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11 National Wonders Around St George, Utah That Look Unreal in Person
St. George, Utah, isn’t just a dot on the map. It’s your ultimate launchpad to some of the most jaw-dropping national parks and monuments the West has to offer. Within just a casual half-day drive, you’ll find yourself surrounded by rugged landscapes, contrasting colors, and formations that don’t seem like they belong on this planet (but hey, here they are).
It’s almost suspicious how many natural marvels are crammed into one area, making St. George the perfect home base for your adventure-packed itinerary. Need a change of scenery? No problem. Craving a dose of epic views? Covered.
Stay tuned, we’ve got the details coming up on which parks you can see during a stay.
Zion National Park, Utah
Ever felt like channeling your inner mountain goat? Zion National Park is just the place, boasting the famous Angels Landing trail, where even the most fearless develop a healthy fear of heights.
Known for its stunning slot canyons and vibrant cliffs that might make you rethink your allegiance to any other landscape, Zion exists to test your endurance and selfie game. Just a tightrope walk of a hike above the canyons… because who needs boring sidewalks?
Pipe Spring National Monument, Arizona
Intrigued by the idea of a monument in the middle of nowhere? Pipe Spring National Monument is your stop, where rolling tumbleweeds should be the mascot. This historical location surprisingly has a rich story to tell, aside from its desert charm.
Here, you can explore the perfectly preserved pioneer-era fort built to protect water resources. Yes, even back then, people knew water was gold. So, if quenching your thirst for history is your thing, this place might hold water.
Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
Prepare for gobsmacking views at Cedar Breaks National Monument, where nature decided to outdo itself with vibrant amphitheaters and epic splashes of color. It’s like the Grand Canyon’s quirky cousin who showed up wearing a tie-dye shirt.
Standing at over 10,000 feet, Cedar Breaks is known for its stunning wildflower displays that’ll put your local florist to shame. If kaleidoscopic colors are your thing, then this slice of geological whimsy is calling your name.
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
Looking for a stretch of landscape where your GPS might just give up in existential dread? Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is your dusty paradise. Spanning nearly two million acres, it’s a maze of serpentine canyons and towering cliffs, making it the ultimate hide-and-seek arena for brave hikers.
And this colossal monument is known for fossil finds that give even ancient dinosaurs a run for their mysterious history. Ready for epic, prehistoric exploration? Monuments like this don’t fossilize overnight, you know?!
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona
In the wild world of outdoor escapades, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument stands out with its dazzling palette of reds and vermilions that could make any artist envious.
Housing the incredible Wave rock formation, this geological wonder draws adventurers and photographers who can’t resist a twist of natural glamour. So much so that you might be tempted to chew through your shoelaces for a permit to see it, but it’s worth every scenic sweat drop.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
If you think you’ve seen it all, Bryce Canyon National Park will challenge that theory with its mesmerizing hoodoo formations. These soaring spires of rock, shaped by millions of years of freezing and thawing processes, are sure to make even the most seen-it-all travelers do a double-take.
At an elevation that makes the phrase “a breath of fresh air” painfully literal, Bryce Canyon offers surreal sunsets and dazzling starry nights that defy logic and cliche.
Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim), Arizona
You might think Grand Canyon National Park doesn’t need another accolade, but did you know the North Rim is about 1,000 feet higher than the more popular South Rim? It offers cooler temperatures and fewer selfie-stick-wielding tourists as well.
Staring into the abyss, you might even ponder life’s big questions… or just how many peanut butter sandwiches this view is worth.
Great Basin National Park, Nevada
Heading west to Great Basin National Park promises an escape into both grandeur and seclusion. Boasting the ancient bristlecone pines, some trees clock in at over 4,000 years old (as if nature decided regular forestry had an expiration date).
It’s also home to Lehman Caves for those who enjoy crouching in dimly lit spaces. Expect dramatic views once inside, but enough peace and quiet that even your echo will get a little lonely.
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Set your dial to “ancient wonder” at Capitol Reef National Park, an unsung masterpiece of high cliffs and pastel sandstone layers that seems out of a painter’s dream.
Did you know this park is home to the Waterpocket Fold, a geological wrinkle on Earth’s crust stretching for nearly 100 miles? Yup, it’s like nature’s epic folding party that leaves origami amateurs in awe.
Navajo National Monument, Arizona
Navajo National Monument should have its own in-the-middle-of-nowhere theme song. Home to the ancient cliff dwellings of Betatakin, it serves as a haunting reminder that even ancestors knew a thing or two about real estate with a view.
This park is a sacred testament to Native American history, drawing visitors in with jaw-dropping architecture that whispers tales of the past. Seriously, if stones could talk, these would be spilling centuries-old secrets.
Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Ghost towns and spiky cacti dreams await you at Canyonlands National Park, where the landscape looks like Mars with a side of shrubs. This sprawling park is split into three districts, including the aptly named Island in the Sky.
Bet you didn’t know that Canyonlands holds some of the best-preserved pictographs and petroglyphs from thousands of years ago? Yep, it certainly does. Just think of this place as history and scenery all rolled into one arid masterpiece.
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