Utah is a breathtaking, outdoor paradise. From the south border to the north, rust-red sandstone weaves into high-desert plateau and crashes abruptly into the steep terrain of the northern Utah mountain ranges. The complexity of Utah’s terrain creates a variety of climates ranging from blistering-hot desert canyons to artic-cold mountains tops.

Southern Utah’s red rock contains the most famous and protected terrain. Five National Parks—including Zion, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, and Arches National Parks—stretch across the southern half of the state. These Parks protect areas where hikers can explore slot canyons with 2,000 foot sandstone walls, or travel 119 square miles of land that contain over 2,000 natural sandstone arches.

Northern Utah would closely resemble the hot, arid climate of southern Utah if it were not for two large mountain ranges that split through the northern half of the state. The Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges bring water to the region that converts the landscape into an alpine paradise. Deep forests, pristine lakes, lush wildflowers, rugged cliffs, abundant wildlife, and peaks up to 13,528 feet grace the landscape.