4.5Capitol Reef National Park(1.697 reviews) - Worth the side trip National Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
If you've been to Utah before and seen Zion and Bryce I would definitely recommend this park if you have some time. I've been to 4 of the national parks in Utah and they all have their own unique beauty. We were driving from Cedar City to Salt Lake City so we made the detour to visit Capitol Reef and we're really glad we did. You will see some reviews telling about the great hikes you can experience here but if you are limited for time I would still recommend doing the drive until the end. You will see all kinds of varied terrain and colors. I don't think this park will disappoint you.See more..
Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization focused exclusively on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. An authority and leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as lifesaving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters nationwide from 17 million per year to about 4 million. That means there are still over 9,000 dogs and cats killed in shelters each day. And we will not be done until that number is zero. Best Friends has the knowledge, technical expertise and on-the-ground network to end the killing and Save Them All(R).See more..
It takes time to get to, but Calf Creek falls are a recommended site to visit.See more..
5.0Rim Trail(178 reviews) - A great, and easy, stroll that provides a view down into the formations Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
For those who don't want to be challenged by the elevation changes, distances or heat of the amphitheater, this is a marvelous alternative. The trail runs almost the length of the park to give you many views of the interior. Another plus is that the park shuttle system, which runs frequently in season, makes frequent stops along the way and you can hop on and off without having to worry about a car. See more..
This is a lovely place to visit! The museum portion is open Tuesday-Saturday and a recommended stop if you can time your visit for one of those days. The displays are informative and helpful - definitely kid friendly! The staff was super helpful as well! Also, there's no admissions fee. The walking portion is pretty but I hardly saw any birds there. The driving portion was amazing - lots of birds, beautiful scenery and so peacefully quiet! The nearby town of Bringham City is a picturesque small town with some great shops and restaurants if you have time to stop by there as well.See more..
4.5Parowan Gap Petroglyphs(171 reviews) - Definitely worth a visit, a little walking, and a few photographs National Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
I have visited and photographed dozens of petroglyph sites across the United States, and have returned to see the Parowan Gap Petroglyphs several times. They are dramatic and varied, and lots of them are visible from the walking path on both sides of the highway. The most interesting one (to me) appears to track the sun's position in the sky relative to the gap between the hills. The site is only 3 miles off I-15, and definitely worth a stop. Also visit the adjacent "Dinosaur Footprints" site, which is not as interesting, but still nice short hike with interesting signage.See more..
5.0Bryce Amphitheatre(151 reviews) - Amazing! This Is Bryce Canyon Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Geologic Formations
The Bryce Amphitheater is the bowl that is filled with hoodoos. It stretches out and descends from the rim. Technically Bryce is not a Canyon because it doesn't have walls on both sides. The amphitheater was formed by water flowing off the rim and down into the bowl and onward from there. The Amphitheater is the main attraction at Bryce Canyon and it can be viewed from several point including Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point. The Amphitheater is magnificent. If you visit Bryce Canyon this is what you come for.See more..
2 hikes in 1. First see the dinosaur prints. This is a very short hike past the campers...do it while you have energy. Great views, flowers, and of course pre-historic prints. What more could you want? Except there's a lot more! Retrace your steps. Use the restrooms while you have the chance! Then follow the trail into the canyon. It's so beautiful! Towering red cliffs. A stream, if you are lucky. It might be dry. But still, the stream bed with trees and growth, looking very cool when it's hot out. Shade is so nice! Hike back to the falls. They might be dry. Try and go right after a rain. You can hike up to the cave and look for Indian petroglyphs. We couldn't find them, but it was cool. This place is awesome. Get a picture! One of the most amazing views ever looking thru the canyon going and coming.See more..
A friend and I went on this hike because we had seen pictures of the little steps up the waterfall, and it was such a fun hike! There were families with children crawling all over the place. There are rocks and sandy trails and the scenery is absolutely beautiful. This is a hike that I plan on visiting every time I'm in St. George. 10/10 loved it. See more..
5.0Redrock Ballooning(46 reviews) - Unforgettable Experience Spent 2-3 hours State Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Canyons • Deserts • Geologic Formations
Join Redrock Ballooning for a Hot Air Balloon flight over Moab Utah! We offer 1 hour sunrise flights daily! Bring your friends, family or significant other on an unforgettable experience. Call with any questions and book your flight today!See more..
Peaceful spot just off the Santa Clara river trail. Pond with ducks and swans. You can feed the ducks from the deck area or near the waters edge. Short trails will take you to benches or the amphitheater where you can enjoy the solitude and watch for the many small birds in the tress and bushes. It appears they have activities for families at the Nature Center often...I'm sure less peaceful during those activities.See more..
4.5Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site(43 reviews) - Petroglyph boulders Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Scenic Walking Areas
Nice grouping of petroglyphs on large boulders. Along a dirt road that was easily accessible in a stock Jeep Cherokee. About an 35 minutes from St George. Site has a pit toilet and shaded picnic table. A gravel path takes you past several petroglyphs quite close to the parking area.See more..
4.5Silver Lake(40 reviews) - Gorgeous Vistas, Great Hiking! Spent 2-3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails • Scenic Walking Areas
The drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon was amazing, but the spectacular views hiking in the Brighton area were nothing short of majestic! On a lovely September afternoon, we warmed up with the easy, picturesque hike loop around Silver Lake. The majority of the loop is a boardwalk, with benches and lake outlooks. It was very peaceful and relaxing. Then a short parking lot drive away the real hiking begins! The temperature was perfect for the strenuous, uphill hikes to Lakes Mary, Martha and Catherine. For a Kansan, hiking at the altitude of 8,500 - 10,000 feet was challenging! Taking breaks to catch our breath, and to take lots of photos, it took us about three hours to hike to the lakes and back. Lake Mary is absolutely gorgeous! We saw numerous adorable chipmunks and one moose. There are other trails in this area, and we can't wait to return to Utah, so that we can do more hiking in the Wasatch Mountains. See more..
4.5Lick Wash Slot Canyon(21 reviews) - No the Best Slot Canyon but Well Worth the Trip. Nature & Wildlife Areas • Geologic Formations
First off, I was the only one hiking the canyon the day I went. It is off the beaten path and I really appreciated the solitude. The unpaved part of the road is excellent. Suitable for any vehicle if the road is dry. Plenty of parking at the trailhead and the hike is almost flat with a sandy, rocky base. It is not strenuous and you can hike as far or as little as you want. I went in for over an hour and the scenery constantly changed. It was not boring because of the variety.From Kanab, it might take an hour to get to the trail, depending on how slowly you drive the gravel/dirt road. The photo opportunities are great. Plenty of unusual things to see. If you want a true slot canyon experience, this might disappoint. There are some narrow areas but they are fairly short before you are back in a fairly wide wash.See more..
4.5Gunlock State Park(20 reviews) - Great 2 Hour Experience. State Parks • Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas
This is a great little hike. There are a few steep areas, but with decent shoes and the ability to tolerate moderate exercise, it is a "can do" for most people. At the top of the trail, you'll be rewarded by a great little waterfall and nice views. If you are in the area, it's worth the couple of hours it takes to hike up, enjoy the scenery, take some photos, and hike down. I'd do this again.See more..
A great place to camp! It is a great place to camp. The sites are easily accessible and have good tent pads, tables, fire pits and even tables for your propane stoves. The camp hosts were very helpful. We stayed on the ebinezer loop. Linda and her husband work hard to keep the restrooms and campground clean. We loved it so much that we are headed back tomorrow. :)See more..
5.0Alstrom Point(20 reviews) - Remote but really shocked view of Lake Powell Spent More than 3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
Leave at least1.5-2 hr there before sunset. You may need 3-4 hr for round trip driving. Follow the road, not the traces. Google map app may give you a shortcut somewhere and you see some tire traces leaving the road and seems following that route on the app, but don't leave the road, even you drive 4 wheel drive. That shortcut is really bad and your SUV might not overcome some dips. FOLLOW THE ROAD. Don't drive off road after dark, you may be lost. 2WD may be OK, but high clearance is a must. The banner picture of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area at nps.gov is the view from Alstrom Point.See more..
There were 5 of us over 60 years old that did these three enjoyable, and very scenic trail. The Arches trail is down Casto Canyon Rd. to the Loose Trail head. 0.7 mile loop. Birdseye Trail along the canyon face through hoodoos. 1 and a half mile loop back to the visitor center. Pink Ledges Trail from the visitor center looping through very scenic canyons and hoodoos. Lots of colorful canyon walls. 0.4 mile loop.See more..
5.0Paria Canyon Wilderness Area(17 reviews) - The Wire and Buckskin Gultch Nature & Wildlife Areas • Geologic Formations
Man oh man, what a fantastic hike this is. If you are a fan of slot canyons this one will make your year. We accessed Buckskin Gultch by dropping in at the Wire trailhead. You hike about 3/4 of a mile and it starts to slot up, and you do the slot canyon for another 1/4 mile or so and then it opens up into a small area where it connects to Buckskin Gultch. At this point you can either go left which will take you to Buckskin Gultch trailhead or right and that takes you down the Gultch for 18 or so miles. Either way is slot canyon - major slot canyon for miles. If we were to do this again I would love to find another group to do it with so you could do the two car thing. Put the second car at the Wire trail head and then drive everyone to the Buckskin Gultch trailhead - enter there, do the walk down to where the Gultch meets the Wire canyon and walk out to the Wire trailhead - it's about 5 miles total.See more..
4.0Bonneville Seabase(15 reviews) - Salt water fish in Utah? Sunday: 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas
Snorkel or just look at the fish at this unusually-located nature center.See more..
4.0Ice Cave(13 reviews) - Great for HOT Day! Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Caverns & Caves
A quick stop at the Ice Cave was great for after hiking Cascade Falls. The cave is a little challenge to get into and you use a rope to get out. It's an open hole so no exploring inside but still worth stopping and seeing. See more..
4.5Hite Marina(10 reviews) - Perfect Nature & Wildlife Areas
If you want to get away from it all, this is the place. No WiFi, or cell service. It’s as remote as you can get. The camping is super. Quiet, maintained sites. There are full hook-up, primitive, or improved sites to pick from. Clean bathrooms and showers. A great area to stargaze. Katie is so helpful and a font of information. She let us use her phone line and even opened up the store when she was closed. I’ve never met someone that committed to their job. She even did night checks at our campsite, to us and the others camping there, to be sure everything was Ok.See more..
4.5Cascade Falls(9 reviews) - AMAZINGLY beautiful short hike Nature & Wildlife Areas • Waterfalls
Did this short hike near Duck Creek when we were visiting Cedar Breaks NM for the day. Sooo amazing from this elevation being able to see down the Zion canyon. You hike along a ridgeline with astounding views and end up at a waterfall coming out of the rock wall. It exits Navajo Lake thru holes at bottom of the lake and exits through the Rock. Truly amazing and quiet spot. See more..
4.5Manti-Lasal National Forest(6 reviews) - Scenic Drive on highway 31 from Fairview to Huntington Spent More than 3 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas • Forests
We drove this road in May and were surprised to see all the snow. We drove for miles through beautiful frozen land. We are from Florida and snow in May was exciting to us. We passed parks and an avalanche training center near the summit (about 10,000 feet). Huntington Lake was still partially frozen around the edges. This was a wonderful drive for southern flat-landers. Even the oil refineries were different for us. If you are a camper, there are many places to camp and plenty of fishing spots for those so inclined.See more..
I am a 70 year old who did a fabulous day of private canyoneering with Zion Rock and Mountain Guides. I have had a moderate amount of similar experiences (all over the past 7 years), but this was truly unique. I have limited opportunities to be in a location to canyoneer and not having done it in a few years, I was slightly nervous about my capabilities. This proved unwarranted as with Benjamin's (my guide) guidance and encouragement I was able to happily do the course (although it was quite challenging for me). At Lamb's Knoll we did 6 rappels between 30 and 90 feet, dropping into alcoves and slot canyons. The most difficult part was getting over some of the lips or sliding sideways through a narrow passage to start the rappel. I don't know how many more opportunities I will have to do this in life, but I am really glad I took advantage to this one on a trip from my home in the East. It was truly rewarding and thrilling!See more..
3.5Steinaker State Park(6 reviews) - The focus is water sports State Parks • Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas A small but nice state park with a sole focus on water sports. The camp site are good but small. Th view is great.See more..
4.0Huntington State Park(5 reviews) - Very nice state park on water - great place to camp. State Parks • Beaches • Nature & Wildlife Areas
This is a lovely state park on a really nice reservoir. Camping sites are excellent. Staff is very friendly and efficient.See more..
We stayed here one night overnight on a car camping road trip, in the summer. Nobody else was there. After the honor pay-station ($6) was a bumpy road to a bumpy parking lot. Since it was late and nobody else was there, we actually set up our air mattress right on the concrete pad around the pit toilet building. It helped block the wind enough to run our camp stove for dinner. Surrounded by dunes, mostly. Incredible sunset. I-80 magically visible in the distance. We hope to utilize this great spot again in our travels back and forth across America. (It's probably great fun for off-road vehicles, but that wasn't our thing. :) )See more..
3.5Millsite State Park(4 reviews) - Very nice park and facility. State Parks • Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas Mill site SP camping area is between Price UT and Capital Reef National Park. Price it fair, rest rooms and showers are clean, host is friendly. We liked the loop back in spaces. We were there in June 2021 and due to the Utah drought, the lake water was WAY low. It must have been 150 yards to the water. Can’t blame the park for that.See more..
2.0Piute Lake State Park(1 review) - Deserted State Parks • Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas
First went down a dirt road because I could see the bathrooms. Scary bathrooms. Then parked under a tree and walked down to the lake which was pretty far away. I'm guessing the water is really low. It was incredibly windy. Not much to see. Could hear birds but not see them. No cool rocks or shells or anything. Was worried my car would get stuck in the loose sand, but made it out ok. There was literally only one other person there. Too windy to do anything. Then I went further down the main road and saw some birds on that end. That's about it. Apparently you can camp there, but there are no facilities at all.See more..
5.0Rochester Rock Art Panel(1 review) - Amazing ancient rock art and hiking adventure! Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
What an adventure visiting this ancient rock art is!! The panel in and of itself is just amazing - but the drive and the hike round out the experience entirely! It’s totally worth it - the panel is huge and absolutely packed with all sorts of petroglyphs- mostly prehistoric from possibly the Fremont culture! The hike to the panel is such an adventure all on its own lol! It’s very short - I only did about 1.5 miles altogether- but there’s quite a bit of rock scrambling involved and the trail is very narrow along the rim of a canyon!! So be careful bc it’s a bit dangerous. And I visited at the end of August - midday like a dingbat - needless to say it was probably over 100 degrees out and full sun. I was toast by the time I got done lol! Be sure to bring water! But it is still a gorgeous hike - surrounded by canyon walls with a small river rushing below! And then you get to the panel! It’s one of the busiest rock art pieces I’ve ever seen! It’s huge and jam-packed with figures, animals, insects, unknown creatures, and even a huge rainbow which is its unique claim to fame! To get here, you have to drive several miles down a gravel road. But it’s well maintained and pretty graded so I had no issues with mud or crazy bumps or potholes. And the desert plains are surrounded by gorgeous Utah mountains. There are no bathrooms or facilities and you’re way out in the middle of nowhere so be prepared. That being said, I felt very safe - there were other hikers - all friendly. And somehow I had cell signal too!!See more..
