Living in Desert Reserve

Desert Reserve sits off El Capitan Way in the flat high desert of far southeast St. George, in the Desert Canyons area near the Southern Parkway. The community is being built in phases. County records show an initial phase recorded (filed with the county) in 2021 and a later phase added in 2024. Depending on where a unit sits, your neighbors may have been there for a few years or a few months.

The homes here are townhomes, not detached homes, so each one is attached to its neighbors. The builder's own listing points to a bigger package than most townhome buyers expect: fully enclosed private backyards and three-car garages on nearly every unit. That combination is the thing to know walking in. You give up a private lot for a shared subdivision. You do not give up the yard space or garage storage that most townhomes lack.

The Southern Parkway (SR-7) is the main road for this part of town. It puts the St. George Regional Airport about ten minutes north and downtown St. George about fifteen minutes northwest. This part of the city is still filling in, so expect the errand map and the neighbors around you to keep changing for a few more years.

Desert Reserve is a townhome community built by S&S Homes, with units generally running about 2,200 to 2,500 square feet. The builder's own community page has marketed pricing starting a little below the St. George median (the middle price), before extra charges for better lots and for options (upgrades you choose). It lists stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops as standard finishes. These are builder homes in a phase that is still being built and sold. You are usually buying a home the builder has available now or reserving a plan, not competing with other buyers for a resale.

What sets this community apart from a typical townhome package is its yards and garages. Most units have fully enclosed private backyards and three-car garages, which you more often find with detached homes than attached ones. County subdivision records show the plat (the recorded map of the lots) as DESERT RESERVE SUBDIVISION. Phases 1 and 2 were filed in 2021 and a third phase in 2024, which fits a builder who is still releasing new units.

Pricing and available homes shift with the builder's release schedule. Before you compare Desert Reserve to anything else nearby, check the current plans, lots, and pricing against what S&S Homes has open.

Desert Reserve sits in a corner of St. George that is still mostly open desert and undeveloped county land. That open ground runs south toward the Arizona Strip, and the airport sits on the mesa to the north. The Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and its trail network are on the far, northern side of the city, so reaching them is a drive, not a walk. Check the closest maintained trailhead against the city's current recreation map before you count on a specific distance. New trail connections are being built as Desert Canyons fills in.

Desert Reserve is served by the Washington County School District, in the Desert Hills group of schools (the schools that lead into one high school). Desert Canyons Elementary (kindergarten through fifth grade) is the assigned elementary school for this part of Desert Canyons. From there, the district's published chart sends students to Desert Hills Intermediate (sixth and seventh grade). Next come Desert Hills Middle (eighth and ninth grade) and Desert Hills High (tenth through twelfth grade). Boundaries shift as the area develops, so check the current assignment for any specific address directly with the district before you buy. For outside school data, GreatSchools and Niche both publish numbers you can weigh yourself.