My favorite thing about Utah is it's beautiful National Parks! They are all in southern Utah, and there are five total. We love visiting them! All of them are so amazing and fun to explore. Utah has the third most number of National Parks of the states, behind California and Alaska.
I recommend getting an annual national parks pass and visiting all five of them! You won't regret it. I have detailed lists of recommendations for national parks here! This list is my just my personal favorites ranked, so if you disagree with the rankings comment yours below! I'd love to hear.
1. Bryce Canyon National Park - Bryce will always be my absolute favorite. We got engaged there! I love the views, hikes, and nearby areas. We love to bring our four wheeler and explore the area around Bryce Canyon City. Our favorite place to stay is Ruby's Inn, and it's our favorite hotel ever. We love waking up early and hiking down into the canyon, and waking up at midnight to see the stars from the park! There's just so much to do, and I especially love the colors of the rock. Click here to see my guide on what to do at Bryce.
2. Capitol Reef National Park - Capitol Reef is the most overlooked park in Utah! It's such a gorgeous place, near some awesome mountains, and there's a lot to explore. It's kind of far from the main highway, which is why it isn't super popular. But, I love that because it means it's never crowded! There are petroglyphs, narrows, scenic drives, washes, and awesome hikes. We love to stay in Torrey and camp when we visit. Click here to see my guide on what to do at Capitol Reef.
3. Arches National Park - This is where Daylen disagrees with me. He puts Canyonlands over Arches. But I love Arches for the hikes! There are over 2,000 natural arches in the park. I love all of the fun hikes, and especially how diverse they are in length and difficulty. The rocks glow at night, and the hike to Delicate Arch is my favorite! We stay at cute little motels in Moab, and visit Canyonlands nearby as well. See my guide on what to do at Arches here.
4. Canyonlands National Park - I love Canyonlands! It's so expansive. We especially love it because we can take our dirt bike and four wheeler, which are allowed in this park, and explore. It's more of a free exploring type of park, and most of it is only ATV roads. There are three sections that don't connect by paved roads, we love the Islands In The Sky section near Moab. Like Capitol Reef, Canyonlands isn't very visited compared to the other parks. See more about Canyonlands here.
5. Zion National Park - Sorry Zion! No hard feelings. I love Zion as well! I just don't love the crowds, driving in shuttles instead of my own car, and the lack of unique places that aren't as visited. I love the beautiful canyons, narrows, wildlife and cool trails. This one is closest to the main highway going through Utah and is by far the most visited park. My favorite part is the separated Kolob Canyons! So pretty. See more about Zion here.
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