NATIONAL PARKS
Starts Zion national Park, Utah ends Canyonlands national Park, Utah 352 miles
Sculpted by wind and water over countless millennia, the remote canyons and plateaus of southeastern Utah were among the last parts of the American West to be seen by travelers from the East. What a difference a century or two can make. Today, that rugged landscape is home to some of the most popular national parks in the country. Collectively known as the Mighty Five, they boast dramatic desert landscapes, soaring arches, deep slot canyons, and reach-forthe-sky rocky spires.
You’ll need several days to take in all of the natural wonders, starting with the red rock landscape of chasms and hanging gardens at Zion National Park. The views here may make you feel as if you’re flying, especially at Angels Landing, which juts 1,488 feet above the Virgin River. Head 75 miles northwest along 89A to Bryce Canyon National Park. You’ll spy the soaring orange rock formations (known as hoodoos) long before you arrive at the park gates.
Next up, how about a trip to Mars? The red sandstone of Capitol Reef National Park,
100 miles to the northeast, so resembles the look of the Red Planet that a Mars Desert Research Station is located here. Roll
130 miles north for another otherworldly sight: Arches National Park’s more than 2,000 dazzling stone arches, the largest profusion of natural arches in the world. Bonus: If you discover a new one of these colorful striations, you get to name it.
Finally, drive on to the needle pinnacles, rock mazes, and remote canyons carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers at neighboring Canyonlands National Park. The vast wilderness area offers crowd-free experiences in its remote reaches that will make you feel as if you’re all alone with these mesmerizing landscapes.