Utah

National Parks

• Zion National Park
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Monument Valley
• The Needles, Canyonlands National Park
• Lower Antelope Canyon and Upper Canyon – requires reservations
• Needles, Canyonlands National Park
• Arches National Park
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument – largest collections of petroglyphs, 650 designs
• Natural Bridges National Monument – three natural bridges can be seen from a nine-mile scenic drive.
• Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument – take Boulder Mountain’s famed Hogsback (with sheer drops on both sides).
• Zion’s Emerald Pools

Northern Utah

Bear Lake Area

• Garden City
  • Giant Raspberry Statue – Oversized fruit sculpture celebrating the Raspberry Festival.

Cache Valley

• Logan
  • American West Heritage Center – Living history farm with pioneer reenactments.
  • Giant Headphones Sculpture – Large metal headphones art piece downtown.
  • Utah State University Water Fountain – Retro mid-century modern sculpture/fountain.
  • The Bluebird Restaurant Neon Sign – Classic neon art atop historic soda shop.
  • Lucky Slice Pizza Alien – Painted alien mural and statue at pizza shop.
  • Whittier Community Center Dinosaur Slide – Retro playground dinosaur.
  • Historic Cove – Prehistoric and pioneer site with museum in Logan.

Ogden Area

• Ogden
  • Treehouse Museum – Interactive museum themed around literature and imagination.
  • Historic 25th Street Murals – Colorful, quirky wall art along this revitalized street.
  • Union Station Dinosaur – Large dino statue outside train museum.
  • Dinosaur Park & Museum – Dozens of life-size prehistoric creatures.
  • Bigelow Hotel Neon Sign – Historic glowing signage downtown.
  • Ogden Pterosaur – Fiberglass dino hanging above a bike shop.
  • Ogden Zombie Bus – Zombie-themed party bus attraction.

Salt Lake City Metro

• Bountiful
  • Funky Troll House – A house covered in troll dolls and garden gnomes.
• Lehi
  • Thanksgiving Point’s Mammoth – Giant mammoth statue outside museum.
  • Museum of Ancient Life – Dozens of massive dinosaur skeletons.
  • Pirate Ship Playground – Pirate-themed playground in neighborhood park.
• Magna
  • Copper Miner Statue – Towering statue honoring local mining history.
  • Smelter Smokestack Viewpoint – Monument to Utah’s tallest free-standing structure.
• Salt Lake City
  • Gilgal Sculpture Garden – Surreal religious and historical stone sculptures.
  • Liberty Park Aviary – Quirky bird enclosure with vintage zoo vibe.
  • Seven Canyons Fountain – Mini replica of local canyons.
  • Spiral Jetty – Massive land art sculpture on the Great Salt Lake’s north shore.
  • Tracy Aviary Flamingo Topiaries – Hedge flamingos in bird sanctuary.
  • SLC’s Neon Walk – Cluster of restored neon signs from old Salt Lake.
  • Red Iguana Dragon – Painted iguana dragon above restaurant.
  • Fisher Brewing Dinosaur – Painted dinosaur guarding brewery patio.
  • Sugar House Prison Tower Remnant – Fragment of old prison site.
  • Liberty Wells Gnome Garden – Folk art yard display of gnomes and fairies.
  • Fremont Street Robot Mailbox – Robot-shaped mailbox outside home.
  • Fort Douglas Military Museum – Military outpost near University of Utah.
  • This Is The Place Heritage Park – Living history pioneer village.
  • Historic Temple Square – Mormon history and architecture in Salt Lake.
  • ZCMI Cast Iron Façade – Piece of original 1800s department store.
• West Jordan
  • Kennecott Copper Mine Overlook – Viewpoint of one of the world’s largest open-pit mines.

Other Northern Utah

• Promontory
  • Golden Spike National Historical Park – Site where east and west railroads met.

Central Utah

Provo Area

• Provo
  • BYU Earth Science Museum – Dinosaur bones and fossils.
  • Quirky Lincoln Statue – Tiny Lincoln statue on giant stone pedestal.
  • The Soap Factory – Make-your-own novelty soap attraction.
• Spanish Fork
  • Krishna Temple – South Indian–style temple with llamas and peacocks.
  • Spanish Fork Windmills – Cluster of roadside wind turbines.
• Springville
  • Springville Art Museum – Unique architecture and sculpture garden.

Sevier County

• Richfield
  • Big Red Rocking Chair – Giant rocking chair outside hardware store.
  • Petroglyph House – Cabin lined with ancient-style carvings.
  • Fishlake Scenic Byway – Aspen forests, lakes, and wildlife near Richfield.
• Fillmore
  • Territorial Statehouse – Utah’s first state capitol building.
• Emery County
  • Emery County Pioneer Museum – Pioneer gear and mining displays.
• Nephi
  • Juab County Jail – Small-town jail museum.

Southern Utah

Moab Area

• Moab
  • Hole N” The Rock – Home carved into red cliff with zoo and shop.
  • Moab Giants Dinosaur Park – Life-size prehistoric creatures in desert landscape.
  • Newspaper Rock – Rock panel covered in ancient petroglyphs.
  • Lions Park Dinosaurs – Fiberglass dino statues along scenic trail.
  • Arches Scenic Drive – Drive through natural arches and desert formations.

Kanab Area

• Kanab
  • Little Hollywood Movie Sets – Film sets from old westerns.
  • Moqui Cave – Rock museum in a cave, with glowing minerals.
  • Best Friends Animal Sanctuary – Beautiful drive through Angel Canyon.

St. George Area

• St. George
  • Dinosaur Discovery Site – Real dino footprints in rock.
  • Judd’s Store – Old-fashioned candy shop in historic building.
  • Red Hills Desert Garden – Desert plant garden with fossil tracks.
  • Pioneer Park – Narrow slot canyons and red rock views.
  • Snow Canyon Drive – Scenic drive through lava flows and cliffs.
• Panguitch
  • Hatch House – 1890s brick home open to public.
• Parowan
  • Parowan Gap – Ancient solar calendar petroglyph site.
• Mountain Meadows
  • Mountain Meadows Massacre Site – Memorial to a tragic 1857 event.

Western Utah

Bonneville & West Desert

• Wendover
  • Metaphor: The Tree of Utah – Abstract art tree in salt flats.
  • Bonneville Salt Flats – Vast white salt landscape with racing history.
• Tooele
  • Utah Fire Museum – Antique fire trucks and gear.
  • Benson Grist Mill – Pioneer-era milling complex.
  • Tooele Valley Railroad Museum – Quirky outdoor locomotives.
• Delta
  • Great Basin Museum – Fossils and pioneer artifacts.
  • Topaz Museum – WWII Japanese internment camp history.
  • Gunnison Bend Reservoir Drive – Scenic route for birdwatching.
• Eureka
  • Eureka Mining District – Ghost town with mining ruins and museums.
• Antelope Island
  • Antelope Island Ranch House – Restored 1800s ranch with self-guided tours.

Southeastern Utah

• Blanding
  • Edge of the Cedars State Park – Ancient Puebloan ruins and museum.
  • Dinosaur Museum – Real and recreated prehistoric skeletons.
  • Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway – Drive past ancient cultural sites.
• Monticello
  • Canyon Country Discovery Center – Interactive geology exhibits.
  • Abajo Mountains Drive – Scenic mountain forest road.
• Bluff
  • Bluff Fort Historic Site – Pioneer cabins and covered wagons.
  • Twin Rocks Cafe – Rock formation plus quirky trading post.
  • Fort Bluff Replica – Recreated cabins from Hole in the Rock expedition.
• Hanksville
  • Hollow Mountain Gas Station – Gas station carved into rock.
  • Mars Desert Research Station – NASA-style habitat in red desert.
• Capitol Reef Area
  • Goosenecks Overlook – Winding canyon viewpoint.
  • Fruita Orchard Scenic Drive – Historic orchards in Capitol Reef National Park.
  • Fremont Indian State Park – Petroglyphs and ancient village ruins.

Scenic Drive Tips

• Scenic Byway 12 – One of America’s most beautiful drives, through Bryce Canyon, Grand Staircase, and Capitol Reef.
• Highway 128 (Moab to I-70) – Follows the Colorado River with towering red cliffs.
• Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway – Switchbacks and tunnels through red rock canyons.
• Fishlake Scenic Byway – Aspen forests, lakes, and wildlife near Richfield.
• Mirror Lake Highway – Alpine views and campgrounds in the Uinta Mountains.
• Trail of the Ancients – Connects ancient Native American sites in the southeast.

Notes

Zion National Park

• You can’t drive your car very far into Zion National Park during high season (March to November), but the park has a fantastic shuttle bus system to get around.
• The parking lot fills fast, and early. By late morning cars are being redirected to Springdale and even then parking can be a real hassle and costs about $20.
• Large Vehicles coming from the East will have to enter on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway through a tunnel that isn’t very tall or wide. Any vehicle that is more than 7 feet 10 inches in width or 11 feet 4 inches in height is required to have a $15 tunnel permit, and you can only pass at certain times of the day. Rangers shut down the tunnel and allow you to enter without other vehicles. Vehicles over 13 feet 1 inch, weighing more than 50,000 pounds, single vehicles over 40 feet long, or combined vehicles over 50 feet long are not allowed in the tunnel. Whenever possible, it’s best to come to the park from the West, but it adds an hour or more of travel time.
• Bryce offers RV camping by reservation at the Sunset Campground and first-come-first-served at the North Campground. There are no hook-ups at either campground, but a dump station is available for a $5 fee. We highly recommend staying at Sunset Campground and then utilizing the park’s shuttle during the busy season to get around the park.
• Hikes
  • Angel’s Landing (5.4 miles, strenuous) – This hike is very popular, and starting early helps to avoid both the crowds and the heat of the day. It’s a beautiful but fairly strenuous hike with some pockets of shade.
  • Observation Point (8 miles, strenuous)
  • Canyon Overlook Trail (1 mile, moderate; easier alternative to Angel’s Landing)
  • Riverside Walk (2.2 miles, easy)
  • Weeping Rock Trail (0.4 miles, easy)
  • The Narrows (9.4 miles, strenuous; high water levels can mean this is closed at some times during the year) – Cold water

Bryce Canyon National Park

• scenic 12-mile Zion-Mt Carmel Highway, passing through the historic tunnel. It’s a beautiful, winding road that exposes the red rocks of Zion.
• A half-hour east from Zion, Bryce Canyon has a landscape reminiscent of Mars. The scenery is defined by “hoodoos” which are essentially spire-shaped rock pillars that are still standing after years of erosion.
• Drive the park’s main road for sweeping views of these crimson-colored formations in Bryce Amphitheater. Along the road, you’ll also pass several overlooks (like Sunrise Point and Sunset Point) where you can find great photo ops.
• To see the hoodoos up close, hike Navajo Loop, beginning at Sunset Point down into the main amphitheater. Near the Visitor Center, North Campground provides a well-maintained home base while you take off to explore the area. Hookups aren’t available, but the campground’s prime location puts you within close distance of many trailheads.

• Best hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park
  • Navajo Loop / Queen’s Garden (2.9 miles combined, moderate)
  • Rim Trail (up to 11 miles, easy; paved from Sunset to Sunrise Points)
  • Fairyland Loop (8 miles, strenuous)

Monument Valley

• Drive through the valley ($25 per vehicle, note that Monument Valley is not covered under the America the Beautiful national parks annual pass)
• You need two to three hours to do the 17-mile self-guided driving tour through Monument Valley (maps available at the Information Center).
• Stop at John Ford’s Point for a great view over the valley or for $5 you can channel your inner cowboy or cowgirl and have your photo taken on a horse.
• Stop at mile marker 13 on highway 163 for the classic road jumping shot with Monument Valley in the background. This is where Forrest Gump decided he’d had enough of running.

Needles, Canyonlands National Park

• Though they appear close on a map, there are no roads that directly link the four districts. Traveling between them requires two to six hours by car as there are few places to cross the rivers. Most people find it difficult to visit more than one area in a single trip.
• Drive through the Needles area of Canyonlands National Park.
• Canyonlands National Park is actually split into three distinct areas: The Needles, Island in the Sky and the Maze. The Maze is only accessible by 4WD and is very remote.
• Best hikes in The Needles, Canyonlands National Park
  • Chesler Park Viewpoint (6 miles, strenuous)
  • Slickrock Trail (2.4 miles, short)
  • Big Spring Canyon to Squaw Canyon (7.5 miles, strenuous)
  • Cave Spring (0.6 miles, short)
• Best hikes in Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park
  • Mesa Arch (0.5 miles, easy)
  • Grand View Point Trail (2 miles, easy) – simple, accessible two-mile round-trip trail for Island in the Sky’s best view, showcasing Monument Basin’s spires and river-carved canyons.
  • Neck Spring (5.8 miles, moderate)
  • Gooseberry Trail (5.4 miles, strenuous)

Arches National Park

• Like Capitol Reef and Bryce, RV camping is available but there are no hook-ups. Drinking water and flush toilets are located in the campground and reservations must be made during the busy season. It’s important to note that Arches has no dump station.
• Best hikes in Arches National Park
  • Delicate Arch (3 miles, strenuous) – Your best bet to see Delicate Arch, the park’s most famous landmark, is head out early at sunrise to beat the crowds and the heat. It’s worth the 1.5-mile uphill trek to see this Utah license plate icon in real life.
  • Double O Arch Trail (4.2 miles, strenuous)
  • Park Avenue Trail (1 mile one-way, moderate)
  • Devil’s Garden (7.2 miles, strenuous)
  • Windows Trail (1 mile, easy)
  • Fiery Furnace (reservation necessary, guided by Park Ranger) – At the park entrance, secure a $16 ticket for a ranger-led hike around the Fiery Furnace loop, which takes you through a maze of sandstone walls that, at times, requires crawling on your hands and feet. If you’re up for an adventure, Fiery Furnace is for you.

Capitol Reef National Park

• Like Bryce, Capitol Reef offers developed campsites for RVs, however, you won’t find any with hook-ups. You do however have access to a dump station and fresh water nearby and there are bathrooms with flush toilets, but no showers. Private campgrounds are an option, but you’ll have at least a 20-mile drive between you and the park.
• you can easily drive through it via the 9-mile scenic drive and stop off to do shorter hikes.
• Hike the Capitol Gorge Trail by the end of the park’s Scenic Drive for an easy family fun trip. This mile-long route follows a dirt road with narrow rock walls featuring ancient petroglyphs and famous potholes filled with water (known as “The Tanks”).
• Gifford Homestead to see what pioneer life was like and buy homemade pie.
• Scenic Byway 12, Utah’s only All-American Road and one of the country’s most beautiful drives.
• Best hikes in Capitol Reef National Park
  • Sunset Point Trail (0.4 miles one-way, easy)
  • Hickman Bridge Trail (0.9 miles one-way, moderate)
  • Chimney Rock Trail (3.6 miles, strenuous)
  • Rim Overlook Trail (2.3 miles, strenuous)