Welcome to the best things to do in Utah!
From the colorful canyons of southern Utah, to the alpine forests in the north, Utah has so much to offer.
On today’s post, I’ve rounded up the best things to do in Utah.
Let’s dive in.
My posts may contain affiliate links. That means if you make a purchase through my link, I’ll receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for helping me continue to create free content for you!
1. Visit Salt Lake City
As Utah’s capital and biggest city, Salt Lake City deserves a spot on any Utah itinerary.
Here, you can enjoy everything from incredible food and nightlife, to amazing hikes and skiing nearby.
Salt Lake holds one of Utah’s most popular attractions, Temple Square.
This 35-acre complex, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, houses beautiful landscaping, architecture, history, and more.
Red Butte Garden is the botanical garden at University of Utah, is the perfect place to take a relaxing stroll.
If you really want to get out in nature, there’s never-ending hiking in the area.
Head to the nearby Living Room Hike for amazing sunset views.
Or, check out popular hikes in Big Cottonwood Canyon, like the Donut Falls Trail.
Related: 15 Best Things To Do In Salt Lake City
2. Explore Zion National Park
Utah’s Mighty 5
Every year, Zion claims a spot as one of the most popular national parks in the US.
Its dramatic landscape and incredible hiking, climbing, and canyoneering draw people from all over the world.
You can find some of the park’s most beautiful views at Canyon Overlook, and hiking to the infamous Angel’s Landing tops many bucket lists!
Read more: 10 Best Things To Do In Zion National Park
3. Marvel at Arches National Park
Utah’s Mighty 5
Located north of the town of Moab, this national park earns its name from housing over 2,000 natural sandstone arches.
The most iconic of those is Delicate Arch, featured on the Utah license plate.
Taking a photo with this towering arch is a must, but you’ll definitely be waiting in line!
In order to manage crowds this season, the park has started requiring timed entry reservations.
Reserve your Arches National Park Timed Entry here: recreation.gov
4. Discover Canyonlands National Park
Utah’s Mighty 5
Just southwest of Moab, this park boasts sweeping desert landscape carved by the Colorado River.
Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah, with four distinct districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and The Rivers.
The park also encompasses Horseshoe Canyon, which is geographically separate from the other districts.
One of the easiest ways to see Canyonlands is with a visit to Island in the Sky district.
The Island in the Sky sits atop a huge 1,500 foot mesa, making it literally an island in the sky.
This lofty point offers panoramic views of thousands of square miles of canyon country.
Another highlight of this district is the popular Mesa Arch.
According to 2021 visitation numbers, Canyonlands is Utah’s least visited national park.
That means if you’re looking to ditch the crowds, consider visiting here.
5. Wander through Bryce Canyon National Park
Utah’s Mighty 5
Bryce Canyon in Southwestern Utah is famous for holding the largest collection of hoodoos in the world.
Hoodoos are unique rock formations, created by irregular erosion.
Bryce Canyon is not a singular canyon, but several natural amphitheaters carved into a tall plateau.
These amphitheaters are shaped like bowls, housing the hoodoos.
The red, white, and orange spires cut through the vibrant blue sky, creating highly unique scenery.
This scenery can vary dramatically at different times of the day, as the sun highlights different colors and shapes in the rock.
Related: 465 Best Hiking Instagram Captions (Puns, Quotes & More)
6. Explore Capitol Reef National Park
Utah’s Mighty 5
Located in Utah’s south-central desert, this park is known for its multi-colored sandstone cliffs and vibrant vegetation.
Capitol Reef’s name is inspired partly by the massive white rock formations that resemble the U.S. Capitol building, and partly for its sheer cliffs that presented a barrier to early settlers.
Among the towering geological features, the Waterpocket Fold is one of the most distinct.
This 100-mile long wrinkle in the Earth’s crust created the cliffs, domes, canyons, and arches that define the park today.
As Utah’s second least visited national park, Capitol Reef is another great spot to visit without the crowds.
7. Visit Park City
Park City is one of Utah’s premier skiing destinations, just a 40 minute drive from downtown Salt Lake.
It’s known for its high-end resorts, fantastic outdoors scene, and charming Historic Main Street.
In the winter, you can enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and tubing.
In the warmer months, there are almost 400 miles of hiking and biking trails to explore.
You can also take the scenic chairlift, which is awesome for leaf-peeping in the fall.
Park City is home to the Sundance Film Festival, hosted every year at the legendary Sundance Resort.
8. Discover Dead Horse Point State Park
Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab is one of Utah’s most spectacular state parks.
One of the most photographed vistas in the world, Dead Horse Point towers 2,000 feet over the Colorado River.
This iconic overlook offers a stunning panoramic view of the sculpted canyons below.
9. Take in the Bonneville Salt Flats
This next location looks like it belongs on a different planet.
The Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah are a 46-square mile stretch of blindingly white crust.
The flats are the remnants of ancient Lake Bonneville, which left behind the salt when it dried up.
Facing north and west, low mountains break the horizon.
To the east and south, it looks like flat land extends forever!
During the winter and spring, a layer of water collects over the flats and creates a surreal, reflective effect.
One of the best spots to view the Salt Flats is along I-80, about 10 miles east of Wendover.
If you navigate to Salt Flats Rest Area, you’ll find a convenient rest stop that offers restrooms and water.
Make sure to only drive on areas meant for vehicles, as you can easily get stuck in the mud hiding beneath layers of salt.
Related: 15 Best Things To Do In Salt Lake City
10. Discover the “Pink Lake” & Spiral Jetty
One of Utah’s hidden gems is the elusive “pink lake.”
This pink lake is actually a portion of the Great Salt Lake, that’s sectioned off by a railway.
This railway creates two very distinct bodies of water.
The blue side mixes with fresh water from nearby rivers, so its salt levels are much lower than its pink neighbor.
Just across the railroad tracks, the pink side has almost 10 times the salt content of the ocean!
This makes the perfect home for salt-loving organisms that light up beautiful shades of pink in the higher salt levels.
While you’re in the area, also check the nearby Spiral Jetty.
Although this may look like something left behind by aliens, it’s actually a massive art installation.
Robert Smithson built Spiral Jetty in 1970, using over 6,000 tons of black basalt and earth to complete the 1,500-foot coil.
If you visit these spots, know that they ARE hidden gems, so there aren’t any facilities nearby.
Make sure to bring plenty of water, supplies, and fill up on gas, and download offline maps.
If you plan on getting into the water or walking onto the sand, pack some towels and extra water for washing off afterwards.
This area is about a 2 hour drive from Salt Lake City.
11. Visit Monument Valley
Straddling the Arizona-Utah border, Monument Valley is home to some of the most iconic vistas in the United States.
Frequently used as a filming location for Western movies, the valley has become synonymous with the American West.
Its majestic sandstone towers stand anywhere from 400 to 1,000 feet tall, framed by scenic clouds that cast dramatic shadows.
One of the best things to do here is take “The Valley Drive,” a scenic route that winds through the most iconic sights.
The famous Merrick Butte and Mittens Buttes are must-sees here!
Related: 20 Best Things To Do In Arizona
12. Soak in Fifth Water Hot Springs
You’ll find one of Utah’s best natural hot springs just over an hour south of Salt Lake City.
Fifth Water Hot Springs is a collection of gorgeous soaking hot pots and waterfalls along Fifth Water Creek.
The hike to this serene location is an easy, 4.5-mile roundtrip, with beautiful scenery along the way.
This spot is popular, so visit early in the morning or on a weekday for less crowds.
You also may stumble across people enjoying these hot springs in the nude, lol!
13. Moab
The town of Moab is an outdoor lovers paradise.
It’s conveniently situated between Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Dead Horse Point State Park.
So it’s the perfect home base for visiting all of those heavy hitters.
Not only that, it has awesome attractions right near town.
Nearby, you can hike to Corona Arch, one of the most underrated arches in the area.
After that, you can try ATVing or rock climbing.
Whatever kind of adventure you’re looking for, you’ll find it in Moab.
14. Visit Goblin Valley State Park
For another otherworldly destination, head to Goblin Valley State Park.
Goblin Valley looks so much like an alien planet, it was even the filming location for the movie Galaxy Quest.
This state park features thousands of hoodoos made from soft sandstone, eroded into bizarre shapes.
These rounded hoodoos resemble goblins, inspiring the park’s name.
Try to stay past dark, because Goblin Valley is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
That means it’s one of the best places to stargaze in the country.
15. Drive Mirror Lake Highway
Although Southern Utah gets lots of love for its stunning landscapes, Northern Utah boasts some beautiful gems as well.
One of the best things to do here is drive Mirror Lake Highway, which stretches 42 miles along state Route 150.
This drive is a perfect day trip from Salt Lake City, as it begins in the town of Kamas, just 45 minutes away.
The drive ascends high into the Uinta Mountains, cresting at 10,715 feet at Bald Mountain Pass.
From there, it descends past several more peaks until it reaches the Wyoming border.
Along the way, there are lots of overlooks, trails, lakes, and waterfalls to enjoy.
Make sure to stop at the route’s namesake, Mirror Lake, known for its near-perfection reflection.
Keep in mind that this road closes during the winter due to heavy snow.
So you’ll want to take this road trip during the summer, or fall for leaf-peeping.
Fun fact: the Uinta Mountains are unique for being the only mountain range in the continuous United States that runs east-west, as opposed to north-south.
16. Visit Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Another of Utah’s hidden gems, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park lives up to its name.
The park features sweeping, vibrant sand dunes framed by red sandstone cliffs.
Throughout the day, the colors of the sand and rocks almost appear to change as the sun hits them differently.
Spanning 3,730 acres, this park is the perfect place to try sand boarding or sledding.
ATV is another popular way to explore these vast dunes.
Related: 175 Best Desert Instagram Captions (Puns, Quotes & More)
17. Soak in Mystic Hot Springs
Popularized on Instagram, these are some of the most unique hot springs in Utah.
Originally built as a homestead in 1886, Mystic Hot Springs has gone through many changes in the past 100 years.
Today, visiting Mystic feels like stepping back in time to the 60’s or 70’s.
This spot is has fully embraced free spirit culture, even calling itself “the best hippie hot springs in the West.”
You can opt to swim in two different larger pools (one with waterfalls) or soak in private, antique bathtubs.
For the full funky experience, try glamping in one of the pioneer cabins or hippie buses.
18. Kanab
Nestled between Zion National Park, Bryce National Park, and the Grand Canyon lies the town of Kanab.
Kanab is the ultimate home base for adventures in Southern Utah.
On top of those big-name destinations, it also has easy access to the beautiful slot canyons of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.
Just over an hour southeast, you can reach Page, Arizona, and all its stunning sights like Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon.
Read more: 7 Day Best Northern Arizona Road Trip Itinerary
19. Visit Midway Ice Castles
If you visit Utah in the winter, make sure to check out the frozen wonderland of Ice Castles.
Only open about two months a year, these manmade ice castles come alive every winter and boast brilliant ice formations.
Both kids and adults will love exploring its maze-like tunnels and secret passageways made of ice.
Every corner of Ice Castles is highly photogenic, so come ready to take tons of pictures.
Just make sure to wear warm snow clothes, because it’s freezing!
Nearby, you can also check out the Homestead Crater, which is open year round.
This is a geothermal hot spring, housed in a 55-foot limestone dome.
You can swim in the water here, which is heated naturally to about 95 degrees all the time.
20. Paddle on Lake Powell
One of the best things to do in Utah in the warmer months is go for a paddle on Lake Powell.
This lake straddles the Utah/Arizona border and connects to the Colorado River.
Exploring the lake by kayak or SUP offers a unique way to view the area’s landscape.
You can even rent houseboats and stay on the water, for a really adventurous experience.
Lake Powell is also just a stone’s throw from the town of Page, Arizona.
While you’re here, consider adding on a stop at Arizona’s amazing Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon.
Leave a Reply