The canyons of Utah’s Canyon Country are reminiscent of a child’s drip castles at the beach, with precarious rock spires reaching up toward the heavens as if singing in praise, “hallelujah, what a blessing it is to be here today.” These same canyons invite you to play and learn in their midst, and in doing so, encounter signs of civilization thousands of years old.
Family resting on a hike in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park
Utah’s Canyon Country offers unparalleled opportunities to immerse yourself in nature without the crowds, but remember that this is not just a region for biking, kayaking, and horseback riding; it is a land where animals and tight-knit communities have thrived for thousands of years. Leave rocks and artifacts as you find them, hire knowledgeable guides to take you into the backcountry, and spend your dollars at small businesses and restaurants. Take tips and leave tips, and always stay curious. Finally, download maps ahead of time, as cellular service can be limited to non-existent. All that said, here is how we suggest you explore this incredible land over four days.
This story was created in partnership with Utah’s Canyon Country
1. Bluff
View from inflatable kayak / Petroglyphs as shown on the Wild Expeditions tour
Morning
Start your Utah expedition off in Bluff at Cow Canyon Coffee, where you can browse products made by local artisans while waiting for your morning brew and a house-made scone.
Once fully awake, lather on the sunscreen and hit the river. Wild Expeditions’ rafting and Hummer tour is an active adventure that doubles as a visually compelling history lesson. Walking along a rock art panel and standing in the midst of a 1,000-year-old dwelling, your eyes will not only wander over ancient petroglyphs, but also shards of pottery and perfectly preserved corn cobs.
Afternoon/Evening
You’ll be returning to Bluff in the late afternoon, so it’s time to check into La Posada Pintada. At the reception desk, you are liable to inhale the heavenly aroma of freshly baked bread, and you can look forward to tasting it the next morning alongside homemade yogurt and a hot breakfast prepared by the hotel’s industrious owner, Jennifer Davila, and her staff. The entire property is immersed in nature, with dozens of varieties of flowers and herbs growing in the garden and a stunning view of the canyons.
After washing up, drive a few minutes down the road to Comb Ridge Eat + Drink, where you can have your fill of scratch-made pizza, burgers, and salads. Tomorrow is a busy day, so eat up!
2. Blanding
Sun sculpture at Edge of the Cedars State Park / Woman hiking at Natural Bridges National Monument
Morning
After breakfast, it’s only a half-hour’s drive to Blanding, where you can pick up coffee from Destination Awake and visit the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, which houses more Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) pottery than you’ll find anywhere else in the region. The indoor exhibit includes an excellent orientation regarding the modern pillaging of Indigenous sites for commercial gain. This museum is also one of the few places where you can respectfully enter a kiva (the sacred gathering space of Puebloan homes).
After getting a historical primer of Utah’s Canyon Country, hop on board an off-road vehicle with Sunrise Outfitting Scenic Adventures to ogle the canyons from remote viewpoints, using a pair of binoculars to zoom in on cliff dwellings and natural arches. The guides from this family-owned business will encourage you not only to look out at the majestic canyonlands, but also down at the ground around you, where they can help identify features like cougar tracks and yucca blooms.
Afternoon/Evening
Enjoy a self-paced adventure at Natural Bridges National Monument, where you can descend ladders and navigate switchbacks to see three natural bridges. Carve out at least four hours if you want to see all three, and pack a hiking pole or two to help steady yourself on the descents. Not into hiking or afraid of heights? Each bridge can also be appreciated from a viewpoint a short walk away from the main road.
You’ll be quite tired and hungry by the evening, so pick up a pie to go from Smoke Pizza Co. before checking into your accommodations. Bears Ears Inn is simple, clean, and budget-friendly, and you won’t have to worry about sourcing breakfast the next morning, either!
3. Monticello
Exterior of High Desert Cafe / Interesting rock formation in The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park
Morning
When the weather is hot, pick up a smoothie at High Desert Cafe before visiting The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, an excellent destination to lace up your hiking boots. The approach on UT 211 is as beautiful as the park itself, and a stop at Newspaper Rock to see petroglyphs (some of which are around 2,000 years old) breaks up the journey into manageable chunks.
Once you arrive in the park, you will be treated to a dynamic landscape; sometimes, the cliff sides are as grooved as a rumble strip, while at others, they seem to flow as lazily as hot fudge on an ice cream sundae. The 2.4-mile (3.9-kilometer) Slickrock Trail is a family-friendly route that provides incredible 360-degree views, while the Chesler Park and Druid Arch trails are great for longer days. Parking areas can fill quickly, so come with a backup route in mind just in case.
Afternoon/Evening
Once back in town, refuel at Ja-Roen Thai & Sushi, which serves up a particularly delicious mango curry. Then, for a quirky stay, check yourself into the Atomic Blue Motor Inn, which offers clean, bright rooms decked out in 1950s decor. Special touches, including complimentary peppermints, soft and hard pillows, and retro-style telephones, abound.
4. The La Sal Mountains of Utah’s Canyon Country
Bench at Needles Overlook
Morning
First things first: Buy your coffee from the motel’s reception area, where you can choose from creative lattes like the “Elvis” (featuring peanut butter and banana) or the “Frank Sinatra” (featuring blueberry and white chocolate). Then load up the car and drive to Needles Overlook for spectacular views and an unrivaled picnic spot (we recommend bringing along breakfast or brunch from Monticello).
This startlingly quiet and peaceful viewpoint provides myriad benches and picnic tables for enjoying the different views over the canyons below. Follow the winding, rock-framed path for its entire length to see the Needles from a distance (keep looking if you don’t see them at first; the light may need to hit them just right).
Afternoon/Evening
Tack hanging in the office of Mountain Joe’s Trail Rides
Nestled in the midst of national forestlands and without a single canyon in sight, Wolf Springs Ranch showcases the diversity of Utah’s Canyon Country and can be a welcome reprieve from the dry, dusty desert. You can book a cabin, hobbit home, RV site, or tent site, and this ranch is especially well-suited to reunions, retreats, and family vacations.
No matter what, you must arrange for a tour with Mountain Joe’s Trail Rides during your stay. Fit for folks of all ages, you’ll appreciate how happy and well-cared-for the horses are. The two-hour tour will take you up onto the ridgeline, and as you ride off-trail, trot, canter, and even gallop, it will become clear that, as Joe puts it, this is “more than an adult pony ride.”