Bryce Canyon National Park

Millions of years of wind, water and geologic turmoil shaped the eastern slope of the Paunsaguant Plateau creating a dramatic amphitheater of hoodoos, pink cliffs, and delicately carved spires, which rise in brilliant colors, forming what we now know as Bryce Canyon.

The first view of Bryce Amphitheater is dramatic, as a grove of pine trees veils the color and grandeur of the canyon until you reach the rim. Here the brilliant hues come alive. The park’s main viewpoints include: Fairyland Point, Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point, Bryce Point, and Rainbow Point.

The Paunsaugunt Plateau

The plateau lies entirely within the Dixie National Forest, the largest in Utah, and features rolling meadows, numerous streams, and scenic noble, but it’s the Paunsaugunt’s dramatic rims that inspire awe.

The plateau ends abruptly, giving way to rugged limestone cliffs sculpted by wind, water, and time to form the spectacular Sunset Cliffs of the west rim, the Pink Cliffs of the southern rim, and Bryce Canyon along the east rim.

The area offers spectacular opportunities for wildlife viewing and other activities like photography, fishing, camping, skiing, and hiking. Numerous Forest Service roads and trails for mountain biking, hiking, and four-wheel driving. It is the home of the oldest trees in the world; the Bristle Cone Pine,thought to outlive by far any organism known to man. This beautiful trees live up to 5,000 years.

Red Canyon State Park

Located on the Dixie National Forest, Red Canyon is a unique combination of vermilion-colored rock formations and Ponderosa pines that has fascinated people for centuries. It is by far one of the most scenic areas in southern Utah.

Red Canyon features an extensive and well-maintained trail system that provides something for everyone. The five main trails are open for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Additional less-traveled trails provide a chance to get away from the crowds and see areas saturated with geologic treasures. Trails in Red Canyon are open year round.

Kodachrome Basin State Park

Kodachrome Basin is a spectacle of massive and colorful sandstone chimneys situated nine miles south of State Route 12 near and with its red tinged rock formations and incredible blue skies, it is perfect for photography. The park is easily reached from Bryce Wildlife Adventure and its beautiful surroundings inspire an infinite array of subjects limited only by one’s imagination.

At 5,800 ft of elevation the park spreads over 4000 acres, has a resident ranger and is open year-round. Accommodations include overnight camping facilities, drinking water, rest rooms, hot showers, picnic tables, fire pits, barbecue grills and electricity.

Escalante State Park

Escalante State Park features colorful deposits of petrified wood and dinosaur bones that decorate this unique park, which offers hiking, fishing, boating, camping, and panoramic vistas of the surrounding countryside.

There’s wildlife to watch, trails to hike, and a 30-acre reservoir for boating, fishing, and somewhat chilly swimming. The park is open year-round, but spring through fall is the best time to visit. At the Visitor Center, view displays of plant and marine fossils, petrified wood and fossilized dinosaur bones over 100 million years old.

Anasazi Indian Village State Park

Located in the heart of Utah’s canyon country, this ancient Indian village was one of the largest Anasazi communities west of the Colorado River. The site was occupied between A.D. 1050 to 1200 and the village remains mainly unexcavated and is now guarded from the elements by a protective roof. A model of an Anazani home has been rebuilt for display along with many uncovered artifacts in the newly remodeled museum.

Located in the town of Boulder on State Route 12, Anasazi State Park is open year round and spreads over 6 acres at 6,700 ft of elevation. Group and individual picnic areas are available but no camping is allowed.

Calf Creek Falls

Calf Creek Falls is a perennial waterfall in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah near Boulder. The falls are heard some distance away but are hidden from view until right near the end. The creek emerges from a V-shaped channel at the end of the upper Calf Creek Canyon and cascades nearly 126 ft over a vertical cliff into a large pool several feet deep.

This spectacular setting is enclosed on three sides by colorful sandstone walls. The rocks closest to the water are covered in delicate patches of blue and green algae, and the nearby cliffs have especially pretty streaks of desert varnish, a colorful patina formed by deposition of iron-containing minerals in the evaporating rainfall, making the whole scene extremely beautiful.

Boulder Mountain

Boulder Mountain rises 11,000 feet above Capitol Reef Parkland and is densely forested with pine, spruce, fir and aspen. Camping and hiking these woods are both popular activities, but most popular is fly-fishing for trout in the range’s countless streams, small lakes, and beaver ponds.

Located in the middle of Utah’s scenic red rock canyon country and mountain forests, it is the perfect location for a family vacation, meeting, reunion, or even a romantic get-away. Laden with wonderful scenic drives through and around the range, the mountain offers fantastic views of Capitol Reef National Park to the east and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and Escalante River Canyons to the south.

This spectacular setting is enclosed on three sides by colorful sandstone walls. The rocks closest to the water are covered in delicate patches of blue and green algae, and the nearby cliffs have especially pretty streaks of desert varnish, a colorful patina formed by deposition of iron-containing minerals in the evaporating rainfall, making the whole scene extremely beautiful.