Southwestern Utah
Wonder at the deep-crimson canyons of Zion National Park; hike among the delicate pink-and-orange minarets at Bryce Canyon; drive past the swirling gray-white-and-purple mounds of Capitol Reef. Southwestern Utah is so spectacular that the vast majority of the territory has been preserved as national park or forest, state park or BLM wilderness. Rugged and remote Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (GSENM) is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware put together, or at least it was before President Trump issued a proclamation in 2017 that reduced its size nearly in half. Nevertheless, the area remains ripe for outdoor exploration, with narrow slot canyons to shoulder through, pink sand dunes to scale and wavelike sandstone formations to seek out.
Note that getting to some of the most noteworthy sites can be quite an uphill hike, and elevation changes in the region – mountainous highs to desert lows – pose a weather challenge.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Southwestern Utah.
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Bryce Point
If you stop nowhere else along the scenic drive, be sure to catch the stunning views from Bryce Point. You can walk the rim above Bryce Amphitheater for awesome views of the Silent City, an assemblage of hoodoos so dense, gigantic and hypnotic that you’ll surely begin to see shapes of figures frozen in the rock. Be sure to follow the path to the actual point, a fenced-in promontory that juts out over the forested canyon floor, 1000ft below. The extension allows a broad view of the hoodoos. This rivals any overlook in the park for splendor and eye-popping color. An interpretive panel tells the story of Ebenezer Bryce, the Mormon pioneer for whom the canyon was named, and his wife Mary. Bryce Point marks the beginning of the 5.5-mile Rim Trail. The Peekaboo Trail also begins here. There is a chemical toilet, and the viewpoint is easily accessible for travelers with limited mobility.
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Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
Kanab's most famous attraction is outside town. Surrounded by more than 33,000 mostly private acres of red-rock desert 5.5 miles north of Kanab, Best Friends is the largest no-kill animal rescue center in the country. The center shows films and gives facility tours at least four times a day; call ahead for times and reservations. The 1½-hour tours let you meet some of the more than 1700 horses, pigs, dogs, cats, birds and other critters on-site. Volunteers come from around the country to work here. Spending the night in one of eight one-bedroom cottages with kitchenettes ($95 to $150) or in a one-room cabin ($60 to $105) and volunteering for at least a half-day allows visitors to borrow a dog, cat or pot-bellied pig for a sleepover. (Cottages should be booked well in advance.) It also has RV sites ($50) with hookups. The sanctuary is in Angel Canyon (Kanab Canyon to locals), where scores of movies and TV shows were filmed during Kanab's Hollywood heyday. The cliff ridge above the sanctuary is where the Lone Ranger reared and shouted 'Hi-yo Silver!' at the end of every episode.
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Snow Canyon State Park
Red and white swirls of sandstone flow like lava, and actual lava lies broken like sheets of smashed marble in this small, accessible park. Snow Canyon is a 7400-acre sampler of southwest Utah's famous land features, 11 miles northwest of St George. Easy trails, perfect for kids, lead to tiny slot canyons, cinder cones, lava tubes and fields of undulating slickrock. Summers are blazing hot: visit in early morning or come in spring or fall. The park was named after prominent Utah pioneers Lorenzo and Erastus Snow, not frozen precipitation, but for the record it does very occasionally snow here. Check the website for free park events like hikes and talks. Hiking trails loop off the main road. Jenny's Canyon Trail is an easy 1-mile round-trip to a short slot canyon, as is the 1.2-mile Petrified Dunes trail leading to remarkable Navajo sandstone formations. Wind through a cottonwood-filled field and past ancient lava flows to a 200ft arch on Johnson Canyon Trail (2-mile round-trip). A 1000ft stretch of vegetation-free sand dunes serves as a playground for the kiddies, old and young, near a picnic area. Cycling is popular on the main road through the park, a 17-mile loop from St George (where you can rent bikes). There's also great rock climbing in the park, particularly for beginners, with over 150 bolted and sport routes, plus top roping. Apart from during the unrelenting summer, the 31-site campground is great, and so scenic. You can reserve one of the prebookable sites (14 with electrical and water hookups) up to four months in advance. Showers and dump station available.
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Sunrise Point
Marking the north end of Bryce Amphitheater, the southeast-facing Sunrise Point offers great views of hoodoos, the Aquarius Plateau and the Sinking Ship, a sloping mesa that looks like a ship’s stern rising out of the water. Keep your eyes peeled for the Limber Pine, a spindly pine tree whose roots have been exposed through erosion, but which remains anchored to the receding sand nonetheless. Within walking distance or a one-minute drive are the Bryce Canyon General Store, drinking water, restrooms, picnic tables and a snack bar; head north toward the campground on the loop road. Consider parking at the general store if you can't find a closer spot.
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Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge is an extremely popular stop, and with good reason: a stunning span of eroded, red-hued limestone juts from the edge of the overlook. Though called a bridge, it’s technically an arch. A bridge forms when running water, such as a stream, causes the erosion. In this case, freezing and thawing of water inside cracks and crevices, combined with gravity, shattered rock to create the window. Even if you’re tight on time, squeeze this stop onto your agenda. There is a parking lot here, as well as a viewpoint to see Natural Bridge from above at Scenic Drive Mile 12.5.
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Yovimpa Point
Accessed by a paved path from the same parking lot as Rainbow Point, Yovimpa Point is one of the park’s windiest spots. The southwest-facing view reveals more forested slopes and less eroding rock. Off to the south, look for No Man's Mesa as well as Mollie’s Nipple, an eroded sandstone dome often mistaken for a volcano. Dipping below the horizon is the Kaibab Plateau, marking the Arizona border and the Grand Canyon. Oddly, there are at least seven Mollie's Nipples in Utah.
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Rainbow Point
On a clear day you can see more than 100 miles from this overlook at the southernmost end of Bryce Canyon Scenic Dr. The viewpoint provides jaw-dropping views of canyon country. Giant sloping plateaus, tilted mesas and towering buttes jut above the vast landscape, and interpretive panels explain the sights. On the northeastern horizon look for the Aquarius Plateau – the very top step of the Grand Staircase – rising 2000ft higher than Bryce. The viewpoint is reached on a short, paved, wheelchair-accessible path at the far end of the parking lot.
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Dixie National Forest
This national forest covers over 2 million acres with amazing hiking, biking, camping and exploring opportunities in the red rock country just outside Bryce Canyon National Park. Start with a visit to the Red Canyon Visitor Center; from here you can easily take on hikes along the Pink Ledges, Hoodoo, Birdseye and Golden Wall Trails, or go mountain biking on the Thunder Mountain Trail.
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Tower Bridge
With ramparts, goblins and a drawbridge, this remarkable feature is found on a little spur off the Fairyland Loop Trail. It's an excellent picnic spot with plenty of trees nearby. While you may be tempted to ascend to the natural bridges, it's best to stick on the trail to avoid hurting yourself.