Utah attractions

Tracy Aviary, set inside Salt Lake City’s leafy Liberty Park, is the oldest and largest freestanding aviary in the country. Home to hundreds of bird species hailing from around the world—and offering free-flight shows, interactive talks, and more—it’s a popular destination for local and visiting families and nature lovers.

Named after the biblical figures of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the sandstone cliffs known as the Court of the Patriarchs are popular among photographers, rock climbers, and early risers. A visit here doesn’t require much time on its own, but it’s an accessible vantage point for capturing the beauty of the awe-inspiring Zion National Park.

Located on the University of Utah campus, the Utah Museums of Fine Arts (UMFA) houses more than 20,000 original works of art from across the globe. Find everything from ancient Greek and Egyptian artifacts to the latest contemporary works. It also has an impressive Native American and Western American art section.

Dubbed the “Carribean of the Rockies” for its clear waters, Bear Lake is an 18-mile-long (29-kilometer) lake shared between Utah and Idaho. Initially inhabited by the Shoshone, it was later settled by traders who sold goods to travelers on the Oregon Trail. Today, it’s a popular tourist spot, famed for local fruit and water sports.

While Zion National Park is known for its strenuous hikes and outdoor adventures, the nearby Zion Canyon Hot Springs is all about relaxation and rejuvenation. The unique natural attraction lets visitors relax in dozens of mineral-rich, geothermally heated pools surrounded by desert landscapes—a perfect way to soothe tired muscles after a day on the trails or to simply unwind and enjoy the tranquility of southern Utah.

The largest ski resort in the US, Park City Mountain Resort blooms from the quaint downtown of Park City, Utah. The park’s manicured groomers, powder bowls, and extensive terrain parks provide options for everyone from first-timers to advanced skiers. You can wrap up a day on the slopes at one of the many downtown ski-up bars and restaurants.

The second-largest copper producer in the United States, the century-old Kennecott Copper Mine (aka the Bingham Canyon Mine) provides about a quarter of America’s copper needs, as well as gold, silver, and molybdenum. The impressive open pit, which is is still growing, is said to be visible from space.

This roughly 4-mile (6.5 kilometer) lasso-shaped trail around West Mitten Butte is the only self-guided hiking trail within Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. If you’d like to explore any part of the scenic park on foot without a permit or official tour, this is the way to go, starting at the trailhead near the Navajo Tribal Park visitor center.

Descending 670 feet (204 meters) into Bryce Canyon, the Peekaboo Loop is an excellent hike for travelers looking for a challenging but rewarding way to experience Bryce Canyon National Park. It offers beautiful views of the park’s numerous hoodoos from different perspectives and gets fewer hikers than the more popular Rim Trail.

Established in 1862 as a military outpost to protect the overland mail route and telegraph lines along the Central Overland Trail, Fort Douglas is now a military museum. Featuring war memorabilia, historic photos, and maps, the museum tells the stories of Utah veterans and the history of military presence in the Utah territory.

The Sand Flats Recreation Area is a swathe of protected public land in the middle of the Colorado Plateau in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. The recreation era is home to no-frills camping sites, hiking trails, and daredevil mountain bike and 4-wheel-drive trails. While the protected area is easily accessible from Moab, it feels miles away from civilization.

Sunrise Point is the northernmost of the four viewpoints that look out over the Bryce Amphitheater, one of the most visited sections of Bryce Canyon National Park. It stands at an elevation of around 8,100 feet (2,469 meters) and offers a 360-degree panorama over the park and its many magnificent rock formations called hoodoos.

Bryce Amphitheater is the main part of Bryce Canyon National Park and the section that sees the most visitors. It's here that you'll find the world's largest concentration of hoodoos. It’s also a great place for hiking, though many people stick to taking in the scenery from a viewpoint instead.

Paria View is a Bryce Canyon National Park lookout point close to the famous Bryce Amphitheater. This less-crowded spot offers views of the landscape formed by the headwaters of Yellow Creek, which drains into the Paria River. Head here at sunset to see the hoodoos (column-like rock formations) all lit up with the late afternoon glow.

Rainbow Point—and neighboring Yovimpa Point—is the highest viewpoint in Bryce Canyon National Park, at 9,115 feet (2,778 meters). Located at the end of the Southern Scenic Drive, it's a top destination if you're looking to see the park's stunning crimson-colored hoodoos (column-like rock formations), plateaus, and canyons while hiking a short loop trail.

Inspiration Point is a 3-level outlook offering spectacular views of Bryce Canyon National Park in three directions. It’s one of the best spots in the park if you want to get great photos from different perspectives, and it offers easy access to the popular Rim Trail.

Looking out over Fairyland Canyon, Fairyland Point is a lovely place to take in park views—or to start a hike into Bryce Canyon National Park. It's also the northernmost overlook in the park, providing lots of visitors with some of their first glimpses of Bryce’s characteristic hoodoos.

The Bristlecone Loop is a serene, 1-mile (1.6 kilometer) loop trail in Bryce Canyon National Park. Winding through ancient bristlecone pines, it offers fabulous high-elevation views of cliffs, canyons, and these ancient, still-standing sentinels. Rated easy, the loop is great for families with kids, nature lovers, and anyone who wants to feel a sense of wonder across time.

You'll understand why Farview Point got its name the minute you arrive at this scenic spot: The vista offers views of Table Cliff Plateau, as well as the Navajo Mountains and Henry Mountains in the distance. On clear days, you may even see Arizona’s Black Mesas, 160 miles (257 kilometers) away. Located along Bryce Canyon National Park’s Southern Scenic Drive, it’s one of eight viewpoints along the 18-mile (29-kilometer) route.

Steps from the Zion Nature Center, the Zion Human History Museum tells this 12,000-year-old story, from the tales of the Anasazi and Paiute all the way to the orchard-planting pioneers. Here, visitors get an artifact-heavy dive into what few associate with this red-rock wonderland: culture.

Located in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Snowbird is a winter and summer mountain resort known for its long ski season and steep terrain. Locals and visitors alike appreciate the laid-back atmosphere, variety of runs, and abundance of high-quality snow.

With a dinosaur museum, themed garden, farm park, and more, Utah’s Thanksgiving Point brings together multiple experiences on one family-friendly campus. Part museum and part theme park, it’s located 20 minutes south of Salt Lake City and also features a golf course, spa, shopping, restaurants, and 3-D movie theater.

With one of the largest annual snowfalls in Utah, Brighton Resort is a favorite with skiers and snowboarders who appreciate the affordability, high-quality snow, and unflashy atmosphere. Located in Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, the resort offers free skiing for children under 10, making it particularly popular with families.

Nestled in Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon, Solitude Mountain Resort is just 40 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport but far from the crowds of the other ski resorts. The resort’s 1200 acres (485 hectares) receive an annual average snowfall of more than 500 inches (1270 centimeters) and boast 65 trails, 3 bowls, and high-quality groomers for skiers and snowboarders of every level.

One of the United State’s oldest ski areas, the Alta Ski Area was founded in 1939. Located east of Salt Lake City, the area was originally a silver mining center, then a ghost town before it became revitalized as a skiing hub. Today, Alta is known for its steep slopes and deep powder snow—the yearly average for snowfall is 551 inches (1,400 cm).

No one’s quite sure whether Kolob Arch is the second, fourth, or maybe sixth-longest arch in the world, but at 287 feet, it’s undoubtedly one of the most impressive. Situated in the northwestern backcountry of Zion National Park, to reach it requires a 7-mile, one-way pilgrimage through the park’s rugged red-rock wilderness—a worthwhile trek indeed.