Exploring Utah
Have you been to Utah yet? The mostly rectangular state filled with desert canyons, mountains, and rugged beauty has been one of my favorite states for more than a few years now. I just can’t get enough of it! Rumors of overly religious residents and being lost for days in the desert populate among the rest of the states, and to be honest, they aren’t far off if you allow yourself to get bogged down by these things. However I would say that keeping a clear mind and an adventurous spirit will keep you on track through any excursions you embark on through this gorgeous state.
Steep slot canyons cut through the red cliffs, with beautiful layers of hardened sediment telling stories of ancient oceans and rivers. Around every bend lays the perfect landscape, filled with stunning colors set aglow by the desert sun. Trails and more lay abound through this state, from rock climbing the perfect boulders, to mountain biking the White Line, even kayaking ancient rivers and rapids, the entire landscape is an adventure awaiting exploration. Personally I am a big believer in finding the highest peaks and lowest canyons and climbing them! Challenging hikes to breathtaking vistas are my favorite way to spend a day, which makes Utah the perfect place for me to get lost and wander.
More populated trails like those in Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, and Bryce Canyon will have you walking alongside other plucky adventurers to some of the most stunning scenes in all of the southwest United States! But for the more solitude seeking souls, almost the entire rest of the state will be your playground! There are plenty of locations such as Signal Peak, the Temple of the Sun and Moon, and the Grand Staircase where the intrepid adventurer is welcome to roam as they please! Southern Utah in particular is the desert explorers dream! From dune crawling to climbing canyon walls, it has everything one could possibly conjure up in their wildest imagination.
North-eastern Utah however, is a different yet equally beautiful place! Towering peaks and rolling mountains, coated in snow and pine forests, mountaineers flock there every year for alpine adventures! In the winter, residents and travelers alike ski these mountainous slopes and traverse their gorgeous heights. In the summer, hikers, climbers, and more ease their minds in the serene beauty of an alpine landscape.
Such fantastic locations must be visited at different times of the year to fully enjoy everything they have to offer, however personally I would suggest visiting southern Utah in the early to mid winter in order to not overheat from the scorching desert sun, with that brave explorers may even be so lucky as to observe the deep red canyons dressed in white after a snow! The bottom of the canyons here almost never experience cold enough weather as to receive snowfall, however the tops of buttes and canyons do!
After exploring the southern reaches of such a beautiful state, bring a light sweater up a bit further north to see the snowcapped mountains surrounding Salt Lake City and Park City! Hike the fine dirt trails and enjoy the seasonal snowmelt streams and waterfalls as they run their yearly course! Crystal clear waters await you here! Trails like the one up to Mt. Superior and Donut Hole Falls, offer some extremely unique scenes that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the country!
No matter where you go in Utah, there is a lifechanging adventure around the corner, just get out there and start hiking!
