Venture Out of the Well-Traveled Zone & Explore Five More
The national parks in our area draw millions of visitors from around the world each year; the surreal scenery and extraordinary events are unforgettable. In the shadow of these parks are hidden treasures, amazing opportunities for adventure and a completely new world to explore. Explore Five More is here to help visitors find the local gems, adventures and events within a short distance of larger parks. Start where you are and continue your journey to our best kept secrets…
Bryce Canyon National Park
Dixie National Forest (Surrounding)
The Dixie National Forest, with headquarters in Cedar City, Utah, occupies almost two million acres and stretches for about 170 miles across southern Utah. It straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River.Kodachrome Basin State Park (20 min)
As soon as you see it, you will know that the name fits perfectly. Kodachrome Basin State Park, with its red tinged rock formations and incredible blue skies, just begs to be photographed.Escalante Petrified Forest State Park ( 1.25 hours)
A visitor center was built in 1991, and features petrified wood, petrified dinosaur bones, ammonite, and shell fossils. Visitors will also enjoy several trails, which wind throughout the park.Anasazi State Park (1.5 hours)
The Fremont were a prehistoric group that occupied most of Utah during the same period as the Ancestral Puebloans. The result is a blending of traits or a prehistoric “melting pot” that is reflected in the artifacts recovered from this site, as well as in the architecture.Fremont Indian State Park (1.5 hours)
One thousand years ago, the valleys along what is now Interstate 70 near Sevier, Utah were home to the largest community of Fremont Indians ever discovered. Their rock art and structures are still visible in the canyons of Fremont Indian State Park.
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Dixie National Forest (Surrounding)
The Dixie National Forest, with headquarters in Cedar City, Utah, occupies almost two million acres and stretches for about 170 miles across southern Utah. It straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River.Frontier Homestead State Park Museum (45 min)
Travel through time with the Frontier Homestead’s massive collection of horse-drawn vehicles. Imagine yourself as a stagecoach driver or a pioneer crossing the plains in a covered wagon. Experience life on the frontier with interactive displays and exhibits.Parowan Gap Petroglyphs (45 min)
You approach the petroglyphs at Parowan Gap along an ancient trail. In prehistoric times the gap was used by peoples living in the Parowan Valley as a convenient passage through the Red Hills. Yearly migrations passed here on their way west to harvest desert resources.Southern Utah University (45 min)
Come learn and play across SUU’s 100 acres and beyond, thanks to an educational partnership with the National Park Service alongside SUU Outdoors, which takes students on once-in-a-lifetime adventures.Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park (1 hour)
The Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park is located at Exit 40 on Interstate 15, 40 miles north of Zion Canyon and 17 miles south of Cedar City. A five-mile scenic drive along the Kolob Canyons Road allows visitors to view the crimson canyons and gain access to various trails and scenic viewpoints.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Horseshoe Bend (10 min)
Absolutely worth the walk; the view of Horseshoe Bend from the rim of the canyon is extraordinary. (You’ll need a wide-angle lens to get the entire scene in your picture!)Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (45 min)
In the 1870s, geologist Clarence Dutton first conceptualized this region as a huge stairway; the Grand Staircase is an immense sequence of rock layers that stretch south from Bryce Canyon National Park through Zion National Park and into the Grand Canyon.Vermilion Cliffs National Monument (1.5 hours)
This 280,000-acre Monument is a geologic treasure, containing a variety of diverse landscapes from the Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and Paria Canyon. Elevations range from 3,100 to 7,100 feet.Grand Canyon, North Rim (1.75 hours)
Unique combinations of geologic color and erosional forms decorate a canyon that is 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep. Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses through its immense size.Rainbow Bridge National Monument (3 hours by boat)
Rainbow Bridge is one of the world’s largest known natural bridges. The span has undoubtedly inspired people throughout time–from the neighboring American Indian tribes who consider Rainbow Bridge sacred, to the 85,000 people who visit it each year.
Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim
Kaibab National Forest (Surrounding)
Located in northern Arizona, lies the Kaibab National Forest. The Grand Canyon divides the North Kaibab and Tusayan Ranger Districts of the Kaibab National Forest. Elevations range from as low as 5,500 feet (southwest) to a height of 10,418 feet (east).Vermilion Cliffs National Monument (1.5 hours)
This 280,000-acre Monument is a geologic treasure, containing a variety of diverse landscapes from the Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and Paria Canyon. Elevations range from 3,100 to 7,100 feet.Pipe Spring National Monument (1.75 hours)
Pipe Spring National Monument preserves the history of human settlement on the Arizona Strip; for centuries the Ancestral Puebloans, Kaibab Paiute Indians, and Mormon settlers have depended on the water found at Pipe Spring.Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (2.25 hours)
Changed by winds, these mountains and hills of sand can move as much as 50 feet per year. With areas for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts and those with non-motorized pursuits, the dunes offer adventures for all.Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (2.5 hours)
Encompassing over 1.25 million acres, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area offers unparalleled opportunities for water & backcountry recreation. The recreation area stretches for hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry, AZ to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah.
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
Anasazi State Park
The Fremont were a prehistoric group that occupied most of Utah during the same period as the Ancestral Puebloans. The result is a blending of traits or a prehistoric “melting pot” that is reflected in the artifacts recovered from this site, as well as in the architecture.Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
A visitor center was built in 1991, and features petrified wood, petrified dinosaur bones, ammonite, and shell fossils. Visitors will also enjoy several trails, which wind throughout the park.Kodachrome Basin State Park
As soon as you see it, you will know that the name fits perfectly. Kodachrome Basin State Park, with its red tinged rock formations and incredible blue skies, just begs to be photographed.Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (40 min)
Changed by winds, these mountains and hills of sand can move as much as 50 feet per year. With areas for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts and those with non-motorized pursuits, the dunes offer adventures for all.Vermilion Cliffs National Monument (1 hours)
This 280,000-acre Monument is a geologic treasure, containing a variety of diverse landscapes from the Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and Paria Canyon. Elevations range from 3,100 to 7,100 feet.
Great Basin National Park
Cathedral Gorge State Park (40 min)
Cathedral Gorge is located in a long, narrow valley where erosion has carved dramatic and unique patterns in the soft bentonite clay. Trails abound for exploring the cave-like formations and cathedral-like spires. Miller Point, a scenic overlook just north of the park, offers excellent views of the scenic canyon.Mount Moriah Wilderness Area (1 hour)
The United States Congress designated the Mt. Moriah Wilderness in 1989 and it now has a total of 88,636 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Nevada and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest ServiceSulphur Wild Horse Management Area (1 hour)
In the mountain peaks and sloping lowlands of western Utah roams a nationally recognized herd of wild horses with a Utah heritage much older than most of ours. These horses draw their bloodlines from the old Spanish Type, the Colonial Spanish Horse, the first horses brought to America by the Spanish Explorers in the late 1500s.Ward Charcoal Ovens (1 hour)
Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park is located in the Egan Mountain Range approximately 18 miles south of Ely, Nevada. This beautiful park is mostly known for its six beehive-shaped historic charcoal ovens; however, the park offers an array of recreational opportunities.Frontier Homestead State Park Museum (2.75 hours)
Travel through time with the Frontier Homestead’s massive collection of horse-drawn vehicles. Imagine yourself as a stagecoach driver or a pioneer crossing the plains in a covered wagon. Experience life on the frontier with interactive displays and exhibits.
Zion National Park
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (50 min)
Changed by winds, these mountains and hills of sand can move as much as 50 feet per year. With areas for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts and those with non-motorized pursuits, the dunes offer adventures for all.Red Cliffs Recreation Area (50 min)
The Red Cliffs Recreation Area is located just off Interstate 15, 14 miles northeast of St. George, Utah. Tucked up against red sandstone cliffs and straddling Quail Creek, this recreation area is a pleasant surprise for most visitors. The backdrop of the looming cliffs and the voluminous riparian habitat is an unexpected if not welcome relief in the desert.Pipe Spring National Monument (1 hour)
Pipe Spring National Monument preserves the history of human settlement on the Arizona Strip; for centuries the Ancestral Puebloans, Kaibab Paiute Indians, and Mormon settlers have depended on the water found at Pipe Spring.Snow Canyon State Park (1 hour)
Snow Canyon State Park is a 7,400-acre scenic park quietly tucked amid lava flows and soaring sandstone cliffs in a strikingly colorful and fragile desert environment. Majestic views and the subtle interplay of light, shadow, and color dancing across canyon walls evoke strong emotional responses from visitors.Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument (1.5 hours)
Grand Canyon Parashant’s natural splendor provides a sense of solitude to those who venture into its isolated domain. Located on the edge of one of the most beautiful places on earth, the Grand Canyon, the Monument’s expansive landscape encompasses a chronicle of natural and cultural history.
