Why Utah Is My Favorite State
Crossing America from the Atlantic to the Pacific
Utah is my favorite of all 50 states. I found it on a cross-country family road trip from Boston to California, through Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Utah, then briefly Nevada.
East of the Mississippi River, America looked much the same to me: the same roads and cornfields along Interstate 80, Interstate 90 and Interstate 70. After the Mississippi the landscape starts to change. Kansas brings endless wheat fields and Monument Rocks, and Colorado brings the Rocky Mountains, where we drove down to Alamosa. The Rockies are amazing, but you can see similar mountains in the Northeast.
Then we entered Utah
The moment we crossed into Utah, we were blown away. Every five to ten minutes the landscape changes. That is how I fell in love with Utah.
Another planet, without leaving Earth
In Utah you feel like you are driving on Mars, on the moon or across the floor of an ocean that dried up millions of years ago. You can see it in the rock layers, which scientists date back to the age of the dinosaurs and beyond. You do not need a space shuttle to visit another world. You just need to drive through Utah.
North or south, great roads everywhere
Explore the north, in and around Salt Lake City, or head south to the red rock country I love most, which I cover in my favorite road trip. Scenic state highways cross the whole state, Interstate 15 runs north to south from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City, and Interstate 70 crosses the south through Green River.
Plan for remote roads
Southern Utah is vast and remote. You can drive a long way through open land without a tree, a gas station, a hotel or a motel. Fill up your tank and carry water whenever you can.
You will also notice the speed limits. Parts of Utah’s interstates allow 80 miles per hour, something you never see in New England or anywhere in the East.
Road Trips in Utah
1. My favorite: Moab to Zion National Park
From Arches National Park in Moab, through Green River and Hanksville, then down Utah State Route 12 past Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park. Five national parks in one drive. Read about my favorite road trip
2. St. George to Mexican Hat
Start in St. George and visit Zion National Park, then drive to Kanab, where you can detour to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. From Kanab, head to Page, Arizona, for Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam, then on to Kayenta, Arizona, through Monument Valley and into Mexican Hat.
3. Monument Valley to Moab
Explore Monument Valley, then drive north through Mexican Hat, Bluff, Blanding and Monticello on US Route 191 to Moab. On the last stretch, the La Sal Mountains rise on your right, close to the Colorado border.
4. Hanksville to Mexican Hat
Take Utah State Route 95 from Hanksville to Hite, on Lake Powell, and on to Fry Canyon. From there, head straight to Mexican Hat on Utah State Route 261 over the Moki Dugway, or continue to Blanding and take US Route 191 south through Bluff. The Moki Dugway is a really cool drive, with steep gravel switchbacks and huge views, but be aware of its conditions: it is unpaved, not suited to large RVs or trailers, and can be slippery or closed after rain or snow. This is remote country: check the weather at any time of year, and know that some roads are unpaved and may need a four-wheel-drive vehicle with the right tires.
5. Salt Lake City to Green River
Leave Salt Lake City and take US Route 6 southeast through the old mining towns of Helper and Price, then on to Green River, where you can join Interstate 70 or start my favorite road trip.
Either direction, or the full loop
You can drive every one of these trips the other way around, such as Mexican Hat to Hanksville or Moab to Mexican Hat. Or join them into one big round trip:
Green River → Hanksville → Torrey → Boulder → Escalante → Tropic → Bryce Canyon → Orderville → Zion National Park → Kanab → Page → Monument Valley → Mexican Hat → Bluff → Monticello → Moab → Green River
Parks to visit along these road trips
National parks
- Arches National Park, next to Moab
- Canyonlands National Park, near Moab
- Capitol Reef National Park, near Torrey
- Bryce Canyon National Park, near Tropic
- Zion National Park, near Springdale
- Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim, south of Kanab in Arizona
National monuments
- Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, along Utah State Route 12
- Cedar Breaks National Monument, near Bryce Canyon and Zion
- Natural Bridges National Monument, off Utah State Route 95 near Fry Canyon
- Bears Ears National Monument, around Blanding, Bluff and Mexican Hat
- Hovenweep National Monument, east of Bluff
- Rainbow Bridge National Monument, reached by boat on Lake Powell
National recreation areas and tribal parks
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell, at Page, Hite and Bullfrog
- Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, on the Utah and Arizona border
State parks
- Snow Canyon State Park, near St. George
- Sand Hollow State Park and Quail Creek State Park, near Hurricane
- Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, near Kanab
- Kodachrome Basin State Park, near Cannonville
- Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, near Escalante
- Anasazi State Park Museum, in Boulder
- Goblin Valley State Park, north of Hanksville
- Green River State Park, in Green River
- Dead Horse Point State Park, near Moab
- Goosenecks State Park, near Mexican Hat
- Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, in Blanding
For hours, fees, alerts and conditions, check each park’s page on the official National Park Service website.
Videos from Visit Utah
Those remote roads have a bonus: some of the darkest night skies in America. Watch these videos from Visit Utah to see more.
Plan your trip
Visit Utah, the state’s official tourism office, sends a free printed travel guide by mail. Order the official Utah travel guide