A wonderland of ancient geology sculpted by water and wind, Utah is ultimately unlocked with a pair of dusty hiking boots and a thirst for adrenaline. We consulted experts, from photographers to restaurateurs and ski bums, for their insider tips on how to best sample “life elevated” in the Beehive State.
Photograph sunrise at Factory Butte
When landscape photographer Hunter Page isn’t running workshops in Cathedral Valley for Capitol Reef Photograph Tours, he can be found enjoying sublime sunrises over the desolate moonscape of Factory Butte, about two hours’ drive west of Moab. “The entire area around Factory Butte is BLM [Bureau of Land Management] land, so you can camp on it,” says Page. “When the sun begins to come up, the formations turn beautiful shades of purple, gray, and tan.”
Page says Factory Butte has gained notoriety recently thanks to Instagram and Apple TV screensavers, but the mesmerizing formation located on the outskirts of Capitol Reef National Park is still sparsely visited. He recommends setting up a tripod at Factory Rise for panoramic views of the butte. “There are mornings there where you can still have the entire place to yourself.”
This aerial view of Halls Creek Canyon reveals how water has shaped the twisty sandstone canyons of Capitol Reef National Park, one of the Utah‘s “Mighty Five” national parks.
Photograph by Frans Lanting, Nat Geo Image Collection
Shred the slopes of the Wasatch Range
Overlooking the Great Salt Lake, the snowy Wasatch Range has lured skiers and snowboarders to the area since the 1960s and 70s. “We get Utah’s fantastic, famous champagne snow here,” says Park City creative strategist Caitlin Streams. “It’s super light snow, which makes some of the best powder in the country.”
Streams says both Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley Resort host healthy populations of locals in addition to winter tourists. For aprés-ski activities, she lingers at High West Distillery and The Corner Store. During summer months, ski slopes transform into mountain bike runs that form the perfect pre-game for Mountain Town Music shows.
(How to experience the Wasatch Range’s throwback ski resorts and thrilling drives.)
Sample Salt Lake City’s international flavors
Utah’s signature dish may be Navajo fry bread, but Salt Lake City is home to an impressive array of ethnic foods spanning the globe—Venezuelan at Arempa’s, Ethiopian at Oromian Restaurant, Persian at Sumac Cafe, German at Siegfried’s Delicatessen.
Caputo’s Market & Deli is a staple for New York-style Italian in Salt Lake City, offering the kind of comfort food that tempts families from across the state. The restaurant’s director of e-commerce, Jay Jacobson, says savory East Coast Italian is just one of a tantalizing spectrum of flavors found in Salt Lake City. “Post Office Place is my go-to,” says Jacobson, noting the Japanese restaurant’s 2023 James Beard nomination. “The surprise favorite I often coax skeptical tasters into is the tsukune slider,” a Wagyu-stuffed bao bun.
The city is also seeing a growth spurt in its nightlife scene. “My bar is my baby,” says Remora co-owner Sam Miller, who relocated from San Francisco to open Utah’s first rum-and-tiki bar in 2022. “Water Witch is the bar in Salt Lake City, though. I love it so much that I bartend there one night a week. One of my other favorite spots to hang around is The Pearl, a Vietnamese cocktail bar where chef Tommy Nguyen makes bites based on his family’s cooking.”
Mountain bike beside dinosaur tracks in Moab
Bikers share Cliff Hanger Trail with 4×4 vehicles during the annual Moab Jeep Jamboree USA.
Photograph by Aaron Huey, Nat Geo Image Collection
“There’s no way to hit Moab’s hot spots in one day or even one weekend,” says Ande Brill Schuchard of Specialized Bicycle Components. “But to me, the perfect day in Moab starts with waking up at The Gonzo Inn, walking the backstreets to Moab Coffee Roasters, and grabbing a classic American breakfast at Jailhouse Cafe. Then, I’d go to Klondike Bluffs Trail System and ride Dino Flow. I grew up riding that track and I’m always amazed at the section with dinosaur tracks.”
Schuchard recommends a post-ride smoothie at Gloria’s Cafe, beer at Moab Brewery, or a nap along the banks of the Colorado River in one of the area’s public beaches. The avid mountain biker says May and October are the best months to find cool, crisp morning air ripe for rippin’ up the trails, with warm afternoons perfect for a plunge.
(Learn why Utah’s national parks have their own natural soundtracks.)
Picnic at Goblin Valley State Park
Hotelier Joshua Rowley operates Skyview Torrey, an oasis on the outskirts of Capitol Reef National Park. While most visitors to the area are powering through a tour of the state’s five popular national parks, Rowley recommends stopping to picnic among the hoodoos of Goblin Valley State Park along the way. “Goblin Valley is basically right between Capitol Reef and Arches [National Parks],” Rowley says. “There is a really cool, short hike up into a sandstone cave that looks like an oculus that we call the Eye of Sinbad. It’s a great spot for a picnic.” Rowley recommends grabbing a sandwich at the Wild Rabbit Cafe or a latte at Shooke Coffee Roasters in Torrey before trekking out to Goblin Valley.
Hike to ancient petroglyphs at Bears Ears National Monument
In Bears Ears National Monument, visitors can hike to House on Fire, an ancient Puebloan site nicknamed due to the textures of the cliffs above the structures.
Photograph by Greg Winston, Nat Geo Image Collection
Hundreds of petroglyphs tell stories of ancient Indigenous life in what is now Bears Ears National Monument, Utah.
Photograph by Aaron Huey, Nat Geo Image Collection
Winding trails of juniper, sage, and sandstone lead hikers to spectacular, sunlit cliff structures of Bears Ears National Monument. This remote, protected area near the Four Corners region is a gateway to learning more about Utah’s Indigenous past and present.
“House on Fire is a great starter trail to learn about geology and plant life,” says Louis Williams, founder of Ancient Wayves, a Diné-owned adventure company established in 2020 that works with Indigenous geologists, ornithologists, and archaeologists to give hikers a more complete picture of Utah’s landscape. “Once you are on the trail, you see how unique this place is and you get hooked,” he adds. “I’ve been hiking out here all of my life and I will never see it all.”
Williams says about 60 percent of Ancient Wayves tours are booked by Utah residents yearning to learn more about their home state. “People come to see archaeological sites and learn more about petroglyphs. Sometimes, they ask where the people went, but we are still here. We are descendants of these places, and the people that built these places.”
Williams recommends packing a trail lunch from the grocery stores in Blanding before hiking House on Fire and making the 20-minute drive to Natural Arches National Monument to camp and stargaze for a night.
(For more tips on what to do in Utah, see our Explorer’s Guide.)
Joe Sills is a freelance travel writer, guidebook author, filmmaker, and photographer. Follow him on Instagram.
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