Veyo Pool Resort

What to expect

Veyo Pool is a swimming hole for hot desert summers, not a place for a long hot soak. It is a rectangular cement pool built in 1927 at the bottom of Crawdad Canyon, a narrow basalt gorge cut by the Santa Clara River just below the small town of Veyo. A natural warm spring, which the resort says rises from about 800 feet down, feeds the pool continuously. Nothing is added to the water.

The temperature is the key fact. The resort says spring water enters at around 96°F36°C and cools to the high 80s in the main pool, and a 2014 St. George News piece put it at about 87°F31°C. That is warm for a swimming pool and cool for a hot spring. If you get chilly, stand by the inlet where the warm water pours in. Staff have long drained the pool overnight and refilled it with fresh spring water.

The pool keeps an old-fashioned feel: no slides, no splash pad, a roped-off shallow end for small children and a deep end of about 7 feet in older descriptions. Around it the canyon has grown into a small resort, now branded Veyo Pool and Crawdad Canyon. There is a poolside grill (the Lava Grill), pickleball, volleyball and basketball courts, rentable decks and patios, and picnic sites. The creek beside the pool is full of crawdads, and kids spend hours catching them with kits sold on site.

The canyon walls are a climbing area in their own right, with 234 bolted routes on basalt. Climbing is included in the day pass, but there is no gear rental, so bring your own rope and rack.

Getting there

Veyo is on State Route 18, about 17 miles north of St. George.

• From St. George: Drive north on SR-18 (Bluff Street becomes the highway) past Snow Canyon State Park toward Veyo. As the highway drops down “Veyo Hill” toward the bridge over the Santa Clara River, look right for the Veyo Pool sign before the bridge.
• The turn: It is a sharp right off the highway onto Veyo Resort Road. Slow down early. The road then curves around and down into Crawdad Canyon. The resort address is 287 E Veyo Resort Road.

Vehicle numbers in the canyon are capped by the county and the fire department. Parking down in the canyon is tied to a campsite or picnic site reservation, so day visitors without one should expect to park up top and walk down the resort road into the canyon. RVs and trailers stay at the top in all cases.

When to go

Summer is what Veyo Pool is for. Crawdad Canyon is usually 12 to 15 degrees cooler than St. George, and there is often a breeze off the river. Weekends and school holidays bring families from all over the St. George area, so arrive near the 10 a.m. opening for a deck chair.

May, September and October are quieter. On cooler days the high-80s water feels less warm once you get out, so pick a sunny afternoon.

November to April the pool is closed. The canyon is open by reservation only for climbing, crawdad catching and camping. This is a normal seasonal closure, not a sign the resort has shut.

Prices and booking

All prices are the resort’s posted 2026 rates.

• Canyon Access Pass (day pass): $18 per visit for all ages. Under 2 is free. This covers the pool, climbing, crawdad catching, hiking and the courts.
• Punch passes: 10 visits for $13 each or 30 visits for $9 each. They never expire and can be shared. Groups of 10 or 30 get the same per-person rates with advance purchase.
• Overnight guests pay $18 per person per night for canyon access on top of lodging.
• Decks and patios: from $30 per time slot.
• Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from May 1 to October 31. The Lava Grill opens 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. After-hours private pool rentals can be arranged by calling (435) 574-2300.

Every adult signs a waiver, online beforehand or on iPads at check-in, and parents sign for children.

Rules worth knowing: no glass in the pool area at any time, no alcohol in the pool area (it is allowed at your own campsite or picnic site), and no smoking or vaping there. Wear your wristband for the whole visit. Campfires, charcoal and open flames are banned everywhere on the property all year. No animals are allowed except ADA service animals.

Where to stay nearby

• In the canyon: 30 tent sites along the creek from $30 a night, and a farmhouse with four bedrooms and two baths that sleeps 10, from $259 a night. Book online. Quiet hours start at 9 p.m., generators are off from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m., and campsites must be cleared by 10:30 a.m.
• RV dry camping: an area at the top of the canyon for $35 a night.
• Snow Canyon State Park, on SR-18 between St. George and Veyo, has a campground among red and white sandstone.
• St. George, about 17 miles south, has the full range of hotels and restaurants.

Safety notes

• Deep water. The deep end is well over a child’s head. Keep young children in the roped shallow section and watch them closely.
• Glass and footing. Wet concrete and lava rock around the pool are slippery. Wear sandals between the pool, the decks and the creek.
• The creek. The Santa Clara River is small but rocky. Supervise kids catching crawdads.
• Climbing. Routes are bolted but you need your own gear and the skills to use it. There are no rentals on site.
• Heat. The canyon is cooler than St. George, but it is still southern Utah in summer. Drink plenty of water and use shade.

Nearby stops worth adding

Snow Canyon State Park is a short drive south on SR-18 and has hiking on petrified dunes and lava flows. Gunlock State Park, west of Veyo, has a reservoir that is popular for summer swimming and boating, and pairs well with an afternoon at the pool.