Top Things to See in Utah (That Aren’t National Parks)
Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks are amazing but there are SO many things to see in Utah besides the National Parks so here are my top recommendations!
Moonscape overlook
My favorite stop in Utah was Moonscape Overlook! You feel like you are on the moon. You can disperse camp (free camping) right by the overlook! The landscape looks different depending on the time of day. My favorite was at sunrise but sunset was also a good time! No matter what time you are there, you’ll be blown away.
Insta Famous Spot: To get here you have to walk out on a narrow ridge with a 1400 foot drop. If it’s windy or any kind of bad weather, do NOT do it. I did go out on it twice and was fine the first time but experienced vertigo the second & almost got stuck. Know your limits and be extra careful if you decide to go out there!
Need to know: They say to visit this area, you’ll need a vehicle with good clearance, however I saw everything for 4wd Jeeps to Mini Vans traveling to the overlook. We took the road very slow in our 2wd Camper Van and did just fine.
Directions: From Hanksville, take the UT-24 W for 10.6 miles. Turn right onto Factory Butte Road. At Skyline View Road, turn right. Keep right whenever you see an intersection splitting. You’ll take this for about 2 miles to the overlook. We took Coal Mine Road in and Skyline View Road out and Skyline View Road was a bit easier. Click here to open in Google Maps.
Factory Butte
Factory Butte is right by Moonscape Overlook so don’t miss it! You can get very close to it and climb on clay-like hills nearby for an awesome view!
Need to know: This is easier to get to than Moonscape. You should be able to take any vehicle as long as the weather it okay because it is surrounded by some clay/sand so be careful if it’s rained recently.
Directions: From Hanksville, take the UT-24 W for 10.6 miles. Turn right onto Factory Butte Road. Turn left at Coal Mine Road and continue down the road about .3 miles.
Click here to open in Google Maps.
Bentonite Hills
There are many different locations where you can seen these colorful hills called the Bentonite Hills. After talking to a handful of people, we found out the best ones are located by the Mars Desert Research Center. There are also some near Cathedral Valley that are quite popular but you need a high clearance, 4wd car to get to these. Almost any car should be able make it to the ones by the Mars Research Center but you’ll need to drive carefully and take it slow.
The ones in this picture are actually right off of HWY 24 just 5 miles West of Hanksville. You’ll see a parking lot you can pull in and will see some right at the foot of the parking lot but we hiked to the top of these hills and this is the view on the other side. If you decide to hike up, I suggest taking the routes that have rocks on them for stability but be very careful for falling rock or rocks that aren’t as secure.
Directions: I linked the 3 different locations of the Bentonite Hills here. They are all off of HWY 24 between Capitol Reef National Park & Hanksville, Utah.
Goblin State Park
If you’re road-tripping to the National Parks, between Capitol Reef & Arches is Goblin State Park and I highly recommend swinging by if you have the time! There is a $20 entrance fee. Find out more info here.
Hikes:
The Goblin’s Lair: Easy, 2.3 miles Out & Back. More info here.
Valley of the Goblins: Easy, 1 mile Loop. More info here.
Red Hollow Slot Canyon
There are so many slot canyons throughout Utah, The Narrows in Zion being the most popular. Red Hollow Trail in Orderville, Utah will take you to this super fun slot canyon! At the end of it, you have to do some chimneying, which is where you maneuver with your back against one wall and your feet on the other wall and slowly move through the slot canyon. I loved it! You should wear grippy shoes for this hike.
Hike: Easy, 1 mile Out & Back. More info here.
Warning: Always be checking the weather before entering slot canyons. Rain can cause dangerous flash floods so if it’s raining or there’s rain in the forecast, I would advise skipping this.
Rock Stop
Between Zion & Bryce Canyon is this super unique rock & coffee shop in Orderville, Utah! It gives Flintstone vibes and is worth a stop to check out! They have a ton of unique rocks/souvenirs you could purchase, or grab a coffee and drink it on the patio with a mountain landscape in the background!
The Belly of the dragon
The Belly of the Dragon is located near Orderville, Utah. The cave part is right by the parking lot and if you continue through the cave you can do the Easy trail that is only 1.8 miles Out & Back, but the cave is the main attraction. The trail isn’t anything super special so I would say skip that part if you are limited on time. More trail info here.
Wire Pass / Buckskin Gulch Slot Canyon
If you want to see two slot canyons in one swoop take the Wire Pass Trail to see Wire Pass & Buckskin Gulch. It’s a fairly easy trail and once you get to the end of Wire Pass you’ll see petroglyphs and can go left or right to see some of Buckskin Gulch. The road to the trailhead is pretty rough. Our 2wd camper van made it but it took about 30 minutes to make it 6 miles! Due to this, it was not very busy when we went in the middle of the day!
Hike: Easy to Moderate, 3.4 miles Out & Back. More info here.
Warning: Always be checking the weather before entering slot canyons. Rain can cause dangerous flash floods so if it’s raining or there’s rain in the forecast, I would advise skipping this.
Toadstool Hoodoos Trail
When driving from Monument Valley to Zion I passed this trail righ toff HWY 89 and immediately regretted not pulling over and doing it. I did some research on it afterwards and found out it’s filled with hoodoos, colorful hills, & canyons.
Hike: Easy, 1.8 miles Out & Back. More info here.
Monument Valley
Monument Valley is a staple of Utah and is very much worth driving and seeing. I’m not sure it’s worth it to pay the $8 entrance fee to do the 17 mile scenic drive but if you’re interested in that, find more info here. I would advise drive East to West on HWY 163 for better views. There are plenty pull-offs along the way for viewpoints/pictures.
Forrest Gump Point
I worked at Bubba Gumps for 6 years of my life so it felt necessary to stop at Forrest Gump Point and get a picture! Be respectful and get off the highway if there are cars coming. I watched some people barely move out of the way and ya, don’t be that person! We did drive down the highway a little closer to the monuments than the main point it takes you on Google maps so that we were away from the crowds of people.
If you want a better photo, definitely go at sunrise or early morning before the sun starts to put it in the shadows!
Mexican Hat
While we were exploring Southern Utah, one of our favorite places we camped was in Mexican Hat. If you’re near Monument Valley, a quick stop would be to see the “Mexican Hat”. It’s one of Utah’s strangest rock formations, because it balances a flattened pancake disk atop a 300-foot-high cone. I sat and looked at it wondering how it stayed the way it was but somethings just can’t be fully explained!
Goosenecks State Park
Sure you could go pay to see the crowded Horseshoe Bend in Arizona, OR you could swing by the lesser known Goosenecks State Park that is just as cool! It’s right by Monument Valley so if you’re already going to see that, add this onto your list! The main viewpoint is right by the parking lot so need no to hike if you don’t want to! It does cost $5/day. Find out more info here.
