Places in Utah You Need to Experience

What can we say? We're living in a special place here in Utah. We’ve got some of the world’s most magnificent landscapes. Here are some neat, lesser-known places to take your family this summer. Fremont Indian State Park and Museum

Discover artifacts, petroglyphs, and pictographs left behind by the Fremont Indians. During the construction of Interstate 70, the largest known Fremont Indian village was uncovered. This museum preserves treasures from the site, including pottery, baskets, and arrowheads. Spend a day at the museum, take a hike on the trails, and then camp at nearby Castle Rock Campground or Sam Stowe Campground. There are short, maintained trails which lead past several impressive panels of rock art figures. The interpretive center there focuses on the evolution of Fremont Indian Cultures from 500 A.D. to 1300 A.D. Find it at the Hwy 89/I-70 junction, 24 miles southwest of Richfield. San Rafael Swell

For years the San Rafael Swell has been considered one of the "undiscovered" natural wonders of the American West. Eons ago, tremendous geologic upheavals formed a giant dome of rock - a "swell" in the earth's surface. The harsh elements beat against this dome and eroded it into a wild, broken array of multi-colored sandstone. Wind and water carved this jumble of rock into incredible formations as buttes, canyons, pinnacles and mesas emerged, making the Swell one of the most ruggedly beautiful pockets of terrain in the world. Hiking possibilities here range from easy to strenuous- technical canyoneering. It's in central/ eastern Utah, and is split in half by Interstate 70. Buckskin Gulch

One of the truly classic hiking trails in the United States, let alone the world, Buckskin Gulch swerves through a subterranean paradise for the senses. Attempt this visuallyarresting walk as a day trip, or walk the entire 20 miles over the course of four days. It is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the Southwest and offers obstacles like rock jams, pools, quicksand, and the potential for flash floods. Yet a day hike option via Wire Pass Trail is moderately easy, and should be a must-do tour on any hiker's list. With stone so deep it’s a challenge to see blue skies in places, this hike will be something that you remember forever. It is located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument near Kanab, Utah.