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I lived in Las Vegas for a few decades and can speak about the southern half of Utah. The temperature in St. George is only a few degrees cooler than Vegas so highs of roughly 100 F in summer and lows of 30-35 F in winter. They have Bryce Canyon and Zion, both national parks and both worth visiting but crowded. There is also Lake Powell and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon although I've never been to either one.
By far my favorite place was the Dixie National Forest just east of Cedar City. While most of Southern Utah is semi-arid, most of the DNF is on a plain at roughly 10,000 feet and consequently more alpine. There are two larger lakes there, Panguitch and Navajo, both with a good deal of trout. Not much in the way of backpacking, the Dixie National Forest is ideal for camping because you can pull off anywhere and make your campsite.
