When contemplating locations to see in Utah you most likely have the highest Utah points of interest like Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Arches National Park in your listing.
We assume it’s best to. They are unbelievable nationwide parks within the United States.
But, there are such a lot of different cool locations to go to in Utah off-the-beaten-path you might not have even heard of.
They are simply as spectacular as the primary points of interest in Utah and sometimes contain better journey – principally as a result of there’s a vital much less quantity of individuals to share it with.
We spent six weeks on our latest USA journey exploring Southern Utah.
As we all the time want to put in writing from expertise – not desk analysis or collabs – we solely suggest what we’ve executed, so we solely have Southern Utah suggestions on this publish. Hopefully we will return to Utah to seek out extra cool locations close to Salt Lake City. (Here is a bucket listing of 43 issues to do in Utah that features some North Utah points of interest)
These are the hidden gems in Utah and lessor recognized adventures.
We have in-depth posts and movies on all of the locations to see in Utah talked about under. Click every hyperlink to learn the publish and the Utah Hidden Gem Destinations video playlist is on the finish of the publish.
Podcast: Adventures & Places to See in Southern Utah
We additionally recorded this data in podcast kind, for those who want to listen to us chatting about it and sharing our tales! Don’t neglect to share it with your mates.
With house, crimson dust and loads of recent air, Utah is without doubt one of the most engaging locations within the US throughout these present difficult occasions.
In truth, we expect you’ll discover it enhances your bodily power, immunity and psychological effectively being.
1. ATV adventures in Sand Hollow, St George
The colours of Sand Hollow State Park are out of this world – snow peaked mountains, vivid orange and crimson dust, aqua blue lake.
You must see it to consider it, and there’s no higher means than by way of the journey of an ATV trip up and down the sand dunes, and out and in dinosaur carved rock formations. The sundown tour is a dream!
It’s an exhilarating Utah journey for households and one in every of our favourite locations to see in Utah that completely nobody informed us about!
Sand Hollow State Park is simply outdoors St George in Southern Utah and is the proper leisure space for ATV adventures because it presents among the greatest Utah ATV trails round.
This 20,000 acre state park is Utah’s latest and effectively famend for its 6,000 acres of ATV and OHV off-road trails that take you to three,500 ft in elevation. It’s WOW at each airborne flip!
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2. Snow Canyon State Park, St George
An exquisite different to close by Zion National Park, Snow Canyon is a a 7,400 acre scenic park positioned simply outdoors of St George in Southwestern Utah.
Our hike took us on a various journey by means of a forested space, gorge space, petrified sand dunes, and lava tubes.
This park is comprised of volcanic cinder cone, sand dunes, deep crimson, burnt orange, yellow and white sandstone cliffs, and twisted layers of rock.
It’s additionally a preferred place in Utah for mountaineering.
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3. Red Reef Trail, St George
The Red Reef Recreation Area might be one of many locations to see in Utah you will have by no means heard of.
I believe I discovered somewhat paragraph about it in a brochure and thought it regarded cool. Thankfully, it was throughout the highway from our campsite in Hurricane so we determined to pop over and test it out.
The Red Reef climbing path was the women first introduction to adventurous climbing. They fell in love. I’ll always remember the worry and pleasure on their faces as they climbed up a steep rock face subsequent to a waterfall with solely a rope to carry on. Their bravery was superb
This beautiful hike will take you thru
Read extra: Hike the Exciting Red Reef Trail in St George, Utah
4. Spooky and Peek-a-Boo, Grand Escalante
We price this Utah journey as our favourite hike on our USA highway journey (to date). The ladies nonetheless rave about how a lot enjoyable this was.
Peek-a-boo and Spooky Canyon are slot canyons deep inside Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
It’s intense – crammed with holes to climb up and crawl by means of. The journey solely will get higher with a 12 inch slender house to slip by means of on the very finish.
Read More: Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons – a tremendous Utah Adventure
5. Lower Calf Creek Falls, Highway Scenic 12, Utah
The Lower Calf Creek Falls is within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah.
The path winds a valley enclosed by towering cliffs of crimson, pink, orange and yellow – that’s oh so typical of Utah, probably the most colourful place on the earth.
It then passes by means of a shady low scrub and bamboo forest sandy observe beside a shallow creek earlier than opening as much as this beautiful waterfall – an iconic Utah attraction
Read extra: The extraordinary Lower Calf Creek Falls in Utah
Podcast mentions:
6. Capitol Reef National Park, Southern Utah
The solely Utah nationwide park we’ve included on this hidden gems in Utah listing, as a result of it’s so a lot quieter and lessor recognized than the opposite 4 nationwide parks in Utah.
It’s beautiful. Actually, its one in every of my favourite nationwide parks within the nation and made our listing of US nationwide parks you might not have heard of listing.
Within this nationwide park is without doubt one of the few pure arches in Utah you’ll be able to stroll on prime of. Capitol Reef can also be crammed with scenic drives, verdant valleys, lovely views and adventurous climbing trails.
Read extra: 12 Don’t miss issues to do in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
7. Goblin Valley State Park
If you’re in search of cool locations to see in Utah, you do not need to overlook Goblin Valley State Park, particularly if you’re visiting Utah with children.
You solely want an hour or two to discover this land crammed with mushroom, gnome, and goblin formed orange and yellow rocks.
It’s excellent for video games of conceal and search and tag. You can even do just a few brief hikes right here. It’s a enjoyable factor to see in Utah.
Read extra: Goblin Valley State Park Utah – one of the crucial enjoyable locations to go in Utah
8. Corona Arch, Moab
The drive into the Corona Arch path is a sign of the pure magnificence forward. This hidden gem is without doubt one of the greatest issues to do in Utah.
This is a superb Moab hike with children because it’s comparatively straightforward, and with ladders to climb, slick rocks to maneuver with cables, caves to discover and cairns to construct they’ll be completely entertained.
The 3-mile spherical journey hike begins within the car parking zone throughout from the Colorado River and goes up a brief hill, throughout the railroad tracks after which up into the canyon.
Corona Arch, with a gap of 140 by 105 ft, is often known as Little Rainbow due to its resemblance to Rainbow Bridge at Lake Powell.
We loved this arch simply as a lot as, if no more than, the well-known arches in Arches National Park
9. Fisher Towers, Moab
The Fisher Towers are photogenic rock formations eroded into fascinating shapes.Â
Dark crimson sandstone has been carved into spires, minarets, hovering fins, gargoyles and unusual rock formations. Rock climbers like it right here.
It’s a 5.2 mile spherical journey path that does by means of canyons, beneath sheer vertical cliffs and thru the towers. We didn’t make it so far as the towers, however have been greater than happy with the dramatic surroundings and out of doors journey.
The beautiful U-128 Scenic Byway takes you there and again. Be positive to cease in on the Winery on the drive again. You’ll take pleasure in that tumbler of wine with these views over the Colorado River and valley after your hike.
Believe it or not, ingesting wine in Utah is a singular factor to do because the state has strict ingesting legal guidelines.
Read More: 16 Things to do in Moab (consists of Fishers Towers and Corona Arch)
10. Jeep Off Roading in Moab
Are you prepared for one the perfect Utah adventures you could find? I believe by now you’re getting that Moab is a fairly cool Utah vacation spot.
Rock crawling in a jeep takes it to an entire different stage. As talked about on the podcast, insane enjoyable was had taking over vertical rock faces that had us squealing, screaming and laughing on the similar time.
What a enjoyable household exercise to do in Utah! The ever altering Red Rock nation surroundings solely enhanced the expertise.
Our drive took us by means of the alpine forests of the La Sal Mountains, up and over the steep crimson rocks and big boulders and completed with enjoyable driving up and down sand dunes.
Read More: Jeep adventures in Moab
11. Shafer Trail Drive, Canyonlands National Park
Get prepared to carry on to your seat belts as you hit the scary switchbacks of the Shafer path in Canyonlands National Park in Moab.
Driving down the Shafer Trail switchbacks into the quiet of the canyon ground was an unbelievable expertise.
Check circumstances on the Visitor Center as you might want a 4WD. You may not less than drive the switchbacks in a 2WD all the way down to the underside. I wouldn’t suggest taking the remainder of the path again to Moab in a 2WD although.
I beloved driving this highway and popping out to Dead Horse Bend the place solely a few days earlier than we sat above watching the sundown right here. It’s a powerful spot.
It can get fairly tough.
Read More: Things to do in Canyonlands National Park (consists of The Needles)
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12. Sunset at Dead Horse Point State Park
A Utah spotlight so as to add to your Utah bucket listing. Actually we expect it’s among the finest sundown expertise within the USA.
Dead Horse Point is without doubt one of the most photographed scenic vistas within the USA. The overlook towers 2,000 ft above the Colorado River, offering a panoramic panorama of Canyonlands’ sculpted pinnacles and buttes.
Pack a picnic and discover a spot on the sting of the mesa and benefit from the magic of the setting solar lighting up the spectacular horseshoe bend within the Colorado River because it carves out the encompassing canyonlands.
Time your go to after a day exploring Islands of the Sky close by in Canyonlands.
You may even camp there or spend extra time exploring the state park and the various hikes and biking trails that should be superior.
Podcast point out: Tips for visiting Horseshoe Bend in Arizona
13. Valley of the Gods + Natural Bridges Monument
Another cool place to go to in Utah is the Valley of the Gods. It’s extra of a serene journey because it’s principally only a scenic drive and beautiful views.
We extremely suggest you free camp on this space It’s fairly and beautiful. Our views of Monument Valley within the distance have been spectacular.
It’s additionally near Natural Bridges Monument, which is straightforward to discover in a day. You can take brief trails all the way down to any of the three pure bridges, or do the longer 10 mile hike that passes by all three.
We hiked to Sepiku which was most likely probably the most enjoyable hike to do particularly with children.
Read More:
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Hidden Gems in Utah Video Playlist
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What different cool locations in Utah would you add to this listing?