Utah: top 5 state parks by @andreafcannon

Author:

Andrea Cannon – www.beaUTAHfulworld.com and @andreafcannon.

The state parks in Utah often get overlooked because of the amazing Utah national parks. However that doesn’t mean that you should skip them! In fact if you love the outdoors and Utah itself, then you absolutely should check them out.

Several of these state parks made the list of places to visit in Utah that aren’t national parks. If you are looking for less crowds and hidden gems then make sure that you add these best state parks in Utah to your list.

Visiting the Utah State Parks:

As Utah is a large state, in order to visit these state parks in Utah, you will need to rent a car. Additionally, each of the state parks has a fee to visit. You can buy an annual pass which is definitely the best value if you plan to spent a lot of time in the state parks. The annual pass is cheaper if you live in Utah so make sure to have your ID. You can visit the state parks website for more information regarding fees.

Additionally, Utah state parks allow dogs which is a big perk if you are traveling with your furry friend. There are a few things pets might not be able to do in the parks, but for the most part, they are good to go!

Importantly, when you visit these state parks in Utah, make sure to practice “Leave No Trace” which consists of 7 principles:

Plan ahead and prepare
Hike and camp on durable surfaces
Dispose of waste properly
Leave what you find
Minimize campfire impacts
Respect wildlife
Be considerate of other visitors

The state parks in Utah are incredibly impressive and less popular than the Utah Mighty 5. If you are planning to do one of the many scenic drives in Utah, you should certainly add these to your road trip list:

21 Places to Visit in Utah that aren’t National Parks and Visiting the Utah Mighty 5 National Parks.

Dead Horse Point State Park:

Location: Moab, UT
Closest Airport: CNY
Nearby Points of Interest: Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park

Far from a hidden gem, Dead Horse Point gets a lot of its visitors due to proximity to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. In fact, you pass the entrance to Dead Horse Point State Park one your way to the Island in the Sky area of Canyonlands.

Dead Horse Point State Park has campgrounds and 9 yurts that can be reserved up to 4 months in advance. There are several trails within the park with gorgeous views of the rims. The park is best visited during golden hour (around sunrise and sunset) and it does get very hot in the summertime.

You may be wondering about the name, because it sounds a bit grotesque. There are many legends about the reason behind the name, however taken directly from the park website:

“According to one legend, around the turn of the century the point was used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa top. Cowboys rounded up these horses, herded them across the narrow neck of land and onto the point. The neck, which is only 30-yards-wide, was then fenced off with branches and brush. This created a natural corral surrounded by precipitous cliffs straight down on all sides, affording no escape.

Cowboys then chose the horses they wanted and let the culls or broomtails go free. One time, for some unknown reason, horses were left corralled on the waterless point where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below“.

Yikes.

Regardless of the tales, it is still a beautiful state park to visit. It is also recognised as an International Dark Sky Park in 2016, making it a great place to stargaze.

Snow Canyon State Park:

Location: Ivins, UT
Closest Airport: SGU
Nearby Points of Interest: Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument

I am convinced that Snow Canyon State Park would be a national park if it wasn’t located just an hour from Zion National Park. It is absolutely stunning.

Despite the name “Snow Canyon”, it’s not often you will actually see snow there. Instead the park was actually originally named Dixie State Park. Later it was renamed for Lorenzo and Erastus Snow, prominent pioneering Utah leaders.

Snow Canyon State Park has campsites that can be reserved up to 4 months in advance. There are quite a few areas to explore in the park, including one of the more accessible slot canyons in Utah, Jenny’s Canyon.

Goblin Valley State Park:

Location: Green River, UT
Closest Airport: CNY
Nearby Points of Interest: Little Wild Horse Canyon, Capitol Reef

Goblin Valley is located in central Utah not too far south of I-70. It is a popular addition to a Utah Mighty 5 road trip as a connector between the national parks near Moab and Capitol Reef.

Not surprising given the name, the park is covered with sandstone goblins and formations and is often compared to Mars. Goblin Valley State Park is also home to one of my personal favorite state park hikes – the hike to Goblin’s Lair. This is 3 miles round trip and rated as easy but well worth your trek.

Goblin Valley State Park has campsites and 2 yurts that can be reserved up to 4 months in advance. It is important to note that there is limited parking within Goblin Valley so going at off peak times can help prevent you having to wait to get in the park. Goblin Valley is also recognized as an International Dark Sky Park, making it a great place to stargaze.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park:

Location: Kanab, UT
Closest Airport: SGU
Nearby Points of Interest: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park

Coral Pink Sand Dunes is one of those parks I actually drove by a handful of times before visiting for the first time. Finally went I visited, I went twice in the same weekend as it was much cooler than I anticipated.

However I want to set the expectations appropriately. The sand is orange. It does turn pink(ish) with sunset but don’t picture pink in your head.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes sits in between Mt. Carmel and Kanab which makes it a good addition if you are visiting the national parks in southwest Utah. 90% of the sand dunes in the park are open to OHV and all are open to humans for scrambling and playing.

There are campsites available in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park that can be booked up to 4 months in advance. Additionally if you don’t want to pay the fee for the state park, there is a turn off before the park entrance where you can still see sand dunes (just not the biggest ones) but you will still get the idea.

Kodachrome Basin State Park:

Location: Cannonville, UT
Closest Airport: CDC
Nearby Points of Interest: Grosvenor Arch, Mossy Cave, Bryce Canyon

Kodachrome Basin is the state park I visited most recently and is definitely more of a hidden gem in Utah than the first state parks listed. It is not far from Bryce Canyon National Park and can easily be included on a trip that includes this park.

If you are visiting on limited time, you could drive through the park on the main scenic drive and hike Angel’s Palace Trail, an easy trail with large, sweeping views. With more time, you could also explore nearby Grosvenor Arch which is located outside the park.

There are campsites available in Kodachrome Basin State Park that can be booked up to 4 months in advance. Kodachrome Basin is also recognized as an International Dark Sky Park, making it a great place to stargaze.

Andrea Cannon:

Andrea is a pharmacist, triathlete, gratitude practicer, and avid traveller. Andrea enjoys hiking and spending time with her husband (Austin) and dog (Dex). You can connect with her via her blog www.beaUTAHfulworld.com or on Instagram @andreafcannon