Utah's National Parks

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park encloses some of America's greatest slickrock playgrounds. Sandstone formations come in all shapes and colors: it's almost too much to wrap your senses around. Hoodoos, mushrooms, spires, needles, arches, and sweeping vistas define this national park. Canyonlands is divided into three districts by the mighty Green and Colorado Rivers: the Needles, the Maze, and Island in the Sky. Click on the link to the left to learn more about what each district offers. Canyonlands National Park also consists of a separate unit detached from the rest of the park. This area encloses Horseshoe Canyon. Backcountry access and camping are limited in order to protect the fragile desert ecology. Dayhikes are always available, but if you plan on camping you'll want to reserve spots ahead of time. Canyonlands currently accepts reservations via mail or fax only. For hikes during the busy spring and fall seasons you may want to book at least a month in advance;

Arches National Park

Arches National Park contains the world's highest concentration of natural sandstone arches. The park contains over 2,000 of these arches. In addition to spectacular geology, the park has an interesting history. Arches is a land of extremes, with hot summers and frigid winters. Most of the park's exploratory possibilities come in the form of short dayhikes, though there are opportunities for a few longer hikes such as the Devil's Garden Loop, or the Fiery Furnace. Free permits are available at the visitor center for backcountry camping.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon's fluorescent orange hoodoos have become an iconic symbol for Utah's outdoors. Unlike many of Utah's other National Parks, Bryce Canyon's bizarre geologic formations are carved from limestone rather than sandstone. The park consists of a series of amphitheaters sculpted from the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce Canyon gets quite a few visitors, but you can ditch most of the crowds by taking one of the park's longer trails. Backcountry camping is possible, but permits must be obtained in person. Permits can be picked up at the visitor center up to 48 hours in advance.

Zion National Park

Zion National Park contains some of Utah's most majestic scenery. Deep canyons, neck-crampingly high cliffs, and sweeping views prove that everything here is done big. Zion is home to Kolob Arch, which is possibly the largest arch in the world. Zion National Park encloses an area of surprising ecological diversity. The hikes available here are equally diverse. Zion gets quite a few visitors, so camping is regulated. Some trails, such as the Subway, are popular enough that a lottery and advance internet registration are used to determine who gets the limited number of permits. If you want to hike or camp, it's probably a good idea to figure out what you need to do about permits well in advance. Zion is the only park in Utah that has an online reservation system.

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef is home to the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long ripple in the earth's crust called a monocline. Although tourism is on the rise, Capitol Reef National Park receives smallest amount of visitors out of Utah's five National Parks. The park contains several scenic drives, as well as rich possibilities for backcountry hiking and backpacking. For any backcountry camping, a free permit must be obtained from the visitor center.