Most Scenic ATV Trail in Southern Utah

Southern Utah's stunning scenery includes five national parks in the lower half of the state alone. Add several national monuments, the Moab area and Monument Valley to the mix, and you won't run out of areas you want to ride for the scenery alone. While you can't ride ATVs inside the national parks, the national forests and public lands surrounding them provide thousands of miles of ATV trails, along with campgrounds where you'll find areas for staging your ride.

Moab

• You'll find thousands of miles of trail twisting through red rock country surrounding Arches and Canyonlands National Park. Surrounding the small town of Moab, which lies along the banks of the Colorado River, the trails range from easy to highly technical. High routes across the red slickrock generally are more difficult, with dramatic inclines and climbs over large boulders leading to panoramic views overlooking the Green and Colorado rivers, and distant snowcapped mountains. Easier trails are found closer to town, and some include paved portions only suitable for street-legal ATVs.

Sand Hollow State Park

• Red monoliths jutting from blue waters set the stage for an ATV and camping adventure at Sand Hollow State Park near St. George. Camp at a primitive site along the shore of Sand Hollow Reservoir, or choose from two campgrounds with hookups, flush restrooms and showers. The park provides OHV staging areas, loading ramps, and a course designed to let novices learn the ropes. Ride through sand pits beneath red monoliths, or challenge the sand and slickrock of Sand Mountain. Some of the higher trails in the park offer views of Zion National Park, 20 miles away.

Dixie National Forest

• Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks and Cedar Breaks National Monument lie within Dixie National Forest in southern Utah. You can see panoramic views of the parks from vistas along 500 miles of trail in the Markagunt OHV trail system. The trail system contains 50 trails divided into seven loops, with each trail number corresponding to the loop it is in. Trail No. 57, the Zion View Connector, is one of the more difficult trails in the system, but provides unparalleled views of Zion National Park in the distance. Campgrounds are located throughout the trail system. One primitive campground, Yankee Meadows, is high in the mountains, with OHV parking, vault toilets, picnic tables and fire rings. Duck Creek Campground is accessible to the highway, provides spaces for both RVs and tents, and is convenient to three loops of the trail system that pass nearby. An ATV corral and flush restrooms are provided on site.

When to Go

• No matter what time of year you choose to visit southern Utah's scenic trails, you'll find pleasant weather for riding your ATV. May through October is the best time to visit trails in Dixie National Forest, as much of the trail system lies above 7,000 feet, with daytime temperatures in the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit for much of the season. Lower elevations such as Moab can top 100 degrees -- and sometimes 110 -- in the summer, but have pleasant winter temperatures that can reach the 50s and 60s. The St. George area is warm year-round, with daytime temperatures ranging from the low 60s to the high 90s.

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Activities in Sundance, Utah

Sundance, Utah, is the home of the famous Sundance Film Festival, but that’s not all it has to offer if you’re in the area. Winter, summer and everything in between offers a range of activities that are appropriate for the entire family. And since it's only an hour drive from Salt Lake City, Sundance can be a good day-trip spot whether you're vacationing in Utah or already live in the state.

Sundance Art Shack

• Whether you’re an aspiring artist or refining your skills, the Sundance Art Shack is the place to be. Located at the Sundance Resort, this two-hour all-inclusive workshop lets you play around with different techniques and watch expert artists -- and when it’s over, you’ll have plenty of self-made art to take home. Techniques include creating jewelry, painting with watercolors, oil painting, photography and making wheel-thrown pottery. Stop in the Glassblower Studio to watch resident glass blowers take a ball of glass and turn it into a hand-blown piece of art. You don’t have to be a guest at the Sundance Resort to visit, but you do have to book your class through the resort's guest services.

Scenic Lift Rides

• Lift rides run from May through October, and provide a unique panoramic view of the Sundance area and all the way up to Ray’s Summit. For a romantic, unique experience, take a Full Moon Lift Ride. This ride operates between 8:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. If you’re in town for Halloween, you can get the tour of the area, a view of themed scenes and have a lift operator decked out in costume. Senior and child discounts are available, as well as group reservations.

Horseback Riding

• This authentic, cowboy-led tour takes you from Sundance Stables up to one of four tour trails on horseback. You and your group enjoy a scenic, peaceful ride, plush landscape and a horse that will make you feel as though you’re an expert on the saddle. The four trails include the Elk Meadows, Stewart Falls, Sunset and Great Western. Elk Meadows is ideal if you’re new to horseback riding, and Sunset is a good ride for couples and wildlife lovers who want a quaint evening ride in the mountains. Great Western is the longest ride, therefore, it’s only recommended for riders with experience. Stewart Falls is the most popular, and offers two hours of the Wasatch Mountain and Mount Timpanogos views. No more than six people are allowed in a group at one time. You’ll get a short horseback-riding lesson, so there’s no worry if you’re unfamiliar with riding. Tours are available only by appointment.

Festivities

• The Sundance Film Festival comes for 10 days in January. With more than 100 independent films viewed and movie stars out to see what’s new in film, you’re bound to have a good time. Most of the festival is hosted in neighboring Park City on Main Street. The Harvest Market is hosted in October and has live entertainment and hand-crafted artwork, and celebrates heritage. There are fresh barbecue and baked treats while you enjoy this celebration of fall.

Ski and Snowboard

• When winter rolls around, skiers and snowboarders flock to the mountains of Utah. Enjoy multiple skiing and snowboarding trails through the Sundance area. With more than 41 runs and 500 acres of snow-covered terrain, beginners and experts alike have more than enough snow to go around. Ski and snowboard lessons are available for individuals, groups and parties through the Sundance Resort. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, there is night skiing available. Passes are available through Sundance Resort.

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Places to Visit in Cache Valley in Utah

Cache Valley, Utah, has numerous places to visit for outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers, heritage buffs and festival goers. Known for its stunning scenic views and landscapes, the area encompasses a valley about 50 miles long and 20 miles wide on the Utah-Idaho border. One of the highlights is the Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway (U.S. Highway 89) surrounded by majestic peaks and a favorite drive to see fall colors. Cache Valley was named after the practice of early fur trappers to cache -- or hide -- their furs in the area.

Lakes

• Boating, camping and fishing are the main attractions at three lakes in the Cache Valley. Discover Bear Lake State Park, 41 miles east of Logan, on the Utah/Idaho border, where you'll enjoy boating, scuba diving, fishing, swimming and kayaking in the summer. The popular lake is nearly 20 miles long and eight miles wide with resorts and campsites around the entire lake. Visit the glacier-formed Tony Grove Lake in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, off of U.S. Highway 89 in Logan Canyon. Bring your camera for the summer wildflower explosion and wildlife sightings. Pack your fishing pole for your visit to the 450-acre man-made lake at Hyrum Lake State Park, 15 minutes from Logan. Boating, camping and swimming are also popular pastimes.

Caves

• Visitors are welcome at two of the three caves in Cache Valley, but Logan Cave, while visible 12 miles up Logan Canyon, is closed to protect bats that live in the interior. Lace up your hiking boots for the climb to Wind Caves; parking is 5.2 miles up Logan Canyon, off U.S. Highway 89. You'll discover the triple arch and natural cave at the top of your 2-mile trek. Minnetonka Cave is probably the most popular place to go where you can take a self-guided or guided half-mile tour through rooms of stalactites and stalagmites. The cave is nine miles up St. Charles Canyon, north of Bear Lake and west of St. Charles, Idaho.

Bear River Heritage Area

• The Bear River Heritage Area of Cache Valley straddles the Idaho-Utah border and has a variety of natural, historical and cultural places to explore. Historically this valley is the ancestral home of the Northwest Band of the Shoshone, joined later by mountain men and Mormon pioneers in the 1860s. Highlights of the Cache Valley, Utah area include downtown Logan with its historic homes, churches and buildings that can be seen on a 45-minute downtown walking tour. Other interesting places to visit include the Chesterfield ghost town, the mining town of Soda Springs, Idaho and The Dansante. The historic Dansante Building has come full-circle from its roots as a dance hall, hosting as many as 3,000 people in the mid-1800s. It fell into disrepair but was renovated by the Utah Festival Opera Company that operates a recital hall, practice rooms, rehearsal halls, costume and scene shops in the 45,000-square-foot facility.

Community Events and Festivals

• Take your pick of year-round community festivals and events in Cache Valley. For foodies there's Providence's Annual Sauerkraut Dinner, Bear Lake Raspberry Days, and Paradise Trout and Berry Days. Summer brings concerts and art exhibits to Logan, as well as heritage or historical days in Clarkston, Providence and Millville. On the 4th of July you can enjoy fireworks in Logan or Lewiston, or participate in Hyrum’s Star-Spangled Week. Other places to go include Preston’s Famous Night Rodeo, Cache County Fair and Rodeo, and Martin Harris Pageant.

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Places to Visit in the Smithfield, Utah Area

Smithfield sits 6 miles north of Logan, in the agrarian wonderland of northern Utah's Cache Valley. Renowned for its outdoorsiness, foodie-friendliness and commitment to "hands-on heritage" experiences, Cache Valley also puts its visitors well within close driving distance of the world-class hiking, biking, canoeing, fishing and bird-watching of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

Experience Historic Logan

• Take a five-minute drive from central Smithfield to walk in the historic footsteps of pre-Utahn settlers. After all, people have been strolling through what is now Logan since the area was an ancestral Shoshoni hunting ground. Logan became the provenance of a handful of hardy mountain men in the 1820s before being settled by pioneering Mormons later in the century. "Meet" these early Cache residents at the American West Heritage Center, a reenactment village situated on a working farm that has remained in operation since 1919. Seasonal activities include baby animal days during the April foaling season, a Halloween corn maze and a late-July Pioneer Day that features interactive heritage games for all ages.

Hear the Sleigh Bells Jingling

• If you've never taken a sleigh ride and you're lucky enough to be around Smithfield in the winter, get on board. There's arguably no better place to try one than at the Hardware Ranch Elk Refuge. The tranquil ride comes within photographing distance of the refuge's protected herd of Rocky Mountain elk before delivering passengers to a yummy barbecue dinner.

Zoom Along the Scenic Byway

• Take your motorcycle or car for a lazy Sunday ride on the Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway. Accessed from downtown Logan, the Byway is a circuitous, scenic stretch of two-lane road that connects to the azure waters of far-northern Bear Lake. On the way, you'll pass undulating fields of fragrant wildflowers, scoot between sheer cliffs and wind in tandem with the canyon's multitude of bubbling creeks.

Take a Self-Guided Food Tour

• Cache Valley is one of the region's most sophisticated "bread baskets." Locavorism is less a movement and more a natural state of being in an area with such a high concentration of artisanal producers. With Smithfield as a base of operations, you can conveniently visit every producer on the self-guided Cache Valley Food Tour -- a route set up and mapped by the Cache Valley Visitors Bureau -- and collect the fixings for a spectacular picnic lunch. The tour includes bakeries, confectioneries, coffee roasters, gelato artisans, cheese makers, creameries and a pick-your-own berries farm.

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Visitor's Guide to Saint George, Utah

St. George, Utah, sits in the shadow of steep, multicolored sandstone cliffs, making it popular with nature lovers. Visitors to the area will find an array of available activities, including golf courses, hiking and biking trails, museums and theaters, along with some more unusual features in a city that blossomed out of the desert.

Dinosaur Discovery Site

• Before it was St. George, the area teemed with volcanoes and dinosaurs. You can see the volcanic leftovers in the geology around the city and the remnants of dinosaurs at Johnson Farm’s Dinosaur Discovery Site. This museum has preserved tracks from the dinosaurs that roamed the area, along with interactive displays, a children’s area and lifelike replicas of several dinosaurs.

Tuacahn Center for the Arts

• Productions of “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid” look entirely different with a red sandstone cliff as the backdrop. The Tuacahn Amphitheatre, an outdoor theater in St. George’s Snow Canyon, hosts Broadway musicals, plays, concerts, rodeos and comedians. Shows often sell out, but tickets can be purchased in advance. Because events take place outside and the desert nights can get chilly, attendees are advised to bring a jacket for later shows.

St. George Temple Visitors Center

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is widespread in Utah, and St. George is home to the oldest operating LDS temple in the world. Although the temple is not open to the public, tourists can go to the visitors center on the temple grounds. Other nearby historic sites provide a look at the early Mormon settlers in southern Utah. The Brigham Young House, which was completed in 1873 and still retains some of its original furnishings, is open daily for tours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Brigham Young, the second president of the LDS Church, wintered in St. George as he got older. The St. George Tabernacle is open daily for tours and also hosts a number of musical performances. It was renovated in 1993 but still retains the historic feel of its construction by pioneers.

Zion National Park

• Zion National Park, about 30 miles outside of St. George, is surrounded by sheer red rock cliffs, desert scrub and blue sky that seems to stretch for miles. Hikers can tackle the switchbacks up to Angel’s Landing, wade through the Virgin River’s famous narrows or backpack the 14-mile long West Rim Trail. The park has dozens of other trails at varying levels of difficulty, and also offers camping, cycling, canyoneering and rock climbing.

St. George Art Festival

• The refurbished town square in the St. George's historic district has a splash pad and waterfall, bronze statuary, carousel and dozens of boutiques and restaurants. In April, the St. George Art Festival brings more than 100 artists downtown to display their original work. The festival has live entertainment, traditional and international food booths, activities for children and thousands of works of art including painting, pottery, sculpture, jewelry and leather work.

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