Thaw Out In These State And National Parks This Spring

I don’t know about you, but all the snow and cold weather has me planning for warmer weather. Meaning I would like to walk around outside without feeling like I’m going to freeze to death. I know we need the moisture and I’m grateful for it, but I’m ready to thaw out now. So, with that in mind, I started thinking about hiking and all the state and national parks we have to hike around in. 

Utah has a lot, I mean, a lot of national and state parks so I’m going to break this piece up into two parts. This part is going to cover southern Utah, and the next one will cover northern Utah and me probably missing a few places. Don’t take this as a comprehensive list, but a good place to start. According to Lonely Planet, Utah’s Mighty Five are located within a few hours' drive of each other. 

Let’s get started with the national parks: 

Arches National Park: is located by Moab and has 2,000 natural stone arches and giant balanced rocks. 

Bryce Canyon National Park: located in Bryce Canyon, Utah right outside the park. Full of hoodoos found in the largest concentration anywhere on Earth. 

Canyonlands National Park: located near Moab. The Colorado River and its tributaries divide the park into four districts: Island in The Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves. 

Capitol Reef National Park: located outside Torrey. You can check out the bridges of the Waterpocket Fold. 

Cedar Breaks National Monument: a short drive from Cedar City you can get a glimpse of what you’ll see in Bryce Canyon along with meadows full of wildflowers. 

Zion National Park: located just outside of Springdale. You can explore the slot canyons and Angel’s Landing and check the many sandstone cliffs.  

As far as state parks go, here are a few to get started: 

Coral Pink Sand Dunes: opened in 1963 the hills and mountains of sand can move as much as 50 feet per year. 

Goblin Valley: opened as a state park in 1964 

Gunlock: opened as a state park in 1970 

Sand Hollow: located just outside St. George, it was opened as a state park in 2003. 

Snow Canyon: also located just outside St. George, the park is tucked among lava flows and sandstone cliffs. It was opened as a state park in 1962.