8 Utah Towns That Rival Europe's Best
Utah, nicknamed the Beehive State, is an exciting destination in the Western United States, with unique experiences to offer. Covering an area of over 84,800 square miles, this state is known for its stunning desert and mountain landscapes, peppered with spectacular geological formations, and waterbodies like the Colorado River and the Great Salt Lake. These features and more are among the reasons Utah's small towns put up a strong contention with some of the best destinations in Europe. Although not as historically rich or green as many places in Europe, these towns in Utah are unique in their own ways, and have several cards up their sleeves to counter the best offerings of the world’s second-smallest continent by size. From a town with some of the country’s top winter attractions to one with a variety of dinosaur attractions, check out these towns in Utah that rival the best destinations in Europe.
Moab
Moab, Utah’s most adventurous town, rivals the best mountain destinations in Europe with its otherworldly scenery characterized by red rock formations. A true paradise for adventures, this town is where to find Arches National Park, one of the most visited attractions in the US, featuring over 2,000 sandstone arches, the largest assemblage in the world. This park alone makes Moab a worthy alternative to Europe’s best mountain destinations, as the park has a plethora of trails offering access to the unique landscape, including the Balanced Rock Trail, which leads to a formation that looks precariously balanced. Moab also lies near more incredible attractions, such as Canyonlands National Park, a massive landscape where one can hike, bike, and backpack amidst stunning canyons carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries.
Outside the parks, Moab has attractions like Hell's Revenge 4x4 Trail to delight thrillseekers. This trail offers the ultimate driving adventure, as it stretches 6.5 miles through a treacherous off-road with steep ascents and exhilarating descents. In addition to all the thrilling adventures. Moab also has a couple of attractions to delight history buffs, one of which is the Moab Giants, where one can hike with sights of life-sized dinosaurs and fossilized dinosaur footprints. Elsewhere, the Moab Museum is a great place to delve into the natural and cultural history of the town and the greater Canyonlands region.
Kanab
Kanab is a small, charming town that can be the perfect alternative to top adventure hubs in Europe, like Chamonix, France. While Kanab might not be towered over by giants like Mount Blanc, it is unique in its own right, from its location on the Colorado Plateau, where it is surrounded by spectacular rock formations and mountains. In Kanab, travelers will find interesting attractions like the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, a 3,730-acre area featuring red sandstone cliffs and pink-hued sand dunes that set the stage for memorable adventures, including sandboarding, off-road vehicle riding, and hiking. Hikers in Kanab, particularly, will have a field day, as several trails are nearby, one of which is the Wire Pass Trail. This trail offers a three-mile out-and-back adventure to Bucksin Gulch, one of Utah’s most beautiful slot canyons. Peek-a-Boo Slot Canyon is another cool trail near Kanab, offering a shorter 0.7-mile hike with awe-inspiring canyon scenery.
Notably, Kanab is a hub of history and entertainment, and is even nicknamed “Little Hollywood” for being the filming location of many movies. A visit to this town is an opportunity to learn about Hollywood, the Wild West, and other topics, such as the Civil War, at the Once Upon a Time in America Museum. For wildlife lovers, the town is home to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, one of the largest sanctuaries in the US, containing over 1,500 dogs, cats, horses, and bunnies, among other animals.
Park City
Park City is a gorgeous mountain town, best known for being a winter hot spot that puts up a strong challenge with winter wonderlands in Europe, such as Salzburg, Austria. Located in the Wasatch Mountains, this town is home to the two top ski resorts in Utah - Deer Valley Resort and Park City Mountain Resort, alongside other fun attractions promising unforgettable winter experiences. Notably, Park City Mountain Resort is the largest ski resort in the US, with 7,300 acres of skiable terrain, over 40 lifts, hundreds of trails, the state’s longest alpine coaster, and amazing lodging and dining options. Park City also hosts the Utah Olympic Park, a 400-acre venue created for the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Today, it is a training ground for athletes as well as a recreation center with ski jumps, a bobsled track, ziplines, an alpine slide, and chairlifts, among other fun facilities.
Besides its winter allure, Park City is a year-round destination and has a historic main street featuring impressive Victorian architecture, and attractions such as Park City Museum, where one can learn about the area’s mining and ski history. The town is also a haven for hikers and mountain bikers, and is even the start of the Union Pacific Rail Trail, which stretches 28 miles through scenic mountain terrain to the town of Echo.
Garden City
Nicknamed the Caribbean of the Rockies, Garden City is an incredible town that will give European coastal destinations like Hvar, Croatia, a run for its money. Although not on a major waterbody like the Adriatic Sea, this town sits right on Bear Lake, Utah’s second-largest natural freshwater lake, which also has a beautiful turquoise-blue color, and is a haven for recreation. Travelers are welcome to enjoy the pleasures of this town at the Bear Lake State Park, which sits right on the lake and sets the stage for swimming, jet skiing, boating, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and fishing. In addition, the park has well-equipped campgrounds and is near a couple of exciting trails, including the 1.5-mile Limber Pine Trail, which offers sweeping views of the lake and leads through lush woodlands where a 560-year-old tree can be seen.
Besides Bear Lake, Garden City has the Pickleville Playhouse Theatre, where live shows can be enjoyed year-round. The town is also around 20 minutes from the Beaver Mountain Ski Area, one of the coolest places to spend the winter in Utah. The resort receives more than 400 inches of snow and has over 800 skiable acres, 48 runs, and several lifts.
Cedar City
Interlaken, Switzerland, is one of Europe’s most exciting towns, but Cedar City is a worthy alternative right in the Beehive State, albeit without an emerald-colored lake. Instead, this town is drenched in mountain and desert glory from its location in Cedar Valley. Even more appealing, Cedar City is a hub of recreation, art, history, and entertainment. For starters, it hosts the Southern Utah Museum of Art, a renowned establishment on Southern Utah University featuring artworks of regional and national artists. Next, Cedar City plays host to the annual Utah Shakespeare Festival, held during the summer and fall at the aforementioned university. One of the largest events of its kind in the US, with over 100,000 visitors, this festival presents a variety of plays and performances based mostly on the works of William Shakespeare. On the side of history, the Frontier Homestead State Park in town is a unique place to step back in time to the period when Mormon pioneers attempted to create an iron industry in the area. Interesting things to see in the park include horse-drawn vehicles used between 1850 and 1920, old cabins, and farm equipment, among others.
As for outdoor buffs, Cedar City is the gateway to Dixie National Forest, Utah’s largest national forest, where one can lose track of time hiking, biking, or driving through spectacularly-colored cliffs, ponderosa pines, bristlecone pines, and aspen trees. The national forest also has several lakes, ideal for fishing, swimming, and boating, like the Navajo Lake, which is further surrounded by well-equipped campsites and hiking trails, including the 11-mile Navajo Lake Trail Loop that skirts around the shores. Additionally, Cedar City is near Cedar Breaks National Monument, often considered a quieter alternative to Bryce Canyon. This national monument is made up of stone spires, arches, canyons, and other stunning formations, with trails offering access to the natural wonders. The Spectra Point Trail, one of the area’s top trails, is one mile point to point and provides impressive views of the formations, while winding through flowers and a grove of bristlecone pines, one of the world’s oldest tree species.
Clearfield
Clearfield is one of Utah’s charming towns that puts some of Europe’s top destinations in check from its location near the Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. From this town, travelers will be around 30 minutes from Antelope Island State Park, the most popular attraction on the lake, offering boating and kayaking opportunities, as well as camping, hiking, and biking activities. Notably, the 7-mile out-and-back Frary Peak Trail in the park is one of the toughest hikes in Utah, leading to the island’s highest point, where outstanding views of the Great Salt Lake and wildlife such as the American bison, coyotes, deer, bobcats, and lots of birds can be seen. Furthermore, Clearfield is less than 15 minutes from Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve, where one can enjoy a peaceful hike through wetlands and see a large population of migratory birds, some of which include snowy plover and American avocet. Back in Clearfield, travelers have plenty of things to enjoy, including several parks such as Island View Park and Fox Hollow Park, both featuring picnic areas, beautiful fields, playgrounds, sports facilities, and short trails for walking and jogging.
Vernal
Vernal is a small town that punches more than its weight, enough to rival Europe’s best natural history and dinosaur destinations, like Lourinha, Portugal. Also known as Dinosaurland, this town is renowned for its concentration of dinosaur fossils, best seen in the nearby Dinosaur National Monument. Over 150 million years ago, more than 1,500 fossilized dinosaur bones were deposited in the area by an ancient stream, and can still be seen today at a place known as the Dinosaur Quarry. Dinosaur National Monument also has several trails, like the Desert Voices Trail, which offers a 1.7-mile adventure through the area’s interesting geology and ecology. Elsewhere in Vernal, the McConkie Ranch will delight geology and archaeology enthusiasts with its stunning rock formations full of petroglyphs created by the Fremont culture that inhabited the area from 1 to 1300 CE.
Meanwhile, Vernal hosts the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum, one of the coolest museums in Utah, featuring an extensive collection of dinosaur bones, full-size dinosaur replicas, Fremont Indian artifacts, and other exhibits spanning over 600 million years of history. As if those are not enough, Vernal is home to the Red Fleet State Park, where one can boat and fish on a 750-acre reservoir, picnic, or hike to dinosaur tracks dating back nearly 200 million years.
Springville
Springville can be likened to top European towns like Chamonix, France, which are overlooked by towering mountains, with the Utah town sitting at the foot of the Wasatch Mountain Range. However, Springville further appeals with its bustling art scene, and the site of Springville Museum of Arts, Utah’s oldest museum of visual arts. Travelers will love this museum as it hosts thousands of artworks from the US, Utah, and the Soviet Union. Concerts and special events are also held in the museum year-round, plus admission is free.
Away from its art appeal, Springville has plenty of outdoor attractions to offer, one of which is Wayne Bartholomew Family Park. This park sits on a beautiful pond and has a sandy beach, fishing docks, green fields, and picnic pavilions. Additionally, Springville is around two miles from Utah Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the state, where a host of activities, including paddleboarding and fishing, can be enjoyed. From this town, it is also easy to explore some of Utah’s top attractions like the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium, which is just 33 miles away in Draper, and hosts more than 4,000 animals representing over 500 species from around the world.
Utah is a great alternative to Europe, and these small towns are great reasons for that. From Clearfield to Garden City, these towns are beautiful in their own ways and full of things to see and do. With a place like Park City, one does not have to look for the perfect winter vacation in Europe, as the town hosts some of the world’s top winter attractions. And while many of Europe’s best destinations boast gorgeous lakes and seas, some of Utah’s towns, like Garden City, also sit on notable waterbodies, proving one can enjoy unforgettable water-based adventures even in a desert and mountain destination.
