Highlights
Zion National Park
Zion National Park is a truly awesome spectacle of soaring red and white cliffs in Zion Canyon, one of Utah’s most dramatic natural wonders. Amble along on one of many grand hikes to discover the 14,000ft ascent to Angels Landing. Less daring are walks where you can discover weeping rocks, impressive rock formations, hanging gardens and beautiful meadows of mesa-top wildflowers and lush vegetation. You can also take a scenic drive through Zion National Park, which is a lovely way to cover the park in less time, whilst still providing extraordinary vistas.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Spires of rock and hoodoos are awash with the wonderful rich reds and oranges that make up the incredible Bryce Canyon National Park. Visit the park at sunset when the rock formations are set ablaze with vibrant orange, providing a picture-perfect opportunity. A key highlight of the national park is Bryce Point – which juts out over the luscious forested canyon floor, 1,000ft below – offering the most extraordinary views as far as the eye can see. We suggest visiting the park during June and September for the best weather conditions.
Lake Powell
Following the construction of the huge Glen Canyon Dam in the 1960s, consequently flooding Glen Canyon, Lake Powell is now a superb recreational playground. Stretching more than 185 miles and surrounded by millions of acres of desert, Lake Powell incorporates many beaches along its secluded bays, its blue waters turning warm around early June and staying that way well into October, providing endless opportunities for boating, water-skiing, kayaking and fishing.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
The sheer size of this 1.9-million-acre park is incredible. Nearly twice the size of Rhode Island, the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument is the largest park in the southwest, offering some of the most undisturbed and spectacular scenery on the planet. The name derives from the 150-mile-long geographical strata that begins at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and climbs 3,500ft in stair steps to Bryce Canyon and Escalante River Canyon. The phenomenal rock formations is a sight to behold, the layers of rock reveal a story of 260 million years of history.