Utah is home to some of the most beautiful and breathtaking sites. From its five national parks to its lakes and scenic drives, no matter where you are in the state, you’ll find something absolutely stunning. While some of the scenic parts of the Beehive State are well-known, there are other areas that may not come to mind as you plan a vacation. So, we’ve created this scenic road trip in Utah to help you experience the beauty of the Beehive State, regardless of the time of year. Are you ready for this adventure?
Google Maps This scenic road trip in Utah is just under 300 miles and requires nearly eight hours of drive time. You’ll want to break it up into several days to help you enjoy every stop to its fullest. If you want to customize this road trip, check out this interactive map.
Bear Lake State Park, Garden City
Sharon Mccutcheon/EyeEm Collection via Getty Images The first stop on our scenic road trip in Utah is the beautiful Bear Lake. Whether you plan to visit Bear Lake State Park on your own or with your family, there is plenty to see and do during this stop. Spend some time on the bright blue water during the summer months or snowshoe and snowmobile around the lake during the winter. Just keep your eyes out for the Bear Lake Monster! Bear Lake State Park, 940 N Bear Lake Blvd, Garden City, UT 84028, USA
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Brigham City
Danita Delimont/Getty Images The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is one area in Utah that you’ve likely driven past, not realizing you are missing remarkable scenery. The 74,000-acre bird refuge is a wonderful place to find peace and quiet, observe wildlife, and connect with nature. During your visit, you can take a 12-mile scenic drive around the refuge or explore one of the hiking trails. Make sure you visit the Wildlife Education Center to learn even more about the plants and animals you may see during this road trip stop. 2155 W Forest St, Brigham City, UT 84302, USA
Pineview Reservoir, Ogden Valley
PinnacleMarketing/E+ Collection via Getty Images The next stop on our scenic road trip in Utah is Pineview Reservoir. Located in Ogden Valley and near the small town of Huntsville, this body of water is surrounded by mountains. During the summer, this becomes a popular place for Utahns and out-of-state visitors as Pineview Reservoir is an excellent fishing location with record-breaking fish caught in its waters. Pineview Reservoir, Utah, USA
Antelope Island State Park, Syracuse
Antelope Island State Park/Facebook Antelope Island is the largest of the islands within the Great Salt Lake. This island is 42 square miles and is a beautiful year-round destination and a must-see spot on our scenic road trip. This is one stop where you can easily spend just one day or multiple days exploring. You can spend time on the beaches, observe free-ranging bison and bighorn sheep, hike, or just drive around and admire the landscape. We recommend camping on Antelope Island as this is an International Dark Sky Park and the night sky here is magical. 4528 W 1700 S, Syracuse, UT 84075, USA
Big Cottonwood Canyon, Cottonwood Heights
Hannah Bakker/AllTrails Make sure to have your camera ready when you visit Big Cottonwood Canyon. This remarkable canyon is 15 miles long and reaches elevations greater than 11,000 feet. You can spend the day driving around the canyon or exploring one of the many trails. For an easy hike, we suggest the Silver Lake Loop Trail. This hike is less than a mile long and most of it is on a wide boardwalk that is ADA-accessible. Big Cottonwood Canyon, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121, USA
Bridal Veil Falls, Provo Canyon
Sean Pavone/iStock via Getty Images Plus Bridal Veil Falls is not only the most scenic waterfall in Provo Canyon, but it is also the tallest. This 607-foot waterfall is quite the sight no matter the time of year that you visit. You can always admire this tall waterfall from your vehicle or take the 1.4-mile trail for an even better view. Bridal Veil Falls, Utah 84604, USA
Deer Creek State Park, Wasatch County
Joe_Guetzloff/iStock via Getty Images Plus The final stop on our scenic road trip in Utah is Deer Creek State Park. This 152,570-acre reservoir is the perfect place to spend the day. Fish, boat, or zip line at this state park in Utah. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to walk around and capture the incredible views of Mount Timpanogos. Deer Creek Reservoir, Utah 84032, USA
Are there any other scenic places you’d add to this road trip in Utah? If so, let us and your fellow travelers know in the comments!
Google Maps
This scenic road trip in Utah is just under 300 miles and requires nearly eight hours of drive time. You’ll want to break it up into several days to help you enjoy every stop to its fullest. If you want to customize this road trip, check out this interactive map.
Sharon Mccutcheon/EyeEm Collection via Getty Images
The first stop on our scenic road trip in Utah is the beautiful Bear Lake. Whether you plan to visit Bear Lake State Park on your own or with your family, there is plenty to see and do during this stop. Spend some time on the bright blue water during the summer months or snowshoe and snowmobile around the lake during the winter. Just keep your eyes out for the Bear Lake Monster!
Bear Lake State Park, 940 N Bear Lake Blvd, Garden City, UT 84028, USA
Danita Delimont/Getty Images
The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is one area in Utah that you’ve likely driven past, not realizing you are missing remarkable scenery. The 74,000-acre bird refuge is a wonderful place to find peace and quiet, observe wildlife, and connect with nature. During your visit, you can take a 12-mile scenic drive around the refuge or explore one of the hiking trails. Make sure you visit the Wildlife Education Center to learn even more about the plants and animals you may see during this road trip stop.
2155 W Forest St, Brigham City, UT 84302, USA
PinnacleMarketing/E+ Collection via Getty Images
The next stop on our scenic road trip in Utah is Pineview Reservoir. Located in Ogden Valley and near the small town of Huntsville, this body of water is surrounded by mountains. During the summer, this becomes a popular place for Utahns and out-of-state visitors as Pineview Reservoir is an excellent fishing location with record-breaking fish caught in its waters.
Pineview Reservoir, Utah, USA
Antelope Island State Park/Facebook
Antelope Island is the largest of the islands within the Great Salt Lake. This island is 42 square miles and is a beautiful year-round destination and a must-see spot on our scenic road trip. This is one stop where you can easily spend just one day or multiple days exploring. You can spend time on the beaches, observe free-ranging bison and bighorn sheep, hike, or just drive around and admire the landscape. We recommend camping on Antelope Island as this is an International Dark Sky Park and the night sky here is magical.
4528 W 1700 S, Syracuse, UT 84075, USA
Hannah Bakker/AllTrails
Make sure to have your camera ready when you visit Big Cottonwood Canyon. This remarkable canyon is 15 miles long and reaches elevations greater than 11,000 feet. You can spend the day driving around the canyon or exploring one of the many trails. For an easy hike, we suggest the Silver Lake Loop Trail. This hike is less than a mile long and most of it is on a wide boardwalk that is ADA-accessible.
Big Cottonwood Canyon, Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121, USA
Sean Pavone/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Bridal Veil Falls is not only the most scenic waterfall in Provo Canyon, but it is also the tallest. This 607-foot waterfall is quite the sight no matter the time of year that you visit. You can always admire this tall waterfall from your vehicle or take the 1.4-mile trail for an even better view.
Bridal Veil Falls, Utah 84604, USA
Joe_Guetzloff/iStock via Getty Images Plus
The final stop on our scenic road trip in Utah is Deer Creek State Park. This 152,570-acre reservoir is the perfect place to spend the day. Fish, boat, or zip line at this state park in Utah. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to walk around and capture the incredible views of Mount Timpanogos.
Deer Creek Reservoir, Utah 84032, USA
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