Known as a paradise for outdoor lovers and one of the most beautiful places to visit in the USA, Utah is nothing short of extraordinary. The jaw-dropping Western state offers some of the most incredible and diverse terrains on the planet from colorful desert sands and canyons, to red-rock ridges and snow-covered mountains. Here are the top 10 most beautiful places to visit in Utah.
1. Arches National Park
Traveling to Arches National Park is like visiting another planet, one with thousands of natural sandstone arches, red rocks and landforms in amazing configurations, and light that seems to change every moment. The way the shadows play across the arches makes the park especially intriguing for photographers, who are drawn to capturing its enchanting vistas at dawn and dusk in particular. But Arches National Park is not just a shutterbug's paradise.
Sitting 5 miles northwest of Moab, Utah, the park boasts 26 miles of scenic road and hikes for every level of fitness. Hikers can choose from a wide variety of trails, from short 20-minute walks to Balanced Rock and the Double Arch, to more remote and challenging treks through the Fiery Furnace and up to Delicate Arch. When you need to come back down to Earth, simply look up: the Colorado Plateau is home to some of the darkest skies in the contiguous United States, yielding impressive views of the Milky Way.
2. Monument Valley
Monument Valley is one of America’s most iconic landmarks, home to huge sandstone formations that reach up to 1,000 ft tall. The desert area is a popular hiking, jeeping and horse riding location, with local guides available to navigate you through the Valley. Steeped in a rich Native American and Old West history, Monument Valley is atmospheric and unforgettable.
3. Zion National Park
Zion National Park, located in southwestern Utah, is a breathtaking destination renowned for its stunning landscapes and diverse natural features. The park is characterized by its deep and narrow canyons, red and pink cliffs, and a wide array of plant and animal life.
One of the main highlights of Zion National Park is the Zion Canyon, which stretches for 15 miles and reaches depths of up to half a mile. Visitors can explore the canyon through various hiking trails that offer different levels of difficulty and scenic viewpoints, such as the popular Angels Landing and The Narrows.
The park is home to unique geological formations, including the famous Checkerboard Mesa and the Great White Throne. The Virgin River meanders through the park, adding to the picturesque beauty of the landscape.
Zion National Park also provides ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as rock climbing, canyoneering, and photography. Wildlife enthusiasts can spot a variety of animals, including mule deer, California condors, and desert bighorn sheep.
To preserve the delicate ecosystem, the park operates a shuttle system to limit traffic, especially during peak seasons.
4. Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is Utah's version of the Grand Canyon, without the crowds. The park has three sections, but the main portion, which attracts the majority of sightseers, is Island in the Sky. This area offers incredible vistas looking out over carved canyons and beyond to the snow-capped mountains. It is arguably as impressive as the Grand Canyon in its own unique way, and far less visited.
One of the main attractions in Island in the Sky is Mesa Arch. This beautiful stone arch, particularly stunning in the early morning hours or late afternoon, forms a window to the canyons, buttes, and torn landscape below. Also of note in this section is the White Rim Road, which runs down from the park to the valley below, following a dirt road of switchbacks along sheer cliff walls. This road is only for the brave. Visitors can catch a glimpse of the White Rim Road, across the road from the Island in the Sky Visitors Center.
Canyonlands' Island in the Sky section is located not far from the town of Moab. The main access point is reached by heading north along Highway 191, beyond Arches National Park. The Needles District is located in the opposite direction, off Highway 191 heading south from Moab and takes about two hours to reach.
The other two sections of the park, the Needles District and The Maze, offer a slightly different type of landscape but are also impressive. These areas are more remote. The Needles area is one of the best places for hiking in the park, and The Maze is a popular place for 4x4 road trips.
5. Bryce Canyon National Park
The brightly colored and tightly packed hoodoos that dominate the landscape at Bryce Canyon are what set this national park apart from the rest of the spectacular sites in Utah. Stone pillars, glowing in shades of orange, pink, cream, and cinnamon, jut up from the floor of a huge natural amphitheater, creating a magical landscape that almost begs to be explored.
A scenic drive runs through the park and provides numerous lookouts all along the canyon. However, it's worth venturing down into the forest of hoodoos on one of the numerous hiking trails in the park to fully appreciate the size and unique shapes of these formations. Bristlecone pine trees are another surprise attraction found in Bryce.
Bryce Canyon National Park is located at an elevation of 8,000 to over 9,000 feet and receives snowfall during the winter months and into spring. Temperatures up here, even in summer, can be cool to very cold. The best time to visit is from April to October, particularly if you are planning on staying at one of the campgrounds in the area.
This park might feel like it's a long way from anywhere, but there are several options for visiting Bryce Canyon from Las Vegas.
6. Salt Lake City Temple
Salt Lake City is often associated with skiing and winter activities, and certainly many of the best ski resorts in the state can be reached within an hour's drive of here. But this is a city worth visiting, regardless of the season, and offers numerous attractions and things to do.
Standing on Temple Square is the late 19th-century Temple, the largest Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one of Salt Lake City's principal sites. The temple may only be entered by church members, but it is definitely worth walking by to have a look. Another site in the area worth checking out is the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
The entire complex is in the midst of a massive multi-year renovation and revitalization, with different buildings under construction at different times. Be sure to check to see what is open before visiting to avoid disappointment.
7. Dead Horse Point State Park
Dead Horse Point State Park, delivers one of the best lookouts of any state park in Utah. The main viewpoint looks over a gooseneck in the Colorado River carving through the colorful landscape. Cliff walls rising 2,000 feet and plateaus at various levels stretch out into the distance.
On a shelf of land below the viewpoint, the Potash Road runs along a ledge. Looking to the left along this road, you can see Thelma and Louise Point, where the final scene of the motion picture Thelma and Louise was filmed.
The best way to see the sights at Dead Horse Point State Park is to take a stroll on the walking trail along the rim.
8. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a huge area of rugged terrain, with a landscape of canyons, arches, hills, waterfalls, forest, and scrubland. It offers a sense of remoteness that is hard to find in other parks.
Dirt roads, where you can drive great distances without ever passing another vehicle, are all part of the experience. Covering 1.9 million acres, this is the largest national monument in the United States, and it's managed by the Bureau of Land Management, not the National Park Service.
Hiking is a popular way to explore the region. Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail offers some fabulous scenery and is one of the most photographed locations in Grand Staircase-Escalante.
In the southern part of the monument is Paria, a town near the Paria River, founded in 1865, but abandoned by 1920. Remnants of the town and the nearby areas have been used in a number of western films.
The park offers camping, but if you're looking for a little more luxury, one of the best resorts in Utah is right next to Grand Staircase-Escalante.
9. Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef is a large national park in Utah filled with beautiful rock formations. The park is a reminder of the Old West with its colourful canyons and cliffs, and the shrubbery that lines much of the desert floor. In the park, you can find the famous Waterpocket Fold which is a huge ridge in the earth formed by shifting plates lifting one side of a fault. You can also see Native American art and rock shelters alongside later settlers’ houses.
10. Antelope Island
Situated in the Great Salt Lake – one of the largest lakes in the world – is Antelope Island, the lake’s biggest island. Antelope Island is situated near Salt Lake City making it easily accessible. The island is a haven for wildlife including its namesake antelope, as well as bison, sheep, coyotes and water birds. The island features a number of mountains and natural springs. You can also find the Fielding Garr Ranch here. The house was built in 1848 and is the oldest building in Utah still on its original foundations
11. Lake Powell
Lake Powell is a huge man-made reservoir visited by 2,000,000 people every year. It straddles both Utah and Arizona. The water is stunningly blue and the rocks contrast beautifully in hues of red, orange and yellow. In the adjacent Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, you can also find the Rainbow Bridge National Monument. This is considered to be the world’s highest natural bridge.
These are just a few highlights, and Utah has many more places to visit. Check out the video below to see more about Top 10 Places to Visit in Utah.