Stand on the edge of the Earth, peering down at the crusted layers of core that peel back to reveal a deep canyon of rivers, trees, and multi-colored rock.
Ascend onto deformed shapes resembling goblins, castles, or backbones of a lurking beast.
Question your galactic surroundings as you squeeze through narrow slots of Mars-like walls.
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Southern Utah is home to enormous stretches of natural treasures that make for a perfect road trip, all within a few hours driving distance of one another.
While droves of experienced trekkers swarm from around the world to hike Utah’s famous Zion National Park, this Southwest corner of the U.S. houses several other gorgeous Parks deserving of a visit.
If you are frequenting 3 or more national parks this year, you should purchase an annual national parks pass ($80) that gives you access to any national park in the country. For multiple state parks, Southern Utah maintains different passes, available upon arrival.
Following the route of our road trip, here are 6 epic national and state parks we conquered in Southern Utah:
Arches National Park
Arches National Park ended up being my favorite park, certainly worth the out-of-the-way excursion to the East side of Utah.
The famous Delicate Arch (featured in the article’s main photo) graces the Utah license plates for a reason. Each naturally-occurring arch in the park stands larger than life when you reach them up close.
Mellow, moderate, and difficult hikes reward visitors with hanging arches and glowing caverns.
We also witnessed petroglyphs throughout the park, finding them prevalent throughout Utah.
I recommend you linger in Arches after dusk, and even camp if you can. The animals meander at night, the people leave, but most of all, the starry experience lights up the silent magic of the park.
Dead Horse Point State Park
On the way to Canyonlands, we took an unexpected stop at Dead Horse Point State Park. The jolting name comes from the abrupt canyon drop-off where stampedes of horsed would unknowingly run over the side.
Thankfully, we didn’t fall down the canyon - but the panoramic views of the Colorado river astounded us.
The level walks around this small park brought relief from the daring adventures at the other parks, but still got us a bit lost, which is always fun.
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands’ name sounded like a theme park to me - and ultimately, the great heights, treacherous climbs, and hundreds of miles of trails fostered a similar happy-go-lucky experience.
This gargantuan park spans over 330,000 acres of land, with so much to do that I could return again and again. The park is divided into 4 districts: Island in the Sky (most approachable and popular), the Needles (farther hikes for backpackers), the Maze (most remote and inaccessible), and the rivers Green and Colorado.
When you reach the spout at the top of Whale Rock, you have to take a photo, right?
While the stunning Mesa Arch was closed, we stomped up Whale Rock, as well as a full-sun saunter along Murphy Point Trail (note to self: pack a parasol per person next time. Phew!).
In addition to hiking, Canyonlands offers river rafting, jeep tours and other backcountry excursions. You could easily spend a week there exploring.
Goblin Valley State Park
We screeched to a halt as we passed the sign for Goblin Valley State Park, a name too enticing to pass by.
Mushroom-shaped hoodoos personify little goblins in this trippy valley as you head West through the bottom of the state.
Weather and the elements carved these figures into thick monsters, causing you to wonder if you are on a bad psychedelic trip. You can spend time trying to guess what the hoodoos resemble, as if you were pondering over clouds in the sky.
Be warned, the dry heat lingers warmer down in the valley, where there are no set hiking trails - just wander freely. In late June, we couldn’t stay longer than an hour in the valley while we sweltered, even with full bottles of water.
Pleasantly, we completed the hikes around the valley that highlighted Molly’s Castle (hey, that’s me!) and a surprisingly skinny slot canyon.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Encompassing over a million acres, we barely scratched the surface at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The staircase name details the row of plateaus from Bryce Canyon toward the Grand Canyon.
These photos featured are from the Spooky Slot Canyon, a hike so narrow that only smaller folks can squeeze through, without a backpack.
I learned rapidly that Utah hikes were not for the faint of heart, with parts of the hike you could seriously get stuck in (but yes, I still recommend it the challenge!).
The humongous swath of land in Escalante features waterfalls, gulches, slot canyons, and hundreds of miles of towering cliffs. In other words, the remote hiker can really get away from it all at the Grand Staircase, an epic place that deserves much more of my coverage.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce was so nice, I had to visit it twice! Check out my article on how to spend 1 day in Bryce Canyon for a full synopsis.
The main access road through Bryce Canyon National Park stretches just 18 miles, packing the most punch into a relatively “smaller” park, so you can see a lot of variation in a short amount of time.
Connect Queens Garden with Navajo Loop for a fantastic well-rounded hike that features redwoods, peek-a-boo windows, lavish structures, and a rainbow of whites, oranges, yellows and reds.
The colors of Bryce pop as bright as the pictures, and sunsets shine absolutely golden.
Happy travels!
