have you ever wanted to visit mars well when you're in utah it just might feel like you have
i've spent a cumulative month and a half in utah over several visits but if i had
to narrow it down to just two weeks if i was only going to see the best of the best
this is what i would do so many things to see off of this roads
let's start in the southern part of the state since that's where most people come in
with zion national park you could spend two full weeks in zion alone but just to talk
about the highlights we can't talk about zion without talking about angels landing
this hike is definitely not for those with a fear of heights but when you make it to the top
you have an incredible view of the canyon if you're not as interested in using cables
and climbing hand and foot go for the overlook instead i think that down there
is angel's landing i can actually see people on it it's steeper and it's higher but it's worth it
this is way prettier than the angels landing trails pro tip go in the morning so you're not
getting blazed by the sun as you go up if you do it bring a hat and sunscreen and lots of water
finally we can't talk about zion without talking about the narrows which is a slot
canyon filled in with water definitely bring some amphibious shoes for this one
next is bryce canyon those hoodoos are famous as are the sunrise and sunset viewpoints
and don't write it off in the winter because it looks even cooler with snow enjoy the drive as
you go between these two this has been one of the most beautiful drives ever it's such a beautiful
scenic byway along the dixie national forest and it's almost an experience in and of itself
a lot of these really cool columns rock columns there's probably a much better word for them i
don't know who do next i recommend the mystic hot springs for a different kind of experience it will
be a bit of a detour but i think it's a worthy one just because look how cool these travertine
hot springs look especially around sunset apparently this is a really hot one let's see
you'll need to book your spot ahead of time and soaks costs 25 dollars for two hours i highly
recommend booking the sunset slot you can also overnight it in one of the buses on site i loved
the vibe of this place as it felt friendly and it was so beautiful watching the sunset from there
next we have grand staircase escalante national monument which used to be the
largest area of protected land in the united states and certainly one of the most remote
a lot of people don't really come here and i don't know why the road to get in honestly
sucks but it's what keeps the crowds away it's one of the worst roads i've driven on
it's just it's just dirt but it's so pretty i'm not minding the journey be sure to stop by the
interesting rock formations and hoodoos on your way into my favorite hike in the area coyote gulch
there are several ways to access the gulch most of them don't require a four wheel drive vehicle but
i really liked doing the sneaker route which was at the water tank that is where i'm heading
straight down there i would be lying if i said i wasn't a little nervous this required using a
rope and scaling the side of the canyon to get in and back out still it was the only way to do
it with just one day and i have no regrets skipped ahead by climbing down that rock to get down here
and it's really major it's awesome while we're in the area let's talk about the amazing capital reef
national park there's a pretty cool overlook on your way in called the goosenecks overlook
but i would say the crown jewel is really the bentonite hills and the temple of the sun and
the moon but be sure to stop by the national park headquarters before you go to check the status of
the road because sometimes it's impassable the road that i was going to take to get
to the bentonite hills is impassable right now it's okay because that is a place i've already
been before when it is passable the temple of the sun and the moon are just incredible
rising seemingly out of nowhere over the landscape the bentonite hills as you
drive in are awesome too with multi-colored hills that friends is what i'm looking for
and as you drive be sure to stop at factory view because it's got a land formation all its own as
well as you make your way out of capitol reef and onward to moab you'll pass a turn-off for
goblin valley state park and this is absolutely worth the detour these rock formations are just
crazy and it felt like i was underwater the whole time looking at a coral garden it's like
some really weird landscape and it feels not like it's planet earth but it it's super interesting
best word i can come up with and like most of southern utah this was caused by
water erosion over millennia and it's both humbling and inspiring to walk through it
in the same area you'll find a slot canyon called little wild horse canyon when my friend kristen
and i visited we were pretty worried about rainfall and a slot canyon is the last place
you want to be when it rains as they can flood very easily i'm actually claustrophobic so my
heart rates up from walking through there but it's good for me to do stuff like this is why
it's why i like to go into like tight places because i want to get over the fear but the
nice thing about little wild horse is although it's eight miles long you can just walk part
way into the canyon about a mile and you'll still get some pretty awesome slot canyon views next we
make our way to moab which i have visited every time i've gone to utah and i still feel like i'm
barely scratching the surface it's an adventure lovers paradise the first thing i recommend is the
sunset at dead horse point state park i've gone twice once in the spring and once in the winter
and it was incredible both times i mean it even rivals the grand canyon the cool thing about going
in the winter is you can purchase a drone permit and that was one of the best flights of my life
next is the mesa arch in canyonlands national park at sunrise imagine seeing the beautiful sun
hitting the side of the arch illuminating over the canyon view if you care about getting the perfect
shot of the sun hitting the arch be sure to get there at least an hour and a half before the
sunrise and you will not be the only one hoping to get that shot and the good spots fill up fast
but there are awesome views in the area if you don't want to share it with too many people
and for that i recommend taking to the air the last time that i visited moab i took
a scenic flight over canyonlands and arches national park and i was absolutely blown away
we were able to cover so much area and distance which would take
weeks to do on foot or by car and i got to see it all in the best light
and best of all i didn't have to share it with anyone else hit the link in the description if
you want to do this one too from the ground there are other awesome things to see as well
my personal favorite is corona arch which isn't in any national parks or even state parks
look it's jack skellington may not get that like direct glow because of the clouds on the horizon
but still can't complain this is cool really cool the hike is pretty cool with a railroad
track and ladder and the arch is so much less crowded than arches national park when my friend
laura and i hiked there for sunrise we were the only ones there for a good hour and a half
but that's not to say you should skip arches national park what does that look like all
those look like oh the penis national park yeah the arches are indeed amazing and most
of them are very easily accessible and although you'll share it with lots of people slightly
more crowded than our morning experience it's all about time of year and time of day personally i
love it at night with the stars from here you have a choice head north or south i'll give you options
for both starting with heading south on your way check out the lesser known part of canyonlands at
the needles overlook it's one of those easy drive up overlooks that gives you an insane view of the
canyons i think i'm overlooking canyonlands national park right now but it's a really cool
area there are plenty of hikes in the needles district too but since we've got limited time
i'm moving on to my favorite off the beaten path gen down south and that's the valley of the gods
this is one of those drive by it and you could miss it type of places but i am so glad that i
took a chance and checked it out these buttes are redder in color than the rest of utah and
to me even more impressive than what you'll find a few miles over in monument valley plus you can
disperse or free camp here which means that you can camp on the roadside pull outs this is common
all over utah where so much of the land is blm or national forest this does mean no services no
bathrooms or showers or anything at all really and you'll often need a four-wheel drive to access the
best ones you'll also have to leave no trace and that includes packing out all of your own trash
and human waste my bag here for my trash because i pack everything out all right from here you can
easily head into some of the best that arizona has to offer but you'd be missing out on what's
up north in utah so let's hop to you international forest just south of spanish fork in provo utah
this area is full of hikes and gorgeousness but i visited for these baby blue hot springs
called fifth water don't expect to get them all to yourself but if you start your hike in before the
sun is up you won't have to share it with too many people next we've got park city which is
famous for skiing in the winter but it's gorgeous at any time of year and if you're visiting in the
spring or summer you might just love checking out the hiking trails and seeing it at a less crowded
time of year finally we finish our road trip with a stop at the magical bonneville salt flats
it's a place that almost looks like you're walking on snow at least in the summer in the winter it
fills in with water so you've got to be careful if driving on the salt flats be careful where you
drive as people get stuck all the time and have to get towed out but near the race track you'll
find the most packed down salt i highly recommend heading here for golden hour into sunset as that's
when the white just looks the most amazing if you want to know more about any of the spots
mentioned in this video check out my utah playlist it's full of amazing stories and hidden gems
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