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 National Parks
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. The Narrows
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3,489 reviews
Zion's most popular hiking trail is also its most dangerous due to occasional flash floods.
Reviewed By erinmarina - Sioux Falls, United States
Awesome hike!!! Definitely spend the extra $25 to rent the wooden hiking stick and water shoes/neoprene socks from Zion Outfitters (located right outside the pedestrian entrance to the park). The stick actually provided a lot of stability when hiking through the water and the water shoes were NOT waterproof by any means, but helped support my ankles and give me better grip than my hiking shoes or tennis shoes would have. We went on October 1st, VERY EARLY in the day and we didn't encounter many people until our way back around 11. We hiked through Wall Street and then returned, Definitely recommend this hike!!
2. Riggs Spring Loop
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
This 8.8-mile hiking trail affords excellent views of Bryce Canyon's famous rock formations and features the changing forests from spruce and Douglas fir at higher elevations, to ponderosa pine toward the bottom.
3. 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.
4. Peek-A-Boo Loop
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 491 reviews
4.1-mile Hiking Trail, Often Steep, Which Is Used By People And Horses, And Has A Picnic Area At The Bottom.
Reviewed By AeneasAtSea - Salt Lake City, United States
This easternmost loop inside Bryce Canyon is probably the most strenuous of the amphitheater trails, since it is relatively shadeless and has a lot of up and down. But it is spectacular, with a number of fun tunnel arches along the way. It is accessed either by the little connector trail from the Navajo loop or from the east rim. The trail itself is about 4 miles long, not counting whatever trails are used to access it. If you have time and energy, it is one of the canyon's best hikes, especially if you can combine it with either the rim trail or the Queen's Garden loop.
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. Canyon Overlook Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 911 reviews
This one-mile hiking trail starts just outside the east entrance to the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel, and leads to a dramatic observation point that provides impressive views of Zion's rugged landscape.
Reviewed By W2076UIrhondam - Richmond, United States
This was our first hike of our trip. Definitely a great one. The end view of the canyon will take your breath away. We saw mountain goats and mule deer along the trail as well. Very nice!
7. Arches National Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 10,354 reviews
Reviewed By WC-Travelers-75
We had a great day in Arches driving our 23 ft. RV. We got to the entrance before opening and the double line each was about 50 to 75 vehicles ahead of us. Hint: If in an RV, Get to the Devils Garden Parking Area immediately and claim an RV space. Our experience was that all the spaces went to cars and trucks that double parked in the RV spaces. We tried to park there twice during the day - late morning and mid-afternoon and were shut out both times. If you are staying at Devils Garden campground, this is not an issue for you. Nonetheless, we had a fabulous day touring the viewpoints and hiking.We did all the hikes in the Windows section, the Delicate Arch Trail (difficult) , both Delicate Arch viewpoint, Sand Dune Arch and Skyline Arch. We also hiked the Broken Arch/ Tapestry Arch loop in a clock-wise direction leaving from the Sand Dune Arch Parking Area. We went partway to the Tapestry Arch but stopped because it became difficult. It definitely was more than moderate scrambling for us. The section from the hike from the Campground to the Sand Dune Parking Area had some sections with more than moderate scrambling. In a day, we saw a large section of the NP. Only the Pine Tree and Tunnel Arches escaped us.
8. Cedar Breaks National Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,226 reviews
A smaller version of Bryce Canyon, this 2,500-foot deep basin filled with strange limestone formations in a vivid array of colors and hues offers breathtaking views on a five-mile drive along the rim. This naturally formed amphitheater has guided walks in the summer and a few designated hiking trails.
Reviewed By UtahGeologyTours
It's like a little mini version of Bryce National Park. Love hiking to alpine pond, or just doing their little paved trail between viewpoints. For the most spectacular view, come during sunset.
9. Devils Garden
10. West Rim Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 61 reviews
Strenuous hiking trail, 10 miles each way.
Reviewed By diverrex - Los Angeles, United States
The trail was a little busy with people going to Angel''s Landing but we still still enjoyed it. We went another couple miles up the West Rim trail before turning around. It was a lot less busy past the Angel's Landing area. We did not try Angel's Landing, way too many people for our taste of an outdoor experience.
