Here of 13 most impressive places to see in Utah in winter. Utah is amazing and you won’t be short of places to visit. It is one of the most beautiful states in the United States, or so many say. For me, without a doubt, I include it in the list of essential places to see once in a lifetime. The vast majority of its attraction lies in its impressive National Parks, and it is not for less, they will leave you speechless.
1. Zion National Park
Utah has tons of national parks, all of them impressive and most of them considered some of the most beautiful in the United States. Zion is one of them. Full of landscapes that will leave you speechless, with many hiking trails and endless photogenic places. In it you will find all kinds of landscapes. More desert areas with the famous reddish rock formations and areas where you can see rivers, valleys and vegetation.
2. Monument Valley
Monument Valley is one of the most impressive places to see in Utah, especially at sunset. This valley is located between two states, Utah and Arizona. The reddish rock formations are quite a sight at sunset. It is worth adding a night and a couple of days to this valley. You can do jeep routes, hiking, mountain bike routes and even horseback routes.
3. Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon is another essential stop to make in Utah. It is a National park full of geometric shapes, also known as hoodoos. Impressive!
There are several hiking trails but the most popular is the Navajo Loop. To see the sunset, a good place is Sunset Point, the place from where you start the Navajo Loop route and finish it. It is a simple and pleasant route that does not require much effort and with a beautiful landscape full of incredible places to photograph.
4. Canyonlands National Park
Yes, I know what you’re thinking… Another National Park? Well yes, in Utah the national parks point and each one of them has something special.
Utah is not as popular as Colorado, so you may find yourself riding the trails without people, which adds even more appeal.
You can cross the Park by road and approach the viewpoints. One of the most spectacular things about this place are the views of the mountains at the bottom of the long road. If you’re lucky, you won’t find any cars and you’ll be able to take some spectacular shots.
5. Arches National Park
This National Park is another of the wonders of Utah. In it is an arch that is the emblem of the state. And although Arch is the most popular arch in the park you will find more than 2,000 natural stone arches. You can do many routes, but if you decide to get to know this popular arch you will only have to walk about 5km in total (round trip) and climb about 150 meters. Don’t worry if I don’t tell you specifically, it’s signposted everywhere.
Once you reach the famous arch, do not stay alone with this one, follow the path before turning around and continue enjoying this wonder. There are many routes, despite the heat we spent the day doing several routes and we were able to enjoy amazing landscapes for ourselves.
By the way! The first photograph of the post is of this National Park.
6. Reflection Canyon
Reflection Canyon is a very beautiful place. It does not have easy access and that is why many tourists and travelers neglect to visit this place. But if you decide to visit it, you will not regret it.
You will have to walk along a path for about 30 kilometers round trip (remember to wear comfortable hiking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water). It is not recommended to do it if you travel in the middle of summer, the heat can be tremendous and there is a danger of sunstroke and dehydration.
If you have a drone, do not forget to go with the battery fully charged!
7. Visit Salt Lake City
Although the main attractions of the State are the National Parks, you cannot leave out of your itinerary to visit the capital. The highlight is the Salt Lake City Temple . You also can’t miss the capitol , the urban art route and the wooded trails that are found around the city.
8. Goosenecks State Park
In the south of the state of Utah you will find this beautiful state park. It is a little visited national park which makes it much more attractive. Apart from enjoying the views, you can do several routes on foot, by bike…
9. Bear Lake
Bear Lake offers a totally different landscape than the one we have been seeing until now. We change the deserts of reddish sand for a green landscape with a huge lake of crystal blue water.
The lake sits right on the border with Idaho. Here you can relax on the shore where there is a kind of beach created with fine sand, take a boat ride, rent kayaks, enjoy a year or simply walk and admire the landscape.
10. Globin Valley State Park
In Utah you will find a lot of national parks and some are similar to each other. Globin Valley is especially characterized by having a surreal landscape. Here the Hodoos are everywhere. Hodoos are rock formations that resemble mushrooms.
Here you can go trekking along some of the marked routes that exist. Even rent a bike to make the ride more bearable. Press the heat, do not forget to bring water, sunscreen…
11. Bonneville Salt Flats
Very close to the capital, Salt Lake City, you can visit a huge salt flat. It has more than 260 square km. When it rains and the water stagnates, a kind of thin layer of water is created in which it is reflected as if it were a mirror.
12. Coral Pink Sand Dunes
They have an unusual pink color. Their color is due to the fact that they are formed from the erosion of the Navajo sandstone, which surrounds the park and is pink in color. These dunes are never in the same place, it is estimated that, with the wind, these sand dunes can move up to 15 meters per year.
The best time to visit them is at sunrise or sunset, where the color of the dunes with the sun intensifies and creates beautiful shadows on the sand.
13. Kanarra Falls
These waterfalls have become very popular on social networks. Therefore, to preserve the place, access is only allowed to 150 people per day. And you will have to ask for a special permit.
The waterfalls are spectacular and their great attraction lies in the fact that they are located inside a canyon. Keep in mind that you are going to get wet and you also need good shoes to get there.
To follow the entire path of the waterfalls, you will go directly through the flow of the River and you will ascend and descend through wooden stairs that are provisionally installed along the way.