Your Guide to Outdoor Activities in Utah
Utah offers such an abundant supply of adventure for outdoor enthusiasts, that 80% of the state is designated just for public use! What’s more is that the outdoor fun lasts all four seasons throughout the year in Utah! During the spring and summer months, you can experience hiking, biking, camping, geocaching, horseback riding, rock climbing, wildlife viewing, ATV riding, fishing, rafting, canoeing, kayaking, boating, water skiing, sailing, jet skiing, paragliding, and more. Many of these activities can even be enjoyed during the fall, as well. During the winter months, take advantage of skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, snowmobiling, and the like. Take a look!
Spring
Hiking & biking: From lengthy, rugged trails to quick, moderate trails, Utah offers thousands of miles of amazing hiking and biking trails, suitable for everyone’s skills and desires. Some of the best hiking and biking trails can be found within the state’s National Parks. Be sure to check out Capitol Reef National Park in the Waterpocket Fold of Torrey, Bryce Canyon National Park in Bryce, and Arches National Park in Moab.
Geocaching: Attention all geocachers! Utah is THE destination for geocaching! The state even created the official Visit Utah GeoTour to take you on a high-tech scavenger hunt of a lifetime! The Visit Utah GeoTour includes five geocache locations in each of the 29 counties within the state.
Summer
Kayaking, canoeing, boating, & rafting: The rivers in Utah offer some of the most memorable boating, kayaking, canoeing, and whitewater rafting in the nation. Some of the best rivers are The Weber River in Northern Utah, San Rafael River in Central Utah, and Green River in Eastern Utah. Utah’s most popular river trip is probably The Moab Daily in Southeastern Utah!
Hot springs: There are tons of natural hot springs throughout the state of Utah. Some of the most popular ones are Horseshoe Springs in Skull Valley, Fifth Water Hot Springs up the Diamond Fork Canyon, and Baker Springs right outside of Delta. Just remember that although it is actually illegal, most of the hot springs in Utah are considered “clothing optional” by visitors, so keep this in mind if you have little ones!
Fall
Horseback riding: Utah offers an entire network of horseback riding trails and destinations. Between the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the 6 National Forests, 4 National Parks, and thousands of other public areas, the horseback riding opportunities throughout the state of Utah are just unimaginable!
Rock climbing: If you’re looking to go rock climbing in Utah, you don’t have to look very hard, as there are tons of awesome rock climbing opportunities in pretty much every area of the entire state. Furthermore, there are rock climbing options for climbers of all levels in Utah. Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort in Little Cottonwood Canyons, just east of Salt Lake City, offers competition-level climbing, as well as climbing lessons for those with less experience.
Winter
Skiing, snowboarding, & snowshoeing: There are over ten different ski resorts to choose from if you’re looking to go skiing or snowboarding in Utah. Some visitor favorites include Cherry Peak in Northern Utah, Brighton Resort in downtown Salt Lake, and Snowbasin Resort near the Ogden metropolitan area. If you’re looking for more of a relaxing winter experience, like snowshoeing, be sure to visit Snowshoeutah.com for information on over 60 different showshoeing trails in the state.
Ice fishing & ice skating: Two of the most popular ice fishing destinations in Utah include Pineview Reservoir in Ogden Valley, and Strawberry Reservoir in Heber Valley. As for ice skating, Utah is home to the Utah Olympic Oval which is where over 100 world records in speed skating have been broken. Even if you’re not trying to break any world records, the Olympic Oval is still open the public for regular ice skating.
As you can see, there is absolutely tons to do in the state of Utah during every one of the four seasons. No matter when you choose to visit, you will not be disappointed, as there is something fun and outdoorsy for anyone, anywhere, anytime. Believe us when we say… Utah IS the great outdoors!
