A St. George community
Living in Desert Trails.
A new Ence Homes subdivision on St. George's south side, off Hayrocks Drive and White Rim Court. County records show the plat recorded in 2025, which makes this one of the newer names on the map. It is not part of the Desert Canyons master plan, though the two share an elementary school, which is the common mix-up.
I am Scott Buehler. I have spent 20+ years in Southern Utah, and this page is the honest version of where Desert Trails sits, what it costs, and how it fits into the bigger St. George picture.
New to the area? Start with the St. George guide, then come back for the neighborhood.
Current listings
Homes for sale in Desert Trails.
No active listings today. Ence Homes releases Desert Trails one phase at a time, so there are stretches between drops when nothing is sitting active, and any resale from an early phase moves fast once it posts. Each time Ence opens a phase or an early owner sells, the listing surfaces on this page right away. Prefer to hunt on your own? Open the map search or start from the homepage.
Buying here
Be first in line when one lists.
Desert Trails answers to Ence Homes' release calendar more than to any season, with phases opening off Hayrocks Drive and White Rim Court in bursts. I pace that calendar through the Washington County MLS daily; tell me the plan you want on the airport side of town and each burst reaches you at its start, not its end.
Selling here
Own a home in Desert Trails?
Buyers check this exact page hoping to find your street. When you are ready, list it with me and get featured on MovingUtah. Start with an honest read on what your home is worth.
Listing information comes from the local MLS and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
On this page
Life in Desert Trails
A brand-new pocket on the south side.
Desert Trails is one of the newest subdivision names on the St. George map. Washington County's subdivision and phase records show the plat recorded in 2025, with Phase 1 filed under the county's DTR subdivision code. The streets are Hayrocks Drive and White Rim Court, laid out on St. George's south side, not far from the St. George Regional Airport.
Because the name sounds so close to Desert Canyons, it is worth saying plainly: Desert Trails is a separate, standalone subdivision built by Ence Homes. It is not a phase or village inside the Desert Canyons master plan. The two developments do share an elementary school boundary, which is almost certainly where the confusion started, but they are recorded as different subdivisions on different parcels.
As a brand-new community, Desert Trails is still filling in. Expect active construction, fresh sidewalks, and landscaping that is still maturing street by street as Ence releases new phases.
Neighborhood highlights
What is actually here.
Hayrocks Drive & White Rim Court
The two named streets inside the subdivision, per Washington County's recorded plat. Ence Homes lists its Desert Trails sales office address on Hayrocks Drive.
A 2025 plat
Phase 1 was recorded with the county in 2025, so most of what you see on the ground is new construction, not resale.
White Dome Nature Preserve
A protected desert preserve with about five miles of hiking trail and free parking off River Road, home to the dwarf bear poppy, a plant found only in Washington County.
Southern Parkway access
The south side location puts you close to SR-7, the Southern Parkway, which connects to I-15 at Exit 2 and carries traffic across the south end of town.
Homes & lots
Builder homes, still releasing.
Desert Trails is an Ence Homes community, and everything here is new single-family construction. The builder's current lineup spans roughly 800 to 2,444 square feet across ten floor plans, with both single-level and two-story layouts and a two-car garage on every plan. Builder pricing has run from the high $300,000s into the low $500,000s, depending on the floor plan, options, and which phase is releasing.
Lots are standard production-builder size, graded and landscaped as each phase completes. Because the subdivision is so new, there is not yet a meaningful resale history to compare against. The honest read for now is to compare the builder's current price sheet against what is actually listed on the MLS above, rather than lean on any older figure.
In a brand-new builder community, the phase and the plan matter more than any comp. Ask which phase you are actually buying into.
Trails & outdoors
The desert preserve next door.
The nearest named recreation is White Dome Nature Preserve, a protected desert tract off River Road with about five miles of hiking trail and a free trailhead parking lot. It is the only place in the world the endangered dwarf bear poppy grows, and the preserve does not allow dogs, bikes, or motor vehicles on the trails, so it stays a quiet walking spot rather than a mountain bike destination.
For a bike-friendly ride or a longer trail day, the Desert Canyons trail network to the east has a larger system built around mountain biking. Both are reachable from the Southern Parkway corridor that Desert Trails sits along.
Errands & drive times
Errands, measured in minutes.
Measured from Hayrocks Drive, the street inside Desert Trails. The south side location routes most errands through the Southern Parkway (SR-7) and River Road corridors.
| The errand | Where it happens | From Hayrocks Dr |
|---|---|---|
| I-15 access | Exit 2, Southern Parkway (SR-7) | ~5 min |
| Full grocery run | Sunriver Smith's Marketplace, Pioneer Rd | ~8 min |
| Trailhead | White Dome Nature Preserve, River Rd | ~8 min |
| Flights | St. George Regional Airport (SGU) | ~8 min |
| Healthcare | St. George Regional Hospital, River Road campus | ~12 min |
| Downtown | Main Street and Ancestor Square | ~15 min |
These are conservative estimates anchored to the Southern Parkway route, not a promise. The full recreation and commute picture for the whole city is on the St. George guide.
Schools & education
Schools, by the facts.
Desert Trails is served by the Washington County School District, on the district's four-tier grade structure. Builder-listed school assignments for this address run Desert Canyons Elementary (kindergarten through 5th grade), Sunrise Ridge Intermediate (6th and 7th grade), Desert Hills Middle (8th and 9th grade), and Desert Hills High School (10th through 12th grade). This is the same elementary that serves the nearby Desert Canyons master plan, which is the shared piece between the two communities. Boundaries can shift as this side of town keeps growing, so confirm the current assignment for any home you are serious about directly with the district.
I cover the bigger education picture, including Utah Tech University, in the St. George guide.
Clearing up a common mix-up
Not the same as Desert Canyons.
The shared "Desert" name trips people up, so I want to be direct about it. Desert Trails and Desert Canyons are two different, separately recorded subdivisions.
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Different recorded plats. Washington County lists Desert Trails under its own subdivision code, filed as a separate plat from the Desert Canyons master-plan filings.
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One shared school, not a shared address. Both communities are zoned to Desert Canyons Elementary. That is the real connection, not shared streets or a shared plat.
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Same builder, different community name. Ence Homes builds in both areas, which adds to the confusion if you are only skimming listing photos.
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Ask which plat you are buying into. If a listing says "Desert" anything on this side of town, confirm the exact subdivision name on the plat before you compare it to a neighboring community's comps.
What locals know
Notes from the south side.
- Because the plat is so new, expect active construction traffic and staged model homes on Hayrocks Drive and White Rim Court for a while yet as later phases build out.
- The airport is close enough that you will hear the occasional small plane, though commercial traffic at SGU is limited to a handful of daily flights.
- White Dome Nature Preserve does not allow dogs, bikes, or motorized vehicles on its trails, so it is a walking-only outing, not a mountain bike stop.
- Summer heat on this side of St. George runs the same as the rest of the valley. A well-insulated new build with a good HVAC system is standard here, not an upgrade.
Buy or sell here
The buyer side and the seller side.
Buying in Desert Trails
Desert Trails is a new subdivision on St. George's south side, off Hayrocks Drive and White Rim Court, near the St. George Regional Airport and White Dome Nature Preserve. County records show the plat recorded in 2025, and the streets sit off the Southern Parkway corridor.
No. Desert Trails is a separate, standalone subdivision built by Ence Homes. The two communities share the same elementary school zoning, which is likely where the confusion comes from, but they are recorded as different subdivisions and sit in different pockets of St. George's south side.
Desert Trails is an Ence Homes new-construction community. The builder's current lineup spans roughly 800 to 2,444 square feet across single-level and two-story plans, all with two-car garages. It is a production-builder neighborhood, so floor plan availability shifts as phases release.
Ence Homes has listed Desert Trails pricing from the high $300,000s into the low $500,000s, depending on floor plan, options, and phase. New-construction pricing moves with each release, so confirm the current number against the builder's live availability or the listings on this page before you lean on it.
Ready to look? See what is on the market or tell me what you are after.
Selling in Desert Trails
Because Desert Trails is a brand-new subdivision, resale comps are still thin. Value tracks closely against what the builder is charging for the current phase plus any premium for landscaping and upgrades already done. Start with the home valuation page and I will run a real comparison, no obligation.
List it with me and your home is featured across MovingUtah, on this page, on the St. George hub, and in the featured listings buyers browse on this site. The get featured page walks through exactly how that works.
That depends on what phase the builder is releasing and how many resale homes are competing in the same pocket. When builder inventory is tight, a finished yard and a few upgrades already done can make a resale listing stand out. Tell me your timeline and I will give you a straight read.
Yes, and it is a common move on this side of town. Timing the two is mostly a sequencing problem, and I cover the playbook in the buy and sell at once guide. Because I am dual-licensed, I can keep the sale, the search, and the financing on one desk.
Thinking about it? Start with your number or see how featuring works.
Keep exploring St. George
Want a closer look at Desert Trails?
Buying, I can pull the current phase and floor plans and tell you honestly what is actually available versus what is already spoken for. Selling, I will give you a straight number and a plan to get your home featured in front of the buyers already on this site. Either way, we start with a conversation.
Selling in Desert Trails
Want to sell your home in Desert Trails? List it with Scott Buehler and get featured on MovingUtah.
No best-agent claims and no guaranteed-price promises, just an honest read on a subdivision where comps are still thin because the plat is so new.