Polynesian-inspired burgers and salads. Four miles away in Washington, family-owned Royal Thai Cuisine has an extensive menu of South Asian dishes. Up the street, Riggatti’s Wood Fired Pizza crafts artisan pies from handmade dough and high-quality olive oil. Natural Grocers and a Walmart Supercenter provide groceries. Cotton Mill Center and Red Cliffs Mall offer dozens of retailers alongside eateries and entertainment venues. Made of contemporary and Spanish-inspired townhomes and single-family houses, the neighborhood is well-kept, with eco-friendly landscaping and a sparse covering of trees. These newly constructed houses were built from the early 2000s through today and are available at various price points. Short, straight streets connect its curving boundary roads, and trees dot the community. Homes sell for a median price of $608,000 after 62 days on the market. Townhouses range from $700,000 to $900,000, while single-family homes range from $475,000 to over $1 million. East Telegraph Street bisects Highland Park, which is just minutes from the Zion Park Scenic Byway and Interstate 15. Sidewalks run throughout the community, and cyclists enjoy the trails surrounding the neighborhood. Over a dozen medical centers are seven miles southwest in the county seat of St. George, and 16 miles away, the St. George Regional Airport gets travelers to major destinations across the nation. Highland Park is at risk of wildfires and flash flooding. The dry environment and high temperatures can exacerbate wildfires. At the same time, flash flooding occurs when heavy rain overwhelms the soil and causes waves of fast-moving water. To combat the loss of life and property due to natural disasters, Washington County ensures all buildings are up to the current construction standards and all flammable materials have been removed from around the home.