Things to do / Travel Guide
From the stunning red rock formations of Moab, Utah, to the world-famous Grand Canyon National Park on its northern rim in Arizona, the southern Utah region is packed with dramatic natural wonders. The region includes the nature-packed scenic space of southern Utah, from the area of the Colorado River in the west to I-15 and Cedar City in the east. About 175 miles wide, the region stretches northeast of the Colorado River toward Utah's border with Colorado, including the city of Moab and the stunning Canyonlands National Park. From north to south, to its physical border at the Grand Canyon's Northern Rim, the region is roughly 200 miles long. The artist community of Spring City, Utah is the northernmost point in the region.
As opposed to the valleys, basins, and mountains of northern Utah, southern Utah mostly exhibits a topography of sandstone. The Colorado River and its tributaries snake their way through the sandstone, and rainwater and wind have sculpted the terrain into the striking canyons, gullies, arches, and bluffs that the region is known for. Most of the land in the region is owned by the Federal government, and the majority of the area is deemed U.S. National Forests, Parks, Monuments, or Recreation Areas. In fact, the region actually hosts the largest concentration of National Parks in the United States.
Visitors can National Park-hop through the region, winding their way from the northeastern stretches of the region starting in Moab, where one can explore red rock country in Arches National Park. Gradually, visitors can work their way through the scenic countryside deeper into the region through Glen Canyon, Lake Powell, and Bryce National Park toward the famed Zion National Park on the region's western edges, the lowest and hottest area in Utah.
From there, visitors can head just a bit south across the nearby border into the Arizona Strip, a 5 million-acre area in the far northwestern corner of Arizona, north of the Colorado River and south of the Utah border. In its lower elevations, the area presents an isolated and sparse landscape, with various plateaus, tablelands, valleys, and desert vegetation. The magnificent Grand Canyon separates it from the rest of the state, and the Strip area gives visitors access to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, a remote and breathtaking tourist destination. The North Rim is 1,000 feet higher than the more-heavily-visited South Rim, which means cooler temperatures and a lush forest, as opposed to desert plains.
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