9. Canyonlands National Park is located near the city of Moab in the eastern Utah and it covers over 1,366 km². Because of the Colorado River and Green River that are crossing the park, Canyonlands is divided into three major districts: the Island in the Sky, the Maze and the Needles. Although the areas share the same tough weather conditions, every district preserves its own characteristic and amazing scenery. Whether we talk about the unusual rock formations, the rivers that are splitting the earth with violence, the high cliffs or the  wild sight painted by a beautiful sunset, we can all imagine that it could become a lifetime experience.

Many people who lived its wilderness remained touched and a simple but very suggestive opinion about the Canyonlands Park came from an American author who visited the park and described it as “the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth—there is nothing else like it anywhere.”

As you can see in the pictures, the geography of the park is well suited to a number of different recreational uses. Hikers, mountain bikers, backpackers and four-wheelers all enjoy traversing the rugged, remote trails within the diversity of this natural wonder. If it seems more interesting to explore by water, rafters and kayakers can choose the calm stretches of the Green River and Colorado River above the confluence. And those who are seeking  for adrenaline, below the confluence Cataract Canyon contains powerful whitewater rapids and tricky passages.

More about Canyonlands Park’s climate, accommodation and other useful information you will get from here.

10. Capitol Reef National Park is situated in south-central Utah and the nearest city is Torrey. The park preserves 979 km² and is open all year long, although May through September are the most popular months because of the favorable conditions. With its unusual natural architecture, Capitol Reef is characterized by sandstone formations, ridges, buttes, colorful canyons and a 120 km long rugged spine called Waterpocket Fold, which is extending from Thousand Lake Mountain to Lake Powell. The park’s name comes from a spectacular segment of the Waterpocket Fold near to Fremont River, a line of white domes and cliffs of Navajo Sandstone which looks like the United States Capitol Building.

A scenic area and one of the most intriguing monoliths in the Capitol Reef National Park can be found in the Cathedral Valley. Unique shapes are dominating the desert’s loneliness, amazing sandstone monoliths that resemble Gothic cathedrals from Europe, we would say. Many of these structures have interesting, highly descriptive names such as Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Moon or The Walls of Jericho.

In the Capitol Reef Park there’s no chance of geting bored because you can try almost everything, from easy walks and admiring the surroundings to strenuous overnight hikes. There are also biking trails all over the park and the access is not very difficult, although it is dangerous to go off-road. As a bonus, if you really want to try professional mountain biking, maybe you will have the chance to participate to one of the local biking competitions.

For accommodation, you can either choose to stay in the nearest town or you can spend the night to a campground in the area. Here you will find additional information about the park.

Pictures via 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16