Surrounded By Parks And Natural Wonders, Garfield County Is Utah’s Ultimate Outdoor Destination

Dramatic landscapes, historic sights, and dreamy scenery are all waiting for you here in Garfield County. Strolling through a petrified forest isn’t exactly an everyday experience, but that’s exactly what you’re in for when you visit Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, pictured above. Lace up your boots and tackle the hiking trails within the park that’ll lead you to fascinating petrified woods, scenic waterways, and so much more. This otherworldly landscape will make you question everything!

Once home to one of the largest Anasazi communities, you can take a short trail to see the ruins as well as a life-size replica of part of the pueblo and catch a glimpse at what life was like for those who lived here 800-900 years ago. It's like taking a step back in time!

Visit Capitol Reef National Park to see the Waterpocket Fold, a unique geologic monocline, which basically translates to a big wrinkle on the earth. This wrinkle extends for almost 100 miles! The park is a treasure trove of cliffs, canyons, and domes to admire, too. Everywhere you look, you'll be met with awe-inspiring scenery that just makes you stop and smile.

Known for its unique, spire-shaped rock formations called hoodoos, the 35,835-acre park boasts endless hiking trails that will lead you to awe-inspiring views like this. Take a scenic drive up to Rainbow Point, the highest point in the park where you can see the park’s other iconic landmarks like the Aquarius plateau, the Bryce Amphitheater, the Henry Mountains, and both the Vermilion and White Cliffs.

Dixie National Forest boasts an impressive two million acres to explore, and getting behind the wheel of an ATV and traversing the landscape is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, ideal for thrill-seekers and adrenaline junkies.

1.87 million acres of even more coniferous forests and deserts to take in. At the top of the Grand Staircase, Cedar Breaks stands 10,000 feet tall and gives you a grandiose view down into a geologic amphitheater. Take in the dramatic views of the trees and wildflowers by day, and then marvel at the incredible night skies at night.

Here, you can see sandstone spires and columns that don’t exist anywhere else on earth! Take a horseback tour through the park to see these 67 magnificent earthly wonders.

Clocking in at over 1.25 million acres, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is an ideal destination for backcountry camping, fishing, and so much more. Take a guided tour of the Glen Canyon Dam or Lake Powell, or for the more adventurous, embark on a smooth water raft tour down the Colorado River.

Ticaboo is a small town with big adventures, and a great home base while you explore east Garfield County. The red rock landscape and nearby Lake Powell provide endless hours of year-round outdoor recreation. Located in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the nation’s second-largest manmade reservoir in the country is a must-see attraction. Spend your days enjoying the water with jet skiing, boating, kayaking, or just finding a nice little spot by the water and admiring the view. Once you've traversed the waterways, you can explore even further with an ATV, offroading through the majestic Utah landscape or take to the canyons with a thrilling canyoneering experience, where you'll be traveling through canyons using every skill you've got: walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling, and swimming... It's the ultimate experience for nature lovers and adrenaline junkies alike.

Star gazers will be in pure paradise when the dark skies reveal all the stars in the sky. Bryce Canyon Country offers some of the best night sky views in the entire world! Astrophotographers from all over the world come here to shoot epic shots of the Milky Way and meteor showers. Once you get away from the light pollution in big cities, you'll be amazed at how many stars there are in the sky.

Make a wish!