Utah Road Trip Itinerary: 3 Days of Hidden Gems
BY JARED DILLINGHAM
The Beehive State is high on my list of “under-rated states” for so many reasons. Each visit has been such an amazing adventure, and this Utah road trip is the latest!
We found a series of lesser-known “hidden gems” in south-central Utah, which were stunning to explore, beautiful to photograph, and …. UNCROWDED! In fact, at several of the spots on our Utah road trip itinerary, we were the only ones there.
With that said, we’re not going to Zion or St. George or Kanab or Arches or Moab or Glen Canyon on this trip (though you can certainly add them to your itinerary, since they’re all in Southern Utah.
Instead, we’ll be hitting a diverse series of landscapes, which you really can’t find anywhere else!
Car rentals are relatively cheap and easy from Salt Lake City, so we’ll start and end our drive in SLC.
You can see the map of our Utah road trip itinerary loop down below. It’s more than 500 miles on the road, over the course of three days.
Utah Road Trip Day 1: Salt Lake City to Goblin Valley State Park
We left Salt Lake City in the morning, and drove the 220 miles (about 3 hours 30 minutes) to Goblin Valley. It took a bit longer since we stopped off the highway, south of Provo, to buy food and supplies.
What You’ll find in Goblin Valley
Goblin Valley State Park is remote, but worth the drive for its unique collection of odd-shaped (almost mushroom-like) sandstone rock formations. They’re known as hoodoos, or goblins.
The park itself isn’t large, and the only road is less than two miles long. It leads to one large parking area, overlooking a valley full of hoodoos.
It’s easy to walk down and explore. There are no real trails, and the only rule is: you’re not supposed to climb on the hoodoos.
I’d recommend a hike to the cavernous Goblin’s Lair. Find the start of the Carmel Canyon Trail (behind the smaller bathroom in the parking lot) and follow the stakes through the rocks to the cave.
Bring a lot of water with you on your hike! The heat can be scorching in the summer, and Goblin Valley has no concessions, water fountains, or vending machines.
Goblin Valley to Hanksville
From Goblin Valley, you’ll drive 32 miles (just over half an hour) south to Hanksville, Utah.
It’s a small town, known for its dinosaur fossils, and I’d suggest staying here for night one.
BUT! The day isn’t over just yet.
Hanksville to Bentonite Hills (Rainbow Hills)
We’re pushing on to shoot Bentonite Hills before sunset. These are the mountains made “Insta-famous” for their rings of rainbow colors.
Ideally, you’ll be traveling during the summer, so the extra sunlight can extend your days. The sun will set at 8:00pm or later for much of the summer.
I’d suggest arriving at Bentonite an hour or two before sunset to scout out the right location for photos.
No matter what time of year, as long as Bentonite isn’t covered in snow, the sunset will beautifully illuminate the rainbow rings in the clay.
The GPS location for Bentonite Hills is: 38.412254120909765, -110.78372334805105
Drones are allowed, and provide amazing views:
MARS Desert Research Station
For easy directions to Bentonite Hills, on Google Maps, you can search for MARS Desert Research Station. The environment here is said to be close to that of Mars. The government leases land here for various Mars simulations.
You’ll drive right by the MARS Desert Research Station on your way to Bentonite Hills. It’s a quick trip down the dirt road.
You’ll turn off Highway 24 onto Cow Dung Road. Don’t look for a sign – it’s not marked. (Unfortunate, since that would be a great memento from the road trip!)
Again, I’d suggest arriving at Bentonite well before sunset, so you can plan your photography for “blue hour,” which is when the light really brings out the rich colors in the mountains.
During daylight hours, Bentonite looks mostly reddish-orange. The purples and blues reveal themselves around sunset, especially from above with a drone.
Despite Bentonite Hills’ new(ish) social media fame, it’s likely you’ll very few (if any) other people on your visit.
Tread lightly on the hills. You’ll notice a crunchy topsoil, which is formed over the course of wet/dry cycles.
You should be able to walk in wash areas, and on already-worn trails. People in Hanksville told us they’ve seen visitors slide down the striped hills, ruining their natural beauty, but we didn’t see any evidence (thankfully) on our visit.
Spend the night in Hanksville
Speaking of Hanksville, I’d recommend a stay at the Whispering Sands. It’s a clean, convenient hotel.
I’d recommend Duke’s Slickrock Grill, for both the great hamburgers and friendly staff who are full of advice on visiting the sites in the area.
It’s open late, too, so you’ll still have time to eat after your sunset photos at Bentonite.
Utah Road Trip Day 2: Hanksville to Capitol Reef
Our Utah road trip itinerary continues with a VERY early morning.
Trust me: you need to get up early for this one.
Before Sunrise: Moonscape Overlook
You should aim to be at Moonscape Overlook well before sunrise. The colors and shadows are amazing for the pre-sunrise glow hour. As soon as the sun starts to peak above the landscape in the distance, it changes the experience.
GPS location for Moonscape Overlook: 38.45197598410084, -110.83801979553097
It’s a short drive from Hanksville. You might see a few other people in the parking lot, and some people opt to camp in the area. We saw two other vehicles on our visit.
Moonscape Overlook is another site in this part of Utah where you’ll truly feel like you’re on a different planet.
Factory Butte
Nearby (and in my opinion, not as impressive) you’ll find Factory Butte, a large stand-alone sandstone mountain, surrounded by an area popular for off-roading.
GPS for Factory Butte: 38.43699155490701, -110.91327605314584
Since you got up before dawn, you’ll still have plenty of daylight left to continue on your road trip.
Capitol Reef National Park
We drove on to Capitol Reef National Park, which is only a half-hour drive west, down Highway 24 toward Torrey, Utah.
The afternoon was dedicated to Capitol Reef. Again, you could camp here and spend days exploring the national park, but we were on a tight road trip schedule!
Capitol Reef is the only national park without an entrance fee, because the highway runs right through the park. If you’d like to go deeper into the park, you’ll have to pay a fee for that.
Be aware: there’s no cell service at all here! You might be able to connect to the weak WiFi at the visitor center (GPS: 38.2914220760231, -111.26203857308657 )
If you were disappointed to have missed Arches National Park, Capitol Reef has its own arch, just east of the visitor center. Park in the lot for Hickman Natural Bridge, and hike in!
It’s hot in the summer, so bring plenty of water!
Capitol Reef is also full of history, including remnants of its roots with Mormon settlers. You’ll see old homes and a lot of old fruit trees, which they still use for pies and other products today.
By the time you’re done with Capitol Reef, you’ll need a rest! I’d stay in Torrey on night two of the Utah road trip.
May I suggest The Wild Rabbit Cafe for breakfast? Five stars!
Utah Road Trip Day 3: Capitol Reef to Salt Lake City
From Torrey, it’s a 3-hour, 30-minute drive up to Salt Lake City.
You’ll pass other interesting things to stop and check out along the way, so the 200+ mile return drive will likely take longer to cover.
Wildflower Hike
It’s summer, so we’re veering east off the interstate in Salt Lake City toward Alta Ski Area.
The resorts along the canyons always have something going on, and when we were there in July it was primetime for wildflowers!
Aim for Catherine Pass Trail and the Albion Meadows Trail. You’ll have to pay a $10 fee to enter the property.
If the flowers are in bloom, you’ll spot sunflowers, lupine, Indian paintbrush, fireweed, and more! If it’s not wildflower season, you’ll still enjoy a beautiful hike through lush, green hillsides to end your road trip.
Spend the Night in SLC
In Salt Lake City, we stayed in the new Evo Hotel. Evo renovated an old warehouse, leaving the historic beams and bricks alone, and incorporating them into the design.
It’s a beautiful place, with a rooftop bar, and the biggest hotel gym I’ve ever seen.
Add-Ons to the Utah Road Trip Itinerary
Moab is about 110 miles from Hanksville, which would add almost another two hours (each way) to our road trip. If you have more extra days, it’s definitely worth the time!
It’s a base for both Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park.
If this is more of a spur-of-the-moment road trip, make sure you’ll be able to get into Arches. They started a permit and reservation process, which grants a timed entry to cut down on traffic congestion.
Canyonlands is the largest National Park in Utah, but Arches and Zion seem to get all the glory. It’s definitely worth a visit, if time permits!
Canyonlands is a 120-mile drive from Hanksville, so it’ll take you roughly two hours to get there from that point of our road trip.
On the return drive to Salt Lake City, I wish we had time to check out Red Hill Hot Springs near Monroe, or Meadow Hot Spring near Fillmore.
They’re in my next Utah road trip itinerary!
