Top Things to do in Utah
Top Hotels in Utah
- 1. Best Western Plus Zion Canyon Inn & Suites
- 2. Best Western Plus Abbey Inn
- 3. Abbey Inn & Suites
- 4. Best Western Plus Ruby'S Inn
- 5. Hyatt Place Moab
- 6. Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel
- 7. Goulding's Lodge & Campground
- 8. Desert Pearl Inn
- 9. Bowen Motel
- 10. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham at Zion Park/Springdale
Things to do in Utah, United States: The Best Geologic Formations
Welcome to “The Greatest Snow on Earth” – Utah’s paradise for all outdoor enthusiasts! As host of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City knows how to entertain winter fun seekers. Snowboarders and skiers head for miles of spectacular slopes with deep fluffy powder and breathtaking mountain views. The Olympic Park provides family-friendly ski programs, rides and shows. Alta, Sundance, Snowbird and Brighton are other popular destinations for cross country and Alpine skiers. Those alluring snowy slopes turn to rolling wildflower fields in the summer. Golfing, fishing, horseback riding and water sports replace chilly outdoor sports adventures. Corral the family, pack a picnic and catch one of the ski lifts for an afternoon of hiking or mountain biking along scenic trails. Head to Salt Lake City, where Temple Square hosts millions of visitors a year. Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park are famous for surreal landscapes from horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters to unusual rock formations and hundreds of natural sandstone arches. Closer to home, wander along the quaint main streets of mountain villages to browse, shop and enjoy lunch at an outdoor café. At the end of the day, head home for an outdoor barbecue and an evening of games. Home rentals blend privacy, space and comfort with the cost-saving advantage of eating some meals at home.
Restaurants in Utah
1. Island in the Sky
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 668 reviews
This area of Canyonlands has a few hiking trails and views of beautiful canyons.
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Island in the Sky, also known as Between the Rivers, is the most visited and easily reached and perhaps the most scenic attraction in Canyonlands National Park. Located close to Moab, Utah and Arches National Park, it is the highest section of Canyonlands, with an average elevation of 6,100 feet, and the access road passes many spectacular and breath-taking viewpoints of the deep twisting canyon on either side. The road runs along a narrowing ravine or Seven-Mile Canyon, climbs the steep cliffs on the south side, then ascends more gently over uneven, partly wooded ground to the flat grasslands in the center of the plateau. The flat land at the top of the Island in the Sky mesa becomes narrower towards the south as the river confluence approaches. After the visitors center, the first viewpoint is Shafer Canyon to the east, then the mining settlement of Potash and a meadow known as Grays Pasture. At a fork in the road, follow the West road past the main campground and an overlook of the Green River at Willow Flat, then descend gradually to the end of the mesa at Upheaval Dome. Near the road junction are two short trails, one to Mesa Arch and one to the White Rim and the Green River. The remaining five miles of the main road cross a rather narrow plateau, past several overlooks, including Buck Canyon, Candlestick Tower, Murray Point, Gooseberry Canyon and the Orange Cliffs. The park road ends at Grand View Point, which offers magnificent vistas across the Colorado canyons and the spires of Monument Basin to the distant La Sal Mountains in the east and the Needles area to the south. A further one-mile, 20-minute walk southwards along the Grand View Trail leads to the very end point of the Island in the Sky plateau, where the cliffs drop away in all directions and the canyons of both rivers can be seen. There are places in Canyonlands where you are alone and can't hear a sound. It is an erie experience, one a native of Chicago isn't used to. At times, in certain spots, Island in the Sky feels that way.
2. Delicate Arch
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,859 reviews
A world-famous natural sandstone arch.
Reviewed By 355margotm
We hiked to Delicate Arch in November, starting early-ish in the morning of a sunny (but cool) day. The walk has a bit of everything - colonial history (a historic shack), pre-history (petroglyphs), slick-rock, clambering, ledges and - when you get around the final corner, the amazing Delicate Arch! It stands off to the side of a natural amphitheatre, and we couldn't imagine how it came to be formed. Amazing and beautiful.
3. Fiery Furnace
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 469 reviews
Excellent hike, especially with a guide, and a wonderful opportunity for sunset photos.
Reviewed By Jane_A60 - Socorro, United States
First make sure you sign up for this hike as early as you can at the Visitor's Center. It takes a couple of days to get into the ranger led hike. $16 for adults, and senior pass holders and children $8. You can also get a self guided permit. I hike a lot and we had hiked a lot in Arches and Canyonlands and thought I was prepared for this hike. I went with my husband and if it hadn't been for his helping hand I'm not sure I could have managed some of the rock climbs. The good part is all of us taking part in this ranger guided tour in Fiery Furnace helped each other get through the difficult parts. There was a total of 14 people in our group including a family with two younger children, maybe 7 and 9. We were slowed down a bit by two people who probably shouldn't have taken this trail but it didn't take away from the experience and the guide told us we still were able to do 80% of the regular tour. He said that finishing only a partial tour was not that unusual depending on the group and how easily they can rock climb and hike through the trail. Just know that there was a lot more rock climbing than I anticipated. Travis was our guide and he was fantastic showing us the foot holds to navigate the rocks. I am glad I did this hike and in no way am discouraging anyone from taking this hike, just know going in how much rock scrambling that there will be. I consider this hike requiring a little bit of canyoneering as a moderate strenuous hike.
4. Mesa Arch
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 731 reviews
Visit this mesa at sunrise for the best scencic views.
Reviewed By TravelingJohnB80 - Martinsburg, United States
Relatively easy hike to see one of the most iconic arches. One downside is with the ease of the hike it also brings crowds so you will have to wait your turn to get a picture.
5. Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 387 reviews
This massive national monument holds endless sights within thousands of acres.
Reviewed By gwenh465
All I can say is WOW. Jaw dropping views. Beautiful sunset views. Watch for road conditions in winter.
6. Grand Gulch Primitive Area
7. Double Arch
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 631 reviews
Arch which requires a 4.2-mile hike through challenging terrain.
Reviewed By BruinDan - Fullerton, United States
This short (0.5 mi/0.8 km) out-and-back trail features one of the most impressive formations in Arches National Park, the famous “Double Arch.” To reach the trailhead, take the Windows Road off the main Arches Scenic Drive (the turnoff is near Balanced Rock) to the end of the road, which takes you directly into the parking area for the Windows Loop Trail. You can either park there or continue a little further to the parking area right in front of the Double Arch trailhead. A flat, sandy trail leads to the base of this stunning twin arch formation. NOTE that because the trail is so easy and the view so excellent, the trail (and the parking area) can become quite crowed. There are vault toilets up the stairs from the trailhead adjacent to the parking lot for the Windows Loop Trail. Also NOTE that early morning is considered the best time to photograph the Double Arch. It’s one of the highlights in Arches National Park and should not be missed.
8. U-Dig Fossils
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 125 reviews
You can collect your own Trilobite fossils at U-dig Fossils. Come see us during our open times and we will provide you with tools, directions and 40 acres of the best trilobite shale in the world. U-Dig Fossils is located in an area where there are no addresses.
Reviewed By pgarding - North Bend, United States
My wife and I loved our time at U-Dig fossils and left with some great trilobite fossils. U-Dig provides all the equipment you need, and their quarry has multiple pits for hunting. This area is absolutely loaded with fossils, and nearly every rock we picked up had a fossil of some kind. The staff was very friendly and helpful to get us going, and then we spent four hours splitting rocks. We came away with 6-7 very nice pieces and 20 smaller ones, after discarding a hundred partial or tiny fossils. It is a drive to get there, but it is well worth it.
9. The Wave at Coyote Buttes
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 315 reviews
The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located near Big Water, Utah on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes, in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, on the Colorado Plateau. It is famous among hikers and photographers for its colorful, undulating forms, and the rugged, trackless hike required to reach it.
Reviewed By TonyZ266
Epic and surreal experience beyond any language can describe! The permit system limits 20 visitors a day and that made everyone’s experience so private and personal! It also protects the WAVE hugely!
10. Peekaboo Gulch
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 294 reviews
The gulch is most famous because of the last 100 meters, before the junction with Dry Fork of Coyote Gulch - here the ravine cuts deeper into the sandstone, with a series of interlinked potholes, extravagant swirls and fins of rock, and several arches; these different openings and the many corners and crevices account for the curious name of this canyon.
Reviewed By 35marin1150 - San Rafael, United States
Very unique geology, not too physically challenging! After a 25 mile dirt road it was a great hike - follow the cairn rock piles down into the wash and climb up into the Peekaboo Gulch. Not too difficult to traverse. If doing this in conjunction with the Spooky slot, I recommend doing this first and complete the loop clockwise. I also recommend not bringing a backpack into Spooky, it is VERY narrow in places. There is one Boulder choke obstacle that did not have a rope (11/2020), not too difficult, but not a piece of cake either. The trail from Peekaboo to Spooky is not at all well marked by cairns, bring a paper map - you’ll hike basically ESE over a little knoll. Enjoy!!!
