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 for your itinerary

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…
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
Kanab
Kanab's most famous attraction is outside town. Surrounded by more than 33,000 mostly private acres of red-rock desert 5.5 miles north of Kanab, Best…
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…
Snow Canyon State Park
St George
Red and white swirls of sandstone flow like lava, and actual lava lies broken like sheets of smashed marble in this small, accessible park. Snow Canyon is…
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…