Utah has 45 state parks and recreation areas that includes everything from historic Puebloan ruins to wetlands to wildlife viewing areas. Numerous reservoirs offer water recreation including fishing, boating, water skiing and swimming. Sand dunes, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, cliffs, hoodoos, forests and caves invite exploration while ruins of Native American and early European settler s reinforce the long-standing human story.
Dinosaur footprints and bones are also plentiful and small museums offer some of the most compelling glimpses you will find of prehistoric life. The variety and depth of Utah’s state and national parks bring visitors back again and again in a vain attempt to see it all. Schedule your time wisely, but leave lots of room for exploration, because whatever your interest, one thing is guaranteed. You won’t have enough time to see it all.
Kodachrome Basin State Park
Nearby state parks may be as scenic as national parks with a fraction of the crowds. Check out Kodachrome Basin State Park, so named by the National Geographic Society, for mountain biking, horseback riding and camping through an otherworldly vista desert vista of sandstone spires and chimneys that seem to vibrate with a rainbow of warm colors when the sun strikes at dusk.
Snow Canyon State Park
Almost half a million visitors visit Snow Canyon each year, and it isn’t for the snow. (It got its name from early settlers Lorenzo and Erastus Snow.) With 15 miles of trails through coral-colored Navajo sandstone interspersed with snow white cliffs, dark lava flows and bright red sand dunes, the five-mile park draws rock climbers, photographers, spelunkers, RVers and hikers. The traditional southwest blue green foliage and sporadic water feature add to the scenic beauty. Between 200 and 1250 A.D., the Puebloans lived in the area leaving numerous signs of their in-habitation.
Red Cliffs Desert Reserve
Just north of St. George on both sides of I-15 lies the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, 62,000 acres protected in 1996 to provide succor to the diverse wildlife within the area whose habitat is threatened by the rapid development and increased pressure of recreation in the area. The desert tortoise and other rare and just plain intriguing creatures including the Great Blue Heron; numerous eagles, hawks and kestrels; roadrunners; hummingbirds; songbirds; kingbirds; lizards, geckos, chuckwallas and Gila monsters; snakes, sidewinders and rattlesnakes; deer, jackrabbits and squirrels; as well as fox, coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions. There have even been reports of a pair of wolves migrating from Yellowstone down to Southern Utah, so maybe this is where they ended up. With 130 miles of non-motorized-use trails, who knows what you’ll see.
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
I’ve visited hundreds of state and national parks and recreational areas and this state park stands out as one of the most lovely. The deep salmon-colored dunes pick up the sun’s rays throughout the day, creating a sensuously shifting visual feast of blue blue sky, stark shadows and glowing pink crests and waves. A favorite of off-road enthusiasts, the park offers 1,000 acres of recreation area. The boardwalk and trial make it accessible to everyone.
Those driving through Colorado might enjoy the dune-y contrast of the Great Sand Dunes National Park, unexpectedly nestled at the base of the Crestone Peaks and bordered by Medano Creek. The dunes are the tallest in North America and home to the Great Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle, one of seven endemic species found only at the Great Sand Dunes. Rising 750-feet in the air, they are dwarfed by the alpine 13,297-foot summit of Mt. Herard. The Ponderosa pine trees native to the area are living artifacts that show their use by Native Americans as medicinal plants. Over 100 pines show the peeled bark from over a century ago.
Sand Hollow State Park
This small park between St. George and Hurricane is the state’s newest, although it has long been a favorite for dune buggies, dirt bikes and 4-wheelers. The popular local’s destination has recently added a reservoir, camping and picnic facilities to broaden its appeal. Worth the stop, especially if you have an ATV.
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
Dinosaur bones and petrified wood remnants make this park a colorful stop for hikers, campers and RVers. Boaters, swimmers and fisherman can enjoy the 130-acre Wide Hollow Reservoir. Birdwatchers come for the rare wetland bird habitat. Petrified wood is scattered from the southeast corner of Utah into northern Arizona where Petrified Forest National Park is located. The wood comes from an ancient forest that covered the area during the Late Triassic period. Don’t miss the easy hike over Trail of the Sleeping Rainbows to discover petrified logs up to 5 yards long. Look, but don’t take the smaller pieces and fragments. The park has a cache of letters from chagrined petrified wood “collectors” who returned the pieces after experiencing a series of misfortunes on the tail of taking home a sample.
