Southeastern Utah

Experience the earth's beauty at its most elemental in this rocky-and-rugged desert corner of the Colorado Plateau. Beyond the few pine-clad mountains, there's little vegetation to hide the impressive handiwork of time, water and wind: the thousands of red-rock spans in Arches National Park, the sheer-walled river gorges from Canyonlands to Lake Powell, and the stunning buttes and mesas of Monument Valley. The town of Moab is the best base for adventure, with as much four-wheeling, white-knuckle rafting, outfitter-guided fun as you can handle. Or you can lose the crowd while looking for Ancestral Puebloan rock art and dwellings in miles of isolated and undeveloped lands.

Note that many regional restaurants and shops – and even some motels – close or have variable hours after the May to late-October high season.

Explore Southeastern Utah

Goblin Valley State Park
A Salvador Dalí–esque melted-rock fantasy, a valley of giant stone mushrooms, an otherworldly alien landscape or the results of a cosmological acid trip?…
Dinosaur Museum
Blanding's Dinosaur Museum is fascinating and highly ambitious; it's aim is to cover the complete history of the world’s dinosaurs. Mummified remains and…
Canyonlands National Park
Covering 527 sq miles, Canyonlands is Utah's largest and wildest park. Indeed, parts of it are as rugged as almost anywhere on the planet. Arches, bridges…
Arches National Park
One of the Southwest's most gorgeous parks, Arches boasts the world's greatest concentration of sandstone arches. Just 5 miles north of Moab on Hwy 191,…
Valley of the Gods
Up and over, through and around: the 17-mile unpaved road (County Rd 242) that leads through Valley of the Gods is like a do-it-yourself roller coaster…
Island in the Sky
You'll comprehend space in new ways atop the appropriately named Island in the Sky. This 6000ft-high flat-topped mesa drops precipitously on all sides,…
Horseshoe Canyon
Way far west of Island in the Sky, Horseshoe Canyon shelters one of the most impressive collections of millennia-old rock art in the Southwest. The…
The Maze
A 30-sq-mile jumble of high-walled canyons, the Maze is a rare preserve of true wilderness for hardy backcountry veterans. The colorful canyons are rugged…
The Needles
Named for the spires of orange-and-white sandstone jutting skyward from the desert floor, the Needles District is so different from Island in the Sky that…

Goblin Valley State Park
A Salvador Dalí–esque melted-rock fantasy, a valley of giant stone mushrooms, an otherworldly alien landscape or the results of a cosmological acid trip?…
Dinosaur Museum
Blanding's Dinosaur Museum is fascinating and highly ambitious; it's aim is to cover the complete history of the world’s dinosaurs. Mummified remains and…
Canyonlands National Park
Covering 527 sq miles, Canyonlands is Utah's largest and wildest park. Indeed, parts of it are as rugged as almost anywhere on the planet. Arches, bridges…
Arches National Park
One of the Southwest's most gorgeous parks, Arches boasts the world's greatest concentration of sandstone arches. Just 5 miles north of Moab on Hwy 191,…
Valley of the Gods
Up and over, through and around: the 17-mile unpaved road (County Rd 242) that leads through Valley of the Gods is like a do-it-yourself roller coaster…
Island in the Sky
You'll comprehend space in new ways atop the appropriately named Island in the Sky. This 6000ft-high flat-topped mesa drops precipitously on all sides,…
Horseshoe Canyon
Way far west of Island in the Sky, Horseshoe Canyon shelters one of the most impressive collections of millennia-old rock art in the Southwest. The…
The Maze
A 30-sq-mile jumble of high-walled canyons, the Maze is a rare preserve of true wilderness for hardy backcountry veterans. The colorful canyons are rugged…
The Needles
Named for the spires of orange-and-white sandstone jutting skyward from the desert floor, the Needles District is so different from Island in the Sky that…

Latest Stories from Southeastern Utah

National Parks How to avoid the long lines at Arches National Park: all about their new reservation system
Dec 13, 2021 • 2 min read
Arches National Park has never been more crowded. Avoid the long wait with a new reservation system. Here's your guide.
Story Another mysterious monolith appeared in California... and then suddenly disappeared
Dec 3, 2020 • 2 min read
Authorities are puzzled about how the huge metal structure came to be installed in a remote part of Utah.
Wildlife & Nature Making waves: the American Southwest’s best river trips
Feb 7, 2019 • 6 min read
There’s something about the simplicity and flow of a river that transcends time and space. A river always has a beginning and an end. But what happens in…
Story Explore the civilized side of Southern Utah
Mar 29, 2018 • 6 min read
Southern Utah’s otherworldly landscapes draw visitors from around the world, but this unique setting has also drawn pioneering artisans who create food,…
Road Trips Traversing Bears Ears: adventuring through a sacred land
Dec 14, 2017 • 6 min read
Mighty, twisting rivers winding through deep canyons. Eroded, multi-hued sandstone towers piercing the sky. Craggy, forested mountain ranges looming over…
Story Gearheads' guide to canyoneering in Utah
May 16, 2017 • 7 min read
It’s time to get dusty. Utah is perhaps the singular best spot on the planet for canyoneering. In the sandstone canyons of Utah – an amazing wilderness of…
Hiking Best outdoor activities in southern Utah
Oct 5, 2015 • 4 min read
There’s something about the coyote-meets-road-runner desertscape of southern Utah that attracts outdoor adventurers. In fact, there’s so much to do that…
Sustainable Travel The best of the Colorado River: one step, pedal or stroke at a time
Nov 26, 2014 • 5 min read
Snaking 1450 miles, the Colorado River is nothing less than the nerve center of the great American West. Capturing snows off the Rockies, it drops through…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Southeastern Utah.

See
Goblin Valley State Park
A Salvador Dalí–esque melted-rock fantasy, a valley of giant stone mushrooms, an otherworldly alien landscape or the results of a cosmological acid trip?…
See
Dinosaur Museum
Blanding's Dinosaur Museum is fascinating and highly ambitious; it's aim is to cover the complete history of the world’s dinosaurs. Mummified remains and…
See
Canyonlands National Park
Covering 527 sq miles, Canyonlands is Utah's largest and wildest park. Indeed, parts of it are as rugged as almost anywhere on the planet. Arches, bridges…
See
Arches National Park
One of the Southwest's most gorgeous parks, Arches boasts the world's greatest concentration of sandstone arches. Just 5 miles north of Moab on Hwy 191,…
See
Valley of the Gods
Up and over, through and around: the 17-mile unpaved road (County Rd 242) that leads through Valley of the Gods is like a do-it-yourself roller coaster…
See
Island in the Sky
You'll comprehend space in new ways atop the appropriately named Island in the Sky. This 6000ft-high flat-topped mesa drops precipitously on all sides,…
See
Horseshoe Canyon
Way far west of Island in the Sky, Horseshoe Canyon shelters one of the most impressive collections of millennia-old rock art in the Southwest. The…
See
The Maze
A 30-sq-mile jumble of high-walled canyons, the Maze is a rare preserve of true wilderness for hardy backcountry veterans. The colorful canyons are rugged…
See
The Needles
Named for the spires of orange-and-white sandstone jutting skyward from the desert floor, the Needles District is so different from Island in the Sky that…

Guidebooks

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Get to the heart of Southeastern Utah with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.