For road bike enthusiasts Utah is a haven. Just imagine some of those moments in Forrest Gump when he’s running across the country and watching the sunset over red rocks in the distance; that could be you! Just not as long of a beard, and moving at a faster pace.
The forested mountains of Utah allow for great rock climbing opportunities but the southern region, with its iconic red rocks and cliffsides, is heaven to a true rock climber. Check out bouldering at Joe’s Valley, and climbing at Little Cottonwood Canyon, Maple Canyon, and Indian Creek.
Some of the best rafting routes in the world reside in Utah so it’s a must-do activity. While whitewater rapids are exhilarating, even the float trips reward you with gorgeous scenery making the trip well worth it. If you head down the Green River through Canyonlands, you’ll get to see a beautiful confluence when it merges with the Colorado River and could even continue all the way to Lake Powell.
Mountains and zip lines go hand-in-hand so it shouldn’t be a surprise that we’re including this fun adventure. Glide through the trees and enjoy the beautiful scenery like only a flying squirrel can.
You’ve not experienced Spring Break until you’ve had a house boat on Lake Powell for a heavy-drinking week of sun and swimming. No age limit on this wild tradition, and coastline of the manmade lake gives ideal formations for cliff jumping or simply admiring the picturesque view.
Pack up the tent and sleeping bags and find a campsite to enjoy the great outdoors of Utah. There are a number of locations that are federal lands which are free to camp on, backpacking is an option for the adventurers out there, and campsites with proper toilets and such can be booked at a small rate at many of the amazing natural venues.
Snow storms tend to move from west to east over the Rockies which means the clouds like to dump a lot of snow on the western slope; right where Utah’s world-class ski resorts are located. Try Snowbird, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain and several other ski resorts to enjoy these mountains.
Lack of light pollution and increased altitude are two key ingredients to ideal stargazing, and Utah has both! While camping, glamping, or otherwise find some time after sundown to enjoy the vast sky of constellations. Natural Bridges, Cedar Breaks, Arches, and Bryce Canyon are all stellar locations for astro-tourism.
Utah is a hotbed of mountain biking options. Slick Rock outside of Moab is just scratching the surface of the limitless trails in that area alone. No matter where you go, be sure to have plenty of water and great suspension on your bikes as the steep rock-cluttered paths will shake your bones!
With so many amazing national parks and national monuments in Utah, there are a slew of bucket-list hikes available in-state. From the otherworldly rock formations of southern Utah to the forested and waterfall filled mountains of northeastern Utah you have a number of unique hikes at your disposal.
