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A Guide to Utah's National Parks

Utah is known for its five extraordinary national parkshere's what to see in each one. Read on for details.

One of the best things about a trip toUtah is that you can easily experience all five of the states top-visited parks, otherwise known as the Mighty Five. You never have to stray too far off the beaten path to see something otherworldly and awe-inspiring, like the Navajo sandstone cliffs of Zion or the 2,000 natural arches that arc over the desert in Arches. And while clear, sunny skies are great, travelers should not feel limited to fair-weathered travel. If it's possible, Utah's national parks are even more beautiful when blanketed in thick, powdery snow.

A journey through Utah's national parks is simultaneously physical and spiritual. Being there, amongst all that red rockwhether you chose to hike or bike, to take a day trip to the canyons or spend days camping under some of the darkest skies on Earthmay be as close to Mars as we get in this lifetime.

Zion National Park

The hallmark of this blockbuster park in southern Utah isits vast cliffs,made of Navajo sandstone and situated at the edge of the Colorado Plateau. Massive precipices like these can be found in other parks, but none quite as prominent as Zion. For a slightly more remote adventure, try a wilderness hike in Kolob Canyon, one of hundreds of narrow slot canyons spread throughout the park. There's only one hotel inside the national parkZion Lodgeand it's a perfect complement to the surrounding valleys and rock formations, with rustic stone and hickory accents.

BryceCanyon

About 80 miles from Zion is Bryce Canyon National Park, home to the famous hoodoos. These jagged, whittled rock pillars thatshoot straight up and out of the groundwere originally created byriver sediment. A popular starting point for hikers is Sunset Point, where among the many odd-shaped limestone deposits below, youll spot Thors Hammerthe most well-known hoodoo of them all.

Arches National Park

For stunning night shots, try driving through Arches after dark. The elongated, weather-hollowed rock shapes (termed fins by geologists), look striking against a speckled canopy of stars. At any time of day, however,thebest way to enjoy the thousands of rocky arches is by foot or by car. Some of themajor sights includeDelicate Arch, the Window Arches, and Wolfe Ranch. Fuel up before your trip in the nearby town of Moab, where the eponymous brewery serves beer-battered onion rings with spicy stout mustard.

CapitolReef National Park

Because Capitol Reef tends to be less crowded than others, you might feel as though you have Waterpocket Fold all to yourself. Richly-coloredsedimentary rock is exposed in the parks famous formationa 65-million-year-old, S-shape ripplein the earths crustallowing for huge cliffs and jagged skylines, similar to Zion. Capitol Reef is also filled with fruit trees, and visitors are encouraged to help bring in the apple harvest each fall from the historic town of Fruita's orchards.

Canyonlands

Not only is CanyonlandsNational Park the largest in Utah (a sweeping 337,598 acres), but it also features the best of all the other parks rolled into one: giant mesas, wild rock formations, and thousands of miles of hikeable canyons. Biking is also popular along the desert-like White Rim Road, though visitors should consider the spiritual side of the park, too. From Island in the Sky, you can see up to 100 miles in any direction. Not a bad place to contemplate your next move.

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