The best scenic road trips the US has to offer – Utah

With international travel severely restricted due to Covid-19, a lot of Americans are turning to domestic travel. Having visited all 50 states, I decided to put together my top recommendations for scenic road trips. Next on the list – Utah.

Utah – Notorious Canyon Country

Home to some of the most famous National Parks in the country, Utah is well-known for it’s movie-worthy vistas and extraordinary desert colors. It is absolutely worth exploring, particularly in the spring and fall when the summer sun is less brutal, and the crowds are thinner.

You could start from LA, or Las Vegas, but if you only have a week, I would suggest starting in Salt Lake City to make it more of a loop.

• Traveling from Salt Lake City, you can start at Great Basin National Park, which is actually just over the border in Nevada. You can do some really interesting cave tours, as well as hikes to lakes nestled into the bottom of spectacular mountains, separated by glaciers. The cave tours to book out, so I would recommend making reservations ahead of time.

• Continuing south, you can then head to Zion National Park, known for its waterfalls and rivers, winding through desert canyons. There is some great rock-climbing, and amazing hikes. Some of the trails do cross rivers, so wear appropriate footwear.

• It is a short drive to Bryce Canyon National Park, which features some of the most breathtaking colors and rock formations in the world.  It is equally as stunning in the summer, or coated in snow in the winter.

• Continuing North, you will reach Capital Reef National Park, where shifts in the tectonic plates have created really interesting layers and cliff faces. This is a smaller park, so you won’t need more than a day to explore, or you could spend a few hours and then keep moving on.

• You can then head further south to Canyonlands National Park. There is a north and south entrance to the park, which offer views from either end of a spectacular canyon valley floor. Each side is some distance apart, so it does take a bit of time to do both sides, but it is well worth it.

• You can then double back to explore Arches National Park, which as the name suggests is home to some of the best examples of arch and bridge rock formations in the country. The hikes are fantastic, but there is no shade, so bring your hat and sunscreen. It is then less than a 4 hour drive back to Salt Lake City.

If you started and finished in Las Vegas then Great Basin is a bit further out of the way. You could instead finish by visiting the Grand Canyon on your way back to Vegas. Antelope Canyon, Glen Canyon, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Monument Valley are other popular stops if you decided on the southern route.

I have driven through Utah on several occasions now, and it never fails to take my breath away. I can’t help but feel that I have been transported to some fantasy land or movie set. What is your favorite part of Utah to explore?

Happy Walkabout!

Open Scenic Drive Route in Google Maps

Please note, these suggestions are based purely on the destination, and do not factor in latest case numbers or government regulations. Please refer to the latest local government requirements regarding travel during the COVID-19 outbreak, and if you are going to travel, please do so responsibly and carefully.

Forever on Walkabout

foreveronwalkabout

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