Top 10 Viewpoints in Utah
Utah's red-rock country is the most concentrated collection of canyon and arch landscapes on earth, protected in five national parks known as the "Mighty 5" plus a string of state parks and monuments. The geology — layered sandstone carved by water, wind and time — produces viewpoints unlike anywhere else: natural arches framing the desert, gorges twisting toward the Colorado River, and amphitheatres of orange spires. These ten overlooks capture Utah's surreal desert at its best.
Delicate Arch, Arches National Park
The free-standing Delicate Arch, 16 metres tall, is the symbol of Utah and stands on a slickrock bowl with the La Sal Mountains behind. The 5-kilometre return trail climbs steadily over exposed rock to the arch, with no shade. Sunset, when the arch glows orange and crowds gather around the bowl, is the iconic time, though sunrise is quieter.
Dead Horse Point
Dead Horse Point State Park overlooks a gooseneck bend of the Colorado River 600 metres below, on a mesa near Canyonlands. The viewpoint frames the river, the carved canyon country and, in the distance, the snow-capped peaks. It is one of the most photographed overlooks in the American West, especially at sunrise and sunset when the layered rock glows.
Mesa Arch, Canyonlands
In the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands, Mesa Arch is a low arch perched on the canyon rim, reached by a short loop trail. At sunrise the underside of the arch glows fiery orange as light reflects off the cliffs below, framing the canyon and the distant Washer Woman spire. It is one of the most famous sunrise photography spots in the country.
Bryce Canyon amphitheatre
Bryce Canyon is not a true canyon but an amphitheatre of thousands of orange and pink hoodoos — eroded rock spires — below the rim at around 2,400 metres. Viewpoints such as Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration and Bryce Point line the rim, each framing the hoodoo forest. Sunrise sets the spires ablaze; the high elevation means cool air and occasional snow dusting the orange rock.
Angels Landing, Zion
The Angels Landing trail in Zion climbs to a narrow fin 450 metres above the canyon floor, the final section a chain-assisted scramble along an exposed ridge. The summit gives a commanding view down Zion Canyon. A permit is now required by lottery to manage crowds on the dangerous final section. The view is among the most thrilling in any US national park.
Canyon Overlook, Zion
A far gentler Zion viewpoint, the Canyon Overlook trail is a short walk to a ledge with a sweeping view down lower Zion Canyon and the switchbacks below. It is reached just east of the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel and offers a fraction of the effort of Angels Landing for a superb canyon panorama.
The Wave and Coyote Buttes
On the Arizona-Utah border, the Wave is a swirling sandstone formation of undulating red and orange bands, reached by a permit-only hike across trackless desert. The strictly limited daily permits make it one of the hardest viewpoints to access in the US, but the photographs of its flowing rock are among the most striking of the Colorado Plateau.
Monument Valley
Straddling the Utah-Arizona line on Navajo land, Monument Valley's isolated sandstone buttes and mesas rise up to 300 metres from the desert floor. The view from the visitor centre and the scenic loop drive frames the iconic mittens and spires, familiar from countless western films. Sunrise and sunset light the red rock most dramatically.
Sunset Point, Capitol Reef
Capitol Reef protects the Waterpocket Fold, a 160-kilometre warp in the earth's crust. The Sunset Point and Goosenecks overlooks frame the layered cliffs, domes and the twisting Sulphur Creek canyon. Less visited than Utah's other parks, it offers solitude alongside its colourful, complex geology.
Thor's Hammer and Navajo Loop, Bryce
The Navajo Loop trail descends from Bryce's rim into the hoodoo amphitheatre, passing the famous Thor's Hammer rock formation and the towering walls of Wall Street. Looking up at the spires from the canyon floor gives a completely different perspective from the rim viewpoints, and the trail is among the most popular in the park.
Explore on the map
From the arches of Arches and Canyonlands to the hoodoos of Bryce and the buttes of Monument Valley, every viewpoint above is plotted on the interactive map. Use it to see which require permits, which are short walks or drive-up overlooks, and plan a red-rock road trip across Utah's national parks.