Detail of rock formations during winter.

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.

Transportation

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Bryce Point
Bryce Canyon National Park
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…
Zion National Park
Southwestern Utah
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…
Maynard Dixon Living History Museum
Southwestern Utah
In Mt Carmel, the Architectural Digest–noted Maynard Dixon Living History Museum is where renowned Western painter Maynard Dixon (1875–1946) lived and…
Bryce Canyon National Park
Southwestern Utah
The Grand Staircase – a series of steplike uplifted rock layers stretching north from the Grand Canyon – dramatically culminates in the Pink Cliffs…
Capitol Reef National Park
Southwestern Utah
Termed 'the land of the sleeping rainbow' by Native Americans, this colorful desert landscape encompasses buttes and canyons replete with rock art, Mormon…
Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument
Southwestern Utah
This 2656-sq-mile monument, established in 1996, is tucked between Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park and Glen Canyon National…
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Southwestern Utah
Sculpted cliffs and towering hoodoos glow like neon tie-dye in a wildly eroded natural amphitheater encompassed by Cedar Breaks National Monument. The…
Fruita Rural Historic District
Southwestern Utah
Fruita (froo-tuh) is a cool, green oasis, where shade-giving cottonwoods and fruit-bearing trees line the Fremont River's banks. The first Mormon…