Utah Destination Guide

Updated 10/31/2023.

Utah is an amazing travel destination and one that deserves a lot of planning before visiting.  With five outstanding national parks, numerous national monuments and scenic state parks, it’s hard to know where to go first. There’s just so much to see and do, especially for outdoor lovers!

To help you make the most out of a trip to Utah, we’ve created a Utah Destination Guide filled with our most memorable Utah experiences and those of handpicked guest writers.

Looking for resources to plan your trip? You’ll find them in our Utah Travel Planner.

When readers ask about the best books for Utah travel, I recommend the Utah Road & Recreation Atlas by Benchmark and Hiking Utah by Flacon Guide.

Be sure to subscribe to our Weekly Broadcast so that you don’t miss any future articles on travel to Utah.

The BEST of Utah Travel

Self-guided Canyonlands National Park Photo Tour

Are you looking for the best places to photograph sunrise and sunset in Canyonlands National Park? Or perhaps you’d prefer to sit and admire the scene. Our Canyonlands photography tour itinerary will take you there!

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Hiking to Lower Calf Creek Falls

If you enjoy a cooling waterfall at the turn-around point of a desert hike, you’ll appreciate the trail to Lower Calf Creek Falls in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

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More Articles on Utah

Muddy river winding through a canyon surrounded by cliffs at Dead Horse Point Overlook

Explore Dead Horse Point State Park on a Scenic Drive

As beautiful drives go, a Dead Horse Point State Park scenic drive is on the short side. It’s a little over a mile from the Visitor Center to Dead Horse Point Overlook where visitors look down for a gobsmacking view of a gooseneck in the Colorado River while contemplating how this Utah destination got its […]

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How to Visit Valley of the Gods in Southeastern Utah

Let me take you on a Valley of the Gods tour, one of my favorite off-the-beaten-path Utah destinations. Alan’s, too. It’s the very best kind of do-it-yourself adventure. If you’ve hung around My Itchy Travel Feet for very long, you know that Alan and I enjoy nothing better than to take the road less traveled. […]

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Tips for a Natural Bridges National Monument Scenic Drive

Natural Bridges National Monument, located 35 miles west of Blanding, definitely qualifies as a hidden gem in southeast Utah. It’s a fun American Southwest adventure to add to your next road trip. The national monument offers hiking opportunities to three sandstone land bridges, as well as some of the darkest skies you’ll ever experience for […]

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outdoor fire pit with tents in the background

Let’s Go Glamping at Bear Lake

Are you interested in an outdoor vacation that doesn’t include roughing it? Glamping at Bear Lake in northern Utah offers lodging in a natural setting so that you can enjoy the outdoors and have your luxury, too. Guest contributor and glamper extraordinaire, Anna Reid, shares her Bear Lake glamping experience at Conestoga Ranch. From a […]

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Mesa Arch Canyonlands

Mesa Arch Sunrise Photography Tips for Boomer Travelers

Are you planning a trip to Canyonlands National Park? During your research, did you see the iconic photo of Mesa Arch framing distant sandstone formations as the rising sun casts an illuminating glow on everything in one of the best Utah parks? Did it inspire you to take the same photo? You don’t have to […]

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Drive Highway 12 Scenic Byway on a fun road trip in southern Utah.

How to Drive Highway 12 Scenic Byway in Southern Utah

It’s no secret here at My Itchy Travel Feet that Alan loves road trips. When we decided to drive Highway 12 Scenic Byway on a late spring road trip through southern Utah, he walked around the house for days with a big grin on his face. But this last-minute trip, while beautiful, proved to be […]

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