The Best Things To Do In Utah
In our opinion, Utah is one of the most underrated states in the US with a never-ending list of things to see, national parks to visit, and hidden gems to explore. Utah is 75% public land - 35 million acres belong to the public. To put things into perspective, Texas is only 4.2% public land!
With 5 national parks and so much terrain to explore, it can be challenging and overwhelming to plan a trip to Utah. Although you could see the top sites in a week-long trip to Utah, we highly recommend two weeks to experience many of the less popular caves, slot canyons, sand dunes and scenery. We spent two weeks exploring Utah and it felt like we only touched the surface of this beautiful state.
Read below to learn more about our trip to Utah. We have organized this guide into the following sections:
Where to stay in Utah
This was one of our biggest questions when planning our trip to Utah. The national parks are geographically spread out and there are relatively few populated cities, especially in Southern Utah. Because we worked remotely during the weekdays we spent in Utah, we did not have the ability to camp. Our top requirements for places to stay in Utah included:
Centrally located to the main national parks
Nearby hidden gems to explore
Grocery store in town
Cell service
Given our requirements, we landed on staying in Kanab for a majority of our time in Southern Utah. We also spent two nights in Moab during our trip to see Eastern Utah.
Kanab, Utah
What an awesome town! Although there are closer places to stay near Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, respectively, we couldnโt find a town that was more centrally located than Kanab. With a handful of restaurants, two grocery stores and several nearby hidden gems to explore, we absolutely loved our stay in Kanab. Check out these drive times to many of the more popular destinations in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona:
Kanab, UT drive times to:
Zion National Park: 50 mins
Horseshoe Bend: 1 hr 14 mins
Bryce Canyon National Park: 1 hr 28 mins
Grand Canyon National Park: 1 hr 30 mins
Escalante, Utah: 2 hr 11 mins
Capitol Reef National Park: 3 hr 08 mins
Kanab is a great home base for exploring Southern Utah. In addition to being centrally located to the more well known destinations, there are several incredible local places to explore near Kanab! Read more below on our top recommendations for things to do in Kanab, Escalante and Southern Utah.
Book your stay in Kanab today! Use this link to get $65 off of your first Airbnb stay.
Moab, Utah
Exploring Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park falls just outside of โday tripโ distance from Kanab, Utah. Fortunately, Moab is one of the coolest towns we have visited and is very close to both. Moab is sort of like Las Vegas for ATV junkies. Check out these distances from Moab:
Arches National Park: 11 mins
Canyonlands National Park: 40 mins
Capitol Reef National Park: 2 hr 12 mins
Moab is a fun city with tons of restaurants and hotel options for exploring Eastern Utah. Read more below for our top recommendations and places to explore in the Moab area!
Book your stay in Moab today! Use this link to get $65 off of your first Airbnb stay.
The Big 5 National Parks of Utah
We have been to most of the national parks in the US, and all we can say is that we were completely blown away by the beauty of Utahโs โBig 5โ. Because these national parks have so much to offer and areas to explore, weโve highlighted our top tips and recommendations for visiting Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches.
Zion National Park
Arguably the most popular national park in Utah, Zion does not disappoint! However, visiting Zion requires more planning and preparation than most national parks as there are several important things to know before going. Read more about our recommendations for the The Best Things to do in Zion National Park.
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive Tickets: The most popular area of Zion is only accessible by a shuttle bus from March through November (peak season) - private vehicles are prohibited. Although the tickets are only $1, they must be purchased in advance via the Recreation.gov website for a specific date. We suggest avoiding the shuttle (due to COVID) and renting e-bikes to explore Zion National Park! The e-bikes require a 1-2 week advance booking so plan accordingly.
Toxic Cyanobacteria Bloom in the Virgin River: Probably not the words you want to hear when, the popular Narrows Hike, involves wading up to your waist in the Virgin River. This toxic bloom most recently happened in the summer of 2020 and has killed several dogs that drank from the river. Make sure to check the Zion National Park website for the most up-to-date information.
The Narrows Hike Gear Rental: If youโre brave enough to risk the toxic cyanobacteria of the Virgin River, itโs highly recommended to rent gear for the Narrows. There are several outfitters in Springdale which rent equipment for this hike: canyoneering boots, neoprene socks, dry pants (optional), and a hiking stick
With the important items to know before visiting Zion out of the way, read below for the best things to do in Zion National Park:
1. e-Bike Rental
Because the Zion Scenic Drive is not accessible to private vehicles, and we didnโt feel comfortable taking a shuttle bus during a pandemic, we rented e-bikes to explore this scenic area! We highly recommend renting in advance through Zion Cycles as we had a great experience working with them. Make sure to ask for an optional lock in order to lock your bikes in Zion to go on hikes.
2. Riverside Walk Trail
At the end of the Zion Scenic Drive is the Riverside Walk Trail which is a paved, flat, and absolutely beautiful walk along the Virgin River. This trail ends at the trailhead (river entrance) to start the Narrows Hike.
3. The Narrows Hike
We did not do the Narrows Hike due to the toxic bacteria in the Virgin River, however, we saw hundreds of people still doing this bucketlist hike. Make sure to rent appropriate canyoneering gear for this hike!
4. Angels Landing
Often referred to as โthe most dangerous hike in the worldโ, Angels Landing is no joke! At only 5 miles round trip, with 1500 ft of elevation gain, donโt be deceived by the stats on paper. The last section of this hike is only a couple feet wide, with 2000+ ft drop-offs on either side. For those not feeling up for hanging onto a chain for this last section, we recommend stopping at Scout Lookout, on the way to Angels Landing.
5. Canyon Overlook Trail
Outside of the main Zion Scenic Drive, we HIGHLY recommend the Canyon Overlook Trail. This trailhead is located near the East entrance to Zion National Park, just before the tunnel and gives way to absolutely incredible views of Zion. At only 1 mile round-trip this trail can get quite crowded during the day. We packed our headlamps to do this hike for sunset and absolutely loved it.
Bryce Canyon National Park
To be honest, we went into Bryce Canyon with low expectations and we were completely blown away! Bryce has some of the most unique landscape we have ever experienced. The canyon used to be underwater which formed Bryce Canyonโs iconic hoodoos which seem to completely defy gravity. Read more about The Best things to do in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Bryce Canyon is very accessible and does not require as much preparation planning as Zion, however, it does get crowded! With limited parking at some of the most popular areas of Bryce, we definitely recommend arriving early. Below are our top tips for a morning visit to Bryce Canyon National Park.
1. Arrive early for sunrise!
To beat the crowds and to experience an absolutely magical morning, arrive at Bryce Canyon early to watch the sunrise over the Bryce Amphitheater. This morning light causes the hoodoos to glow.
2. Inspiration Point Lookout
Watch the sunrise at Inspiration Point Lookout. This section along the rim of Bryce Canyon gives stunning views of the amphitheater while the sun rises and the hoodoos glow. Walk up to the top lookout for the most spectacular sunrise.
3. Walk the Rim Trail to Sunset Point
As the sun rises, walk the Rim Trail from Inspiration Point to Sunset Point. This, mostly flat, trail wraps around the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater and offers several lookouts for different views of the rock formations below.
4. Navajo Loop Trail
There is a reason this is the most popular hike in Bryce Canyon - itโs absolutely stunning! The Navajo Loop Trail is a 1.5 mile round-trip loop that starts near Sunset point and takes you down into the hoodoos. We highly recommend doing this loop clockwise for the best light and least amount of people for the most scenic parts! This loop also offers up close views of Thorโs Hammer - one of the largest and most popular hoodoos in Bryce Canyon.
5. Natural Bridge
This 85 ft massive natural arch in Bryce Canyon was formed over millions of years. We suggest driving to the Natural Bridge only if you have extra time to spend and the park isnโt too crowded. We were on a tight schedule and skipped the Natural Bridge in order to spend more time exploring some of the less crowded places near Escalante, Utah.
Arches National Park
Arches is the most accessible and โdrive-friendlyโ national park in Utah. The park entrance is only 11 minutes from downtown Moab, making it very accessible and family friendly. We were shocked by how many arches there are to see. Most of the arches are visible from the roadway, or via a short hike. Below we have consolidated our favorite arches in Arches National Park.
1. Delicate Arch
The most popular arch in the state of Utah and recognizable from the Utah license plate, is Delicate Arch. This arch does require a ~3 mile hike to visit and, as you can imagine, is very popular. We HIGHLY recommend visiting Delicate Arch for sunrise and sunset. We did both and absolutely loved it. The trail is a bit challenging to follow at times, so if you plan to visit for sunrise, we suggest using a GPS app, like Gaia, or doing the hike before hiking it in the dark so you know where to go.
2. Landscape Arch
This gravity defying arch is quite a spectacle and itโs accessible by an easy 1.5 mile round-trip hike.
3. Partition Arch
Just past Landscape Arch on the Devilโs Garden Loop is Partition Arch. This was one of our favorite arches in the park and you can even walk into it.
4. Double Arch
A short walk from the Windows Road parking lot is Double Arch. The two interlocking arches provide really unique photo opportunities.
5. Skyline Arch
Visible from the roadway, Skyline Arch is another iconic arch in Arches National Park that tops our list for our favorite arches in the park.
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands is a short 40 minute drive from Moab and, as the name suggests, has stunning canyon views. The park is also home to one of our all-time favorite sunrise locations, Mesa Arch! We suggest spending at least 6 hours in Canyonlands to see everything this park has to offer. Below are our top recommendations for Canyonlands:
1. Mesa Arch
Even if youโre not a photographer, experiencing sunrise at Mesa Arch is something everyone should do at some point in their life. What an incredible experience. Photographers, make sure to arrive 90 minutes before sunrise for the best tripod spots. Also, bring a headlamp as itโs a .2 mile hike (walk) to the arch, and bring a wide angle lens, as Mesa arch has quite the horizontal span. For non-photographers, if the actual sunrise isnโt your goal, arrive just after sunrise for stunning light/glow on the arch and no crowds! We know, it surprised us too, but most of the photographers left immediately after sunrise.
2. Grand View Point Overlook
Grand View Point is located at the end of the Island in the Sky road and the short walk provides incredible views of the surrounding areas below.
3. Shafer Canyon Overlook
This overlook is right on the main roadway in Canyonlands and has great views of the canyon, along with cool views of the Shafer Canyon Road that hugs the mountainside as it switchbacks below. Itโs incredible to watch people brave this roadway and slowly make their way below.
4. Green River Overlook
The Green River Overlook provides beautiful views of the canyon below, and is right off a scenic and paved sideroad in Canyonlands.
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef is the least popular national park in Utah, but we were completely blown away by the beauty of this park. We visited Capitol Reef on our drive from Kanab to Moab, as well as on our drive back as itโs in a fairly rural part of Utah.
Itโs possible to see most of the park with a quick drive through the main roads, however, we plan to come back to Capitol Reef to visit some of the more remote areas which require an off-road vehicle to explore! Below weโve outlined some of the top things to do in Capitol Reef National Park:
1. Scenic Drive
Make sure to drive the out-and-back scenic drive through Capitol Reef for some stunning views of the park.
2. Gifford Homestead
Rumor has it that the Gifford Homestead, near the Capitol Reef Visitorโs Center has some of the best homemade pie and cinnamon rolls. Unfortunately, these sell out by early afternoon so we werenโt able to try the popular baked goods. We did try their homemade ice cream and highly recommend stopping by for a mid day treat.
3. Hickman Natural Bridge
This easy 2 mile round-trip hike gives way to a natural 133 ft bridge / arch!
4. Goosenecks Overlook
A scenic overlook of the Sulphur Creek which has cut deep into the rock, exposing layers of rock formations from millions of years ago.
5. Cassidy Arch
This 3.1 mile out-and-back hike is on our list for the next time we visit Capitol Reef! We ran out of time to visit the largest arch in the park.
6. Cathedral Valley
This northernmost part of Capitol Reef is home to some of the most iconic rock formations, but is only accessible via high clearance 4x4 vehicles. This area is high on our list for our next visit to Utah.
Kanab, Escalante, Southern Utah and Northern Arizona
Southern Utah and Northern Arizona are packed with beautiful places to visit. This sparsely populated part of the country feels like a different world with the unique landscapes and colors. Outside of the Big 5 National Parks, there is so much to explore! Below are some of our suggestions for things to do and places to visit in the Kanab, Escalante, Southern Utah and Northern Arizona:
1. Coral Pink Sand Dunes
This state park is located just 25 mins West of Kanab, UT and is such a fun place to explore. Itโs a popular ATV spot, and also a popular sandboarding spot with the huge sand dunes. We highly suggest going for sunrise and sunset as the sky glowing over the sand dunes is spectacular.
2. Moqui Caverns
These man made caverns, located just a few minutes North of Kanab, are really fun to explore and provide great photo opportunities. Go in the afternoon to catch light streaming into the caverns. Also, The Cave Cafe, near the Moqui Caverns serves AMAZING acai bowls!
3. Peekaboo Slot Canyon (Kanab)
Not to be confused with Peekaboo Slot Canyon in Escalante, Peekaboo near Kanab is a hidden gem! This slot canyon is only accessible by a high ground clearance offroad vehicles, however, there are many companies that offer tours.
4. Kanarraville Falls
This slot canyon requires wading through water to a waterfall and a beautiful ladder. The falls are limited to 150 visitors per day, so make sure to book $12/person tickets in advance.
5. Buckskin Gulch via Wire Pass Trailhead
This was one of our favorite slot canyons to explore as it seems never ending! Buckskin Gulch is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the Southwest United States. At over 21 miles long, there is so much to explore! Itโs most easily accessible for a quick day trip via the Wire Pass Trailhead which requires 8 miles of driving down a fairly well maintained dirt road (two-wheel drive should be ok). Be on the lookout for bighorn sheep petroglyphs when you enter Buckskin.
6. ATV Rental
This rural part of the country is well known of 4x4 tours and ATVs! Unfortunately, we had rain on the day we planned to rent ATVs but we canโt wait to come back to explore roads and canyons only accessible via offroad vehicles.
7. Zebra Slot Canyon (Escalante)
This popular slot canyon near Escalante is quite the adventure. Only visit this slot canyon if youโre okay with REALLY tight spaces and donโt get claustrophobic. This ~5 mile round-trip trail requires wading through waist to chest deep water and tight passes less than 6 inches wide. To be honest, we think this hike is a bit unsafe and not worth the effort. Not to mention, this was VERY crowded on a Saturday. If youโre brave enough to do this slot canyon, the rocks are pretty!
8. Peekaboo and Spooky Slot Canyons (Escalante)
This two-for-one slot canyon experience is a loop, which means you wonโt have to worry about people squeezing past you on the way out of the slot canyon. At ~5 miles round-trip, Peekaboo and Spooky Slot Canyons are wider than Zebra.
9. Devilโs Garden (Escalante)
Nearby Zebra and Peekaboo/Spooky is Devilโs Garden, an area of really unique and interesting rock formations. Metate Arch is one of the most well known formations.
10. Grand Canyon (Arizona)
While not included in Utahโs 5 national parks, Grand Canyon National Park is equally as impressive and itโs only 90 minutes from Kanab to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We highly recommend making a trip for sunrise over the Grand Canyon.
11. Horseshoe Bend (Arizona)
Just a few minutes past Page, AZ is a parking area and a short, paved walk to see the iconic Horseshoe Bend. Be careful not to get too close to the edge!
12. Lake Powell (Arizona)
This is one of the most unique lakes we have ever visited with the steep red rock on all sides of the water. We launched our paddelboards from the Antelope Point Launch Ramp and paddled into Antelope Canyon.
13. Antelope Canyon (Arizona)
This was one of our favorite experiences on our trip through Utah and Arizona! The most popular part of Antelope Canyon was closed due to COVID, however, there is a section of the canyon which can be reached by paddleboards, jet skis, and boats from Lake Powell. After paddling for ~90 minutes, there is a place to get out of the water and explore Antelope Canyon on foot.
Moab Area
Although Moab is most well known for easy access to Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park, there are many other activities and places to visit in this part of Utah!
1. Drive Highway 128
This curving section of road, just North of town, hugs the Colorado River and is such a scenic drive!
2. Explore Hillsides That Look Like Mars
This part of Utah has some of the most spectacular and colorful terrain we have ever seen. Pull off the main roads and explore the public owned lands of Eastern Utah.
3. Dead Horse Point State Park
Although we ran out of time to visit Dead Horse Point, we have heard amazing things about this state park. Some even recommend it over Canyonlands and Arches National Parks! If you have time, we highly recommend exploring Dead Horse Point State Park.
4. ATV Rental
Moab is known for being a town for outdoor junkies. There are so many places to rent ATVs, Jeeps and other offroad vehicles.
5. Rafting
There are several whitewater rafting tour companies which depart from Moab to provide an adrenaline rush for thrill seekers.
What to do in Utah and Northern Arizona
There is so much to experience in this part of the country. Although these highlights have only scratched the surface of what Utah and Arizona have to offer, we hope these recommendations help with planning your dream adventure! As always, please feel free to drop us a note below, or reach out to us with any questions, suggestions, or ideas you might have.