Visiting Utah - ilive4travel

Utah is a beautiful state with over 17.8 million visitors to the state in 2021 and many of those people visiting Utah choosing to visit the 5 National Parks within the state, including myself ilive4travel.

Utah is located in the mid west of USA and covers an area of 136,631 square miles and is just slightly smaller than the UK!!! It was the 45th state to join the USA in 1896.

Around 3.3 million people live in the state of Utah, with the capital of the state being Salt Lake City which has a population of just 200,000.

The state has 5 National Parks, 6 National Monuments, 4 National Historic Trails, 1 National Recreational Area, 1 National Historical Park and 43 state parks.

This is a state which is perfect for you if you love the outdoors and love hiking as there is so much to see and do.

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National Parks in Utah

Utah is the home to 5 National Parks, with one of them, Zion National Park, being the third most visited National Park in the US. It is very popular to do a road trip through Utah and visiting all 5 of these National Parks.

Zion National Park

Zion National Park became the 15th National Park in the USA in 1919 and was the 1st National Park in Utah. Today around 4.7 million per year are visiting Zion National Park making it the 3rd most visited National Park in the US, with just a few thousand visitors less than The Grand Canyon.

The most popular hikes in the park are The Narrows and Angels Landing. Though since 2022 you will need to apply for a permit to hike Angels Landing.

Bryce Canyon National Park

a canyon that has orange and stone coloured sides, on the bottom trees are growing and on the top of the canyon too. There are spikes sticking up from where the part of the canyon hasn't been worn away

Bryce Canyon National Park became the 19th National Park in the US in September 1928, previously it had been a National Monument from 1923. It was the 2nd National Park in Utah and in 2022 it was visited by 2.35m people.

There is lots to do in Bryce National Park and if you want to hike then I would recommend spending at least 2 days there. There is a 18 mile scenic drive with lots of view points that you can stop off at. The main area Bryce Amphitheater is the most visited area in the area and here you can get the shuttle bus to the areas of the park closed to cars in summer.

There are also many hikes starting from this area down into the canyon, though you need to be careful if it rains. This is a great area to visit too if you don’t have great mobility as you can easily get to the viewpoints and see some amazing views of the canyon.

Arches National Park

Arches National Park had just over 1.46m visitors in 2022, which was a drop from the highest number ever in 2021 of 1.8m visitors. It became a national monument in 1929 but did not become a national park until November 1971, when it became the 36th National Park in the USA.

Arches is a great park that you can spend one or two days and if you get there early you can see near all the park in a one day in Arches National Park.

There are over 2,000 arches in Arches National Park that you can visit and due to it being visited so much and to try and control the traffic queuing into the park, an Arches National Park timed entry pilot scheme was introduced in 2022 and has been run in the years following between 1st April and 31st October.

It is a beautiful park with lots to see and do for all ages and abilities. Whether you struggle with mobility or whether you want to do a more challenging hike.

Best time of year to visit Arches National Park

The ideal time to visit Arches National Park weather-wise is between March and October. Though the winter months can be cold with snow, there are fewer visitors, offering a more peaceful experience.

During the summer, temperatures can be high and in July and August we see fewer visitiors to the park than the busiest months of April, May and June. However, visiting in summer gives you the opportunity to explore popular trails and enjoy the park’s stunning landscape, as well as witness the unforgettable sunset views and the vibrant colors of the desert rock formations.

Find out what to pack for Arches National Park, as depending on the time of the year you visit will depend on what you need to bring with you.

Canyonlands National Park

Planning on visiting Utah during your North America Travel, then make sure not to miss all the must visit places in Utah. It is a great state with 5 National Parks in Utah and many things to do in Utah. It is one of the most popular US destinations with many visitors to Utah every year. Visit Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park during your trip to Utah #northamericatravel #usdestinations #utah

Canyonlands National Park became a National Park in 1964 and was the 32nd National Park in the USA. It is the largest National Park in Utah and had its highest number of visitors of 911,000 visitors in 2021. In 2022 this number dropped to 780,000 which is the second highest number since records began in 1965.

It is located close to Moab and just a few kilometres from the entrance to Arches National Park, making it a great option to visit both parks on the same trip.

The park has some amazing viewpoints and is a good park to visit and see even if you don’t want to do much hiking. I love this park, it is quite quiet compared to the other parks in the area as it is the least visited National Park in Utah, but the views are spectacular.

There are also hikes in Canyonlands National Park for all abilities, from short hikes to longer hikes.

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef became a National Park in December 1971 making it the 5th National Park in Utah and the 37th National Park in the USA. Capitol Reef had its highest number of visitors in 2021 of 1.4m but in 2022 this number reduced to 1.227m making it the 4th most visited park in Utah.

Most visitors to the park choose to drive through on highway 24 and also do the scenic drive which is 8 miles long and starts at the visitors centre. The views driving down both of these roads is spectacular and a must do when visiting Capitol Reef.

The Gifford House and Barn are a popular stop on the scenic drive as well as many hikes starting in this area. In Capitol Reef you can see many arches, canyons and climb the mountains to get up high to see amazing viewpoints.

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