Utah is seriously one of the most epic states in the US, and after visiting over a dozen times and hitting all five national parks, I can tell you—it’s an absolute bucket list destination. From Zion’s massive cliffs and Bryce Canyon’s wild hoodoos to off-the-radar spots like Goblin Valley and the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah’s landscapes are straight-up next level.
Whether you’re into hiking, snapping Insta-worthy shots, or just soaking in crazy-good views, this state has it all. In this guide to the 12 coolest and most beautiful places in Utah, I’m sharing my favorite iconic spots and hidden gems that will blow your mind. Ready to explore one of the most stunning places in the US? Let’s go! 🏜️🔥
The Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Utah
From otherworldly national parks and reservations to iconic cities and Wild Western towns, here are all the prettiest locations in Utah you should know about.
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1. Arches National Park
- 📍 Location: Eastern Utah, about 5 miles north of Moab
- 🏆 Best For: Photographers 📸, hikers 🥾, sunset chasers 🌅
- 📸 Top Experiences: Watching sunrise at Delicate Arch, hiking Devils Garden Trail, stargazing under dark skies
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Spring (April-May) and fall (September-October) for mild temperatures
- 🏨 Where to Stay: Under Canvas Moab – Luxury glamping with spectacular desert views
Ever stood beneath a 65-foot natural stone arch that seems to defy gravity? Arches National Park houses over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, the highest concentration anywhere on Earth. The iconic Delicate Arch stands as Utah’s unofficial symbol, perfectly framing the La Sal Mountains beyond.
Short paved paths lead to famous formations like Double Arch and Balanced Rock. More adventurous? Tackle the 7.8-mile Devils Garden loop to see eight different arches, including 306-foot Landscape Arch. I never tire of watching the sandstone transform from bright orange to deep red as the sun moves across the sky.
Visit at different hours to experience the park’s shifting moods. Stay after sunset when minimal light pollution reveals a dazzling night sky that earned the park the International Dark Sky designation.
2. Bryce Canyon National Park
- 📍 Location: Southern Utah, about 4 hours from Las Vegas and Salt Lake City
- 🏆 Best For: Photographers 📸, hikers 🥾, astronomy enthusiasts 🌠
- 📸 Top Experiences: Hiking among hoodoos, watching sunrise at Bryce Amphitheater, attending ranger-led stargazing
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: May-September for accessibility, winter for snow-dusted hoodoos and fewer crowds
- 🏨 Where to Stay: The Lodge at Bryce Canyon – Historic accommodations steps from the rim
Ready to wander through what feels like a forest made entirely of stone? Bryce Canyon features thousands of delicate spires called hoodoos that create an otherworldly landscape unlike anywhere else on the planet.
The park’s magic truly reveals itself at sunrise. First light sets the orange-pink formations ablaze with color. The relatively small size makes exploration easy. Try the 1-mile Queens Garden Trail for the gentlest descent among the formations.
For the full experience, connect it with Navajo Loop for a 3-mile circuit through the famous Wall Street slot canyon. At 8,000+ feet elevation, Bryce boasts some of the darkest night skies in America. The popular astronomy programs let you view distant galaxies while rangers explain the cosmos above.
3. Zion National Park
- 📍 Location: Southwest Utah, about 2.5 hours from Las Vegas
- 🏆 Best For: Hikers 🥾, canyoneers 🧗♂️, waterfall seekers 💦
- 📸 Top Experiences: Hiking Angels Landing, wading through The Narrows, watching climbers on Great White Throne
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Spring and fall for ideal temperatures, early morning in summer to avoid crowds
- 🏨 Where to Stay: Zion Lodge – The only in-park lodging nestled amid towering sandstone cliffs
Want to experience a canyon from the inside out? Zion National Park flips the typical canyon experience upside down. Instead of standing at the rim looking down, you’re in the depths gazing up at towering 2,000-foot sandstone walls.
The park’s centerpiece, Zion Canyon, creates a desert oasis where hanging gardens cling to walls and waterfalls appear after rainfall. Two world-famous trails await adventurers. The heart-pounding Angels Landing climbs 1,500 feet before following a narrow ridge with dramatic dropoffs on both sides. My favorite hike is The Narrows, where canyon walls narrow to just 20 feet apart as you wade upstream through the river itself.
Beyond the main canyon, explore the quieter Kolob Canyons section for finger-like canyons without the crowds. Watch for desert bighorn sheep navigating seemingly impossible cliff faces.
4. Monument Valley
- 📍 Location: On the Arizona-Utah border within Navajo Nation, about 3 hours from Grand Canyon
- 🏆 Best For: Photographers 📸, movie buffs 🎬, cultural enthusiasts 🏺
- 📸 Top Experiences: Driving the 17-mile scenic loop, taking Navajo-guided tours, watching sunrise over the Mittens
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Spring and fall for comfortable temperatures and dramatic cloud formations
- 🏨 Where to Stay: The View Hotel – Native American-owned with balconies facing the Mittens
Stepping into Monument Valley feels like walking onto the set of every Western film ever made. These iconic red sandstone buttes have defined the American West in countless movies, from John Ford classics to Forrest Gump‘s famous running scene.
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The valley’s most famous formations, the Mittens, rise nearly 1,000 feet from the desert floor. Their distinctive shapes resemble hands reaching skyward. While the visitor center offers impressive views, the deeper magic comes through Navajo-guided tours. These exclusive excursions access restricted areas like Big Hogan, a natural stone amphitheater with incredible acoustics.
Remember you’re a guest on sovereign Navajo land. Photography of residents requires permission. Some areas remain off-limits for spiritual reasons. The transformation at sunrise turns the stone sentinels into glowing embers against the sky, revealing why the Navajo consider this sacred landscape.
5. Capitol Reef National Park
- 📍 Location: South-central Utah, about 2 hours from Moab
- 🏆 Best For: Geology enthusiasts 🪨, hikers 🥾, solitude seekers 🧘
- 📸 Top Experiences: Driving scenic byway, picking fruit in historic orchards, hiking through slot canyons
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Spring for wildflowers, fall for harvest season and colorful cottonwoods
- 🏨 Where to Stay: Capitol Reef Resort – Unique stays in covered wagons and teepees with modern amenities
Imagine picking fresh apples between hikes in a red rock wonderland. Capitol Reef remains Utah’s hidden gem, receiving far fewer visitors despite spectacular scenery. The park’s centerpiece is the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile wrinkle in Earth’s crust creating stunning cliffs and canyons.
What sets Capitol Reef apart is its blend of natural wonders and human history. In the park’s heart lies Fruita, a historic Mormon settlement. Explore a 19th-century schoolhouse and homestead. The settlement’s legacy continues through heritage orchards where visitors can harvest seasonal fruit.
Most explore only the accessible Fruita area. I’ve found the remote Cathedral Valley offers the most dramatic landscapes. Massive sandstone monoliths rise like temples from the desert floor. The park’s relative obscurity means you can often hike popular trails like Hickman Bridge or Cassidy Arch in peaceful solitude.
6. Canyonlands National Park
- 📍 Location: Southeast Utah, about 30 minutes from Moab
- 🏆 Best For: Adventurers 🧭, 4×4 enthusiasts 🚙, stargazers 🌠
- 📸 Top Experiences: Watching sunrise at Mesa Arch, driving White Rim Road, rafting the Colorado River
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Spring and fall for moderate temperatures, avoiding summer heat which can exceed 100°F
- 🏨 Where to Stay: Red Cliffs Lodge – Rustic elegance on the Colorado River with stunning canyon views
Looking for the ultimate wilderness playground where you can truly escape crowds? Canyonlands represents nature at its most raw and uncompromising. This vast wilderness of canyons, mesas, and buttes is carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers.
The park divides into four distinct districts that don’t connect internally. The accessible Island in the Sky district sits atop a massive 1,500-foot mesa. It offers panoramic views stretching over 100 miles. Don’t miss Mesa Arch at sunrise when the underside glows fiery red.
True adventure awaits in the Needles district with its colorful spires and complex trail system. The Maze represents one of America’s most remote wilderness areas. It requires serious backcountry skills to navigate. The rivers form the fourth district, offering world-class whitewater rafting through dramatic canyons.
7. Lake Powell
- 📍 Location: Southern Utah and Northern Arizona, spanning the border between the two states
- 🏆 Best For: Houseboating 🚤, water sports 🏄♂️, canyon explorers 🧗♀️
- ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Striking contrast of deep blue water against red sandstone canyons
- 📸 Top Experiences: Exploring Rainbow Bridge National Monument, navigating slot canyons by kayak, watching sunrise from Alstrom Point
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Late spring or early fall for pleasant temperatures and fewer crowds
- 🏨 Where to Stay: Defiance House Lodge – Cozy lakeside stay inside Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, perfect for easy access to the water
Need a desert adventure with an unexpected twist? Lake Powell creates a surreal landscape where sapphire waters meet towering sandstone walls. This massive reservoir stretches nearly 200 miles across the Utah-Arizona border.
The ultimate experience involves renting a houseboat to explore countless hidden coves unreachable by land. I’ve never felt more free than drifting between these narrow waterways, discovering secret beaches and ancient petroglyphs.
Don’t miss Rainbow Bridge, one of the world’s largest natural bridges, standing 290 feet tall. Photographers should head to Alstrom Point for panoramic vistas of the lake against Gunsight Butte. Whether wakeboarding in open water or paddling through slot canyons barely wider than your kayak, Lake Powell offers a unique escape from everyday life.
8. Goblin Valley State Park
- 📍 Location: Central Utah, about 50 miles southwest of Green River off Highway 24
- 🏆 Best For: Family adventures 👨👩👧👦, geology enthusiasts 🪨, night photographers 📸
- ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Thousands of mushroom-shaped hoodoos creating an otherworldly landscape
- 📸 Top Experiences: Scrambling among the “goblin” formations, hiking Little Wild Horse Canyon, stargazing in a Dark Sky Park
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Spring and fall when temperatures are moderate
- 🏨 Where to Stay: Goblin Valley Yurts – Otherworldly landscape filled with thousands of mushroom-shaped hoodoos resembling goblins, offering surreal hiking and stargazing in Utah’s red rock desert
Dreaming of walking on Mars without leaving Earth? Goblin Valley has exactly that feeling with its thousands of mushroom-shaped rock formations eroded from sandstone over millions of years.
Unlike parks with strict trail systems, you can wander freely among these bizarre shapes. I still remember the childlike joy of climbing through this natural playground, turning rock formations into castles and secret hideouts.
Just outside the main valley, the Goblin’s Lair rewards a moderate hike with a cathedral-like rock chamber. As one of Utah’s certified Dark Sky Parks, the stargazing here is phenomenal. Time your visit with a new moon for the full celestial experience. Between the Mars-like landscape by day and brilliant stars by night, this compact park creates memories that last long after your visit ends.
9. Dead Horse Point State Park
- 📍 Location: Eastern Utah, about 30 minutes from Moab
- 🏆 Best For: Photographers 📸, sunset chasers 🌅, mountain bikers 🚵♂️
- ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Dramatic 2,000-foot overlooks providing iconic panoramas of the American West
- 📸 Top Experiences: Watching sunrise from the main overlook, mountain biking the Intrepid Trail System, hiking the rim trails
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Spring and fall for ideal temperatures and fewer crowds
- 🏨 Where to Stay: Under Canvas Moab – Luxury glamping near Arches National Park with stunning desert views and upscale canvas tents
Looking for the perfect Instagram shot that will make followers assume you hired a drone? Dead Horse Point has jaw-dropping views from its 2,000-foot perch above the Colorado River.
The signature overlook presents a scene so dramatic it’s featured in countless films. I’ve never seen anything quite like tracing the river’s gooseneck bend cutting through rust-colored canyons with mountains shimmering on the horizon.
Hike the 5-mile rim trail connecting several spectacular viewpoints. Mountain bikers can enjoy the Intrepid Trail System with routes for all skill levels. While many visitors treat this as a quick photo stop, those who linger for sunset receive an unforgettable light show as the fading sun transforms the red rock through an ever-changing palette of colors.
10. Antelope Island State Park
- 📍 Location: Great Salt Lake, about 40 minutes northwest of Salt Lake City
- 🏆 Best For: Wildlife watchers 🦬, birders 🦢, beach explorers 🏖️
- ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Contrasting landscapes with Utah’s largest free-roaming bison herd
- 📸 Top Experiences: Spotting bison and pronghorn antelope, hiking to Frary Peak, floating in the Great Salt Lake
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Spring for wildflowers and wildlife babies, fall for cooler temperatures
- 🏨 Where to Stay: Hyatt Place Salt Lake City/Farmington/Station Park – Modern comforts, shopping/dining nearby, and just a 25-minute drive to the island
Craving an African safari but short on vacation time? Antelope Island feels like Utah’s version of the Serengeti. This 28,000-acre wildlife sanctuary houses over 500 bison roaming freely across sweeping grasslands.
The island’s 25 miles of trails range from easy strolls to challenging climbs. The 6.6-mile round trip to Frary Peak rewards hikers with panoramic views of the entire basin. I still remember floating effortlessly in the super-buoyant waters of Bridger Bay Beach.
Sunset brings a magical transformation as the lake’s surface mirrors the changing sky colors. Spring visitors enjoy wildflower displays and newborn bison calves. Fall brings the excitement of the annual bison roundup. Just prepare for lake flies in summer months. These harmless insects serve as important food for millions of migratory birds.
11. Snow Canyon State Park
- 📍 Location: Southwestern Utah, about 10 minutes from St. George
- 🏆 Best For: Rock scramblers 🧗♂️, desert hikers 🥾, snowbirds seeking winter sun ☀️
- ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Black lava flows against red and white Navajo sandstone cliffs
- 📸 Top Experiences: Hiking among petrified dunes, exploring lava tubes, finding ancient petroglyphs
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Winter and early spring for mild hiking temperatures
- 🏨 Where to Stay: Red Mountain Resort – Luxurious wellness retreat nestled among the red rocks of southern Utah, offering spa services, fitness programs, and guided outdoor adventures
Want Zion-quality landscapes without the tour buses and selfie sticks? Snow Canyon is southern Utah’s hidden gem, offering visual drama without the crowds.
This 7,400-acre park showcases the collision of two distinct geological worlds. Ancient lava flows create black volcanic landscapes against brilliant sandstone cliffs in shades of red and cream.
The Petrified Dunes Trail lets you walk across ancient sand dunes turned to stone. I’ve never felt more like an explorer than squeezing through Jenny’s Canyon, so narrow you can touch both walls simultaneously. The Butterfly Trail leads to remarkable lava tubes where you can descend into the volcanic underworld.
Despite its name, Snow Canyon rarely sees snow. This makes it perfect for winter hiking when other Utah parks are cold and inaccessible. Time your visit for golden hour when the colorful canyon walls glow from within.
12. Cedar Breaks National Monument
- 📍 Location: Southern Utah, about 30 minutes east of Cedar City and 80 minutes from Bryce Canyon
- 🏆 Best For: Stargazers 🔭, wildflower enthusiasts 🌸, photographers seeking less-crowded vistas 📸
- ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Massive natural amphitheater with colorful hoodoos at over 10,000 feet elevation
- 📸 Top Experiences: Viewing from Sunset Point, hiking Alpine Pond Trail, attending summer ranger programs
- 📅 Best Time to Visit: Mid-July for spectacular wildflower displays, early fall for aspen colors
- 🏨 Where to Stay: Hilton Vacation Club Cedar Breaks Brian Head – Mountain retreat with ski-in/ski-out access and stunning views of Utah’s highlands
Want Bryce Canyon views without battling the crowds? Cedar Breaks offers a stunning red rock amphitheater from a unique 10,000-foot vantage point.
This massive natural coliseum stretches 3 miles across and plunges 2,000 feet deep. Four developed overlooks provide different angles on the maze of hoodoos and spires in shades of red, orange, and purple. I’ve visited dozens of parks, but few match the jaw-dropping first view from Point Supreme.
Cedar Breaks truly shines during wildflower season when high-elevation meadows explode with color during the annual Wildflower Festival. As a certified Dark Sky Park, the stargazing is extraordinary, with ranger-led astronomy programs taking advantage of the clear mountain air. In winter, the monument transforms into a snowbound wonderland accessible only by snowshoe or cross-country skis.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Visiting the Beautiful Places in Utah
Eager to learn more about the most scenic spots in Utah? Here are some frequently asked questions I receive about the best attractions and activities in Utah.
What is the #1 vacation attraction in Utah?
One of the top vacation attractions in Utah is undoubtedly Zion National Park. As Utah’s first national park, Zion is a marvel of towering cliffs, deep red canyons, and stunning vistas. The park attracts millions of visitors each year who come to explore its unique geology. They also come to hike its renowned trails like Angel’s Landing and The Narrows.
The combination of the park’s breathtaking scenery and outdoor adventure opportunities makes Zion National Park a standout destination not only within Utah but also among all U.S. national parks. It’s a place where visitors can immerse themselves in nature and find awe-inspiring views around every bend. Whether you’re an avid hiker or simply looking to take in the landscape, Zion National Park is a must-see attraction when visiting Utah.
Are there facilities and amenities available in these parks?
Most parks have visitor centers, restrooms, and picnic areas. Some parks also offer dining options or nearby towns with restaurants and accommodations. However, in more remote areas, amenities might be limited, so it’s advisable to bring essentials and plan accordingly.
What is the most beautiful part of Utah?
Utah is a land of diverse beauty, and the answer to this question is subjective as each region offers its own unique charm. However, some of the most acclaimed and visually stunning areas include Bryce Canyon National Park with its intricate hoodoos, Zion National Park with its majestic canyons, and the surreal landscapes of Monument Valley. Other contenders for the most beautiful part of Utah include Arches National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and the iconic Delicate Arch.
What city in Utah has the best views?
Moab, Utah, is often considered the city with the best views in the state. Nestled between the famous Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, Moab offers unparalleled vistas of dramatic red rock formations, deep canyons, and majestic mountains.
Visitors to Moab can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities that take advantage of these stunning landscapes. This includes hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and Jeep tours. The city itself is a vibrant hub for adventurers and nature enthusiasts. It provides easy access to some of the most iconic landscapes in the American Southwest.
Whether you’re exploring the otherworldly Delicate Arch, taking in the panoramic views from Dead Horse Point State Park, or navigating the thrilling White Rim Road, Moab provides a scenic backdrop that’s hard to beat. Its unique location and breathtaking surroundings easily make Moab one of Utah’s most visually stunning destinations.
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