Utah's National Parks and Recreational Areas

by Dan Wright

Utah is a wonderland of red rock canyons, high desert trails, and clear, cool nights of star-filled skies. Outside the Park City and Salt Lake City ski and winter sports areas, Utah is dry and sparse, but not dull. An abundance--more than a dozen--of national parks, monuments, and recreational areas denotes the Beehive State's wilderness beauty.

National Parks

Utah's five national parks feature incredible water- and wind-carved rock formations, drive-through automobile trails, and hiking and off-road trails.

Arches National Park has more than 1,500 natural stone arches in its 73,000-acre area. Nearly every famous red-rock arch photograph from Utah was taken in Arches. The park has the world's greatest concentration of natural arches, some as short as three feet and others over 300 feet long.

Park rangers offer guided walks to several scenic areas, and a driving round-trip tour of 40 miles or so takes visitors to Balance Rock, Skyline Arch, and other famously scenic sites. Backcountry trips on foot are many and varied.

The entrance to Arches is a few miles north of Moab. The park is open year-round, with some campgrounds open, too. Entrance fees apply, but are minimal. For more information, contact Arches National Park, Box 907, Moab, UT 84532; phone 801-259-8161.

Bryce Canyon National Park

While Arches offers varied colors of red rock, Bryce Canyon National Park provides thousands of brilliant, multi-colored spires. Pink is a predominant color, especially over Bryce Canyon itself. Sun rises and sets are most brilliant.

Driving tours include a round-trip of just less than 40 miles to well known sites such as Sunrise, Sunset, and Inspiration Points. Hiking along the canyon's rim or to its bottom is a favored activity.

The canyon is 24 miles southeast of Panguitch, Utah. Bryce Canyon Lodge--a National Landmark--has rooms and is open from May through October, while the visitor center is open all year. Entrance fees apply, but are minimal--$10 per vehicle for a 7-day permit. For more information contact Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon, UT 84717; phone 801-834-5322.

Canyonlands National Park

The 527 square miles of Canyonlands makes it Utah's largest national park. Both the Green and Colorado Rivers have cut canyons that are thousands of feet deep from overlook to whitewater rapids. The rivers' overlooks are created of pinnacles, cliffs, and spires of unbelievable beauty.

The rivers have sculpted Canyonlands National Park into four districts--The Island-In-The-Sky, The Needles, Horseshoe Canyon, and the Maze. Each is named for its predominant geological characteristic. The distinctive areas give Canyonlands a reputation for high-end 4-wheel driving, whitewater rafting, and miles of hiking in exotic locales.

Canyonlands has two entrances--one is 50 miles northwest of Monticello, the other is about 30 miles northwest of Moab. The visitor's center is open all year. Entrance fees are $3 per vehicle or $1 per person, and annual passes are available for $10. For more information contact Canyonlands National Park, Moab, UT 84532; phone 801-259-7164.

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef, with its fruit orchard remnants from early settlers, is 75 miles from northern tip to southern terminus. It's all filled with sandstone cliffs and formations of spectacular colors. Viewpoints include the deservedly known Capital Dome, Hickman Bridge, and Cathedral Valley.

A scenic drive of about 25 miles highlights the views in Capitol Reef. Cathedral Valley and other areas may be accessed via dirt roads. The park also has many hiking trails.

Entrances to the park are 11 miles east of Torrey and 37 miles west of Hanksville on Hwy 24. The visitor center is open all year. Park entrance fees are $3 per vehicle and an annual pass is available for $10. For more information contact Capitol Reef National Park, Torrey, UT 84775; phone 801-425-3791.

Zion National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the world, having been named in 1909 as Mukuntuweap National Monument, then expanded in 1919 to become Zion National Park.

Despite the numerous arches of its neighbor, Arches National Park, Zion has the world's largest arch--Kolob Arch. Kolob has a span that measures 310 feet. The park's 229 square miles provides several hiking options, with trails from easy to strenuous. The Narrows trail can accommodate strollers as well as wheelchairs.

Zion has two entrances; one of is 33 miles east of Interstate 15 and the other 12 miles west of Hwy 89. Both entrances are on State Route 9. The Kolob Canyons section of the park may be accessed from Interstate 15, about 18 miles south of Cedar City.

Entrance fees are $10 per vehicle for a 7-day pass and $5 for pedestrian or bicyclist. For more information contact Zion National Park, Springdale, UT 84767; phone 801-772-3256.

Utah's national monuments are no less spectacular in scenery and outdoors activities than the national parks. Generally, the monuments are less developed and more remote. Utah has seven national monuments.

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Cedar Breaks National Monument is often considered a Bryce Canyon in miniature. Early Indian settlers named Cedar Breaks the "Circle of Paint Cliffs." Cedar Breaks is 23 miles east of Cedar City, Utah.

The monument is open in summer months only. For more information contact Cedar Breaks National Monument, PO Box 749, Cedar City, UT 84720; phone 801-586-9451.

Dinosaur National Monument contains the largest quarry of Jurassic Period dinosaur bones ever discovered. One can view over 2,000 dinosaur bones within a sandstone wall, and the site is home to complete dinosaur skeletons that are currently on display all over the world.

For more information contact Dinosaur National Monument, PO Box 210, Dinosaur, CO 81610; phone 303- 374-2216, or the Quarry Visitor Center, phone 801-789-2115.

Escalante National Monument

Escalante National Monument covers 1.7 million acres and is bordered by Capitol Reef National Park on the northeast and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on the southeast. The area features the Grand Staircase--a series of differently colored uplifted sandstone cliffs stretching in order of increasing age between Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon.

For more information contact Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, 755 West Main, Escalante, UT 84726; phone 801-826-5499.

Hovenweep National Monument is a series of Pueblo Indian ruins that were constructed around the same time--and often visually compared to--castles were being built in Europe.

For more information contact Hovenweep National Monument, McElmo Rt., Cortez, CO 81321; phone 303-562-4248.

Natural Bridges National Monument

Natural Bridges National Monument has three natural bridges within an area of less than 10 miles. A driving tour takes you past Sipapu--the second largest natural bridge in the world--and Kachina and Owachomo natural bridges.

For more information contact Natural Bridges National Monument, Box 1, Lake Powell, UT 84533; phone 801-259-5174.

Rainbow Bridge is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Near Lake Powell, Rainbow Bridge may be reached by horseback, foot, or boat. Boat cruises from Wahweap marina or Bullfrog marina are available daily.

The bridge is open all year. For more information contact Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Box 1507, Page, AZ 86040; phone 602-645-8200.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument

Timpanogos Cave is on the northern slope of Mt. Timpanogos and is actually three limestone caverns that are connected via manmade tunnels.

Timpanogos Cave National Monument is open summers, and tours are guided only. For more information contact Superintendent, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Route 3, Box 200, American Fork, UT 84003; phone 801-756-5239.

National Recreation Areas

Utah's national recreation areas are expansive, offering thousands of acres of varied outdoor recreation. The two areas--Flaming Gorge and Glen Canyon--include famous rivers and their dams.

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is inside the Ashley National Forest. Lake Flaming Gorge stretches for 90 miles from northeastern Utah into southern Wyoming. The lake is famous for its trophy trout fishing and for the beautiful red rock mountains rising around it.

The Green River tailwater below the lake is renowned for trout fishing and rafting. Hiking, campgrounds, and motel accommodations are inside the recreation area near Dutch John, Utah. For more information contact Flaming Gorge District Ranger, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 278, Manila, UT 84046; phone 801-784-3445.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area includes Lake Powell, which--186 miles in length and with 1,960 miles of shoreline--is the second largest reservoir in North America. Five major marinas are along its shores. Some have overnight accommodations, and some have campgrounds and housekeeping trailers. The best known are Bullfrog Marina, Wahweap Marine, and Halls Crossing, which has a ferry service across the lake.

For more information contact Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Box 1507, Page, AZ 86040; phone 520-608-6200.

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