Zion National Park
Utah’s oldest national park is a slot of sky above a green river, with sandstone walls rising 2,000 feet on either side. Hike into the Narrows, climb to Angels Landing or just ride the shuttle and look up.
Explore Utah
Five national parks, fifteen ski resorts, one state
A local's guide to Utah: red-rock parks, powder days, canyon hikes, small towns and the food you'll only find here.
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ParksFive national parks and dozens moreSki & snowFifteen resorts, most an hour from the airportHikesFrom short walks to Kings PeakTownsWhere to stay and what to doFood & drinkFry sauce, scones and dirty sodaSeasonsWhen to go and what's onTripsItineraries and day tripsPlan a visitGetting here, rules and safety
Right now in Utah · September to November
Gold aspens up high, cool trails down south.
Fall is the season locals guard. The canyons above the Wasatch Front turn from green to gold and scarlet, usually peaking in the last week of September and the first week of October, and the crowds that fill the national parks in summer thin out just as the desert finally cools off.
The full fall guide →- Drive the Alpine LoopSR-92 climbs out of American Fork Canyon past Mount Timpanogos and drops to Sundance and Provo Canyon. Go on a weekday morning at peak color; it closes for the winter, usually by late October or early November.
- Hike the Mighty 5 without the heatAngels Landing, Delicate Arch and the Fairyland Loop are all far more pleasant in October than July. Book lodging early; fall weekends still sell out.
- Pick apples and peachesFruit stands along the Fruit Way (US-89) north of Brigham City and around Santaquin and Payson sell peaches into September and apples into October.
- Drive the Nebo Loop and Logan CanyonThe Nebo Loop Scenic Byway from Payson to Nephi and US-89 through Logan Canyon to Bear Lake are the two other great fall drives.
- Walk the corn mazesUtah County farms and Thanksgiving Point in Lehi put on corn mazes, pumpkin patches and harvest nights through October.
The Mighty 5 →
Utah has five national parks, more than any state but Alaska and California. All five fit in one week-long loop.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Not a canyon at all but a series of natural amphitheaters carved into the edge of a high plateau, packed with thousands of orange and white hoodoos. Walk the rim at sunrise, then hike down among the spires.
Arches National Park
More than 2,000 natural stone arches in a compact park just outside Moab, including Delicate Arch, the one on Utah’s license plates. Big views, short walks and easy access from town.
Canyonlands National Park
Utah’s largest national park, where the Green and Colorado rivers have cut a maze of canyons into the desert. Island in the Sky offers big views from the rim; the Needles and the Maze reward people who go further.
Capitol Reef National Park
A hundred-mile wrinkle in the Earth’s crust, with pioneer orchards in its heart. The quietest of the Mighty 5, and the one where you can eat a slice of pie between hikes.
Close to home: American Fork and Lehi →
Town guide
American Fork
American Fork sits at the mouth of the canyon that bears its name: Timpanogos Cave, Tibble Fork and Silver Lake Flat reservoirs and the Alpine Loop are minutes from a historic Main Street, a big north-end park and Utah Lake’s boat harbor.
Town guide
Lehi
Lehi pairs Utah County’s biggest family attraction, Thanksgiving Point, with an old Main Street that still has a working 1906 flour mill, a square-doughnut bakery, a quirky pioneer museum and a rodeo that has run every June since the 1930s.
Trips and itineraries →
7 days, about 900 miles
The Mighty 5 in a week
All five of Utah's national parks in one loop: Arches and Canyonlands from Moab, Capitol Reef and Scenic Byway 12 through the middle of the state, then Bryce Canyon and Zion. Spring and fall are ideal.
3 days
Zion and Bryce long weekend
Two of the most famous parks in the country are only 90 minutes apart. Spend two days in Zion's canyon and one on Bryce's rim.
3 days
A weekend in Moab
Two national parks, a state park with one of the best views in the West, and the Colorado River, all within 40 minutes of town.
2 days
Park City weekend
A silver-mining town turned ski capital, 35 minutes from the Salt Lake airport. Two resorts, Olympic venues and a historic Main Street full of restaurants.
2 days
48 hours in Salt Lake City
History, food and mountains in one compact city. The canyons start 20 minutes from downtown.
2 to 3 days
American Fork, Lehi and Utah Valley
Thanksgiving Point's museums and gardens, a cave high above American Fork Canyon, the Alpine Loop over Mount Timpanogos and Sundance at the other end.
Ski Utah →
Alta Ski Area
Skiers only, no snowboards · Legendary powder days
Snowbird
The 125-passenger Aerial Tram · Steep chutes and cliffy expert terrain
Brighton
Night skiing under the lights · Snowboard and terrain park culture
Solitude Mountain Resort
Honeycomb Canyon · Short weekday lift lines
Park City Mountain
Largest ski resort in the U.S. · Town Lift from Main Street
Deer Valley Resort
Skiers only, no snowboards · Grooming and guest service
State parks and monuments →
National monument
Cedar Breaks National Monument
National monument
Natural Bridges National Monument
National monument
Timpanogos Cave National Monument
National monument
Dinosaur National Monument
National monument
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
National monument