There’s no doubt that the “Mighty 5” in Utah (Canyonlands, Arches, Capital Reef, Bryce and Zion) are on your to-do list but in the next 3 posts I think you’ll see there’s a good case to be made that with all the surrounding state parks, national monuments, and scenic drives, you could visit southeastern Utah every year and still not see it all!
Two additional locations – Valley of the Gods and Natural Bridges -are great stops as you head north out of Arizona and up towards Canyonlands and Arches.
Valley of the Gods
Away from the crowds and nestled between Monument Valley, Bears Ear National Monument and Mexican Hat, Utah, this Bureau of Land Management area has phenomenal boondocking!
There are no official hiking trails, but meandering is welcomed.
The challenging gravel road drive is worth it if you want to find Sitting Hen Butte, Seven Sailors Butte and Lady in the Bathtub to name a few.
A final highlight was climbing out of the valley on the challenging Moki Dugway (steep, gravel switchback road) to reach the high plateau as we travelled to the northwest.
Lady in the Bathtub
Natural Bridges National Monument
Unlike Valley of the Gods which is best seen driving, you’ll want to hike down into Natural Bridges National Monument. There is a well organized one-way scenic loop drive through the park with pull-outs/overlooks and trailheads providing opportunities to hike down for close-up views of several rock bridges.
Each hike is different – the hike to Sipapu (the second largest natural bridge in the state) includes a ladder; the Kachina Bridge trail is steep and about 3 miles but has great petroglyphs; and the easiest hike is to to the last bridge, Owachomo.
Kachina
More Valley of the Gods and Natural Bridges pictures in the video below:
Canyonlands
Canyonlands is made up of deep canyons, towering mesas, pinnacles, cliffs, and spires stretching across 527 square miles all formed by the Green and Colorado rivers. The park is divided into 3 distinct regions – the Needles, Island in the Sky, and the Maze. The Maze is the least accessible region of the park. We didn’t visit. Boondocking, driving with pullouts, and hiking in the Needles area is spectacular. We did two hikes while there:
- Slick Rock Trail, which has amazing 360 degree views
- Big Spring Trial / Squaw Flats
At the north end of the park (Island in the Sky) we hiked Upheaval Dome and the Grand View trail.
Arches National Park
It’s no surprise that over a million people per year visit Arches National Park…it’s a red rock wonderland. Great for driving, hiking, rock climbing, and photography. This 73,000 acre park has one of the most dramatic entrances I’ve ever seen. Driving through, you’ll see sandstone towers, fins, balancing rocks, gargoyles, hoodoos, and, of course, arches…in fact over 2,000 of them have been cataloged to date.
Whether you hit the park at sunrise, mid-day, or sunset, the dramatic arched views call out “let’s hike!”
Landscape Arch 
Double Arch
