Does the wonder of nature set your soul at ease? Are you most at peace when you’re immersed in the beauty of the outside world? If so, the Utah national parks and other natural wonders are waiting for you.
Utah has everything from monuments to wilderness, sunny skies, and snowy ridges. The majestic beauty of the Beehive State is often overlooked, but one visit there, and you’ll be hooked. Whether you call Utah your home or you’re just passing through, here are 10 of the most scenic natural wonders you shouldn’t miss.
1. Zion National Park
One of the top five trails in the state, Zion Canyon Overlook Trail, is found in Zion National Park. The park boasts 232 square miles of some of the most breathtaking views in the United States. It encompasses Iron, Kane, and Washington Counties, spread across southwestern Utah. Visitors will marvel at the scenic beauty of high plateaus and sandstone canyons and relax along the Virgin River.
2. Snow Canyon State Park
Although Snow Canyon State Park is often overshadowed by the more well-known Zion National Park, which is its Washington County neighbor, this scenic landscape has plenty to help it stand on its own. A climb through Snow Canyon awards you with views of the petrified dunes and frozen lava flows rarely seen anywhere else. Discerning visitors will see the fork in the trail that leads to the slot canyon and its famous historic petroglyphs.
3. Cascade Falls
If you’re short on time but yearning for outdoor beauty, head to Cascade Falls. This part of the Dixie National Forest outside of Cedar City is famous for its cliffside waterfall and impressive views of Zion National Park. The waterfall stems from Navajo Lake via an underground lava tube, which exits the flow at the Virgin River Rim. Check with the park for open times, and note that motorized vehicles are prohibited.
4. Rainbow Bridge National Monument
One of the most recently discovered monuments in the modern world, Rainbow Bridge, has only been open to the public for about a century. However, its history goes back thousands of years and encompasses multiple cultures. The natural bridge is one of the largest in the world and is considered sacred to people like the nearby Native American tribes, as well as the many others who visit the monument each year. The landscape is a part of the cultural identity of the indigenous people in the Four Corners area and should only be visited with a sacred attitude.
5. Gemini Bridges
Near Moab, you’ll find an unusual destination called Gemini Bridges. Situated in a canyon, the two bridges form arches next to each other, hence the name of the twins, Gemini. You can get there by off-roading or driving across a 13-mile dirt road.
6. Coral Pink Sand Dunes Park
Ready to dig your feet into the sand and become one with nature? Coral Pink Sand Dunes Park is your next step. This soft sand landscape is the ideal playground for off-roading (in the permitted areas) and walking barefoot across the eroded remains of the Navajo sandstone cliffs that form the dunes. This ancient site is estimated to be somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 years old and has only been open to the public since 1963.
7. Moqui Cave
Looking for a more hands-on way to get cool while exploring nature? Moqui Cave is right around the corner in Kanab! Here, you’ll find a museum-worthy collection of ancient Southern Utah Native American artifacts, dinosaur tracks, and a fluorescent mineral cave. Visitors can get up close and personal with the different minerals and take a trek into the cool, dark cave to learn about how it was formed and who lived there over the centuries. Temperatures in the day always stay at 65 degrees or below, no matter how hot it is outside, so bring a sweater!
8. Landscape Arch
Located in Arches National Park, Landscape Arch is a popular trail that makes its home in the northern end of a region called Devils Garden. While it will take a bit of a drive to get to the trailhead from the park’s entrance (18 miles), the views are worth it! Never fear; Landscape Arch is an easy, approximately 2-mile roundtrip trail with access to toilets all year and drinking water in the spring through fall. Along the hard-packed trail, you’ll enjoy views of a ribbon of rock that takes you to Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch.
9. Kodachrome Basin Spires
Kodachrome Basin State Park is home to 180 million years of geographic history shown in multi-colored sandstone layers. Across the landscape, you’ll see 67 sedimentary pipes, known as monolithic stone spires. The hues of the spires and sandstone canyons are so vivid that the National Geographic Society named the area Kodachrome in 1948 in honor of the color film. Today’s visitors get to explore the trails and practice archery on the new 3D course, complete with 13 3D animal targets.
10. Bonneville Salt Flats
The Bonneville Salt Flats consist of 30,000 acres of hard, white salt crust that expands along the western edge of the famous Great Salt Lake Basin. The flats, which formed around the end of the last Ice Age, are considered an Area of Critical Environmental Concern and Special Recreation Management Area. Created from minerals like gypsum, halite, potassium, and magnesium, the Salt Flats are mostly 46 square miles of table salt! The Flats are also the site of three annual speed events, where racers compete in the speed device of their choice. Whether you go to nature or to watch a race, it’s sure to be an experience you won’t forget.
Come Visit Utah and Stay For a While
Between these ten must-see natural wonders and the seemingly endless marvels that await in the rest of the state, a visit to Utah is never long enough to appreciate everything it offers. Come for a short trip, and you may decide you want to stay for a while!