Family spring break adventures in Southern Utah

This spring break, enjoy the incredible landscapes southern Utah has to offer by picking up the car and taking your family on a much-needed road trip.

Every state has sights to see, but Utah is the only state that has five national parks, a bunch of state parks, and other attractions that are just a couple of hours away. With a variety of outdoor adventures, you can plan your trip around your break schedule. Camp all week, have an overnighter, or take a day trip, your options are endless in southern Utah.

Here are five ideas to plan the ultimate spring break in southern Utah:

Explore one of the state parks

Utah is known for its five national parks, but its state parks are just as beautiful and noteworthy. Utah has 43 state parks, many are located in Southern Utah. Grab hiking boots, bikes, or sneakers to find out why these four state parks are worth your family’s time.

  • Escalante Petrified Forest State Park: Grab the camera and walk through petrified trees that have been around for thousands of years. The forest is haunted, so make sure not to take any of the forests because you will have bad luck.
  • Goblin Valley State Park: This park has a valley full of eroded rocks that resemble something like a goblin. The park almost looks like the backdrop of a sci-fi movie.
  • Kodachrome Basin State Park: Your family doesn’t want to miss out on the 67 towering sand pipes in this park. The basin has a reputation as a photographer’s paradise for its colorful rock formations.
  • Snow Canyon State Park: This park is 7,400 acres of scenic land that is full of ancient lava flows and sandstone cliffs. Snow Canyon was featured in many Hollywood films, such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, due to its beauty.

Discover the charming, small towns

Visiting Utah’s towns is like going back in time to when the Wild West was booming. Below are a few fun towns worth your time. Heads up, one of the restaurants in Boulder, Hell’s Backbone Grill, just received Salt Lake magazine’s 2017 Best Dining award.

  • Boulder, Garfield County
  • Loa, Wayne County
  • Kanab, Kane County
  • Panguitch, Garfield County
  • Springdale, Washington County

Take the road less traveled

If your family is up for more of a spur-of-the-moment adventure, then a scenic drive is just for you. Pack snacks, a camera, and some good shoes and drive down south. This area is full of scenic drives because of its vast open space and diverse landscape. With these drives, your family can stop to look at the view or explore some of the trails on the side of the road. Some of the top drives include:

  • Scenic Byway 12: This road has been recognized as an “All American Road.” The highway will take you through Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks and so much more.
  • Hole-in-the-Rock Road: This 62-mile drive will take you from Escalante to the Hole-in-the-Rock on the west shore of Lake Powell, the view is breathtaking.
  • Potash Scenic Byway: This byway travels along the Colorado River for 44 miles. The journey includes sandstone cliffs, dinosaur tracks, arches, petroglyphs, and more.
  • Scenic Highway 89: Highway 89 passes through some of Bryce Canyon Country into Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon.

Experience Utah’s five national parks

Last, experience Utah’s national parks. People come from all around the world to see Utah’s beautiful national parks, which is why you should take advantage of living so close. Best of all, the national parks in Utah are relatively close to each other. Utah’s five national parks are:

  • Zion National Park
  • Bryce Canyon National Park
  • Capitol Reef National Park
  • Arches National Park
  • Canyonlands National Park

Now the choice is yours, you can spend hours driving to another state or you can spend a few short hours in a car, then the rest of your tip exploring as a family. It’s your call, just remember Utah is waiting for you.

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