With its red rock and electric blue skies, Utah has one of the most iconic landscapes of the American wilderness. Captured in timeless Hollywood movies like Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and Rio Grande, its ancient geology dates back billions of years. But for one of the driest states in America, Utah has an abundance of water and water-based activities: millions of gallons rush through dramatic canyons and majestic gorges in a whitewater highway that stretches from north to south.
Forget what you think you know about Utah and explore this natural wonderland from lakes, rivers, parks and plains…
You don’t need to be an experienced angler to enjoy a day fishing in the stunning surroundings of Flaming Gorge. The dammed lake is 400 feet (122m) at its deepest and extends 92 miles (148km) with stunning red cliffs rising on either side, home to the occasional osprey nest. Green River and Dutch John are world-renowned thanks to the clarity of water and size of the fish: kokanee salmon – bright red and spawning – lake trout, rainbow trout and yellow bass are the most abundant. Experienced hands come for the unique fly fishing, but for beginners ‘trolling’ is a technique that uses radar and multiple rods to reel in to increase the odds of you landing a bite.
Fishing on Flaming Gorge with Flaming Gorge Tourism, prices start from $549 (£410/€492) for a guided fishing trip for two people.
The clue is in the name for this national park on the Utah-Colorado border – a must-see for any dinosaur fan, young or old. As you step into a prehistoric landscape, a gentle hike through the desert terrain reveals fossilised fish scales and clam beds, giving you a taste of the ancient world. But the real highlight awaits at the Quarry Exhibit Hall, where a glass building wraps around a massive wall of exposed bones – giant ribs, vertebrae, skulls and stegosaurus plates embedded into the rock like a Flintstones jigsaw dating back 65 million years.
Inside, park rangers use laser pointers to explain the fossil deposit. Once lined with quicksand, this bend in the river trapped creatures that came to drink, thus preserving them in sediment for millennia. You can even touch some of the fossils as you explore. The world’s most complete dinosaur remains were found here, with 23 skeletons, ranging from six to 84 feet (1.8-26m), removed between 1909 and 1924. Keep an eye out for Utah’s state fossil – the Allosaurus, a 35-foot-long (11m) carnivore. Beyond the fossils, enjoy desert landscapes, deep canyons carved by the Green and Yampa Rivers, and ancient petroglyphs left by the Fremont people, all perfect for a day of hiking and exploration.
Entry to Dinosaur National Monument starts from $15 (£11/€13) per person.
Dinah, a 40-foot-tall (12m) pink fibreglass Brontosaurus proudly welcomes you to Vernal, a vibrant small town that’s the perfect base for exploring northeastern Utah. With its three state parks and the expansive Ashley National Forest, there are a wealth of outdoor activities on your doorstep. When you’re back from adventuring, visit the quirky shops and eateries or spend an hour or two at the Natural History Museum, where you can explore impressive exhibits on the region's dinosaurs. Enjoy a meal at Abby’s Café for diner classics like fluffy pancakes and fried chicken steak or head to the Vernal Brewing Company for a refreshing local pale ale and homemade beer bread, juicy steaks and house salads.
Surrounded by grey rock and sagebrush, this scenic and tranquil reservoir is popular for a variety of recreational activities, including fishing for trout and bass, boating and swimming. Its calm waters make it perfect for stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and kayaking. Even as a total beginner, this is the gentlest of ways to propel yourself through the water and the open expanse offers plenty of space to find your balance. Spend an hour exploring the little reedy coves, following the herons as they pick their way around the water’s edge or sit and dangle your legs into the water to cool off, while little fish dart around below.
Entrance to Steinaker State Park from $15 (£11/€13) per day. SUP from $25 (£19/€22) per person (board, paddle and life jacket included).
Experience one of Utah’s lesser-known watery wonders for a peaceful pitstop near Green River. This partially human-made phenomenon was created in 1936 during oil drilling and is powered by carbon dioxide rather than geothermal heat. When conditions align, it can shoot cold water up to 40 feet (12m) into the air in an impressive display, though eruptions are unpredictable, occurring anywhere from hours to days apart. Even if the geyser isn’t active, visitors can enjoy the scenic surroundings along the Green River, with colourful mineral deposits staining the ground around the geyser. Nearby, you can explore other geological features like Tusher Wash and enjoy the quiet beauty of this remote area.
While the Colorado River may steal the limelight, Utah’s Green River offers an equally captivating experience through its wild canyons. Just 20 miles (32km) north of Green River town, an eight-mile (13km) day trip through Gray Canyon provides a perfect introduction to the area’s natural beauty. On an oar-powered inflatable boat, the group drifts through gentle Class I and II rapids, taking turns paddling a kayak along the route. Midway, a stop on a sandy riverbank includes a short walk to view ancient petroglyphs. Wildlife sightings – great blue herons, raptors, cliff swallows, and even beavers – complete an unforgettable wilderness adventure, all without the commitment of an overnight stay.
Green River rafting in Gray Canyon with Holiday River Expeditions, prices from $128 (£95/€114) per person.
As the jumping-off point for countless trails and parks, Moab has all the charm of a small town but is built to handle the millions of visitors who flow through it. You can pick up any last-minute supplies from waterproofs to desert boots, or mooch around the small boutiques, artisan coffee shops and food trucks that line Main Street. Get your caffeine fix with a cold brew from Moab Roasters or a lavender lemonade from trendy Garage Coffee, browse the shelves at Back of Beyond Books which specialises in natural history, maps and regional guidebooks. When you’re ready for dinner, grab a burger from Milt’s Stop & Eat or reserve a table at Josie Wyatt's for a refined take on cowboy cuisine: succulent steak, baby back ribs, blackened salmon, charred corn salsa, and a classic crème brûlée.
A Hummer tour at Hell's Revenge near Moab delivers an exhilarating off-road experience in a massive, all-terrain 4x4 vehicle that is generally suitable for all ages. The two-hour tour takes you through breathtaking landscapes, including prehistoric dinosaur tracks and panoramic views of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and the Colorado River, all while you’re sat down. These rugged machines navigate steep ridges, slick rock and petrified sand dunes. Despite the hair-raising drops, near-vertical climbs and theatrics of pretending to leave the handbrake off, you are in safe hands with these experienced guides at the wheel. Go at sunset to see the red rocks and big skies in all their glory.
Hell’s Revenge High Point Hummer Adventure from $89 (£67/€80) per person.
In a place packed with awesome sights, you might not expect your hotel to rank among them but a stay at Red Cliffs Lodge can comfortably make that claim. Formerly a cattle ranch, the guest cabins are built around a grassy coral where horses graze, encircled by the Colorado River and steep, deep red cliffs in a vista that will make you gasp every time you step out of your door. Located about a 30-minute drive from Moab and Arches National Park, you can also go horseback riding and Ford Bronco off-road driving nearby or indulge in sound baths, sunrise yoga and massages onsite. Make sure to have dinner on the terrace at the Cowboy Grill for traditional Western favourites like smoked barbecued pork ribs and wild Alaskan salmon.
Spoil yourself with a stay in one of Red Cliffs Lodge's stunning King River Suite where the frontier-inspired décor, luxury bathrooms, huge beds and modern kitchens make this an appealing retreat to wind down after a day exploring. They come with some lovely creature comforts from yoga mats to a blender for your morning smoothies, private hot tubs and their own riverside patio decked with twinkling festoon lights. Make time to visit the hotel’s quirky Museum of Film and Western Heritage, where photos of sets from Rio Grande sit next to props from Thelma and Louise in a fascinating look at the region’s role in classic cinema.
Red Cliffs Lodge rooms start from $199.95 (£149/€179) per room per night.
Located northwest of Moab, Arches is one of America’s most celebrated national parks, and it’s easy to see why. Spanning 73,234 acres, the park is a breathtaking showcase of eroded sandstone formations, including towers, fins, ribs, hoodoos, balanced rocks, and – naturally – the famous arches. An arch is defined as a complete unbroken circle of rock measuring more than three feet (1m) in diameter, and there are more than 2,000 of them to explore with hikes of varying difficulty meaning all ages and abilities can enjoy a visit. If you want to make hiking the focus of your trip it's worth considering a tour guide company who will ferry you to all the major attractions.
Hiking in Arches National Park from £15 (£11/€13) per person (if on foot) or from $30 (£22/€27) per non-commercial vehicle (for up to 15 passengers). Guided trips are available from Southwest Adventure Tours.
Double Arch (pictured) has massive twin arches, creating a cathedral-like space underneath where people can sit and soak it all in. The Windows Loop trail is an easy stroll that takes you to the North and South Window Arches, as well as Turret Arch, offering panoramic views of the desert. Delicate Arch, perhaps the park’s most famous feature, requires a moderately strenuous three-mile (5km) roundtrip, but the payoff is incredible: after hugging the wall on a narrow cliff path you enter a natural amphitheatre in the sky, crowned with a huge freestanding arch against a backdrop of red cliffs and distant mountains.
Drought-prone, arid and hot in the summer, Utah is one the driest states in America yet it’s snaked with two hugely powerful rivers fed by massive snow melts, the Green River (pictured) and the Colorado River. Depending on the time of year the rapids on the Colorado can range from pleasantly thrilling to white-knuckle extreme sports, so it’s a good idea to go out and explore with one of the specialist expedition companies. An overnight adventure on a RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat) packs everything in: great rapids, hikes into side canyons to discover prehistoric ruins and a campout under a canopy of stars.
Everything you’ll need for this unique experience is packed into dry bags on the open top boat at the launch point at Potash Boat Ramp. Each craft is helmed by an expert guide who will navigate the river, pass you drinks from the cooler, cook and entertain you for the next 24 hours, seemingly effortlessly. Heading out at speed the boat covers 30 miles (48km) through calm water beneath towering canyon walls. After a few hours, you’ll stop for a freshly made lunch on one of the small sandy islands normally only frequented by geese. Late afternoons might mean a swim – more of a float, really, in life vests – around horseshoe bends so shallow you can walk along the bed. Crossing the boundary into Canyonlands National Park, you’ll set up a ‘leave no trace’ camp, dine on fire-cooked food and fall asleep to the sounds of the water.
You’ll be up at sunrise for a cowboy coffee and breakfast before running the rest of the way to Cataract Canyon, which has some of the biggest whitewater rapids in the US. The confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers produce 5,000 cubic feet per second – the magic number for rafting – with rapids ranging in difficulty up to class V. Thrillseekers from all over the world come to run legendary sections Big Drops, Mile Long and Hell-to-Pay during the spring run-off in May and June. After July, the water level drops producing smaller but still thrilling whitewater full of swirling eddies and fast currents to play around in.
A two-day rafting trip with NAVTEC starts from $925 (£691/€829) per person.
Exploring Utah is sometimes overwhelming in its vastness – so a scenic flight is a great way to pack more in. Take a sunrise flight over Canyonlands and Arches National Parks and you’ll see geologic wonders that would take years to explore on foot. Flights can run from 45 minutes to a few hours, and sitting comfortably in a 33-foot-long (10m) Quest Kodiak propeller plane is a treat in itself. The pilot points out features as you fly above the Island in the Sky district’s massive mesa, the Needles’ spired sandstone formations, and the Maze’s isolated ravines – areas nearly impossible to reach from the ground. Nearby, Arches National Park glows with energy, its vibrant red hoodoos, balancing rocks, and 2,000+ arches, including Delicate Arch, giving an unforgettable, sculpted contrast to Canyonlands’ sprawling horizons.
Flight with RedTail Air, prices from $279 (£209/€250) per person.
Goblin Valley State Park is like stepping onto another planet – imagine a vast desert filled with thousands of strange, mushroom-shaped rock formations that look a bit like goblins or creatures frozen in stone. The 'goblins' are hoodoos, sculpted over millions of years by wind and water, clustered in a hidden valley that looks and feels like a Martian landscape. Like great art, they hold a magnetic sort of power and it often feels like you have the entire valley to yourself. You can wander freely between these totem-like structures, climbing, taking photos, or just soaking in the surreal landscape – it’s a truly unmissable stop and easy enough terrain for all ages and fitness levels.
Entrance to Goblin Valley State Park costs from $20 (£15/€18) per vehicle of up to eight people.
Like everything in Utah, Capitol Reef National Park is massive (241,904 acres) and gets its rock formations made of architectural domes and a particularly colourful section of the fold often referred to as a 'reef'. Cathedral Valley in the north and the southern end of the fold offer fine wilderness backpacking, but the middle region provides something a little different. Along with the towering grey caps and cliffs, there's a verdant oasis developed by 19th-century Mormon pioneers along the Fremont River, leading to the village of Fruita. You'll pass orchards filled with harvest-ready apples and peaches and spot mule deer grazing. Stop at the 'Deep Wash' for a 4.5-mile (7km) hike through a mainly flat and shaded canyon, where towering cliffs will make you feel small and awestruck.
Hike Deep Wash at Capitol Reef National Park from £10 (£7.50/€9) per person (if on foot) or from $20 (£15/€18) per non-commercial vehicle for up to 15 passengers.
Discover why the mineral-rich waters here truly live up to their 'mystical' name. Known simply as 'the Hill', this family-run retreat has two concrete pools and five vintage cast iron bathtubs, each brimming with naturally heated water between 37°C to 43°C (99–110°F). The shallow pool, just two feet (0.6m) deep, features a cascading mineral waterfall for a relaxing shoulder massage, while the four-foot-deep (1.2m) pool is perfect for stretching or meditative floating. Enjoy the enchanting Utah sunsets, and when night falls, look up to see the Milky Way in all its splendour.
Mystic Hot Springs soaking passes from $25 (£19/€22) per person.
Salt Lake City International Airport is Utah's primary airport, located just four miles (6.4 km) from downtown. It's the main gateway to the state’s national parks, ski resorts, and other natural attractions. Public transportation options from the airport include the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) TRAX light rail and multiple shuttle services, taxis and rideshares. You'll need a car to access most parks and monuments. America The Beautiful Pass is worth purchasing for $80 (£60/€72) per vehicle if you’re planning to explore multiple National Parks across the US. The pass lasts for a year, and you can visit unlimited National Parks within this timeframe.
Natalie Davies visited in September 2024 and was a guest of the Utah Office of Tourism.