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This is another post I’ve had on my list of posts I want to write forever. It’s all about the best places to Visit in Utah and I’m writing this all from my own experiences.

I’ve done everything on this list and most and have (shockingly) narrowed it down to this long list. I’m sharing a bunch of the best places to go in Utah.

It’s broken down sort of in hierarchy order like towns, national parks, state parks, other parks, scenic drives, then specific places or hikes. If it’s a hike in a national Park that is a must-do in Utah, it will be under the specific park section. It’s basically a list of the best Utah vacation spots written from experience.

Any specific hike will be listed on it’s own, not under towns but there are still tons of hikes listed under each town. It might be a little overwhelming since there are so many amazing places to go in Utah, but it will be worth it.

This is also all about southern Utah so you won’t find anything around Salt Lake City in here. I have done one thing up there and am not qualified to write about anything in that area, really. I will say right here though, definitely visit Park City and do the Alpine Loop Drive.

I also tried to include some more unique places to go in Utah but have a whole post planned for hidden gems in Utah that will be a lot more specific than this one and I can’t wait for it to go up! And if you don’t already have a Utah bucket list, well, you will now.

National Park Pass

If you’re planning on visiting multiple parks (3 or more) on this trip or within the year, I would highly recommend getting a national park pass. It’s $80 but will pay for itself in about three trips to parks. It’s so worth it and I buy one every year! They’re also great for gifts for the park lovers in your life.

Utah travel guides

• Fodors Utah National Parks
• Scenic Driving Utah
• Lonely Planet Southwest USA
• Frommers Utah
• Utah Road & Recreation Atlas
• 100 Classic Utah Hikes
• Hiking Southwest Canyon Country

Moab

First up we have Moab, one of the four places on my list of places I would live. Like, buy a house live. (The others are Everglades City, Jackson Hole, and the Asheville area, in case you’re wondering.)

Moab is a tourist town but it’s incredible. It’s an outdoor lovers paradise, no matter what you like to do. And even if you don’t like being outside, the downtown area is so cute and I love the shops there.

You can go rafting, do UTV/off-roading tours, visit two national parks, look for amazing rock art, hike everything, visit mountains, go to a state park, see dinosaur tracks, and more. They even have a winery here!

Some great food options here are The Trailhead, 98 Center, The Spoke, Moab Spitfire Smokehouse, Gilibertos, Quesadilla Mobilla, and Tacos El Gordo in the food truck park. Moab is definitely one of my favorite places to visit in Utah.

Book hotels in Moab here

Moab tours

• Hell’s Revenge
• Half-day Colorado River rafting
• Sunset boat tour with dinner
• Canyonlands and Arches scenic flight
• Rafting and 4×4 Canyonlands adventure
• Moab rappelling half-day tour
• Full-day climbing experience
• Horseshoe Canyon day-trip

Blanding

I think, for most people doing a Utah road trip, Blanding is more of a quick stop or a place just to pass through between Moab and Monument Valley but there are so many things to do in Blanding, it deserves a whole day.

This is a particularly great place to visit in Utah if you’re interested in native history or like/want to see and ruins because there are tons in the area.

Five Kiva Pueblo, House on Fire, and Butler Wash are three good sites to visit. There are even dinosaur tracks near Buttler Wash! Edge of the Cedars State Park is a great museum to see artifacts and really learn about the area’s history.

Book hotels in Blanding here.

Check out this North Wash canyoneering tour that leaves from Bluff!

Things to keep in mind when visiting rock art & ruins:

• Do not touch the rock art (pictographs or petroglyphs) because the oils on our fingers can degrade them.
• If you find artifacts, do not take them.  Leave them where they are and just take pictures.
• If there are structures (rooms, kivas, anything like that) don’t enter them unless it is stated that you can.  Most places you can’t but national and state parks will have restored structures you can enter.  Mesa Verde, Edge of the Cedars, and Anasazi Museum all have ruins you can enter.
• And finally, don’t carve in or write or paint or draw on the rocks!  I don’t want to have to say this, but I need to for real.

Escalante

Escalante, the town and Grand Staircase Escalante National monument, are of the best places to visit in Utah, for sure. This is a hiking paradise, especially if you like longer hikes.

If you want to visit a state park, head to Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. As for other hikes in Escalante, there is Lower Calf Creek Falls, Upper Calf Creek Falls,100 Hands Pictograph, Escalante River Trail, Zebra slot canyon, Peek-a-boo slot Canyon, Spooky slot canyon, Coyote Gulch and so much more.

Plus, Scenic Byway 12, the drive through Escalante, is one of the best drives in Utah, for sure. If you do any of the slot canyon hikes, just be prepared for the horrendously rough Hole in the Rock Road.

The Kiva Koffeehouse in the park is a great stop and in the town, the Mercantile is great for coffee and Escalante Outfitters is perfect for pizza! I think Escalante is one of the best Utah vacation spots for an outdoor heavy trip.

Book hotels in Escalante here.

Boulder

If you want to be out of the desert heat for a bit, Boulder is perfect! It’s a cute little mountain town with delicious food not far from the town of Escalante.

You can hike in the Dixie National Forest, visit the Anasazi State Park Museum, and drive Hells Backbone Road. Make sure you can have at least one meal here if you can and stop at the Burr Trail Outpost for a nice warm beverage.

Burr Trail Grill is one of my favorite places to eat in Utah and we would drive there from Bullfrog just to eat. Hells Backbone Grill is more expensive but also so good and they have breakfast, too.

If you want something quicker and more casual, the burrito truck usually outside the state park is a great option. It’s usually windy in Boulder but it’s perfect for escaping the mid-summer heat.

Book hotels in Boulder here.