Utah

From its expanses of iconic desert playgrounds to its towering Wasatch Range, Utah is home to every type of outdoor adventure you can imagine. Locals and visitors alike are spoiled with convenient access to world-class winter and summer time activities and lodging.

Top Spots in and near Utah

  • Provo, Utah

    Hike to the Summit of Buckley Mountain

    4.0
    18 mi / 5000 ft gain
    There are a few ways to get to the top of Buckley, but the funnest (and most strenuous) way to get up to Buckley is taking the trail up Slate Canyon. Slate Canyon has a parking lot and bathroom located at the base of the trail, and the trailhead is about ten minutes from the Provo Center Street e...
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  • Emery County, Utah

    Camp at The Wedge (East Side)

    The Wedge, which is also known as The Little Grand Canyon is located in the northern part of the San Rafael Swell. The closest town is Castle Dale, Utah, and most people drive past this part of the San Rafael Swell on their way to Moab, or other parts of the Swell.The views are remarkable. It's n...
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  • Moab, Utah

    Mountain Bike the Moab Brand Trails

    5.0
    10 mi / 200 ft gain
    The Moab Brand Trails are a series of trails about 7 miles north of the Colorado River, north of Moab.  They get their name from four of the major trails that spell out "MOAB."  They include the Bar M, Circle O, Rockin A and Bar B. I was curious how they came to the names and my local bike shop m...
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  • Ogden, Utah

    Hike the Wheeler Creek and Icebox Canyon Loop

    4 mi / 400 ft gain
    To get to the trailhead from Ogden drive up Ogden Canyon toward Pine View Reservoir. Right when the canyon begins to open up and you can see the actual dam there is a turn off on the south side of the road that leads down a dirt road to a very small parking area and the trailhead. If the parking ...
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  • Moab, Utah

    Hike the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail

    5.0
    1 mi / 50 ft gain
    This short trail is located off Mill Canyon rd about 15 minutes north of Moab.  A short walk from the parking area leads to an established interpretive trail with signage of where to look for the fossils and a description of what type of dinosaur they belong to. Several different types of dinosau...
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  • Moab, Utah

    Camp at Porcupine Rim Campground

    5.0
    Porcupine Rim Campground, just inside the Manti-La Sal National Forest, is a fantastic dispersed campsite (with bathrooms) that overlooks the hills and mesas of Castle Valley some 2000' feet below. Most are familiar with the area due to the famous Porcupine Pine Rim mountain biking trail, but the...
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  • Salt Lake City, Utah

    Snowshoe to Cardiff Mine

    7 mi / 1500 ft gain
    The trail starts from the same trailhead as Donut Falls which is extremely popular. In the winter, the gates are closed and you need to park just off the highway. Follow the road and crowds along the trail but once you cross the bridge continue straight ahead instead of following the trail that c...
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  • Evanston, Utah

    Camping and Skiing at Lily Lake

    When driving to the trailhead you must go through Evanston Wyoming to get there. The trailhead is located near the Bear River Lodge off the Mirror Lake Highway (UT 150).The Lily Lake area in the Uintas is full of snowy landscapes waiting to be explored on skis, snowshoes, or even a snowmobile. Yo...
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  • Wayne County, Utah

    Hickman Natural Bridge Trail

    4.6
    1.82 mi / 413 ft gain
    Starting at 5350' in elevation, the hike to Hickman natural bridge is one of the best hikes in Capitol Reef National Park for families with small children. The hike is just under two miles round trip and doesn't include any steep or exposed sections. You'll begin your hike next to the Fremont Ri...
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  • Moab, Utah

    Hike to Castleton Tower

    5.0
    4 mi / 300 ft gain
    Castleton Tower is a popular destination for rock climbing when in the Moab area. However, if you are not a rock climbing, you can still enjoy the scenery of the tower and the surrounding desert. Located on BLM land, there are several access trails off the La Sal Loop road. You can't miss the tow...
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  • Kane County, Utah

    Hike and Swim through Labyrinth Canyon

    3.0
    4 mi / 500 ft gain
    This hike is a perfect day activity from boating/houseboating/camping Lake Powell. We were houseboating by Gunsight/Cookie Jar Buttes and boated across the bay to Labyrinth Bay. We jumped out when the canyon became too narrow for the ski boat and swam the slot canyon.  Wear your life jacket. I ha...
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  • Grand County, Utah

    Mountain Bike the Monitor-Merrimac Trail

    4.0
    6 mi / 564 ft gain
    The Monitor-Merrimac Trail is a scenic beginner level mountain bike trail in Moab, UT. It is located on BLM Land (Bureau of Land Management), so it is free to use year round. The trail is a 5.5 mile loop and has about 630’ of elevation gain. The Monitor-Merrimac Trail is slickrock for the majo...
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  • Hatch, Utah

    Mammoth Cave Lava Tubes

    3.0
    0.34 mi / 21.43 ft gain
    From the USFS website:  "Mammoth Cave, at 8050 feet in elevation opens to one of the largest lava tubes in Utah with over 2200 feet of passages. Formed by cooling lava and flowing water, Mammoth Cave is part of the Markagunt Plateau. Geologists believe that some of this lava is only several thou...
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  • Moab, Utah

    Potash Road Petroglyphs

    4.4
    Just north of Moab driving out on route 191, look for Potash Road, also known as route 279 just after the Colorado River. Turn left on Potash road and and drive five miles south.  You will see a paved pull-out on the Colorado River side of the road with a sign for the petroglyphs. The rock art ...
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  • Provo, Utah

    Ice Climbing Provo Canyon

    There are a number of good ice climbing areas in the canyon. Everything from short easy water ice on up to the most difficult mixed route in the state are available. The area surrounding Bridal Veil Falls usually sees the most traffic. There are too many great routes to names here. For more in de...
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  • Virgin, Utah

    Rock Climb in Lambs Knoll

    5.0
    If you're a rock climber, then chances are you've got Zion National Park on your list of to do's, or must go back. The beautiful sandstone just keeps calling you back and asking you to climb more. Although not technically in the park, Lambs Knoll is right across the street in the north western pa...
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