Ever since I moved to Arizona I have been drawn to the Southern Utah area. Utah has become one of my favorite places to visit. Naturally, I have been the shepherd for our family during our Southern Utah road trip. Guiding us on seeing the best things Southern Utah has to offer. I have fallen in love with the landscape time and time again and you will too. I hope you enjoy this post about the places we have been and that it helps you plan the best trip to this beautiful state.

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is like no other park in the USA. It happens to be located just a few minutes away from Canyonlands National Park. The entrance is on the northside of Moab. The desert landscape and red sand soil make this place look extremely interesting. These features make it one of the best national parks. Mixing that with natural sandstone arches makes this place special geographically. 

The park is open year round and when we visited during December the crowd happened to be smaller. You’ll find numerous hikes and plenty of scenic views in the park, providing enough activities to keep you occupied for a week.

Delicate Arch

This is the most famous arch. It is on the license plate of Utah. This formation has been climbed by rock climbers and the most famous climber was Dean Potter back in 2006. It is off limits now but pictures are welcomed and it’s something you can not miss. 

The hike is 3.2 miles round trip. The way to the arch is mostly uphill and exciting because of the anticipation of getting to see this geological phenomenon. Once you reach the top of the sandstone slab the steepness is not as prominent. The last bit gets a little nerving because of the drop off with no safety features like a railing. 

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At the end of the trail people tend to congregate in the small ledge area. The kids were scared to walk to the arch and grab a family photo. So instead we did this from the end of the trail before stepping up the big ledge. 

It’s a good idea to bring plenty of water and use the pit toilets before you leave. There is not much privacy on the trail if a bathroom moment arises. 

Ute Rock Art

On the way down from delicate arch check out the Ute Rock Art. It’s fun to spot the painted animals in the rock and for little ones to count them. There’s also a little house to see too. You can check all this out on your way up or down but we wanted to beat the crowds. We went up to see Delicate Arch first then took our time checking out the side trail that had the Art and the House along it.

Sand Dune Arch

This arch is small and cute. You can get a nice family photo here without being overwhelmed with others rushing you through the photo experience. This arch allows you to get the perfect picture with no one in it.

This arch is kinda hidden between the rock slabs. It is also close to the main road, so for y’all that have little ones it’s a perfect quick stop. 

North Window Arch

We stopped at this arch because I have been here before and it is located on the Windows trail. The walk up to this large natural arch is well maintained and an easy hike for everyone. 

As you enjoy this arch you will have the ability to view the turret arch, south window arch, and the double arch from a distance. 

This place has one of the best sunset views in the park. You may notice that lots of people set up professional style cameras to get a picture during sunset. 

4 Corners Monument

The four corners monument is located on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation. The monument was reconstructed in 2010 and feels brand new. The entry to the monument is $8 a person. Kids 6 years old and under are free. 

The entry toll booth only accepts credit cards or debit cards. Payments for entry into the monument cannot be made in cash. The vendors inside gladly accept cash and card payments. 

The restrooms available are pit toilets like you will encounter in the national parks and national forests. There are people selling food and drinks in the monument area for everyone to enjoy.

The monument is a nice place to stop and experience being in 4 states at once. During the summer heat the wait times to take a picture have lasted 2 hours long. The temperatures during this time can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 31 degrees Celsius. 

If you are waiting in a very long line be sure to stay hydrated and nourished. The vendors have drinks and food for sale at the monument. 

We got in line for a few pictures and the wait time was around 10-15 minutes long.  After that we looked at what the vendors had to offer and purchased a bear painted on a piece of sandstone from a Native American. After getting a keepsake we ate fry bread for lunch before heading to Bluff Utah. 

Forrest Gump Point

After saying our goodbyes at Bluff Dwelling Resort and Spa we pointed the truck towards Forrest Gump Point on the famous highway 163. The first thing you will notice is all the vehicles parked on the side of the road indicating you have reached the point. Be cautious because people will stay in the road for their pictures. 

The mile marker Forrest Gump realizes he was running so much was mile 13 of this road. There is a big blue sign and dirt pull offs on both sides of the road. You can stop easily if you are traveling in either direction. 

We got our tripod out and lunged ourselves into the road to capture the perfect picture. We waited for gaps in the traffic with many others to capture the same style of picture with monument valley in the background just like the movie.  

The movie Forrest Gump is iconic. This spot is iconic from the movie and makes for a great place to get a family photo. 

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Monument Valley

If you want to experience the sacred sandstone cliffs and channel your inner cowboy this is the place for you. The valley is open from 8 am to 8 pm during summer and 8 am to 4 pm during the time we visited during October. 

Entry fee is 8 dollars a person. Kids 6 and under are free. The toll booth only accepts card payments and you receive a receipt and a map in return. 

We decided to drive the dirt park loop, it is 17 miles long. They advise you to drive the road at your own risk. The hill down to the valley was really rough and extremely sandy making the way up a challenge for the least experienced drivers on this type of road. 

The views from our personal vehicle were amazing but mountain biking this area would make an incredible memory. I suggest taking your personal vehicle if you can because you get to enjoy more time at the different scenic view locations. The paid tours seemed to move very fast from one viewpoint to the next. 

Ford Point and Pictures With Spirit the Horse

John Ford Point is named after the director that filmed many movies in Monument Valley. The point is a perfect place to take pictures. 

See the video & captions on Tikok or Instagram

@jking_clark is usually there with his wife and horse named Spirit. Jaythor offers the horse for pictures at the point for 10$. If the horse is by the parking lot he might let you get a small horseback ride to the point. The pictures we got were amazing. 

Spirit has been raised by him since birth. He has one of the best temperaments I have ever seen in a horse. The horse is clean and well taken care of, we witnessed him giving him breaks from the tourist chaos. He’s positioned by the trail leading to the point, close to his wife’s booth, offering water and feed for Spirit. You’ll easily spot him there.

I have driven hwy 163 before but have never stopped to tour Monument Valley. I’m glad we stopped and experienced the park. The vast views, towering sandstone spires, cliffs and welcoming nature of the Navajo people make this stop special. Here’s the GPS location if you’re planning a trip to visit Spirit the Horse!

Antelope Canyon Tours

We bought tickets before leaving Northern Arizona online so we had a secured spot. The tour operator guide package must be purchased to see upper and lower Antelope Canyon because it is located on sacred Navajo Nation land.  

We picked an earlier time in the day to see the canyon with hopefully good light for picture taking. The canyon was smaller in length than I thought it would be. We went to see Upper Antelope Canyon on our tour and were not disappointed at all.

The experience was pretty surreal because I have been waiting years to visit and here we are standing at the opening of the canyon waiting our turn to enter. The way the water has carved the canyon over thousands of years is astonishing. 

Our tour guide has been the key guide for the 11am – 1pm photography tour. He gave us a bunch of insights for taking pictures at the beginning of the entrance with sand flowing off the ledge. 

We stopped at three key spots Inside the canyon. The entrance, the middle of the canyon where it is only around 3-4 feet wide and the exit area of the canyon. 

The tour lasted around 1 hour and 30 minutes. It was a really neat experience inside the canyon that is extremely famous in the photography realm. The kids thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Soak it in as much as you can because it felt like it was over as soon as it started, 60-90 minutes went by so fast. 

Horseshoe Bend

As we drove through Southern Utah we had to make a stop at Horseshoe bend. If you are visiting the Grand Canyon National park it is a short drive of about 2 hours to Horseshoe Bend.  It is one of the most iconic picture locations due to Instagram. 

Horseshoe bend was free at one time. The only indicator was a small path from the road leading you through the desert. Now the Navajo Nation has a big sign and kiosk at the entrance. They now charge for the car parking lot and provide bathrooms for visitors.  

The walk is around ¾ of a mile long on a wide gravel path. Easy walk for the kids and elderly down the path to the bend in the Colorado river.  There are many benches and spots to take breaks if you need to rest on the walk. 

The view is astonishing and will give you lasting memories. The viewing area with the railing from the cliff is where most people hang out. We walked a small amount to the right to get more candid photos without all of the crowd. It was a great spot for a short walk and a beautiful view. 

The Wave (Apply for The Wave Hiking Permit)

We made our way from Monument Valley and wanted to be in Page, AZ early enough to apply for the permit while inside the geofence area. They close the application lottery at 6pm in Kanab, Utah. Depending on where you are in the geofence area this may be different because Navajo Nation and Arizona do not recognize daylight savings time. 

We applied and had no luck on the first attempt. We submitted 4 applications because this gives you a higher chance of winning. Sometimes college statistics come in handy while traveling. 

We applied again the next morning, after hiking The Nautilus trail and exploring Kanab we were unsuccessful on the second attempt. It was worth the college try since it’s a hard thing to win and we were in the geofence area for a few days. 

The odds of winning the permit range from 4% up to 25% according to the National Park Service. If you are visiting during the busy months you can expect to win 4% of the time. Specifically during January you can expect to win the lottery 25% of the time. We applied during October so our percentage of winning was on the low side of 4%.  

Hike the Nautilus Trail 

After being denied two times by the daily lottery for the wave permit we were not going to let that get us down. We looked for other amazing hiking trails and geology sites in the area because Utah is one of the best places to find other trails to adventure. 

We found the Nautilus trail located inside Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument. The Paria Contact Station is on the right while driving into the area. They assist guests visiting the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, and nearby historical sites within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This station helps you with hiking permits, camping permits and general information of these areas. 

It looked like a perfect short hike to stretch your legs and enjoy this smaller crevasse in the sand stone slab. 

The colors and sedimentary layers of the rock speak volumes. The more white sandstone is present in this specific feature. The red layers are present in the surrounding area. A perfect second alternate to the wave for a short morning hike because this trail is a sandy wash hike with little to no elevation change. 

Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Lake Powell 

After the hike to Horseshoe Bend we decided to check out the Carl Hayden Visitor Center. The center has maps and explains the Colorado River Basin in great detail. They explain the significance of Lake Powell and the other water basins located along the Colorado River. 

The visitor center has fossilized dinosaur tracks for you to view located by one of the exit doors. They also have great views of the canyon and the bridge spanning the dam. It’s really cool to see this dam after seeing Hoover dam in Nevada outside Las Vegas. 

This was a pretty awesome spot to learn about the Great Basin. The Glen Canyon dam along with others provide water and electricity to the communities in the desert areas of the Western United States. 

Moqui Cave

This natural cave is on hwy 89 just north of Kanab. It is a natural sandstone cave that was formed thousands of years ago. The cave has an interesting history that spans many centuries. 

The native Americans have left cave paintings here on the cave roof. This place was used as a speakeasy during the prohibition. In 1951 the Chamberlain’s bought the property and turned it into a tavern and dance hall. 

Today it serves as a time capsule. They have lots of artifacts, mineral stones and dinosaur tracks in sandstone rocks for display. 

It is an interesting place to stop and relax for a quick tour. The cave costs $5 dollars for entry. The cave at the deepest depth is 200 feet. With all the artifacts and minerals to view, it did not feel like 200 feet long. We thoroughly loved our time here enjoying the fossilized megalodon teeth and the Aztec Indian artifacts.  

Little Hollywood Land: Museum, Trading Post & Chuckwagon Cookout

Little Hollywood Land in Kanab allows you to live your Wild West fantasy. The museum is on the back of the property and full of picture taking spots. Kanab is known for being  “Utah’s Little Hollywood”. The town has hosted over 100 movies and television shows in the area. 

The most famous movies are The Lone Ranger, Billy the Kid, and Stagecoach to name a few. The first film to be filmed in this area is called “Deadwood Coach”. This film was produced in1924. 

Little Hollywood Land has many movie sets to enjoy. They Include buildings from  Sergeants 3, The Outlaw Josey Wales Homestead Set along with the barn. The whole place has old relics from the Wild West. The place is a great spot to play cowboys and Indians for the afternoon. 

Buildings that are included in the location include a bank, a jail, a saloon and the Sweetwater Tpike Toll building. The buildings are made of wood and adobe brick. The wood buildings are weathered, and pretty beat up from the years of the harsh desert conditions. But, that’s what makes them look and feel like the old west. 

We spent our morning here before looking for a place for lunch. They do offer food here for group sizes of 25 people or more. They offer a gift shop full of Native American pottery and small gifts. The gift shop does offer many western books that highlight the career of John Wayne. 

Pink Coral Sand Dunes State Park

I love pink coral sand dunes and had to show the kids. The photo opportunities are a must if you are into photography and you can’t forget the outdoor activities.

There is a small entry fee of 10 dollars a car for day use. The state parks honor their veterans with a 50% discount turning our entry into 5 dollars. They have a $8 drone permit if you want to fly your drone in the park. 

The park allows camping, hiking, off-road vehicle driving, and of course photography. We entered the park after breakfast. It was full of people enjoying the sand when we arrived. 

We met a really nice couple from Ireland and they let Addy use one of the sandboards they rented from the shop located on the park property.

It was fun to chat with them about other things they’re planning to check out and we got some great photos of the kids rolling down the dunes. We also enjoyed watching the off-road dune buggies carve tracks in the sand. Randomly, we also found a phone, it was lost in the sand so when you go, be mindful of your items. They can get lost quickly in the sand.

We spent a few hours here enjoying the sun and the dunes. We looked for the allusive Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle and we’re unsuccessful. The beetle is endemic to the sand dunes and found nowhere else on the globe. Maybe we will have better luck next time. 

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Zion National Park

On our drive from Kanab we were approaching the end of our trip through Utah and the South West for this season before heading to Asia for a few months. We discussed visiting Bryce Canyon National Park and Capitol Reef National Park before visiting Zion, but everyone was ready to skip those and come back later when the parks are less busy.

I wanted to show the girls Zion National Park because it is a extremely beautiful park. This park is like no other park in the USA. The park features slot canyons, sandstone cliffs, rivers and natural bridges to name a few things.

As a family I had plans of showing them the drive into the park and getting the iconic picture at The Narrows. I planned to do a quick drive through the park and stop for photo opportunities that are reasonably close to the parking lots located in the park. 

Drive Through Zion National Park

As we exited The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel and descended the switchbacked hill we approached the right hand turn to reach the road that takes you to The Narrows. As we approached the turn the gate was closed and I did not expect the shuttle to be in service during our visit. 

The shuttle was in service until November 27th and we arrived in mid October. This instantly changed my mood as we could not drive in the park towards The Narrows as I have done in the past. 

Since no one besides me was willing to do a hike we passed on the opportunity this time because of the amount of people that were going to be present in the park. 

I talked with them about the dangers and sketchiness of hiking Angel’s Landing. I hiked it years ago and marked it as a favorite spot and knew Addy and I would be the only ones who would potentially do the hike. Since there is a permit to enter the rest of the hike after the Scout Lookout, we decided to do this adventure during the off peak season time for the park. 

The Narrows

The Narrows is one of the more famous rock formations and is a narrow canyon with beautiful views all around. I wanted to show them this canyon and the canyon walls because it is one of the big attractions of the park. The fond memories I have in Zion made me want to show the kids this national park. 

As I really wanted to enjoy the park for the rest of the day after spending all morning at Coral Pink Sand Dunes we decided to enjoy the Zion canyon scenic drive. Having the Lifetime Military Pass for free helped us not accrue a $30 fee to drive through the park to St. George instead of driving around. 

Zion was fun to see again and have the girls experience it for the short time we did spend in the park. I would not say this is it forever but more of a see you later when things are less busy and more relaxing. Going during off season will allow the drive through the park as I have experienced before and that is more of our style instead of using the park shuttle as a requirement during the busy season. 

Mystic Hot Springs

Mystic has been on our list of things to do for a while now. As we made our way north from Zion National Park we stopped in the small town for the night. We planned to visit the hot springs in the morning. 

This spring is also known as Monroe Hot Springs and Cooper Hot Springs. The water comes out of the ground at a scorching temperature of 168 °F (76 °C). Be conscious of letting your kids wander to the area where the hot water comes out of the ground. 

You will want to bring a towel, bathing suits and water to drink during your stay. You can purchase the soaking passes on their website. We bought passes for 9 am. They sell passes in 1 hour increments until 10 pm daily. 

While enjoying the cooler morning temps we were blessed with steam from the water. This made for some dynamic photos. The steam also helps sooth your lungs. We had the place to ourselves for about 30 minutes in which other guests began to arrive. 

This specific location has been attracting travelers and hot spring soakers since 1886. The previous family built a wooden collection tub and constructed a stage. They had soaking and dance parties for the guests.  

We spent our time in all the cast iron tubs and the big pool for about an hour. We had the best time here that morning. After an hour we were pretty pruney and felt like we had a good time in the hot water. After an hour or so in the hot water we felt like jello. The hot water relaxed all of our muscles and we felt refreshed. This would be our last stop until heading north to Salt Lake City in Northern Utah. 

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Top 15 things to do Southern Utah

Overall, we really enjoyed visiting southern Utah and know you’ll find some awesome things to do here too! This list covers around 18 things. If you have any we missed or think we should check out next time let us know in the comments!