Utah

Beehive State. Crossroads of the West.

(Pictures and places in bold are places I have been to.)

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park (which is partially in Utah and Arizona) is listed under Arizona.

Four Corners (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona) and the Four Corners Monument, as well as Hovenweep National Monument and the Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway are listed under Colorado.

Dinosaur National Monument and the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway National Scenic Byway are listed under Colorado.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is listed under Wyoming.

Mexican Hat, Utah
Mexican Hat, Utah

10. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (Lake Powell) (plus, nearby:)

      • Rainbow Bridge National Monument
      • Goosenecks State Park
      • Mexican Hat
Bears Ears National Monument
Bears Ears National Monument

9. Bears Ears National Monument (USFS-BLM) (plus, nearby:)

      • Natural Bridges National Monument
      • Edge of the Cedars State Park
      • Blanding

8. Canyonlands National Park

      • Horseshoe Canyon Unit – Horseshoe Canyon Trail (7 miles)
        1. Barrier Creek
        2. High Gallery
        3. Horseshoe Gallery
        4. Alcove Gallery
        5. Great Gallery
      • Colorado River Rafting through Cataract Canyon (4 days-3 nights; part motor-part paddle)
        1. Day 1 – Meander Canyon (petrified wood short hike)
        2. Day 2 – Meander Canyon & The Confluence (Lathrop archaeological site/Indian Creek Canyon)
        3. Day 3 – Cataract Canyon (Brown Betty Rapids, Mile Long Rapids, & Big Drop Rapids)
        4. Day 4 – Cataract Canyon, Narrow Canyon, & Lake Powell
        5. Flight back to Moab (optional)
      • Island in the Sky District – Grand View Point Road
        1. Shafer Canyon Overlook (0.3 miles)
        2. Mesa Arch Trail (0.7 miles)
        3. Buck Canyon Overlook (0.1 miles)
        4. White Rim Overlook Trail (1.8 miles)
        5. Grand View Point Trail (1.8 miles) & Orange Cliffs Overlook
      • Island in the Sky District – Upheaval Dome Road
        1. Crater View Trail (1.7 miles) – Upheaval Dome
        2. Whale Rock Trail (0.8 miles)
        3. Aztec Butte Trail (1.7 miles)
        4. Green River Overlook Trail (0.2 miles)
        5. False Kiva Trail (1.9 miles)
      • Island in the Sky District – White Rim Road (71.2 miles – unpaved)
        1. Gooseneck Overview (0.6 miles)
        2. Musselman Arch (0.1 miles)
        3. Murphy Hogback Trail (5.2 miles)
        4. Fort Bottom Ruin Trail (3.4 miles)
        5. Zeus and Moses Trail (1.4 miles – Taylor Canyon Road trailhead)
      • The Needles District
        1. Roadside Ruin Trail (0.3 miles)
        2. Cave Spring Trail (0.6 miles)
        3. Pothole Point Trail (0.6 miles)
        4. Slickrock Foot Trail (2.4 miles)
        5. Big Spring Canyon Overlook
      • The Maze District
        1. Maze Overlook (view of Chocolate Drops)
        2. NP 756 (unpaved) – The Wall, Lizard Rock, Standing Rock, & Chimney Rock
        3. Chocolate Drops Trail (7.3 miles – NP 756 trailhead)
        4. Harvest Scene Trail (9.3 miles – NP 756 trailhead)
        5. Spanish Bottom Trail  (2.8 miles – Dollhouse Road trailhead)

Nearby:

      • Pando “The Trembling Giant” – quaking aspen grove in Fishlake National Forest (one of the oldest and largest living organisms on earth)
      • Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument
      • Monticello
San Rafael Swell
San Rafael Swell

7. Capitol Reef National Park

      • Capitol Dome – Utah State Route 24
        1. Panorama Point (0.3 miles) & Goosenecks Overlook-Sunset Point (2.5 miles)
        2. Sulphur Creek Waterfall Trail (1.8 miles)
        3. Chimney Rock Loop Trail (3.3 miles)
        4. Grand Wash Trail (4.4 miles) – Narrows
        5. Behunin Cabin
      • Fruita Historic District
        1. Fruita Orchards
        2. Fruita Schoolhouse
        3. Gifford Homestead & Barn
        4. Capitol Reef Petroglyphs Trail (0.3 miles)
        5. Hickman Natural Bridge Trail (1.8 miles)
      • Scenic Drive
        1. Cohab Canyon Trail (3 miles) – South Fruita Overlook
        2. Cassidy Arch Trail (3.1 miles) – Cassidy Arch
        3. Slickrock Divide
        4. Capitol Gorge Trail (2.4 miles) – Pioneer Register & Water Tanks
        5. Golden Throne Trail (3.5 miles) – Golden Throne
      • Cathedral Valley
        1. Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Moon, & Glass Mountain
        2. Gypsum Sinkhole
        3. Cathedral Mountain & Needle Mountain
        4. Upper Cathedral Valley Overlook & Upper South Desert Overlook
        5. Lower South Desert Overlook
      • Notom-Bullfrog Road
        1. Red Canyon Trail (2.6 miles)
        2. Bitter Creek Divide
        3. Surprise Canyon Route (2.2 miles)
        4. Headquarters Canyon Route (2.2 miles)
        5. Hamburger Rocks (11.4 miles)
      • Upper Muley Twist Canyon Road
        1. Peak-A-Boo Arch
        2. Trinity Double Arch
        3. Cheerios Double Arch
        4. Strike Valley Overlook (0.8 miles)
        5. Upper Muley Twist Trail (10.3 miles)
      • Big Thompson Mesa Road
        1. Halls Creek Overlook
        2. Brimhall Natural Bridge Trail (2.3 miles)
        3. Brimhall Natural Bridge
        4. Halls Creek Canyon Trail (23.1 miles)
        5. Halls Creek Narrows

Nearby:

      • San Rafael Swell (BLM)
      • Goblin Valley State Park
      • Fillmore – Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum
Bonneville Salt Flats
Bonneville Salt Flats and the Silver Island Mountains

6. Bonneville Salt Flats (BLM Recreation Area) (plus, nearby:)

      • Timpanogos Cave National Monument
      • Tree Of Utah
      • Wendover
Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City
Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City

5. Salt Lake City (plus, nearby:)

      • Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area (including This Is The Place Heritage Park – a former state park)
      • Wasatch Mountain State Park (the surrounding Wasatch Mountains and canyons has an advocacy group that had previously proposed establishing a national monument there – saveourcanyons.org)
      • Park City – Home to the Sundance Film Festival
Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake

4. Great Salt Lake (plus, nearby:)

      • Golden Spike National Historical Park
      • Antelope Island State Park
      • Great Salt Lake State Park
      • The Great Saltair

3. Bryce Canyon National Park

      • Navajo Loop Trail (1.5 miles)
        1. Sunset Point
        2. Thor’s Hammer
        3. Two Bridges
        4. Wall Street
        5. Silent City
      • Queens Garden Trail
        1. Sunrise Point
        2. Queen Victoria
        3. Bryce Amphitheater
        4. Bryce Canyon
        5. Navajo Trail or Peekaboo Trail
      • Peekaboo Loop Trail (5.2 miles)
        1. Inspiration Point (0.6 miles)
        2. Bryce Point (0.2 miles)
        3. The Alligator
        4. The Cathedral
        5. Wall of Windows
      • Mossy Cave Trail (1 mile)
        1. Tropic Ditch
        2. Turret Arch
        3. Little Windows
        4. Tropic Ditch Falls
        5. Mossy Cave
      • Northern Rim Viewpoints
        1. Fairyland Point
        2. Paria View (0.3 miles)
        3. Swamp Canyon Overlook
        4. Farview Point & Piracy Point (0.5 miles)
        5. Natural Bridge
      • Southern Rim Viewpoints
        1. Ponderosa Canyon
        2. Black Birch Canyon
        3. Rainbow Point
        4. Yovimpa Point (0.3 miles)
        5. Bristlecone Pine Loop Trail (1 mile)
      • Bryce Canyon Horse Trail
        1. Bryce Amphitheater
        2. Bryce Canyon
        3. Peekaboo Trail’s The Alligator
        4. Peekaboo Trail’s Wall of Windows
        5. Peekaboo Trail’s The Cathedral

Nearby:

      • Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (BLM)
      • Kodachrome Basin State Park
      • Kanab (possible site of Montezuma’s Lost Aztec Gold)

2. Arches National Park

      • Delicate Arch
        1. Wolfe Ranch
        2. Petroglyph Trail (0.5 miles)
        3. Delicate Arch Trail (3 miles)
        4. Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint
        5. Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint (0.7 miles)
      • Devils Garden
        1. Tunnel Arch (0.7 miles)
        2. Pine Tree Arch (1 mile)
        3. Landscape Arch (1.9 miles)
        4. Partition Arch (2.8 miles)
        5. Navajo Arch (2.9 miles)
      • The Windows
        1. Garden of Eden
        2. Cove of Caves
        3. Parade of Elephants
        4. Double Arch (0.6 miles)
        5. Windows Loop & Turret Arch Trail (1.2 miles)
      • Courthouse Towers
        1. Tower of Babel
        2. Sheep Rock
        3. Three Gossips
        4. The Organ
        5. Park Avenue Trail (1.8 miles)
      • Other Trails
        1. Tapestry Arch (0.6 miles)
        2. Sand Dune & Broken Arches (1.4 miles)
        3. Surprise Arch (1.7 miles)
        4. Ribbon Arch Trail (2 miles)
        5. Elephant Butte (1.6 miles – hard)
      • Southern Viewpoints
        1. Courthouse Wash Rock Art (0.6 miles)
        2. La Sal Mountains Viewpoint (0.1 miles)
        3. Petrified Dunes Viewpoint
        4. The Great Wall
        5. Rock Pinnacles
      • Northern Viewpoints
        1. Balanced Rock (0.3 miles)
        2. Panorama Point
        3. Fiery Furnace Viewpoint (0.2 miles)
        4. Salt Valley Overlook
        5. Skyline Arch (0.5 miles)

Nearby:

      • Jurassic National Monument (BLM) – Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry
      • Dead Horse Point State Park
      • Moab
Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park
Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park

1. Zion National Park

      • The Narrows
        1. Temple of Sinawava
        2. Riverside Walk (2 miles)
        3. Orderville Gulch
        4. Imlay Canyon – Imlay Temple
        5. Big Spring (8.6 miles)
      • Angels Landing Trail (5 miles – hard)
        1. First Set of Switchbacks
        2. Second Set of Switchbacks
        3. Scout Lookout
        4. Chains Section
        5. Angels Landing
      • Emerald Pools Trail (2 miles)
        1. Virgin River
        2. Mount Zion
        3. Lady Mountain
        4. Lower Emerald Pool
        5. Upper Emerald Pool
      • The Watchman Area
        1. Archaeology Trail (0.3 miles)
        2. The Watchman Trail (3.1 miles)
        3. Zion Human History Museum
        4. Zion Nature Center
        5. Pa’rus Trail (3.5 miles)
      • Zion-Mount Carmel Highway
        1. Lower Pine Creek Waterfall Trail (0.7 miles)
        2. Canyon Overlook Trail (1 mile)
        3. Shelf Canyon Trail (0.7 miles)
        4. Two Pine Arch Trail (0.7 miles)
        5. Lower Clear Creek (The Hobbit Hole) (0.8 miles)
      • Kolob Canyons
        1. Kolob Canyons Viewpoint
        2. Timber Creek Overlook Trail (1.1 miles)
        3. South Fork Taylor Creek Trail (2.6 mile)
        4. Middle Fork Taylor Creek Trail (4.9 mile)
        5. La Verkin Creek Trail (18.6 miles)
      • Kolob Terrace
        1. Lava Point Overlook
        2. West Rim Trail (13.5 miles)
        3. Wildcat Canyon Trail (11.6 miles)
        4. Northgate Peaks Trail (6 miles)
        5. Hop Valley Trail (14.3 miles)

Nearby:

      • Cedar Breaks National Monument
      • Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
      • St. George