This Natural Wonders Road Trip Will Show You Utah Like You’ve Never Seen It Before

A road trip through southern Utah highlights several stunning natural wonders and state parks.

Utah is full of so many stunning landscapes and attractions that we just can't help but visit them over and over again. Previously, we wrote about 14 natural wonders in Utah. Now we've created a road trip that takes you to several of the gorgeous spots featured in that article. Because Utah is so vast, we've created this adventure specifically for the natural wonders in the southern part of the state. Are you ready to explore?  Read on to learn more and check out this map before heading out on your outing to nature spots in Utah.

Dead Horse Point State Park

This one of Utah's natural wonders sometimes gets mistaken for the Grand Canyon (which is obviously not in Utah). As you can see, the overlook here is truly stunning; the view stretches for miles, and the Colorado River winds through the valley about 2,000 feet below.

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park

Oh, Delicate Arch. You're on Utah's license plate for a reason. You're immense (65 feet tall!), and such a memorable stop on this road trip in Utah. Check out this stunning arch (and maybe a few of the other 2,000 arches in the park). It's photogenic at all times of the day regardless of what the weather is.

Goblin Valley, Goblin Valley State Park

Is there a stranger place in the state of Utah These funny little hoodoo goblins are charming and weird (kind of like the Beehive State itself!). You'll find thousands of formations here; they're carved from Entrada sandstone. Learn more about these Utah natural wonders in this previous coverage.

Waterpocket Fold, Capitol Reef National Park

The Waterpocket Fold is truly one of the most unique nature spots in Utah. At just over 100 miles long, it's one of the world's longest monocline (a fancy word that just means folded rock layers). It was created between 50 and 70 million years ago. The "waterpocket" part of its name comes into play because of the various depressions in the sandstone that act as water catchments.

Pando, Fishlake National Forest

You might think that Pando consists of thousands of quaking aspen trees...but that's not the case at all! Pando is one organism - with thousands of shoots coming off of one main, male tree. It's the heaviest organism in the entire world, weighing an estimated 6,600 short tons. Walk through this amazing forest on your natural wonders in Utah road trip and listen to the wind in the aspens...amazing.

Bryce Canyon Amphitheater, Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the most impressive of Utah's natural wonders. The amphitheater, with its hoodoos and spires, is just simply magnificent. The view here is also one of the best in the Beehive State. Do you agree? View the amphitheater from any of the four viewpoints along Hwy 63: Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration, and Bryce Points.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Much of Utah is desert...but the Coral Pink Sand Dunes are a type of desert reminiscent of the Sahara. ATV enthusiasts love it here, but it's also an amazing place to play, hike, and take photographs. The dunes move as much as 50 feet per year, and they get their rich, pink color from Navajo sandstone. Take a further look at these nature spots in Utah.

Zion Canyon, Zion National Park

Zion National Park is the most popular of Utah's natural wonders, with more than 3.5 million visitors annually. You can see why when you view Zion Canyon (this photo was taken from the Zion Canyon Overlook along the Canyon Overlook Trail). The canyon is truly stunning - especially after a storm.

Buckskin Gulch, Between Kanab and Page, Arizona

Buckskin Gulch is the longest, deepest slot canyon in the entire Southwest. This natural wonder in Utah is right on the border, near the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. The canyon is gorgeous, with its twisting paths and stunning colors and textures. Check it out - but make sure to steer clear if there's a threat of rain - it can also be deadly during a flash flood.

For this road trip in Utah, allow several days (or two-three weeks, (if you've got the time) to see these natural wonders. You could easily spend months in this portion of the state, and still not see everything. This road trip in Utah takes on a total of 556 miles, but feel free to add on some more of Utah's national or state parks to see even more attractions. Have fun!

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