Utah is full of gorgeous places for recreation – but here’s the bad news. Most of Utah’s most popular places are often crowded with tourists and Utahns alike. Everyone wants to enjoy Utah’s beauty, and it’s here for everyone. Finding less-crowded places means traveling off the beaten path and getting a little creative, but if it’s solitude you’re looking for, here’s how to find it.
- Grand Gulch
Greg Willis/flickr The Anasazi ruins at Grand Gulch are remarkable - they date back as far as 2,000 years ago, and are more intact than many others found in our state. It’s not easy to get there, though. First, you’ll need a permit from the Bureau of Land Management. Then, you must hike across some rugged country, in harsh conditions (temperatures here often reach 110 degrees during the summer). You’ll find scorpions, tarantulas and rattlesnakes along the way.
- The Great Salt Lake
Barbara Ann Spengler/flickr Sailing on the Great Salt Lake is peaceful and relaxing, and the lake is so humongous (it covers an area of 1,699 miles) that you’ll easily be able to get away from the rest of civilization.
- Toquerville Falls
Lance M./Yelp To get to these gorgeous falls, you have to drive nearly six miles on a bumpy, pot-holed dirt road. You’re best off with a four-wheel-drive vehicle (and a lot of patience). Once you get there, the falls are awesome!
- Any Ballpark On A Sunday
Brady/flickr If you’re a big fan of baseball, but would like to avoid the huge crowds, go to a Sunday daytime game. Though the fans might be fewer, the quality of the game is the same…and a hot dog and peanuts taste every bit as good.
- The Backcountry In The High Uintas
Todd Slagter/flickr Try car camping along the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway on a summer weekend, and you’ll have a hard time finding a spot. However, if you’re willing to hike several miles to camp, you’ll scarcely see a soul. The Uintas are vast…you just have to do the work to escape the crowds.
- Broadway Movie Theater
Rich L./Yelp While the hoardes go to the Megaplex to see the latest blockbuster, you can see an independent movie at the Broadway, and you won’t have to fight for a seat. The snack bar has more interesting choices, too.
- Lake Powell
Wolfgang Staudt/flickr Nearly two million people visit Lake Powell every year, but it’s so large that if you’re willing to explore a little, you can find some places that aren’t overcrowded. The surface area of the reservoir is 161,390 acres, and you’ll find more than 90 side canyons to explore.
- Bonneville Salt Flats
David_Jones/flickr The salt flats are so vast that it’s unlikely you’ll encounter many other people there. It’s a beautiful spot for photography, and a fun place to mess around.
- Canyonlands National Park
Jerry and Pat Donaho/flickr Utah’s five national parks bring visitors from around the world to the Beehive State. Zion is our most popular park, with 3,571,383 in 2015. Canyonlands is the least crowded, with 624,279 that same year. While you’re still likely to encounter people at Canyonlands, it has just over 1/7th of the number of visitors.
- Snowbasin Ski Resort
Snowbasin Resort/Facebook Snowbasin is located in the Ogden Valley, about an hour from Salt Lake City, but it draws much smaller crowds during the ski season than the Salt Lake area resorts. For instance, an average of 1,603,775 people visit Park City Resort during winter months, but Snowbasin pulls much lighter crowds.
If you don’t mind crowds and want to see some of Utah’s most gorgeous spots check out these 12 Marvels In Utah That Must Be Seen To Be Believed.
Greg Willis/flickr
The Anasazi ruins at Grand Gulch are remarkable - they date back as far as 2,000 years ago, and are more intact than many others found in our state. It’s not easy to get there, though. First, you’ll need a permit from the Bureau of Land Management. Then, you must hike across some rugged country, in harsh conditions (temperatures here often reach 110 degrees during the summer). You’ll find scorpions, tarantulas and rattlesnakes along the way.
Barbara Ann Spengler/flickr
Sailing on the Great Salt Lake is peaceful and relaxing, and the lake is so humongous (it covers an area of 1,699 miles) that you’ll easily be able to get away from the rest of civilization.
Lance M./Yelp
To get to these gorgeous falls, you have to drive nearly six miles on a bumpy, pot-holed dirt road. You’re best off with a four-wheel-drive vehicle (and a lot of patience). Once you get there, the falls are awesome!
Brady/flickr
If you’re a big fan of baseball, but would like to avoid the huge crowds, go to a Sunday daytime game. Though the fans might be fewer, the quality of the game is the same…and a hot dog and peanuts taste every bit as good.
Todd Slagter/flickr
Try car camping along the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway on a summer weekend, and you’ll have a hard time finding a spot. However, if you’re willing to hike several miles to camp, you’ll scarcely see a soul. The Uintas are vast…you just have to do the work to escape the crowds.
Rich L./Yelp
While the hoardes go to the Megaplex to see the latest blockbuster, you can see an independent movie at the Broadway, and you won’t have to fight for a seat. The snack bar has more interesting choices, too.
Wolfgang Staudt/flickr
Nearly two million people visit Lake Powell every year, but it’s so large that if you’re willing to explore a little, you can find some places that aren’t overcrowded. The surface area of the reservoir is 161,390 acres, and you’ll find more than 90 side canyons to explore.
David_Jones/flickr
The salt flats are so vast that it’s unlikely you’ll encounter many other people there. It’s a beautiful spot for photography, and a fun place to mess around.
Jerry and Pat Donaho/flickr
Utah’s five national parks bring visitors from around the world to the Beehive State. Zion is our most popular park, with 3,571,383 in 2015. Canyonlands is the least crowded, with 624,279 that same year. While you’re still likely to encounter people at Canyonlands, it has just over 1/7th of the number of visitors.
Snowbasin Resort/Facebook
Snowbasin is located in the Ogden Valley, about an hour from Salt Lake City, but it draws much smaller crowds during the ski season than the Salt Lake area resorts. For instance, an average of 1,603,775 people visit Park City Resort during winter months, but Snowbasin pulls much lighter crowds.
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