When it comes to jaw-dropping natural beauty, the state of Utah cannot be beat.  Besides its national monuments, there are lots of state parks, as well as five of the most beloved national parks in the country.  Here is a quick overview of “The Mighty Five.”

1) Zion National Park (established 1919)

– A favorite among hikers, Zion is known for its wondrous maze of well-maintained trails.

– The park is a study in contrasts, both in color and form.  The reds, pinks, and whites of canyons cut by millennia of wind and water, stand out from among the dark greens of dense forests and flourishing valleys.  The Virgin River has cut one of the most breathtaking canyons in the world, featuring sheer cliffs that drop over a thousand feet.  In fact, Zion has some of the tallest sandstone cliffs on earth.

2) Bryce Canyon National Park (established 1928)

– It isn’t just one canyon.  Rather, it’s a group of natural amphitheaters made up of striking rock formations.  These ethereal spires, called “hoodoos,” formed over millions of years, during which the steady forces of erosion have relentlessly been wearing away at the soft limestone.  Of course, this process is ongoing, and the landscape of Bryce continues to be shaped and reshaped by the power of the elements.

– The magic of Bryce’s landscape lies not only in its shapes but also in its colors.  Depending on the time of day or the weather, the hoodoos can appear pink-peach, red, or white.  The dark greens of the evergreen forest stand out in contrast to the pastels of the rock.

– Bryce Canyon is at an elevation of 8,000-9,000 feet (2438-2743m).  In the winter, the park turns into a fairy landscape, as snowfall dusts the pink rock spires and dark trees.

– If you want to breathe in some of the most pristine air in the country, go to Bryce Canyon.  The air is so clear that you can see up to 200 miles from viewpoints at Bryce!  Also, the park is located in a very remote area, surrounded by vast spaces of completely undeveloped land.  To stand on Rainbow Point – one of the highest points at Bryce – you will be treated to a vista of nothing but wild beauty.

– Because of its clean, dry air, remote location, and high elevations, Bryce Canyon is one of the best places in the world to view the night sky.  In fact, in 2019, the park was officially named an International Dark Sky Place by the International Dark Sky Association.  You can experience some of the darkest skies on Earth – a rare experience in our brightly-lit world (see the Kidscurrent story on our vanishing night skies).  On a clear night, the Milky Way stretches in a dizzying band of brilliance across the blackness of the sky.  It has been reported that it is possible to see 2.2 million light years (527,000,000,000,000,000 miles) into space from look-outs at Bryce Canyon!

3) Arches National Park (established 1929)

– Located just five miles northwest of the town of Moab, Utah, Arches National Park is one of the most-photographed places in the United States.  It has more than 2000 natural arches made of molded red rock.  These stand amidst a multitude of other breathtaking rock formations like towers, hoodoos, and massive boulders impossibly balanced atop tall rock pedestals.  The park covers over 73,000 acres and protects the highest concentration of natural arches on Earth.

– One of the most famous free-standing arches in the park – and in the world – is Delicate Arch.  It is 60 feet (18 meters) tall and stands out conspicuously on a high slickrock slope.

4) Canyonlands National Park (established 1964)

– At 527 square miles, Canyonlands is the biggest park in Utah.  It is a seemingly boundless area of spectacular canyons, rock spires, arches, and nonstop vistas.  Its surreal landscapes have been carved over millions of years by two rivers, the Colorado and the Green, plus their tributaries.  The park is so huge that many areas remain simply out of reach to most visitors. 

– Canyonlands is made up of three regions: Needles, Island in the Sky, and The Maze.  The first two are quite easily accessed by moderately experienced hikers, but still offer incredible views.  Not many people visit The Maze, though.  It is much more remote and wild, more difficult to reach, and meant for those seeking adventure and solitude.

5) Capitol Reef National Park (established 1971)

– This park is located in south-central Utah.  It is one of the least-visited parks in the state because it is a bit off of the beaten track and also relatively new, compared to other parks in the state.  But lots of experienced hikers consider the possibilities for solitude within the sublime landscapes of Capitol Reef the most wondrous adventure of all.  In 2018, 1.2 million visitors were recorded at the park, which was not even one-fourth of the number of visits to Zion.  This is even more significant given the fact that Capitol Reef National Park is almost 60% larger than Zion National Park!

– The park’s name comes from an immense ridge that stretches for 100 miles from Thousand Lake Mountain to Lake Powell.  The ridge, called Waterpocket Fold, is a wrinkle in the earth’s crust that has created a sweeping landscape of canyons, cliffs, and colorful rock formations.  Some of the first settlers in the area thought that a dome-shaped sandstone elevation resembled the dome of the Capitol building in Washington D.C. and that Waterpocket Fold formed a kind of barrier, or “reef.”  This is how the park got its name.