What to see and do on a road trip around Utah, USA

Utah’s natural wonders had been ingrained on my consciousness since I first visited over 30 years ago. Then, it seemed barely known and little visited, and I had places like Arches National Park to myself. Given the opportunity to return, I arrived with the hope that it would have retained its spine-tingling scenery without having been overrun by crowds.

For this visit, I took a round trip from Salt Lake City, taking in Heber Valley, Moab, Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, Bears Ears National Monument, Bluff, Bryce Canyon National Park, Kanab and Zion National Park, before heading back via a brief visit to Sundance Resort.

Highlights

First created in 2016, Bears Ears National Monument is a huge yet little-seen area measuring 5,500 sq km. It is managed in tandem with several Native American Tribes who have ancestral claims to the land. Scattered around it are roughly 100,000 sites of archaeological interest, with highlights including the petroglyphs of Newspaper Rock and the cliff dwellings of Butler Wash Ruins. Of geological interest is Natural Bridges for its arches, as well as the unforgettable Valley of the Gods.

I came across the Valley of the Gods by accident, having taken the dramatic and slightly hair-raising Moki Dugway (UT-261), a dirt road cut into a cliffside that has a number of switchbacks leading down into the valley. Once at the bottom, a gravel road takes you through a smaller version of Monument Valley, complete with spectacular buttes and pinnacles but with comparatively few visitors for company. I was jealous of the handful of campers who had set up there for the night.

To learn more about the area, visit the excellent Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, which has its own Ancestral Puebloan archaeological site, then book a guided walk with the Indigenous-owned Ancient Wayves. Seeing the landscape through Indigenous eyes added a more meaningful dimension to my trip.

Salt Lake City has a unique history, and it was fascinating to find out more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The central Temple is undergoing a major renovation and was covered when I saw it, but I enjoyed visiting the Tabernacle for a free recital (held daily at noon) on one of the world’s biggest organs. Its world-famous choir holds a public rehearsal on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. The Natural History Museum is worth a visit too, and I also took a fun city tour on a trolley bus.

Exploring caves on horseback was a first for me. I’d taken a late-afternoon trail ride through privately-owned Cave Lakes Canyon, near Kanab, and not only was it a joy to trek through a tranquil and very beautiful spot, but it was unexpectedly rich in birdlife, including nesting great horned owls and the sight of an eagle circling overhead.

Read next: USA national parks you’ve probably never heard of

I also enjoyed a UTV (off-road utility vehicle) experience from Kanab that included a short hike through Peek-A-Boo slot canyon, where my local guide pointed out ancient steps carved into the walls. Both experiences were booked through a company
called ROAM.

The area around Moab was full of interest, and I often felt like I was on a movie set. I stayed at Sorrel River Ranch, where my cabin looked out onto some incredible buttes that have, apparently, featured in many ads and films. Even more surprising was to find a vineyard close to town; the Spanish Valley Vineyard and Winery offers tastings and was a good opportunity to chat to fellow visitors, including crew from a Kevin Costner movie.

Must-Sees

Do visit Bryce Canyon at sunrise. Bryce Point overlooks the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater, a natural bowl crammed with tall spires of rock known as hoodoos, and it is magical when the sun’s rays gradually hit them. If visiting the various viewpoints, drive to the far end (south) of the scenic road first and you can visit them against the tide of visitors; you may even get some of them to yourself this way.

Having taken in some fine views, try a hike among the hoodoos of the Queens Garden Trail. Do this early, before it gets too hot.

Top tips

On your first visit to a national park, buy an America the Beautiful annual pass, which gives free entry to national parks and other federal recreation sites – it covers 52 locations in Utah alone.

Zion National Park bans cars from its main road, but there is a handy shuttle bus (Mar–Nov) running along it that stops at key spots. Or hire an e-bike instead – there are bike racks at the shuttle stops and trailheads.

The roads are fairly empty once you’re away from the honeypots, and towns are few and far between, so make sure that you are stocked up on petrol, water and provisions.

Cautionary tale

Expect queues into the more popular national parks. Arches National Park has a timed entry system between the hours of 7am and 4pm from April through to the end of October 2024. All visitors who plan to arrive by automobile or motorcycle must have a reservation for the time they want to enter; bicycles and e-bikes are exempt. Other exceptions are if you have a Devils Garden campground reservation, or permits for backcountry camping or hiking Fiery Furnace, or a Special Use Permit. Reservations are released three months in advance, but a limited number are made available the day before entry. Long queues can still form, due to cars turning up without a pass or at the wrong time, so allow for that. However, entry reservations are not needed outside the core hours, so try to arrive for sunrise or sunset – when you’ll have the best light anyway!

The more accessible arches have queues of visitors getting selfies, so you’ll be lucky to have them to yourself. But, as with all the parks, walk away from the main sites and you don’t have to wander very far to lose the hordes and have a more private experience. This ethos very much applies to Canyonlands as well.

I sadly missed out on…

Scenic Byway 12, which had been highly recommended to me. It takes in Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Next time!

I wish I had known…

To allow much more time. I crammed too much in, and the drives are long, so I should have really allowed at least three weeks instead of 12 days for the itinerary I did. That, for instance, would have allowed me to spend more time in state parks such as Kodachrome Basin State Park, the closest park to Bryce Canyon National Park. It is known for its towering sand monoliths (also called chimney rocks), which are really ancient geysers filled with hardened sediment that has been exposed after their outer layers of sandstone eroded away. The unusual name of the park was given to it by early photographers, who nicknamed the area after Kodak’s iconic camera film. In fact, scrap three weeks… I needed four.

Anything else

I finished my trip at the famous Sundance Resort. While no longer owned by the actor Robert Redford, you can still sense his presence. Expect gorgeous cabins, art and music, and creative workshops (I tried a jewellery-making class), plus outdoor activities such as horse riding, hiking and winter sports.