Last October we took a vacation to Utah to check out some of the state parks and enjoy a week in nature and away from the screens. We did not go to Zion. I know everyone and their brother is all about Zion right now which is why we steered clear of that zoo and looked for places more off the beaten path.

While we were there we spent time at Bryce Canyon National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Escalante, and Capital Reef State Park.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Our first stop was Bryce Canyon National Park. I know that this is not really a off the beaten path park but hear me out. It isn’t Zion. That’s it that is my whole argument. It is pretty close to Zion and boasts incredible scenery but it is not the Disneyland of Utah right now which helps a lot.

If you do go to Bryce Canyon I would recommend forgetting these pictures and doing very little research, or maybe no research. That’s what I did and I have to tell you that walking up to our first scenic view was astounding. I was met by so many incredible and unexpected hoodoos (the tall spire rock formations). The hiking was beautiful and pretty gentle. We did go down into one canyon a bit a the fairyland area and it didn’t feel too scary like at the Grand Canyon.

The elevation at Bryce is relatively high and you might feel like you are getting tired faster there than you would at a lower elevation. It also helps the temperatures stay a bit cooler. We were there right before the first snowfall of the season and it was perfect weather all around.

Kodachrome Basin State Park

My absolute favorite place to explore in Southern Utah is Kodachrome Basin State Park. This park has all the trappings of big national parks in Utah but without the crowds. We spend a couple of days exploring the basin almost uninterrupted. We did see a few people at different places but we were pretty much alone on the hikes we took. My absolute favorite was hiking to the end of a box canyon and looking up at the sky with the walls on all three sides of me.

Not only is Kodachrome beautiful, it also provides the perfect excuse to sing Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome” as much as you want to. I almost want to take this out of my recommendations because I want it to stay a quiet and not get over run. If you happen upon Kodachrome let me know it is a gem of a place.

Escalante River

Later in our trip we stayed in Escalante in a tiny house. It was a really nice place to stay and probably was the most comfortable and had the best food options around all the small towns we visited. We didn’t really go to a state park here or a national park. Instead we just explored the area around the Escalante River with did not disappoint. We were there at peak Fall and the colors and changing foliage was beautiful.

Capitol Reef National Park

We went to Capitol Reef but unfortunately did not do any exploring there. The day that we went there was the busiest day the park had seen in over three years. It was really overrun with too many people at each trailhead, no parking anywhere, and just too much going on. We drove around a bit took in the sites and decided just to hike closer to our hotel which was nice too. Capitol Reef is on our list of places to return to in the future as it was a really beautiful place and one that we could tell we would love to visit.

I am curious if you have visited Southern Utah. If you have what places did you love to explore and what tips do you have for a first time visitor?