10 Best Scenic Spots in Utah

Utah is a state with a landscape unlike any other, which varies greatly from place to place. From time to time, travelers find desert expanses that periodically turn into scenes that seem to be torn from an abstract work of art with geological formations playing with rarely seen colors and shapes that amaze the imagination. There are other scenes not too far away that seem like a completely different side of the planet with dense forests and strong river flows. It takes time to get the full impression of such a vast and nuanced area, so consider starting your exploration with one of our all-time favorite Utah scenic routes:

No. 10 - Bicentennial Highway.

Flickr user: Horatio3K

Start Location: Hanksville, Utah

Final location: Blend, UT

Length: Mile 122

Best driving season: Spring, summer and autumn

View this drive on Google Maps

With mountains and sandstone cliffs all around, there's always something exciting along the way between Hanksville and Blanding. Sports travelers can enjoy a steep four-mile hike up Mount Ellen near Lonesome Beaver Campground. However, anyone on a trip can appreciate Natural Bridges National Monument, three majestic natural sandstone bridges that you can learn more about at the nearby Visitor Center.

No. 9 - Picturesque Lane 12

Flickr user: faungg

Start Location: Pangitch, Utah

Final location: Fruit, Utah

Length: Mile 141

Best driving season: All

View this drive on Google Maps

Along the way through Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks, you'll find plenty of recreational opportunities and stunning views. The scenes in Bryce Canyon change depending on the time of day you're there, with changing light direction dramatically changing the hues of rocks and various geological wonders. Just outside the town of Escalante, don't miss the Escalante petrified forest with its hiking trails through towering petrified trees.

#8 – SR 313 to Dead Horse Point.

Flickr User: Howard Ignatius

Start Location: Moab, Utah

Final location: Moab, Utah

Length: Mile 23

Best driving season: Spring, summer and autumn

View this drive on Google Maps

This drive through the desert plateau on the way to Dead Horse Point State Park is full of views of the distant cliffs. There are interesting rock formations all around that are not uncommon in Utah, with particularly vibrant colors that dazzle the eye. Once in the park, there are plenty of hiking trails to choose from, and the visitor center can introduce travelers to the area's rich history as a place where wild mustang horses were harvested by cowboys.

No. 7 - Scenic Canyon Lane Huntington Eccles.

Flickr User: Jimmy Emerson

Start Location: Huntington, Utah

Final location: Colton, Utah

Length: Mile 76

Best driving season: All

View this drive on Google Maps

There are always spectacular rock formations near Utah, but this trip shows off a different side of the state (although there are still plenty of rocky wonders). This route passes through a region with a rich history of coal mining and railroads, but a favorite sight along the way, the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, with countless fossilized bones, dates back to prehistoric times. Anglers should stop at Electric Lake, which is known for its excellent fly fishing, and there is also the opportunity to swim or go boating.

No. 6 - Flaming Gorge - Picturesque Wintas Lane.

Flickr user: carfull

Start Location: Manila, Utah

Final location: Vernal, Utah

Length: Mile 63

Best driving season: All

View this drive on Google Maps

Enjoy the awe-inspiring atmosphere created by the meeting of the Uinta Mountains and Ship Creek Canyon on this laid-back ride, mostly through the Ashley National Forest. There's no shortage of scenic views to take pictures of, and visitors with a bit of free time should stop at Svetta Ranch, a working ranch operated by the US Forest Service that also has a nearby water recreation at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. In Vernal, visit Dinosaur National Monument, one of the most popular places to find fossils of these long-extinct giants.

№5 – The sequence of the Ancients

Flickr user: jungle jim3

Start Location: Montezuma Creek, Utah

Final location: Bluff, Utah

Length: Mile 32

Best driving season: Spring, summer and autumn

View this drive on Google Maps

There are two main things that make a trip along the "Walk of the Ancients" incredible: colorful rocky landscapes rarely found in nature, and preserved fragments of the ancient Anasazi people who once inhabited the area. Stop at Hovenweep National Monument to see some of the Anasazi buildings built between 450 and 1300 AD. There are also campsites nearby for those who want to experience the open air of this region under the stars.

#4 - Zion Canyon Loop

Flickr User: WiLPrZ

Start Location: Cedar City, Utah

Final location: Cedar City, Utah

Length: Mile 146

Best driving season: Spring, summer and autumn

View this drive on Google Maps

This loop through Zion Canyon adorns travelers with an astounding scene full of monoliths stretching skyward, colorful rocks and ancient lava vents in sight but out of reach. Visit the three-mile natural amphitheater formed by millennia of erosion at the Cedar Breaks National Monument. Don't miss the chance to take a little walk through Snow Canyon State Park to see its petroglyphs and plenty of desert vegetation up close.

No. 3 - Colorado River Scenic Lane.

Flickr user: Jerry and Pat Donaho.

Start Location: Moab, Utah

Final location: Cisco, Utah

Length: Mile 47

Best driving season: All

View this drive on Google Maps

The majority of this trip passes through Canyonlands National Park, a region known for its amazingly beautiful canyons, hills, and canyons. The Green and Colorado rivers divide the park into four main regions, each with its own unique landscape, so take the time to explore them all. Arches National Park is another must-see destination with over 2,000 natural arches and sculptures.

No. 2 - Logan Canyon Scenic Lane.

Flickr User: Mike Lawson

Start Location: Logan, Utah

Final location: Garden City, Utah

Length: Mile 39

Best driving season: Spring, summer and autumn

View this drive on Google Maps

For less arid terrain than found in much of the state, this drive through Logan Canyon and next to the Logan River showcases a milder landscape. The road passes through the Wasatch Cache National Forest with many scenic views and hiking trails to explore. Toward the end of your trip, consider taking a dip in the refreshing turquoise waters of Bear Lake during the summer months, or try your hand at fishing all year round.

#1 - Monument Valley

Flickr user: Alexander Russi

Start Location: Olhato Monument Valley, Utah.

Final location: Mexican hat, Utah

Length: Mile 21

Best driving season: All

View this drive on Google Maps

The otherworldly rock formations of Monument Valley are some of the most stunning sights in the world, and it's impossible not to feel overwhelmed in their presence. It's worth getting a tour from a Navajo guide at the Navajo Monument Valley Tribal Park to learn more about how the landscape has been shaped over the millennia and the people who once called the region home. Hikers may want to explore the popular 3.2-mile Wildcat Trail that circles West Mitten Butte for a bit.