Utah Roadtrip

Utah is by far one of our favorite states, and we strongly recommend exploring it, especially if you love the outdoors.

Hot tip!

Make sure to buy the National Park Pass; saves so much money! Order one online or buy one upon entering your first park!

National Parks Pass

usparkpass.com

Day 1 - Salt Lake City

Bonneville Salt Flats

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Majority of Utah's landscape is unlike anything else you will find. It's rugged, it's different, and makes you triple check if you are still actually in the USA, because quite frankly, it feels like a different planet. Bonneville Salt flats is one of those locations, and you can see exactly why. You can either drive to the parking lot and walk a bit out on the flats or you can be a semi daredevil and take your car out into the flats. Yes, it's legal, we checked. Just don't go off too much in case you catch some mud and get stuck.

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Causey Reservoir

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About an hour north from Salt Lake, you will find this amazing reservoir that is perfect for kayaks, paddle boards, or canoes. We wish we had more time here to potentially rent a kayak and explore more of this place. If water sports are not for you, make sure to hike the Skull rock trail.

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Skull Crack Trail

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About a 5 mile roundtrip hike. The views are beyond amazing!

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Day 2 - Moab

Get up early to drive about 4 hours from Salt Lake City to get to Canyonlands.

Canyonlands National Park

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An early 4 hour drive from Salt Lake (where we spent the night), took us to this amazing National Park. To me, it literally resembles Grand Canyon so much! Obviously nothing competes with "The Grand Canyon", but this is a close second. We spent most of the time driving around and checking out the viewpoints, which are so picturesque and easily accessible. Note that this park has 2 entrances, which are about 2 hours from one another, so plan accordingly, especially if you do not have entire day to spend here.

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Dead Horse Point State Park

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Once you are leaving Canyonlands, make sure to stop by at Dead Horse State Park. It is a smaller park, but the views are incredible. You can easily spend an hour here or an entire day!

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Goblin Valley State Park

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If you still have a bit of time, make sure to visit this park! These rocks have the most unique shapes and seem like the perfect spot for camping. If you like glamping, they have few yurts that are available, but plan ahead because they book quick.

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Day 3 - Hanksville

Bentonite Hills

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Not too far away from Hanksville, you can really feel like you are on Mars. It is not the easiest place to find, but when you do it's so worth it!

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Capitol Reef National Park

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Another Utah's National park that is worth visiting. The nice thing about it, it's right off the main road, so you don't have to drive off too much. Make sure you drive through the scenic route, and do the canyon hike at the end! Another great hike to enjoy is Hickman Natural Bridge. It is about 2 mile roundtrip, but it is a bit of a climb especially in the heat, but totally doable.

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Some must-do's in Capitol Reef are;

Capitol Gorge Trail

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At the end of the Scenic Drive you'll find this awesome hike. We highly recommend!

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Hickman Bridge Trail

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This is a great hike. It is about 2 mile roundtrip, but it is a bit of a climb especially in the heat, but totally doable.

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Day 4 - Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon National Park

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I would say Bryce Canyon is one of the smaller National Parks, but it still gets a lot of visitors; therefore make sure to go as early as you can. Parking is quite limited and supposedly there is 1 parking spot for every 4 cars that enter the park during summer! We were lucky enough to visit this park both during winter and summer, and both seasons are amazing. The orange rock formations called "hoodos" look amazing covered by snow, but more viewpoints are open during summer.

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Navajo Loop Trail

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If you do any trails at Bryce, make sure to do the Navajo Loop. It is about 1.3 mile roundtrip, but it's quite steep, so keep that in mind!

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Day 5 - Zion National Park

Zion National Park

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The one and only Zion National Park!

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Zion National Park Lodge

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If you're spending the night at Zion, we suggest staying at the Lodge within the park. It is the only lodge that is located inside of the park and actually allows you drive into the park (till a certain point). Otherwise, you will have to jump on a shuttle (free) at the Visitor Center.

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Angels Landing Trail

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If you do anything here, definitely consider hiking Angel's Landing. It is a 5 mile roundtrip, but you are climbing the whole way up. Hiking shoes are a must, especially once you start climbing to the top in the chain area. If you are VERY scared of heights, I would suggest to think twice, or at least go as far as you are comfortable. We climbed all the way to the top, and it was so worth it! Note: Permits are now required to do this hike during high season. You can reserve your permits on the recreation.gov website.

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Day 6 - Lake Powell

Lake Powell

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Lake Powell is located on the border of Utah and Arizona. If you have a few hours here, definitely rent a kayak and go explore the Lower Antelope Canyon. The kayak ride is super fun and about 3 miles one way. Make sure you have enough water and snacks since there is nothing around. Ideally, get there in the morning before it gets busy. On the way back from the canyon, the water does get a bit rough due to all the boats passing by, so if you are sensitive to motion sickness take some Dramamine. Once you arrive at Antelope canyon (super easy to get to), you will hike for about an hour to reach the amazing rock formations (see in the photos).

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Horseshoe Bend

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Just a short stop from Lake Powell, and about a 10 minute walk from the parking lot. By the time we got to this place, it was super crowded. Make sure to arrive before noon or you will be fighting a crowd of people. If you have some time, make sure to stick around for the sunset!

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Oljato-Monument Valley

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On our way to Colorado, we had to stop at the famous viewpoint of Monument Valley. Due to Covid-19, Monument Valley itself is closed and does not allow visitors, but this infamous view has been featured in many movies, so we had to stop and take a quick shot!

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Day 6 - Sand Dunes

We actually spent the last day of this trip in Colorado.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

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As we were heading back home through Colorado, we had to stop by at some of the largest sand dunes in North America. The views here are simply stunning. If you don't mind the sand, you can rent a sand board at the visitor center and go down those warlocks.

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Don't forget that the 3 ingredients for a successful road trip are: go with the flow (mother nature does not care about your plans), do your research, and stay safe (Instagram pics are not worth getting hurt or destroying what's around you).

Love, Adri & Kam