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Posted: 12/18/2014 11:54:50 PM EDT
Hey gang. I'm a native Washingtonian that is tired of living in a liberal 'utopia' and here in a couple years I may finally be able to get the heck out of here and move to a good conservative state. I've been researching everywhere from GA to NV, but recently I've been thinking quite a bit about southern Utah. I'm looking for a place where I can shoot in my own backyard. Kinda rural. That's the dream. If I got promoted I'd be a remote area manager, so a workplace for me isn't much of a concern, but my wife is in the medical records industry so we'd need to be at least somewhat close (preferably a sub-hour long commute) to a city that has some degree of hospital back office admin infrastructure. Don't have many other requirements...just want seclusion/privacy, good gun laws, and less trippy-dippy-hippies. Not looking for a party town or snooty restaurants, not into that scene at all. I will need access to an airport for business travel but it looks like Cedar City and St. George both have regional airports, which should be fine.
Anyway, what are the pros and cons of that part of the state? Any advice on areas to look at as far as housing / lots? Is there any chance at all of finding a place that has 5-ish acres and abutes a national/state park or something so I can have some assurance that my backyard range won't go away due to development...without being a millionaire? No idea what my budget would be...probably somewhere in the 300k range. Any/all thoughts/advice is appreciated. 
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Posted: 12/19/2014 10:30:37 AM EDT
[#1]
I live in Iron county.
Cedar city and St. George both have hospitals, run by IHC. They are also tied in with the Huntsman Cancer Institute. As far as land/house, you would be better served coming and looking. Iron county is more of a 4 season area, as is the upper end of Washington County. The St. George area is much warmer than either of the mentioned areas. Quite a few places would match your criteria. And if you need help building--I know a great contractor, me 
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Posted: 12/19/2014 10:41:13 PM EDT
[#2]
I was an architecture major in my younger days, and building a house is (of course!) a dream...so I just may take you up on that!
I don't want to be at tooooo high an elevation, because us western-Washingtonians don't exactly deal with snow very well. I like the stuff, but my wife isn't a fan. This is one of those parts of the country where 3" of snow shuts down EVERYTHING...and it seems like there a lots of places in UT where you get a whoooole lotta the white stuff. 
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Posted: 12/20/2014 2:04:03 AM EDT
[#3]
I personally love the cdar city enoch area
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Posted: 12/20/2014 12:19:46 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I was an architecture major in my younger days, and building a house is (of course!) a dream...so I just may take you up on that! I don't want to be at tooooo high an elevation, because us western-Washingtonians don't exactly deal with snow very well. I like the stuff, but my wife isn't a fan. This is one of those parts of the country where 3" of snow shuts down EVERYTHING...and it seems like there a lots of places in UT where you get a whoooole lotta the white stuff. I was up in Oak Harbor/Mt. Vernon from '08 to '13, so I'm familiar with the weather on the wet side. If you're looking to move to St. George, you'll probably see as much snow there as you do where you're at right now. It "generally" doesn't get real snowy until you get north of Cedar City. St. George is only 2900 feet or so in elevation, so while you'll definitely feel it coming from sea level-ish, it's not real high at all (relatively speaking I guess, as I'm at 5500 ft right now.) |
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Posted: 12/20/2014 2:08:58 PM EDT
[#5]
well that's good news. I probably wouldn't want to be in SG long term, just because it's growing super fast. Part of the point of the move is to get out of town not moving into a growing one, so I'd probably by trying to buy/build a place that was within an hours drive of SG if I could. There's a lot of state/national parks and stuff on the south side of the state so hopefully there is still some good buildable rural land left...
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Posted: 12/20/2014 5:14:49 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
well that's good news. I probably wouldn't want to be in SG long term, just because it's growing super fast. Part of the point of the move is to get out of town not moving into a growing one, so I'd probably by trying to buy/build a place that was within an hours drive of SG if I could. There's a lot of state/national parks and stuff on the south side of the state so hopefully there is still some good buildable rural land left... Sounds like you want Cedar City |
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Posted: 12/23/2014 3:20:18 PM EDT
[#7]
Take a look at Leeds. It's slightly north of Saint George but still close. I have a friend that lives there and he likes it.
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Posted: 12/23/2014 5:11:23 PM EDT
[#8]
I live in SG. The weather is a really hot from June to August, but I like being able to do stuff outside all year without a having to ever wear a coat or drive in the snow. They have really developed a nice shooting facility in Hurricane, with USPSA, 3Gun, Cowboy action, and skeet/trap/clays. I live in the middle of town, and can get to BLM land for blasting in 10 minutes.
If you want a 1+ acre lot, you can find larger parcels in Washington County in some of the outlying rural areas like Enterprise, Gunlock, Leeds, Rockville, Toquerville, Apple Valley, Brookside, Central, Veyo, etc. A lot of the land in those areas can be pretty reasonable. While St. George has become quite a big town, most of the county is rural if not empty. The adjacent Arizona Strip is almost entirely empty. |
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Posted: 12/24/2014 12:31:18 AM EDT
[#9]
yeah, the heat will take some getting used to. I've been acclimatized to hot weather before (stationed in Cuba!) but for the last 20 years I've lived in one of the most mild (temperature-wise) places in the country. It never gets hot or cold here...just muddles along in the middle! I'd definitely like some acreage...but the real key is being able to shoot. Some people with small lots can do that....in other places you need a Ponderosa-sized ranch to do it. Depends on topography, what's adjacent, how anti-gun your neighbors are, and whatever local laws/ordinances you have to deal with. I hear rural UT is super gun friendly though, and for me that's a major draw. WA is pretty good on gun stuff for the most part, but we're trending the wroooong way right now with the referendum that just passed in November. It's time to bail on this place before it becomes "California North".
what kind of commute can I expect out there? I mean, right now I drive about 15 miles and it frequently takes over an hour. I'll be able to set my own schedule, within reason....if I live 20-30 miles away from SG, how long of a drive should I expect in the morning? |
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Posted: 12/24/2014 12:46:35 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: yeah, the heat will take some getting used to. I've been acclimatized to hot weather before (stationed in Cuba!) but for the last 20 years I've lived in one of the most mild (temperature-wise) places in the country. It never gets hot or cold here...just muddles along in the middle! I'd definitely like some acreage...but the real key is being able to shoot. Some people with small lots can do that....in other places you need a Ponderosa-sized ranch to do it. Depends on topography, what's adjacent, how anti-gun your neighbors are, and whatever local laws/ordinances you have to deal with. I hear rural UT is super gun friendly though, and for me that's a major draw. WA is pretty good on gun stuff for the most part, but we're trending the wroooong way right now with the referendum that just passed in November. It's time to bail on this place before it becomes "California North". what kind of commute can I expect out there? I mean, right now I drive about 15 miles and it frequently takes over an hour. I'll be able to set my own schedule, within reason....if I live 20-30 miles away from SG, how long of a drive should I expect in the morning? 75-80 mph on the 15 coming from the north end of the county until you hit St. George. The traffic on the freeway flows freely. We don't have the stop and go on the freeway like major metro areas do. I moved from San Diego to St. George and I love it here. As mentioned before, it gets hot here for a couple of months, but its no big deal. The rest of the time is pretty good. The weather this year has been pretty mild so far. It is very gun friendly here. Lots of places to shoot as mentioned by brasidas. I have conducted AR15 build clinics at a local church / private school. Come visit and check it out. |
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Posted: 12/25/2014 11:25:02 AM EDT
[#11]
If your lived in one of the little rural towns like Gunlock, Toquerville or LaVerkin, they are about 20-25 miles from St. George, and it takes about 30-35 minutes to get downtown.
You would need a pretty large parcel to have your own range, as it is not legal to shoot within 200 yards of a building (unless you have the building owner's permission). I think you would need to have about 10 acres to ensure that your range is at least 200 yards away from the neighbors. Cities also can, and usually do, ban firing within city limits, although smaller towns and the county don't have that power. But with public land so abundant and close, having a place to shoot is not really an issue. |
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Posted: 12/25/2014 12:41:52 PM EDT
[#12]
I'd prefer not to have any neighbors within 200 yards...but that's really a function of budget. I mean, if I won the powerball or something I'd probably buy a ranch so big that there wasn't a neighbor within 20 miles, let alone 200 yards.
I hadn't read that law yet though, so thanks for the tip...definitely something to watch out for when lot/house shopping!
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Posted: 12/25/2014 4:23:06 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If your lived in one of the little rural towns like Gunlock, Toquerville or LaVerkin, they are about 20-25 miles from St. George, and it takes about 30-35 minutes to get downtown. You would need a pretty large parcel to have your own range, as it is not legal to shoot within 200 yards of a building (unless you have the building owner's permission). I think you would need to have about 10 acres to ensure that your range is at least 200 yards away from the neighbors. Cities also can, and usually do, ban firing within city limits, although smaller towns and the county don't have that power. But with public land so abundant and close, having a place to shoot is not really an issue. That is against the Utah constitution. Salt Lake County and Park City have both found this out the hard way recently. If you know of a city or county that is doing this, let the 2af know. They are responsible for taking down the PC laws last month. |
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Posted: 12/25/2014 4:40:38 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
That is against the Utah constitution. Salt Lake County and Park City have both found this out the hard way recently. If you know of a city or county that is doing this, let the 2af know. They are responsible for taking down the PC laws last month. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
If your lived in one of the little rural towns like Gunlock, Toquerville or LaVerkin, they are about 20-25 miles from St. George, and it takes about 30-35 minutes to get downtown. You would need a pretty large parcel to have your own range, as it is not legal to shoot within 200 yards of a building (unless you have the building owner's permission). I think you would need to have about 10 acres to ensure that your range is at least 200 yards away from the neighbors. Cities also can, and usually do, ban firing within city limits, although smaller towns and the county don't have that power. But with public land so abundant and close, having a place to shoot is not really an issue. That is against the Utah constitution. Salt Lake County and Park City have both found this out the hard way recently. If you know of a city or county that is doing this, let the 2af know. They are responsible for taking down the PC laws last month. Utah State Code allows incorporated municipalities to regulate the discharge of firearms within city limits. It is the only firearm regulation that a municipality can legislate. Salt Lake County ran afoul of the State's preemption laws when they banned suppressors and short barreled shotguns. I threatened to sue them over that one. http://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title10/Chapter8/10-8-S47.html |
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Posted: 12/27/2014 2:51:58 AM EDT
[#15]
Bentley I think I know you:) possibly... Just sayin. Also Delta I may even know you! I live in St. George and absolutely love it! My work takes me all over the area from St. G to Cedar City. I'm sure you'd be able to find what you're looking for and love it here. I don't know many who have come here and don't! Good luck in your search! 300 k would do the trick!
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Posted: 12/27/2014 3:05:17 AM EDT
[#16]
i may even be able to go higher than that, it all depends on what kind of employment my wife can find down there. With StG rapidly growing, one would think that the job market would be good...but it could be a couple years before I can move and things can change!
oh yeah, last question: I have liked every LDS person I have ever met....but I'm not LDS. I'm not gonna get shunned for being a non-believer am I? My wife's non-denominational Christian and I'm an unofficial/non-convert Jew (that's what my wife says anyway, I'm Old Testament style and read the Jewish bible...). It's 2014 so I presume I'll be ok but I thought I'd ask... |
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Posted: 12/27/2014 1:22:55 PM EDT
[#17]
Hey I better clarify I few things I mentioned. If you want a decent house in town area 300k will get average in St. George, high average in Cedar City. If you want more property to shoot then get into gunlock, Leeds, New Harmony, outlying little towns and for 300k you could do very well!
as far as Mormons don't let that get to you. St. George is actually the only big city in the state that's less than 50% LDS, you may get asked once or twice if you are, and they may come to your door once, but a simple no thank you and they won't usually come again. I'm not Mormon and grew up here. It has never really bothered me. If anything I love that influence because it seems like it helps the moral cleanliness of the town, better people around per capita, and cleaner environment. Haha.
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Posted: 12/27/2014 1:30:56 PM EDT
[#18]
This was taken literally a mile from Leeds and I-15. I love that area. The remoteness is insane especially how close it is to town. It's like the city has no clue it's there. Spent 5 hours hiking there and didn't see one other person or even a vehicle closer than 1500 yards. |
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Posted: 12/27/2014 6:28:03 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:This was taken literally a mile from Leeds and I-15. I love that area. The remoteness is insane especially how close it is to town. It's like the city has no clue it's there. Spent 5 hours hiking there and didn't see one other person or even a vehicle closer than 1500 yards. Exactly what I'm looking for. I've been researching almost every state between Georgia and Nevada trying to find 'the right place for me' and a lot of them (west TX, OK etc) have a LOT going for them, but the areas where I'd be most interested in living tend to be FLAT. I come from the land of big trees and big mountains, so a "watch your dog run away for 3 days" area like west TX / OK isn't all that appealing. UT has some of the best scenery on the planet, with lots of great elevation change. That would be great. Not as many trees as I have out here, but I'm fine with that so long as there are hills/mountains/cliffs and all that fun stuff! Speaking of all that pretty scenery, I know a lot of it is state/national park land...how free are people to use it (carrying guns / shooting, hiking etc)? I know TX has hardly any park land in it...pretty much everything is private. I like privatized stuff, but there should always be some land set aside for the benefit/use of all. We have lots of parks/national forests up here so I think it'd be kind of a shock to move to TX where they don't do that kind of thing... LDS: good to hear that all is good on that front. Like I said, all the LDS people I have ever known have been really good people. Hard working, moral, prepper-types. I like pretty much everything about them, I just don't want to join the group (I'm kind of a non-joiner generally!) or be discriminated against. Sounds like it's not a problem. |
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Posted: 12/27/2014 6:34:23 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:If you want more property to shoot then get into gunlock, Leeds, New Harmony, outlying little towns and for 300k you could do very well! Exactly the kind of info I was looking for, thanks much! People who are from an area know where the good spots are. I've never set foot in UT and it's hard to figure these things out with just google maps and zillow! |
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Posted: 12/28/2014 4:17:08 PM EDT
[#21]
My wife and I relocated from western Washington to Cedar City/Enoch 2 years ago. We'd been in the N.W. for nearly 20yrs. We moved for some of the same reasons as you've stated.
We bought some small acreage in unincorporated Iron Co. and haven't been happier. We're in our 40's. Snow is mostly a non issue with 320+ days of sunshine. The roads clear quickly here. It can get cold but lacking the humidity of Washington it doesn't feel as cold. The public range is less than 7mi from our place. There are several pits nearby and plenty of BLM lands around for shooting. Inter-mountain Health Care center is located at the north end of Cedar, about 5mi from the valley/ Enoch. 75-80mph on I-15 makes heading to St. George a quick trip for runs to CostCo and such. I'd look at land around the 3 Peaks area. 300k will buy you land and build a modest 1200sq' place. I'm a builder as well. If your buying raw land make sure it comes with at least an acre share of water rights. Proximity to a main road is helpful too, unless your considering off the grid, not unusual out by 3 Peaks. Check out tax auctions through Iron County. You may find a deal. Our LDS neighbors are fantastic even though we're not. I've helped out the local ward with some wood chopping in the fall and it was a good experience. Lots of hobby farming in the area as well. PM me for more info/ opinion if you want. Current SGN member as well. Good luck! |
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Posted: 12/29/2014 1:39:36 AM EDT
[#22]
Well headspacer send me an IM if ya ever need floors done
 I'm the best tile and hardwood guy around. Do a ton for Pioneer Flooring. Glad you are enjoying Cedar City and making it home for ya! Also Jek one last thing. I hike and shoot around all over Washington and Iron county. Pretty much always have a rifle when I'm out goofing around and I've never been bothered or harassed by LEO's or anyone.
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Posted: 12/29/2014 8:09:55 PM EDT
[#23]
see, those are the kinds of LEOs I'd like to see. Even in a lot of conservative states if you're bee-bopping around on public lands and you have a rifle there are cops that will flip out. That army guy getting in trouble with a cop in Texas is a good example. Generally a pro-gun/conservative state....but not pro-gun enough for my liking! UT sounds a lot better...
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Posted: 12/31/2014 7:16:27 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
http://i.imgur.com/OPUlwxk.jpg This was taken literally a mile from Leeds and I-15. I love that area. The remoteness is insane especially how close it is to town. It's like the city has no clue it's there. Spent 5 hours hiking there and didn't see one other person or even a vehicle closer than 1500 yards. Wow, seeing that make me really dislike the briers I was working through today hunting-with a shotgun. Wife and I are actually looking into the same thing one day for most of the same reasons. I really want to hunt those areas also, rifle country and plenty of views. |
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Posted: 1/6/2015 6:11:02 PM EDT
[#25]
One area I really like near St. George is Santa Clara. I've been visiting family in St. George since the 1970's for family reunions, and St. George is very warm, very dry.
Here's a pic of the area I'm talking about: 
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Posted: 1/10/2015 5:47:21 PM EDT
[#26]
I live in a small town about 25 miles north of cedar. Very quite and only has about 300 people in it. If you look around in Paragoonah you can find exactly what you want. If you can't shoot in your back yard there and alot of places to shoot within 10 min drives.
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Posted: 1/11/2015 6:32:05 AM EDT
[#27]
Sounds good, I'll put it on the list of places to look around!
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Posted: 1/12/2015 12:09:50 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Well headspacer send me an IM if ya ever need floors done I'm the best tile and hardwood guy around. Do a ton for Pioneer Flooring. Glad you are enjoying Cedar City and making it home for ya! Also Jek one last thing. I hike and shoot around all over Washington and Iron county. Pretty much always have a rifle when I'm out goofing around and I've never been bothered or harassed by LEO's or anyone.I must know you if you do work for pioneer. The company I was with prior worked with pioneer a lot. |
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Posted: 2/1/2015 4:41:55 PM EDT
[#29]
Is open carry accepted in southern utah on BLM land? I am not refering to big cities like St george. What about in smaller towns?
I will be moving to Virgin next month. |
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Posted: 2/4/2015 9:30:28 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Is open carry accepted in southern utah on BLM land? I am not refering to big cities like St george. What about in smaller towns? I will be moving to Virgin next month. Yes it generally is no problem, people around here expect to see others with guns when they head out into the "wild". I know a couple of guys that open carry in St George once in a while, just a holstered sidearm, and have never had a problem. Once in a while I will see an open carry while grocery shopping and out and about. I CCW while in town, and Open carry while ridding ATV's and hiking/camping etc. |
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Posted: 2/5/2015 7:28:43 AM EDT
[#31]
Cool, thanks for the reply.
Can one legally shoot coyotes on BLM land? |
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Posted: 2/5/2015 8:27:00 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Cool, thanks for the reply. Can one legally shoot coyotes on BLM land? Coyotes and Jackrabbits are fair game year round and do not require a license or anything, same with Eurasian Doves. If you are a registered "coyote hunter" with Utah's Predator Program, you can turn in the coyote jaw and ears for $50. |
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Posted: 2/6/2015 11:09:27 AM EDT
[#33]
Thanks for the link. I think I have a new hobby!
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Posted: 2/13/2015 3:27:57 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Coyotes and Jackrabbits are fair game year round and do not require a license or anything, same with Eurasian Doves. If you are a registered "coyote hunter" with Utah's Predator Program, you can turn in the coyote jaw and ears for $50. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Cool, thanks for the reply. Can one legally shoot coyotes on BLM land? Coyotes and Jackrabbits are fair game year round and do not require a license or anything, same with Eurasian Doves. If you are a registered "coyote hunter" with Utah's Predator Program, you can turn in the coyote jaw and ears for $50. |
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Posted: 2/19/2015 3:26:27 PM EDT
[#35]
I live in Enoch which is a "bedroom community" to Cedar City. Enoch has a zip code but no post office! LOL
We do have a lot of police. We also have a LOT of BLM land to go shooting. Can't quite step outside and blaze away but close. And there is no land left. It is too expensive. And the Mormons own everything! And set your clock 20 years! Now having said all of that it is a wonderfaul place to live. The folks are friendly and the population is slowly growing. Most folks that move here talk about the 'safety issue" for their kids and family. No graffiti, no traffic (unless you are around a church on Sunday). I have been here since 03 and I love it. I am retired now and also 100% VA disabled. The health care is great. |
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Posted: 2/24/2015 8:14:32 PM EDT
[#36]
I visited the St George area last week, considering a move from Va. maybe when retiring. Also visited Zion and did some hikes, that was simply amazing, pictures and words just don't do it. I did like the one area in Washington City, off of Telegraph, overlooked the valley. So, as I understand, you can just drive, hike, ride, etc onto BLM land and shoot, dirt bike, hike about, no worries?
We got lucky in a sense as we drove up Sunday on I15 to SLC-that was hairy with the snow and ice on the summits. |
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Posted: 2/24/2015 9:18:40 PM EDT
[#37]
I went to college in Cedar City...
Went shooting a lot by just driving into the foothills behind the golf course... This was in the mid-1990s. Loved it. Would move back in a heart beat, if I could... |
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