Utah Travel Guide

National parks, red-rock landscapes, mountain biking trails, scenic drives, and places I've explored across Utah.

Utah National Parks

The parks and monuments that define southern Utah — Arches, Canyonlands, and Grand Staircase–Escalante.

Travel

Newspaper Rock: One of Utah's Most Incredible Petroglyph Sites

Located along Highway 211 in Bears Ears National Monument, Newspaper Rock is home to hundreds of petroglyphs carved over centuries. This easy roadside stop offers a fascinating glimpse into the people who traveled through southeastern Utah long before modern roads existed.

Shafer Trail: The Famous Road Through Canyonlands National Park

From ranchers and uranium miners to modern-day visitors, Shafer Trail has played an important role in Canyonlands history. Learn how this famous road descends 1,500 feet from Island in the Sky and became one of Utah's most photographed views.

Why Delicate Arch Became the Symbol of Utah

Delicate Arch is more than the famous view in Arches National Park. Here’s why this freestanding sandstone arch became the symbol of Utah — and why seeing it in person feels so different than seeing it in photos.

Escalante, Utah Travel Guide: Where to Stay, Eat, and Explore Grand Staircase–Escalante

Escalante, Utah is the basecamp for exploring Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument. Here’s where to stay, eat, and plan your time in this remote desert town.

Devil’s Garden in Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument

Devil’s Garden in Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument features hoodoos, sandstone formations, and Metate Arch you can explore without a long hike.

Calf Creek Falls & Campground: One of the Best Stops I Made in Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument

Lower Calf Creek Falls and campground offer one of the best hiking and camping experiences in Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in southern Utah.

I Thought a National Monument Was Small — Then I Saw Escalante

I didn’t really know what the Grand Staircase–Escalante was until I drove through it. This post breaks down what it actually is and why it feels so different.

Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument: My Favorite Hikes and Places to Explore

Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument wasn’t even on my original plan, but it ended up being one of my favorite places in southern Utah. From slot canyons and desert waterfalls to remote dirt roads and small towns like Escalante and Boulder, this guide shares the places I explored and would go back to.

Best Things to Do in Capitol Reef National Park: My Favorite Hikes, Views, and Historic Spots

A firsthand guide to the best things to do in Capitol Reef National Park, including Hickman Bridge Trail, Chimney Rock Trail, Capitol Gorge, and the historic Fruita orchards.

Capitol Reef National Park: Utah’s Most Overlooked Park

Capitol Reef National Park is one of Utah’s most overlooked parks. Learn about the Waterpocket Fold, Fruita orchards, pioneer history, and the hikes that reveal this unique desert landscape.

Stargazing in Utah National Parks: Where to See the Darkest Skies

Southern Utah is home to some of the darkest skies in North America. From Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos to the open desert of Capitol Reef and Arches, these national parks offer incredible places to see the Milky Way and thousands of stars overhead.

Moab: Beyond the Parks

What I kept coming back to in Moab, past the park entrances — the history, the trails, and the town itself.

Travel

My Favorite Things in Moab (Beyond the Parks & Trails)

These are the places in Moab I kept going back to — coffee, food, shops, and small local stops that shaped my time in town.

Potash Ponds Near Moab: What Those Bright Blue Pools Really Are

What are the blue ponds near Moab? A look at potash mining along the Colorado River.

Moab’s Uranium Boom: How the Atomic Age Reshaped a Desert Town

In the 1950s, Moab was the center of a uranium rush that reshaped the town’s economy, identity, and landscape — long before bikes and national parks defined it.

Petroglyphs Near Moab: Where to See Rock Art & What It Means

Moab is known for red rock and trails, but ancient petroglyphs line its canyon walls. Here are seven accessible sites — and the history behind who created them.

The Moab You Didn’t Know About: Dinosaurs, Petroglyphs & the Desert Before the Bikes

Moab didn’t start as an adventure town. Beneath the trails are dinosaurs, ancient rock art, uranium, and shifting earth.

Statewide & Regional Guides

Broader looks at Utah — the landscape, the sky, and what's worth knowing before you go.

Travel

Utah Rock Formations: A Guide to What You’re Seeing Across the State

After spending nearly three months in Utah, I started seeing the same patterns show up across the landscape. From arches and hoodoos to domes, fins, monoliths, and petrified sand dunes, this guide breaks down the rock formations that define Utah—and what you’re really looking at when you see them.

Skiing Utah

Park City is where most of my Utah ski content lives — the history, the resort breakdown, and why I keep coming back.

Snow Ski

Park City’s Silver‑Mining History on the Slopes: What You Can See While You Ski

Park City’s silver‑mining past sits right on the trails. Here’s the quick story and where to look—Silver King Mill, King Con ore bin, tramway towers—and a free on‑mountain tour for intermediates.

Park City Mountain Resort: Comparing The Canyons vs. Park City Side for Skiers

Park City Mountain has two sides with different vibes. Canyons felt less crowded and is great for beginners at High Meadow. Park City Mountain Village brings the mining-town history and Town Lift. Here’s how I ski each side, where to park, and when it’s worth linking across mid-mountain.

Why Park City Should Be Your Next Ski Destination.

What Makes Powder Mountain in Utah Stand Out.

Watch: Utah

Videos from the trail, the bike, and the slopes — filmed on location across Utah.

Books About Utah

Books locals swear by. They weren't wrong.

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

Abbey's account of a season as a park ranger in Arches, before the crowds. Read it out in public, and strangers will stop just to tell you it's good.

Find on Amazon

Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert by Terry Tempest Williams

Terry Tempest Williams writes about the desert like she's furious at it and completely in love with it at the same time. Part memoir, part argument for why this land is worth fighting for.

Find on Amazon

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