Surf’s Up in the Utah desert? Luxury surf community planned near Zion

New “Zion Shores” development brings wave pools, million-dollar homes — and a slice of coastal life — to southern Utah

WASHINGTON, Utah – Utah may be landlocked, but that’s not stopping developers from trying to turn it into a surfer’s paradise.

Just outside Zion National Park, a new high-end housing project called Zion Shores is promising to bring beach life to the desert. Complete with artificial waves, a boardwalk, and waterfront homes, the 30-acre development in the city of Washington is scheduled to open in mid-2027.

The centerpiece of the planned community is a massive 9-acre lagoon lined with concrete and chlorinated like a swimming pool. Two wavemakers will pump out surfable swells for residents, and a third wave pool at the edge of the neighborhood will offer resort-style lounging, complete with cabanas, umbrellas, and a beachside boardwalk.

Developers are calling it Utah’s most luxurious “surf community” — and with homes starting at $1.5 million, it’s aimed squarely at deep-pocketed buyers and short-term rental investors.

“This will be a truly unique experience in the region,” said Cody Larkin, CEO of Desert Lakes LLC, the company behind the project. “We’re not just building homes. We’re building a lifestyle.”

Zion Shores will feature 65 homes in total: 22 townhomes and 43 single-family waterfront houses. The single-family homes will have direct access to the artificial lagoon, allowing residents to walk straight from their back patios into the water.

If it all sounds a bit surreal for southern Utah, Desert Lakes has already laid the groundwork. The company recently completed Southern Shores, a smaller-scale “watersports residential community” in nearby Hurricane. That neighborhood includes a 28-acre lake, a surf wave pool, and a cable lake for wakesurfing, surrounded by 56 homes — 34 of which have lakefront access.

Zion Shores, though, is designed to be a step beyond. Desert Lakes has partnered with Alaia Development Corp., another Utah-based developer, to bring a more upscale and expansive vision to life. Plans also include restaurants, retail space, and a private clubhouse.

The development will be located 45-minutes away from the entrance to Zion National Park. The community is expected to draw interest from investors in the vacation rental market — a growing and often controversial trend in Utah’s gateway towns.

With rising home prices, water scarcity, and tourism pressure already affecting communities around Zion, the project is also drawing scrutiny.

SFGATE reported Reddit and Facebook users from Washington County have been critical of Zion shores, with accusations of the region of becoming “a playground for the rich” and being a strain on water resources.