Keep your bearings the visitor centre is easy to spot from any vantage and let yourself get lost between the hoodoos. Cliffside park offering camping, hiking/biking trails, plus overlooks & views of the Colorado River. The dunes are formed from the erosion of Navajo Sandstone surrounding the park. Photograph: Mark C Stevens/Getty Images/Flickr RF, The Castle, Capitol Reef national park. Trails for hiking, climbing & horseback riding amid dunes & sandstone cliffs. From narrow slot canyons to grand sweeping vistas, sandstone plateaus to meandering rivers, San Rafael Country and the San Rafael Swell are home to some of the most spectacular scenery in Utah. Treks ranging from easy overnights to multi-week adventures can be found in the nearby Uinta mountains, Ashley and Wasatch-Cache national forests, including 13,528-ft Kings Peak, the highest mountain in Utah. It is the tallest of the parks 67 chimneys. Some of the popular sites include Chimney Rock, Shakespeare Arch and Ballerina Geyser. Nonetheless, the state park is well worth shelling out an extra $20 to visit. Coral Pink Sand Dunes is the only major sand dune field on the Colorado Plateau. All Rights Reserved. Pin It! Utahs national parks are among the most spectacular in the world. Here are eight enticing state parks along the The Mighty 5 road trip, which means each day youll have the option to stop at the national parks if its your first time to Utah, or leave them for the other travelers if youre looking to see Utah from another angle. Top tip You can drive all the way out to the edge of Dead Horse Point, but why drive when the walk is among the most spectacular in the south-west? These geological oddities were formed by the continual erosion of the nearby Navajo sandstone cliffs. Erika is an avid traveler and explorer of over ninety countries on six different continents. How many of these hidden gems have you been to? The trail follows a set of chains up a narrow ridge of sandstone to a spectacular summit that looks straight down through the heart of Zion. Then take your shoes off to leave footprints in the orange-red sand dunes. If you want to ask some of the big questions of humanity like how do we become farmers, city dwellers, crucibles most of us on the planet have passed through, this is the best place to do it, says Jonathan Till, curator of Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum. With a name like Kodachrome, you know this is a place that begs to be photographed. Quail Creek State Park lures swimmers, boaters and anglers year-round with its exceptionally warm waters and mild winter climate. Though technically mild by Moab standards, the trails are a hit for riders of all abilities. Its the longest exposed monocline in the world, but you dont have to be a geologist to appreciate Capitol Reefs amazing rocks. Whenever possible, he hikes Utah's Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument with his dog. No matter what kind of adventure you tackle, be sure to stay overnight and catch sunset, the stars and sunrise over the vast maze of red rocks. Top tip All three bridges can be linked by a 8-mile loop that runs through the bottom of the White and Armstrong canyons, making for a nice all-day trek. Walk among old juniper, and pinion and ponderosa pines. stateparks.utah.gov. But dont miss the stunning 850-year-old scarlet macaw feather sash found on the very southern edge of Canyonlands National Park. Located south and west of Arches, Dead Horse Point is a narrow 2,000-ft high promontory that overlooks the northern reaches of Canyonlands national park. Photograph: Christian Heinrich/Getty Images/Imagebroker RF, Sunset at Dead Horse Point. Located at the edge of the Mojave Desert, Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, Snow Canyon State Park explodes with dramatic geology perfect for your outdoor adventure. Experiencing the peace of canyon country in the winter is an attraction of its own. Camping: Goblin Valley also offers a couple of yurts in addition to standard back-in and tent sites (no hookups). Numerous bolted routes throughout the canyon lure rock climbers. Angels Palace is among the most beautiful short hikes in Kodachrome State Park. Southern Utah State Parks Near the Mighty 5, Here are eight enticing state parks along the, Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument, Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. Explore the geology and camp among the nooks and gnomes. Fishing, boating, swimming and water sports are popular year-round, and five marinas rent kayaks, canoes and rafts. Because the scarlet macaw is found in Mexico and Central America, researchers think the more than 1,000 feathers on the sash must have arrived in the area through a long-distance trade network. Tie a fly on yourself or book a local guide. Many of the gorgeous rock columns in the park can be seen while driving, but its worth your time to get out and explore. Snow Canyon State Park is a 7,400-acre sampler of southwest Utahs most famous land features. Admittedly, Sand Hollow is best enjoyed in warmer months. The valley floor can get crowded with people, but private cars are restricted in favour of free shuttles, which helps quiet the chaos. The Flaming Gorge is also know for its endless backpacking options. Here, ancient hot springs and geysers have solidified into an array of beautiful and bizarre rock features called sand pipes. Camping: Reserve a Yurt for a unique overnight experience. As youre mapping out your winter trip through southeastern Utah, consider adding the following parks and natural wonders to your itinerary. Camping opportunities abound, ranging from all-inclusive RV resorts to rustic cabins and remote tent sites. Ace Kvale is a photographer and guide in Boulder, Utah. This state park is made up of a shifting landscape of sand. Due to its remote location and low light pollution, the night sky here is known for being one of the best in the west and the areas high elevation often means cooler temperatures here than elsewhere in Utah, making this park a good choice for summer trips. Scenery-wise, it is also quite similar. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. Unlock new levels of understanding about the land you are traveling through, around and on by learning about the geology in Utah. This is a place for explorers: more than 100 miles of trails lead from the valley into the narrow river canyons to the north and up the towering red and tan walls of Navajo sandstone to the east and west. Its chiseled red rock landscapes house a dizzying assortment of stunning scenic areas and sweeping vistas. This is 122.863 miles (to be exact) of pure driving bliss. The 'Goblins' are made of Entrada sandstone deposited 140 million years ago. Named by the members of a National Geographic expedition in 1949, Kodachrome Basin looks a bit what Yellowstone national park might look like if all its thermal water features dried up. Heres a look at six local artists whose work draws upon Utahs diverse environments as inspiration. Evidence for at least two collapsed bridges are found within the park. Im not entirely sure why Dead Horse Point State Park isnt a part of Canyonlands Island in the Sky district. In geologic terms, the difference between an arch and a natural bridge is water. Camping: Coral Pink Sand Dunes has 16 standard campsites and 1 group site (no hookups). It has a beach, a swimming area, and plenty of space for paddling or boating. A paradise for canyoneers and rock climbers, Zion boasts rock formations spanning more than 150 million years of geologic history. Photograph: Jodi Jacobson/Getty Images, New Mexico's top 10 national and state parks. Capitol Reef is a narrow park, less than 20 miles wide, but over 100 miles long, which protects the Waterpocket Fold, an awesome S-shaped warp in the Earths crust that was created over 65 million years ago by the same forces that built the Rocky Mountains. Here, three majestic bridges, named Kachina, Owachomo and Sipapu, span the White and Anderson canyons. Back in the 19th century, cowboys used the point as a natural corral, where they could herd mustangs out to the tip and build a fence across the bottleneck of the point. Only a fraction of the park can be seen from the road. You could spend a lifetime exploring the land between the Colorado and the Green rivers and still not reach all the way into the parks red depths. Camping:The Snow Canyon Campground has 27 total available campsites, including accomodations for groups, pets and partial hookups. Whether hitting the Sundance Film Festival in Park City and Salt Lake City in January or visiting Utah throughout the year, youll find yourself near some Utahs most iconic and most filmed places. Or you can stay at the Zion Lodge (reservations recommended) or in nearby Springdale and around St George. The red sand is an incredible backdrop for Sand Hollow reservoir. Free backcountry camping permits are available in the visitor centre. Plan your Utah winter road trip! Top tip: Seeking solitude? Visit Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum at 660 W. 400 N., which is in a residential area; 435-678-2238; stateparks.utah.gov/parks/edge-of-the-cedars. Over 60 monolithic stone spires of colorful, striped sandstone inspired the park to be named Kodachrome, after the popular Kodak color film. Unsubscribe anytime by clicking the link at the bottom of your email. Visiting these destinations in the order above makes for an unforgettable tour of southern Utah's state parks. Grab your camera. Follow a Germany-based film enthusiast on an extended road trip to discover the rich history of Utah cinematography. In the Neighborhood: Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, Entrance Fee: $20 per vehicle up to eight passengers; $15 for Utah seniors 65 and older; $10 per motorcycle; $4 pedestrian or cyclist. Here the entrenched curves of the San Juan river nearly double back on themselves, exposing millions of layers of geologic history. The park is a popular area for off-road vehicles such as ATVs and buggies. Unlike some of Utahs other state parks, there are no established hiking trails that criss-cross the warm-hued landscape. Discover some of the most picturesque places to photograph in Southern Utah, and learn some tips for how to shoot and travel responsibly. Before it reaches the Colorado River, the San Juan River flows through a series of tight loops known as goosenecks. Look down 1,000 feet to see this amazing sight with no crowds. To the east lies the Valley of the Gods, a pocket of spectacular scenery featuring mesas and buttes reminiscent of the more famous Monument Valley, to the south. Sipapu, a Hopi name that celebrates the traditional portal through which the First People emerged into the present world, is the largest of the three and one of the longest natural bridges in the world. Dead Horse Point State Park is just as impressive as the more popular national parks outside of Moab. Top tip Be sure to check the Edge of the Cedars museum website for lectures, festivals and other events. Then they could pick and choose the best horses from the bunch and let the others go. Kodachrome Basin covers 2,240 acres and is surrounded by Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument on three sides. The tiny state park packs a lot of punch. Then, cool off in the refreshing waters of the reservoir, popular for boating, canoeing and fishing. Quail Creek State Park offers adventurers the chance to appreciate Southern Utahs dramatic landscapes from the water.