These 7 hotels help you explore Utah

Red rock canyons in Moab. Religious history in Salt Lake City. World-class skiing in Park City. To take in Utah’s natural and cultural attractions, you’ll need ample time—and a comfortable place to lay your head. Here are seven spots to stay in the Beehive State.

Zion National Park Lodge, Zion National Park

Best for: Star gazers and history buffs

California condors soar by day and stars twinkle by night at this complex nestled beside the Virgin River and framed by the striated rocks of Zion Canyon. For the most atmospheric stay, book one of the 40 circa-1925 cabins that surround the rustic lodge. “They’re so charming, with little sandstone fireplaces, open-beam ceilings, and vintage bathrooms,” says Max Humphrey, who included the property in his book, Lodge: An Indoorsy Tour of America’s National Parks. The only place to overnight in Zion National Park, the lodge is also a great spot to stargaze in this Dark Sky Preserve.

Good to know: At the onsite Redrock Grill, guests dine on locavore fare that riffs on Indigenous recipes—Navajo fry bread “tacos,” pasta with fresh squash.

Washington School House Hotel, Park City

Best for: Skiers and design fans

In a gabled 1889 building that once held classrooms—and later hosted dances during World War II—this boutique hotel sits just a block off the main drag in Utah’s legendary ski town. Twelve guest rooms mix vintage furnishings (clawfoot tubs, burled wood Victorian dressers) with modern comforts (heated bathroom floors, contemporary art). Après downhill run (or mountain bike ride), there’s a chic lounge with a wood-burning fireplace and antler chandelier.

Good to know: The heated outdoor pool is open year-round.

Ofland Escalante, Escalante

Best for: Red rock adventurers 

Renovated Airstream trailers are among the outdoorsy lodging options at Ofland Escalante, a resort located on the grounds of a former drive-in movie theater. Guests sleep amid the rock formations of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Photograph by Kim and Nash Finley

In southern Utah, this resort sits adjacent to the red rock formations of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Wood and glass tiny houses and vintage Airstreams turned hotel rooms share a plush bathhouse; new deluxe cabins have private loos and outdoor showers. All guests share a jumbo pool, firepits, and an outdoor movie theater with nightly screenings and seating in vintage cars. (Ofland occupies 20 acres that once held a mid-century drive-in.)

Good to know: A few hiking trails begin at the resort; staffers can also arrange horseback rides among the red rock hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park (about an hour’s drive west).

Lake Powell houseboats

Best for: Wannabe boat captains and fans of solitude

Created by the damming of Glen Canyon in 1963, Lake Powell stretches for 186 miles amid rust-colored slot canyons and under crystalline skies along the Utah-Arizona border. The most popular way to explore the area is by renting a kitted out houseboat for a few days or a week. In Utah, visitors pick up boats at Bullfrog Marina. (You can hire a captain or pilot the boat yourself after a quick lesson.) Visitors anchor their boats close to the shore each evening, when sunsets and night skies create spectacular photo ops.

Good to know: Some houseboats come with kayaks for paddling into watery caves at the edge of the lake.

The View Hotel, Monument Valley

Best for: Movie fans and history buffs

The adobe-style View Hotel overlooks Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. The resort also holds cabins with vistas of the area’s dramatic sandstone buttes.

Photograph by demerzel21, Getty Images

On the Utah-Arizona border, the crimson mesas and glowing orange sandstone buttes of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park have served as a backdrop for countless movies (How the West Was Won, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom). The Colorado Plateau region is also rife with Indigenous and geological history. This Navajo-owned resort offers cabins and lodge rooms with postcard views of the region’s “towers”—some of them 1,500 feet tall.

Good to know: The View can help set up tours—by foot, horse, or car—with Indigenous guides.

Kimpton Hotel Monaco, Salt Lake City

Best for: Urban explorers

A short walk from Utah’s domed state capital and Temple Square (home of the Mormon Tabernacle, temple, and a museum), this boutique hotel is located in a restored 1923 bank building. Behind the tall, skinny Renaissance Revival façade, guests find recently renovated rooms and a snug cocktail bar in a onetime bank vault.

Good to know: The hotel is pet friendly, with leashes and pet beds available at the front desk.

Field Station, Moab

Best for: Adventurous families

An onsite gear rental shop means travelers don’t have to BYOB (bring your own bike or backpack) when they stay at this renovated motel on Moab’s main drag. Scandi-cool rooms come in a range of sizes, including bunk rooms that sleep four to six. “And a few rooms feature Black Diamond Portaledges, the hanging beds used by rock climbers on cliff faces,” says Taylor Davis, a spokesperson for the property.

Good to know: Staffers can help families plot trips and book hiking, biking, and climbing guides in Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, which are both nearby.

(For more tips on what to do in Utah, see our Explorer’s Guide.)

Jennifer Barger is a senior travel editor at National Geographic who grew up in the American Southwest. Follow her on Instagram.

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