Utah

Welcome to nature's most perfect playground. From red-rock mesas to skinny slot canyons, powder-bound slopes and slick rock trails, Utah's diverse terrain will stun you. The biking, hiking and skiing are world-class. And with more than 65% of the state lands public, including 14 national parks and monuments, the access is simply superb.

Southern Utah is defined by red-rock cliffs, sorbet-colored spindles and seemingly endless sandstone desert. The pine-forested and snow-covered peaks of the Wasatch Mountains dominate northern Utah. Interspersed are old pioneer remnants, ancient rock art and ruins, and traces of dinosaurs.

Mormon-influenced rural towns can be quiet and conservative, but the rugged beauty has attracted outdoorsy progressives as well. Salt Lake City (SLC) and Park City, especially, have vibrant nightlife and progressive dining scenes. So pull on your boots and stock up on water: Utah's wild and scenic hinterlands await.

Explore Utah

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Featured Story

This luxury train lets you see the Rocky Mountains in a whole new way

11 min read — Published August 24th, 2021

Rocky Mountaineer's latest luxury train route runs between Denver and Moab, Utah. Lonely Planet editor Alexander Howard was one of the first to ride it.

Latest Stories from Utah

Planning Toolkit

  • Tips & Travel trends to help you pick the perfect time to visit this destination.

  • Plan a day trip full of local flavor and get back in time with these same-day options.

Top attractions

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

  • Park

    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?…

  • Amusement Park

    Utah Olympic Park

    Visit the site of the 2002 Olympic ski jumping, bobsledding, skeleton, Nordic combined and luge events, which continues to host national competitions…

  • Wildlife Reserve

    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…

  • Viewpoint

    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…

  • Park

    Zion National Park

    A bold desert beauty, this 230-sq-mile park is a highlight of southern Utah. Hikes range from trails traipsing the ridge lines to river wading under steep…

  • Museum

    Natural History Museum of Utah

    Rio Tinto Center's stunning architecture forms a multistory indoor 'canyon' that showcases exhibits to great effect. Walk up through the layers as you…

  • State Park

    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…

  • Park

    Antelope Island State Park

    White-sand beaches, birds and buffalo are what attract people to the pretty, 15-mile-long Antelope Island State Park. That’s right, the largest island in…

  • Museum

    Maynard Dixon Living History Museum

    In Mt Carmel, the Architectural Digest–noted Maynard Dixon Living History Museum is where renowned Western painter Maynard Dixon (1875–1946) lived and…

  • Museum

    Museum of Ancient Life

    A family-friendly museum at Thanksgiving Point that houses one of the world's largest displays of mounted dinosaurs. The exhibits, many of which are hands…

  • Museum

    Park City Museum

    A well-staged interactive museum touches on the highlights of the town's history as a mining boomtown, hippie hangout and premier ski resort. There are…

  • Museum

    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…

  • National Park

    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…

  • National Park

    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,…

  • Park

    Bryce Canyon National Park

    The Grand Staircase – a series of steplike uplifted rock layers stretching north from the Grand Canyon – dramatically culminates in the Pink Cliffs…

  • Park

    Capitol Reef National Park

    Termed 'the land of the sleeping rainbow' by Native Americans, this colorful desert landscape encompasses buttes and canyons replete with rock art, Mormon…

  • Landmark

    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…

  • National Park

    Cedar Breaks National Monument

    Sculpted cliffs and towering hoodoos glow like neon tie-dye in a wildly eroded natural amphitheater encompassed by Cedar Breaks National Monument. The…

  • Area

    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,…

  • Area

    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…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Utah.

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