Utah Recreation Areas

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area consists of big, beautiful Flaming Gorge Lake, enclosed by brightly colored canyon walls and set amidst hundreds of thousands of acres of forested hills. It is a wonderful setting in which to boat, fish, hike, mountain bike or just soak in the beauty.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Flaming Gorge KOA, Vernal KOA, Twin Falls, KOA

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is home to the largest concentration of sandstone arches in the world, some 2,000 in all. The park offers a great scenic drive and numerous good short hikes through the desert landscape for close looks at its most impressive rock formations. Bikers thrill to the Slickrock Bike Trail in nearby Moab and the miles of other trails in the vicinity.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Moab KOA, Green River KOA

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is home to an immense expanse of deep orange-red canyons carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers and a wonderful array of superlative red rock formations. In addition to being a feast for the eyes, it provides great opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, 4wd adventuring, and white water rafting.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Moab KOA, Green River KOA

Tushar Mountains

The Tushar Mountains are a pretty range with a good network of hiking and biking trails, campgrounds and small lakes. In winter there are skiing and snowmobiling opportunities. Though the Tushars exceed the height of the Wasatch Mountains in Northern Utah, they remain under appreciated and relatively uncrowded.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Beaver KOA, Fillmore KOA, Richfield KOA

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is Utah's most popular park. The massive cliff walls of granite that tower above the canyon floor are truly inspiring. Great day hikes and good backpacking opportunities are numerous. Easy scenic drives take you to the best views.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Glendale KOA , Cedar City KOA, Bryce Canyon KOA

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is home to a series of spectacularly colorful and intricate rock forms carved by erosion from the edge of the Pausaugunt Plateau. An easy scenic drive runs along the top of the plateau to wonderful lookouts over the park. Numerous hiking trails run along the rim and down among the rock forms.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Bryce Canyon KOA, Panguitch KOA

Bear Lake

Bear Lake is a large, natural lake with a striking turquoise color, surrounded by low, lightly timbered mountains to the east and west. Bear Lake's size makes it inviting to boaters, skiers and sailers. It also offers decent fishing for cutthroats, rainbows, mackinaw, whitefish and yellow perch.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Bear Lake KOA, Brigham City KOA

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park consists of a 100 mile long ridge of marvelously colored and wildly-varied red, orange, tan, and cream rock. The park is rather isolated and is relatively lightly visited. The adventurous can backpack or 4wd to exceedingly rugged and remote areas of the park.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Richfield KOA , Beaver KOA

Wasatch Mountains

The Wasatch Mountain Range runs from north to south from Logan, past Ogden and Salt Lake City to Provo. Along its length are thousands of miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, pretty rivers and great scenic drives. Twelve ski resorts operate in the Wasatch and are consistently blanketed with piles of dry powder.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Brigham City KOA, Salt Lake City KOA , Provo KOA

Wasatch Plateau

The Wasatch Plateau is an expansive area of forested peaks and rolling hills, alpine meadows and mountain lakes. Its highest point is 11,300 feet and a good portion of the plateau sits above 10,000 feet. Much of the range is only accessible by dirt roads which accounts in part for its uncrowded conditions. Its most well-known road is the Skyline Drive which runs for 100 miles along the crest of the plateau providing access to numerous campgrounds, hiking areas and great views.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Provo KOA

Dinosaur National Monument

Dinosaur National Monument covers one of the most productive sources of dinosaur bones in the world. The quarry contains some 1,600 exposed bones from 11 different dinosaur species. Near the quarry is a short nature hike, a pleasant scenic drive, Indian petroglyphs, and the preserved cabin of a homesteader. Dinosaur National Monument was later expanded to include 300 square miles of great, high desert canyon country through which the Green and Yampa Rivers flow.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Vernal KOA

Shoshone Falls

The mighty Snake River plunges 212 feet at Shoshone Falls. Its higher than Niagara and is at its best during the spring run-off.

Nearby KOA Campgrounds: Twin Falls, ID KOA