Saint George, Utah April 1998 At the center of this near-vertical view is the city of Saint George in the desert of southwestern Utah. The town is in the Virgin River valley, about 60 miles northeast of Lake Mead. Saint George is a tourist center for southern Utah’s national parks such as Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Cedar Breaks. The city was founded in 1861 by Mormons and named “Dixie” because the area was a center for growing and processing cotton. Saint George is now noted for livestock and fruit orchards; it is also a growing retirement community. The small town of Cedar City, north-northeast of Saint George is discernible in the break in the clouds at upper left of the image