Photography, Utah

9 Reasons to visit Utah

by wellcaffeinatedtraveller
Zion-Utah

Utah was always something of a mystery to me. I had seen photos of Zion and Bryce and knew I wanted to visit these two beautiful National Parks, but wasn’t sure what else the state had in store. So when my brother announced he was getting married at Zion National Park and the family needed to make a trip out there, I decided to fly in a little earlier and make a trip of it. The more I researched, the list of amazing places I wanted to add to my trip grew and my long weekend trip turned into a week, then 10 days then two weeks. What I ultimately discovered in Utah made me fall in love with the state and I can now look back on this as one of the most amazing trips to date. Utah is filled with natural beauty everywhere you look. The state has several “scenic byways” but really, almost every road I drove on was simply breathtaking. Here are a few of the amazing places I discovered on my tour of this magnificent state.

1. Arches National Park
Arches National Park lies north of the fun little town of Moab. Bordered by the Colorado River in the southeast, this National Park contains over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, such as the massive, red-hued Delicate Arch in the east and long, thin Landscape Arch to the north. A few must see stops include Double Arch, the Windows and Balanced Rock. Allow a full day to explore all that the park has to offer. And if you’re a hiker, plan to spend 2-3 days hiking Arches National Park – you will not be disappointed.

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Double arch at Arches National Park

2. Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah is known for its dramatic desert landscape carved by the Colorado River. The park is massive and is broken up into 3 main areas by the Colorado River. Island in the Sky is a huge, flat-topped mesa with panoramic overlooks. This area is closest to Moab and the most visited. To get a different and less crowded perspective, visit the Needles area, known for the towering rock pinnacles that give the area its name. The third and final area are the remote canyons of the Maze, which you need a guide and 4-wheel drive vehicle to explore. Starting at Island in the Sky, allow a good half day to explore before making a stop at Dead Horse Point State Park (see below) on your way to the Needles, which is a two hour drive away. After a full day of exploring the expansive canyon views, plan to overnight in the adorable little town of Monticello.

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Canyonlands National Park

3. Dead Horse Point State Park
Dead Horse Point State Park is a small state park that features a dramatic overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. The park covers 5,362 acres of high desert at an altitude of 5,900 feet. If you are a fan of spectacular views then you definitely need to stop in to Dead Horse State park on your way down to the Needles district. The entire state park can be seen in an hour to two and makes the perfect place for a picnic lunch with a view!

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Dead Horse Point State Park

4. Monument Valley
A little out of the way, but definitely worth the trip, Monument Valley, located on the Arizona-Utah border, is best known for the towering sandstone buttes of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Frequently a filming location for Western movies, the park can be accessed by the looping, 17-mile Valley Drive. The famous, steeply sloped Mittens buttes can be viewed from the road or from overlooks like John Ford’s Point. For a real treat, plan to drive down and spend the night at The View hotel, where every room offers perfect views of the iconic Mittens buttes. Photographers can set an early alarm, grab the warm blanket from the bed and camp out on the patio with a hot cup of coffee and watch the vibrant colours dance across the sky. Once sunrise is over, you can jump right back in bed and catch a couple of extra hours of sleep!

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Sunrise at Monument Valley

5. Goosenecks State Park
On your way out of Monument Valley, Goosenecks State Park is worth a quick visit. Also located near Utah’s southern border, it’s very small park – almost more like a large parking lot – overlooking the San Juan River. The views are very similar to those in Dead Horse Point, except the river flows around several large land formations forming what look like “goosenecks”. It’s quite a sight to see!

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Goosenecks State Park

6. Capitol Reef National Park 
Capitol Reef National Park is in Utah’s south-central desert. It surrounds a long wrinkle in the earth known as the Waterpocket Fold, which contains layers of golden sandstone, canyons and striking rock formations. The highlight of the park is the historical town of Fruita. Best known for its stunning orchards, the town has several places you can stop and explore including petroglyphs, an old school-house and the orchards, where you can pick your own fruit when it’s in season. And don’t miss the Gifford home, now turned into a gift shop, where a homemade fruit pie and cup of coffee makes a perfect afternoon snack!

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Gifford Barn in Capitol Reef National Park

7. Calf Creek Falls
Calf Creek Falls is home to a stunning and unexpected waterfall in the middle of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. But you have to be willing to work for it! To get there, you must first conquer a relatively flat, but sandy, 3 mile hike. Just when it seems like you can’t go any further, the sound of gurgling water meets your ears and you are treated to spectacular views of a stunning waterfall seemingly in the middle of nowhere! The hike is unshaded, so wear sunscreen and bring plenty of water. But also bring a jacket because once you get to the falls, it gets very cool. Allow approximately 3-4 hours for this 6 mile roundtrip hike.  It’s exhausting, but so worth it!

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Calf Creek Falls

8. Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is best known for its magnificent crimson-colored hoodoos, which are spire-shaped rock formations. The park’s main road leads you to several stunning overlooks such as the Bryce Amphitheater, Sunrise & Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point. But to really experience this amazing park – and perhaps feel like you have stepped onto another planet – plan to embark on one of the many Bryce Canyon hikes into the hoodoos. Beginners can enjoy sweeping views of the park on the flat, paved Scenic Rim Trail. If you have more time to spare combine two of the park’s most popular trails – The Navajo Loop and the Queens Garden Loop for a unique walk among the hoodoos!

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Bryce Canyon’s stunning orange hoodoos

9. Zion National Park
Zion National Park, located in Utah’s southwest corner, is recognizable by its steep red cliffs. The second you drive into this park you know you have entered somewhere special. Take some time to enjoy the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, which cuts through its main section, and offers spectacular views of the surrounding scenery. But to really get to know this park you’ll need to get off the main road and take the park’s convenient tram system up to some of the more secluded areas of this national treasure. For a relatively easy hike, try the Emerald Pools hike. If you don’t mind wading through water, the Narrows hike is not to be missed. And if you are a thrill seeker, don’t miss one of the most dangerous hikes in the world – the hike to Angel’s Landing! I could spend an entire week seeing everything this park has to offer, but I’d recommend at least 2 full days to fully enjoy this stunning park!

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Zion National Park

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40 thoughts on “9 Reasons to visit Utah”

  2. These parks are so amazingly beautiful! It’s surreal the work of art that nature has the ability to create. I’ve definitely heard about Monument Valley, Zion National Park and Bryce National Park – it’s interesting how many more there is to see!

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  3. Utah is so much more gorgeous than it gets credit for. Those rock formations are breathtaking. There’s a push to by the parks department to get millennials interested in our National Park system. Hopefully great posts and stunning photos like yours inspires many new visits.

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  4. A few months ago in Ljubljana, we saw an exposition of National Geographic which featured lots of Utah’s sights as well. We already started to create our favorite route, but I think we will wait until after Trump to realize it 😀

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  8. Ive only recently realised how beautiful U.S national parks are. I have yet to visit any but I have my eye on Zion! Those photos are amazing. Would you recommend Utah as a destination in itself or would you visit other states too on the same trip?

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    1. I did tow weeks of just Utah. There is plenty to keep you busy. But I’ve heard a lot of people also combine it with the Grand Canyon and maybe a few other spots in Arizona as well. It depends on what type of traveller you are.

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  10. I think Utah is a hidden beauty. We visited a lot when we were living nearby in CO and what a stunning place! The rocks seem to change color during the day as the sun changes places in the sky. Gorgeous!

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  11. I used to think there was nothing in Utah but then had friends rave and rave about it. These photos must be exactly what they are talking about. Beautiful!

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  15. I’m a sucker for majestic views, and it looks like Utah offers many spots for the best views! I can’t pick a favorite but Dead Horse Point State Park and Bryce National Park really caught my eye.

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  17. I would LOVE to visit Utah! I follow a lot of running bloggers who live in Utah and they have some amazing trails/hikes/paths. I’m totally jealous! I also really love that it is warm haha

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  18. What sunning pictures! USA seriously has amazing landscapes and many beautiful places are still pretty offbeat like Utah. Would love to visit this amazing state! 😀 Loved the article.

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  20. It’s so true that Utah is often an underappreciated state. When we did a road trip along the west coast, Utah was more of an inconvenience to get through and all we saw was Salt Lake City. If only we’d known that there was so much to see! Next time… 🙂

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  27. Ever since I first seen photos about Utah I wanted to visit it. I don’t know much about the state itself but its National Parks are simply amazing, the perfect exploration playground for a hiker and nature lover.

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  28. ahhhh I am in love with this! I’ve saved it to my bookmarks as for me, no trip to America is complete without the beautiful parks and hikes. Have you been to all these places? Love it!

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  29. I’ve visited Utah for Zion, Bryce canyon and Monument Valley (have written posts on these if you’re interested! 🙂 ). Did one of the hardest hikes at Zion, and loved every minute of it. Utah is such a gorgeous place. Downtown salt lake city is a lot of fun too!

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  31. So many national parks. Amazing! I would love to do the Canyon and the Arches for sure. The Arches has some really artistic rock formations that I have only seen in pictures. I would love to see them up close.

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  33. We are in our 60’s and live in Ottawa Canada. We are planning on driving to Utah in June 2017. We have 5 weeks for this adventure and we will be camping all the way. This information will help us in our planning. Any other information of “must visit sights” along the way would be most welcome.

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