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Are you planning on visiting Utah? We like to call Utah "BeaUTAHful" because there are so many great places to visit.
From the arches and vibrant red rocks, to the expansive desert landscapes and sand dunes, the mountains, and the rivers, it is just stunning to see. The entire state should be declared a national park.
We spent six weeks in Utah as part of our one-year USA road trip and will return to the state again.
We spent a lot of time in Southern Utah, but this list of the best places to visit in Utah covers the entire state.
Staying in the Great Salt Lake City will give you access to all of Utah's top attractions.
Many of the top places to see in Utah in the North, as well as some of the best ski resorts in the state can be found from here.
Many of the places in this guide are national parks and in rural areas you need a car. Rental Cars.com is the world's leading car rental booking service that compares brands like Avis and Alamo.
You can take a road trip to see these attractions. If you want to save money on accommodations and take your vacation levels up a notch, then RVshare is the place to go.
Utah is all about the outdoors. There aren't many big cities with fancy lights here. Being close to the outdoors and preserving the state's natural beauty is what it's all about.
We suggest you visit these places if you enjoy nature.
One of the most popular national parks in the US is Zion National Park.
It is the fourth most visited park and you can feel it at Zion as you are in a narrow canyon.
Zion Utah is a Southwest USA wonder because of its huge red and white sandstone cliffs that can be seen from the forested river bed.
It is one of the most spectacular canyons in Utah and attracts people from all over the world.
Zion's beauty will capture your heart and will give you memories to share around the campfire.
Zion National Park in Utah is one of the best places to visit with children as the majority of the hikes are family-friendly.
Our children say that Zion National Park is their favorite national park in the US.
There are highlights.
We claim that Capitol Reef National Park is one of the prettiest national parks in the US.
If you haven't heard of it, it will be on your bucket list after today.
The domes, towering cliffs, twisting canyons, arches, and bridges have different colors with the light.
The Waterpocket Fold is the main feature of Capitol Reef NP.
The canyon, arches, cliffs, domes, and bridges of Capitol Reef National Park Utah are shaped by water.
We spent three days admiring its many hiking trails and scenic drives, but didn't get to do many things.
There are highlights.
Snow Canyon was the most surprising place we've visited in Utah.
We compared it to a mini version of Zion NP because it is as beautiful and unique as any national park.
We were surrounded in colors of pink, burnt orange, red, yellow, and whites. It was rounded off by the blue sky.
We were blown away by the spectacular Snow Canyon hikes we did, particularly the Petrified Sand dunes trail, and our kids got a good visual and understanding of how they were once sand and the wind ripples were frozen into rock.
It was fascinating to explore the lava tubes that were created when the volcano erupted.
I have to say that Snow Canyon Utah is almost as beautiful as the nearby Zion National Park.
If you have more time, you can check out the Coral Pink Sand Dunes.
There are highlights.
One of the four Utah national parks is Canyonlands National Park, which is close to the nearest town of Moab.
Some of the best hikes and scenic drives can be found here.
Canyonlands is unique in that it is separated into three districts by the Colorado and GreenRivers carving their way through the canyon.
Through the national park, the green and Colorado rivers form a Y.
There are mostly unpaved roads and primitive trails in Canyonlands NP. You can find a lot of adventure here.
There are highlights.
We've done sunset at Dead Horse State Park twice now, and it's one of my favorites in the USA.
It is one of those Utah tourist attractions that is still a secret with only a few people around, even though it was busy during our recent visit.
We incorporated it into our visit to the Islands in the Sky district of Canyonlands.
Pack a picnic, find a comfy spot on the rim, pour yourself a glass of wine or two, and enjoy nature's greatest gift.
It is an experience that will stay with you.
Some places are higher up than others. They have a magnetic pull that makes them look great.
One of the best places to see in Utah is Monument Valley.
When you arrive, you can feel its energy.
One of our favorite places in Australia is Monument Valley. Monument Valley is located in Arizona but straddles the border with Utah so it's a great place to visit if you're in Utah.
You can either drive the road yourself or take a tour with a guide.
You can only get to restricted areas with a guide. It was a highlight of our USA road trip so far.
Charles was very accommodating to our large group of people.
Some of the adventurous off-roading tracks we went on were made even more enjoyable by the open jeep we rode in.
Some of the traditions of the Navajo people were learned during our visit to a traditional home.
The Valley of the Gods is located north of the Monument Valley.
It is like Monument Valley with its isolated buttes, towering pinnacles, and wide open spaces.
We did the Valley of the Gods scenic drive and found a beautiful spot off the side of the road for a couple of nights.
There is a 15-mile loop road through the Valley of the God that includes hills, washes, and bumpy dirt roads. This drive has so much to offer and it adds to it.
You should enter from the east side, as the west could be difficult for some RV's to navigate.
There are amazing rock formations. There are no hiking trails here so we just drove.
It's a good idea to put this destination on your road trip itinerary.
One of the best places to see arches in Utah is at this National Park, which has more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches.
Over 100 million years of erosion have created these arches.
You can see the orange and red rock arches as you drive along the scenic drive, but you can also see the towering spires, pinnacles, and balanced rocks.
The Landscape Arch is the longest at a span of over 300 feet.
Old arches are being destroyed and new arches are being formed.
An 18-mile paved loop road will show you a vibrant and colorful landscape filled with fins and pinnacles and hiking trails.
Many of the hikes in Arches Park Utah are easy and fun for kids.
There are highlights.
We went to the national park in 2006 but haven't been back since, but it's still one of our favorites.
One of the most popular places to visit in Utah is the canyon of the same name. There is a kingdom of bright orange and pink spires and towers, archways, and paths leading into enchanted forests.
There was a sea of orange surrounding us as we hiked and explored the trails.
Our most memorable travel experience was riding a horse into the canyon with Jake. Jake was a real cowboy with leather pant protectors, a cowboy hat, and whiskey jokes.
We walked down into the canyon, in and out of ravines, and under archways, in awe.
One of the prettiest things to see in Utah is at sunrise, and it is worth the trip.
The only road in Utah that is recognized as an All American Road is the scenic Highway 12.
We liked the section from Capitol Reef to Escalante.
We have done some sections of Highway 12 and found it to be a lunar-like landscape mixed in with every color of the rainbow.
During your Utah National Park road trip, you will most likely drive some of Highway 12.
The Lower Creek Calf Falls was a great surprise. There is a waterfall gushing down over the cliff in a tropical place.
One of the most popular hiking trails is the out and back trail. It is 19 miles from the town of Escalante, Utah, and reminded us of the hiking in the region.
It took us a long time to get there with an elevation gain of 500 ft.
The view along the valley and the walls of the escarpment were gorgeous. The sandy track made it more difficult.
It was worth it when we got there.
The kids contemplated swimming in the pools under the falls.
You can take a scenic drive from Moab along the Colorado River to Fishers Towers, which is a 4.4 mile return hike through rocky terrain, gullies, hoodoo spires, and towering cliffs.
The towers are made of sandstone capped with Moenkopi sandstone and caked with red mud.
Mission Impossible and Geronimo were both filmed in Utah.
We did not hike the full distance, but the views over the valley were great.
There is a winery on the way back to Moab. The first winery in Utah was the only winery in the whole state.
Do you want to go to Utah with your family? Do you want to go on an adventure? Sand Hallow State Park is a great place to visit.
The off-road trails at this 20,000-acre state park take you to 3,500 feet in elevation.
Outside of St. George, there are some of the best ATV trails in Utah.
It is Utah's newest State Park and is already one of the most visited destinations in the Utah State Park system.
The clear blue of the man-made lake surrounded by orange sand dunes, red rock formations, and the snow peaks makes this a feast for the eyes.
There is no better way to explore it than on a quad bike.
It's okay. There is a hidden secret happening. In Utah, this is one of the most unique places.
We haven't heard of this Utah destination until we joined the RV community.
There are a lot of mythical creatures in the park.
The playground that our kids had in their heads came to life with endless places to crawl, climb, and hide.
The valley is small but large enough for you to explore further.
We decided to let the kids run wild playing hide and seek and tag while we sat on top of a Goblin and enjoyed a much-needed rest.
We went to the Natural Bridges National Monument with our trip to the Valley of the Gods.
The drive up the escarpment from the Valley of the Gods was amazing and a thrill we weren't expecting.
Three natural bridges are charged by water.
You can either take a scenic drive or hike to the viewpoints.
It is possible to do a loop walk that connects the natural bridges.
In order to get to the bridge, we had to hike down into the canyon, which involved a few ladders and lots of views.
One of the top Utah landmarks is the second largest natural bridge in the world, and in Hopi mythology it is called the gateway to the world.
Most people visit Moab to go off-roading and to use it as a base to visit Arches NP and Canyonlands NP, two of Utah's most popular parks.
There is a lot of places to eat and there is a lot of free camping space.
We got a great group discount on jeep hire and knew it would be a lot of fun to explore the back roads of Moab, which is famous for it.
We hit the trail and our first rock during our jeep adventure. We learned how to manage our fears, enjoy our screams, and crawl up and down rock faces.
Jeeps are one of the most fun things to do in Utah, and we know why.
The scenery was beautiful and reminded us of the Verde Valley. The jeeps were fun to drive in the sand dunes.
We would love to go kayaking, mountain biking, or stand-up paddle boarding again, since we loved biking along the Colorado River.
Wow! We did one of the most amazing hiking adventures.
Our kids had a blast and did not want this 3.5 mile adventure to end as they climbed over rock faces, small holes, and boulders, and wiggled their way through the slots.
We had backpacks off our backs.
We climbed down into the canyon after sliding through the crack.
This is one of the top things to do in Utah if you want an Indiana Jones adventure.
It gets very hot here in the summer so get there early to avoid the crowds and bring plenty of drinking water.
You don't have to visit Arches National Park to see amazing arches.
You can take a 3-mile round trip hike to the opening arch of the Corona Arch, which is 140 feet by 105 feet.
Corona Arch is often overlooked as one of the best places to visit in Utah because it is close to Arches NP and Canyonlands NP.
The kids needed to climb small ladders and use safety cables to get to the top of the mountain. Kids as young as five have completed this trail.
The drive from Moab to the trailhead was beautiful. This is a good hike in Utah.
We camped in our RV at Lone Rock Beach campground for five nights.
A lot of the time, it's just to relax and catch up on work.
It was a great place to play for kids and adults. After working out, we went for a dip in the lake.
Lone Rock is where our kids did a half-daysurvivor challenge. The kids played for four hours and tried to stay as long as possible. They were driven into our arms by the hunger.
I would love to go back to this spot for more camping and to explore the Glen Canyon Recreation Area.
Although it is one of the top places to visit in Utah for relaxation, we did not stay on the beach the whole time and went to Page, Arizona.
You should stop at the Glen Canyon Dam. There is a small museum where visitors can learn more about the construction of the dam and the importance of water.
You can take a tour if you want to. We didn't go on the tour.
St George in southeastern Utah is a great jumping off point for some of the best natural beauty in the state.
We would like to go back again to visit other places in Southern Utah.
The Red Cliffs Nature Trail is one of the most fun hiking trails in the USA.
When we got to the slot canyon, it was icy and we had to wade through it. We didn't go far.
A waterfall blocks the trail as you go further down the canyon.
There are over 100 miles of non-motorized trails in Southwest Utah and two wilderness areas.
Park City Mountain Resort is a great place to visit in Utah during the winter season. This is a great place to ski and snowboard.
Several training courses for the U.S. Ski Team can be found at the resort. The biggest lift-served ski resort in the U.S. is located here, so you will never run out of runs.
The runs here are great for skiers of all levels. One of the longest green runs in the state is the Home Run, which is ideal for the more adventurous skier.
It is the ideal winter vacation spot in Utah because of the family friendly atmosphere.
Cedar Breaks National Monument is one of the best places to see bright red rocks and jaw-dropping canyons.
Outside of Cedar City, it is considered a natural amphitheater. The canyon is similar to other parks in Utah, with its large gorges and red and yellow rock face, but the rock is a little more eroded than other parks.
If you want to see stunning natural landscapes that are a bit further away from the main tourist trail, then this is the place for you.
This area becomes more unique in the winter. The high elevation has made it aware of this. The park is closed from October to May due to this.
There are more than 1,500 dinosaur fossils embedded into the cliffs of the Carnegie quarry.
A viewing station has been set up so that visitors can have a closer look at the fossils.
It's a great spot for hiking and rafting because of the mountains, desert, and rivers that slow through the canyon.
This is one place in Utah that is worth a visit.
We have already shown you what we think is on this list, but Antelope Island is very different. Approximately 600 free-ranging bison, as well as many other desert animals, can be found on the island.
The island is located in the Great Basin and is surrounded by mountains.
Millions of birds congregate here, and it is one of the best places to see wildlife in the state. In Utah, the best time to visit is in the fall when the bison are most active.
Wild animals can be seen on the hiking and biking trails at the park. You can go to the beach there. If you want to spend the whole day at the beach, there are showers and a restaurant at the bridger bay beach.
You can see the Earth from the salt flats. It looks like a lake in the snow, stretching over 30,000 acres. There is no vegetation in the area.
On a hot day, heat waves rise from the soil and make the desert look like it is covered in water.
The salt flats can be seen from the I-80. You can get a rest stop east of Wendover. The rest area is where you can see the flat land that I described above.
This is a great place for photographers.
It's a good idea to walk onto the salty soil, but make sure you clean the salt from your shoes when you return. The rest stop has a spray station.
There are 25 places to visit in Utah. There is a lot of nature to be explored. You will find it all in Utah, whether you are looking for canyons or mountains.
Make sure you book your accommodations before you leave. Thousands of hotels in Utah can be found on Booking.com. You can get free cancellation on most rooms.
Our Utah bucket list can be accessed when you join our free email tribe.
What do you recommend to do in Utah? Don't forget to share in the comments.
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