Blodgett John - Fodors Utah: with Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef & Canyonlands National Parks

Salt Lake City. Though it is the home of the Mormon Church, Utahs capital city is surprisingly progressive, and is an ideal launch pad for your Utah adventure. The region played host to the 2002 Winter Olympics, but has more to offer than religious and sporting sights. Dont miss the new museums, walkable downtown shopping at Gateway and City Creek, and an emerging dining scene.

Park City and the Southern Wasatch. Miners tunneled throughout the beautiful Wasatch Range to build the local economy, but modern-day prospectors look skyward to winter snow and summer sunshine to drive the economy in this primo spot. Three world-class resorts, historic Main Street, and the Sundance Film Festival are just a few reasons to escape to the mountains less than an hour from Salt Lake City Airport. The bucolic college town of Provo, home to Americas driest university (Brigham Young University) lies at the other end of the excitement spectrum.

North of Salt Lake City. Much of northern Utah is within the boundaries of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, with breathtaking landscapes, miles of trails, and the turquoise waters of Bear Lake. Busy tourists invariably skip this region for the national parks in the south, so come here to escape crowds. Ogden and Logan offer services, restaurants, and universities.

Capitol Reef National Park. Formed by cataclysmic forces that have pushed and compressed the earth, this otherworldly landscape is marked by oversize, unique sandstone formations, some layered with plant and animal fossils. It is best known for its 100-mile long geological feature, the Waterpocket Fold. Loa, Teasdale, and Torrey have become hot spots for artists and wanderers.

Zion National Park. Known for its sheer 2,000-foot cliffs and river-carved canyons, Zion deserves to be on every Las Vegas and/or Grand Canyon agenda. There is no match for the soaring perspective on trails like Angels Landing and the Narrows, but you dont have to hike to see why the park is so special: the roadways leading through Zion provide ample viewing opportunities.

Bryce Canyon National Park. The bizarrely shaped, bright red-orange rocks that are this parks signature formation are known as hoodoos. If you can hit the trails at sunrise or sunset, your reward will be amazing colors; the suns light at either end of the day intensifies the rocks deep orange and crimson hues. See every vista in the park from the 18-mile Main Road, then retreat to historic Bryce Lodge for dinner or a ranger talk.

Southwestern Utah. You can play golf year-round in the retirement community of St. George, but the regions best attractions are not man-made. Venture onto trails, view an active dinosaur excavation site, or lose yourself in the mostly road-free, expansive Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument.

Canyonlands National Park. This might be the most difficult park to truly fathom without putting on your hiking boots. Canyonlands is best enjoyed on a hike, mountain bike, or raft. Youll wish you were a high-flying bald eagle or red-tail hawk to appreciate the precipice of adjacent Dead Horse Point and the wishbone canyons carved by the Colorado and Green rivers.

Moab and Southeastern Utah. Home to the world-famous Slick Rock mountain bike trailand some of Americas best river raftingMoab is a countercultural retreat with quirky and original boutiques, restaurants, bars, and locals. The perfect base for Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, this areas sagebrush flats, slot canyons, broad mesas, and snow-capped peaks leave a lasting impression.

When to Go

Home to both inhospitable desert and soaring mountain peaks renowned for their powdery snow, Utah is a bipolar state with something to experience year-round. You can golf, bike, fish, and swim year-round in St. Georgebut you can also ski from as early as November to as late as July 4 at Snowbird Ski Resort just outside Salt Lake City. The national parks are best visited in spring and fall to avoid millions (literally) of other visitors, but theyre located at high elevations, so be prepared for shoulder season rain or snow. Fall color displays can be found in nearly every canyon in the state. Cottonwood trees turning brilliant gold along river bottoms with a backdrop of red rock make particularly good photographs.

Given the glut of tourists in southern Utah parks in the summer, plan ahead to ensure that you have lodgingeven the growing number of RV parks and campgrounds fill to capacity in July and August.