Parowan: History and Activities for Your Stay

Parowan combines local history with a range of recreational activities. The Old Rock Church and the original homes and commercial buildings on Main Street provide a historic focus; Old Rock Church Days adds a celebration connected to the church. Disc golf and cycling offer two other themes. If you’re looking for a hotel in Parowan, you can consider whether history, an event, or an activity will shape your stay.

Old Rock Church and Townscape

Construction of the Old Rock Church began in 1863 near the center of Parowan’s original fort boundaries. The church was built from local stone, and construction took 13 years. The reference to the fort boundaries describes where construction began, while the local stone and construction period provide context for the building itself.

Many original homes and commercial buildings still line downtown Parowan and its tree-lined Main Street. At the southern end of Main Street, a park represents the community’s rich heritage. The historic perspective thus extends from the church building to the streetscape and a park at the southern end of Main Street.

Old Rock Church Days

Parowan Old Rock Church Days is an annual celebration. Its proceeds go toward preserving and renovating the historic Old Rock Church. The program includes demonstrations of pioneer skills such as sawing wood and shoeing horses. The June 21 and 22, 2024, edition also included pioneer activities and competitive games on Saturday morning. The preservation purpose and pioneer program give the annual celebration two distinct focal points. If the celebration is the reason for your trip, check the event dates before planning your hotel stay.

Disc Golf and Cycling

In Parowan Canyon, along SR-143 about one mile southeast of Parowan, there is an 18-hole disc golf course. It is one of four courses in Iron County. Parowan Gap offers a paved 22-mile round-trip cycling route. The approximately one mile describes the course’s location southeast of Parowan; the 22 miles, by contrast, refers to the total paved round-trip distance. This lets you distinguish between a disc golf course and a cycling route with a stated total distance.

More Insights into Parowan

The Parowan Visitor Center is housed in a former bank building and displays, among other items, an antique desk and a vault. The former bank building and the items on display add another specific local connection to the historical themes of the church and Main Street.

The Sweet Tour in Parowan visits local businesses, each of which puts its own spin on the cinnamon roll. For travelers interested in this specialty, the focus is on the different local interpretations of a baked treat. Alongside the church building and townscape, this gives you a culinary theme for your stay; the businesses’ variations are the common thread of the tour.

Discover more destinations: Cedar City, Brian Head

For the regional travel overview: Iron.