Brian Head

Brian Head, Utah sits among the ski area with the highest base elevation in Utah (9,600 feet). Offering over 500 skiable acres, Brian Head features 50 runs for every level of skier accessed via eight total lifts. The resort boasts a mountain especially for beginners and children. The resort also includes three terrain parks with a half pipe, rails and more than 30 snow features. Renowned for its family friendly atmosphere, value and lack of lift lines, Brian Head offers more than just skiing. It is also home to a snow tubing park, cross-country skiing, snowmobile tours, and sleigh rides. In the summer, its lifts open to mountain bikers. There are hundreds of miles of trails in the area for mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding and ATV riding.

Cedar City

Cedar City, Utah, known as “Festival City, USA,” is host to the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival, recognized as one of the best regional theater events in the nation. The event attracts a wide following year after year from all over the state and beyond. The city also hosts other top-notch annual events, including the Utah Summer Games, the Neil Simon Festival, and the American Children’s Christmas Festival. The heart of Cedar City’s cultural scene is Southern Utah University, which hosts the Shakespearean Festival and other cultural and entertainment options, including concerts, seminars, lecture series, plays and NCAA Division I sporting events. Cedar City is also the gateway to national parks. Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park are both within an hour and a half drive. Cedar Breaks National Monument, a natural amphitheater full of colorful rock pinnacles and spires, is only 23 miles from downtown.

Duck Creek Village

Duck Creek Village, Utah is a perfect mountain retreat close to attractions such as Cedar Breaks National Monument, Brian Head Resort and Zion National Park. Situated at the edge of a meadow on Cedar Mountain among aspen, pine and fir forests and lava flows at an elevation of 8,400, Duck Creek Village makes an ideal alpine getaway no matter what time of year you come. In the winter, you can enjoy snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing at Brian Head. In the summer, put fishing, ATV rides, mountain biking and hiking on your itinerary.

Escalante

Located along scenic byway 12 approximately halfway between Bryce Canyon National Park and Capitol Reef National Park, Escalante, Utah sits among some of the most rugged, remote scenery in Utah. The slot canyons, arches and rock pinnacles of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument are only minutes away. The alpine scenery of Boulder Mountain is a short drive northeast. The town’s central location makes it an ideal base camp for exploring the surrounding scenery. It boasts a variety of recreation outfitters as well as motels and bed and breakfasts.

Kanab

Located among some of the American Southwest’s most spectacular scenery, Kanab, Utah sits near the middle of the Grand Circle, a large concentration of national parks that includes Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. Due to its location amidst red rock scenery, Kanab is a recreation haven popular especially among ATV enthusiasts since Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and hundreds of miles of trails are within close proximity. Renowned as “Little Hollywood” since it has served as the filming location for over 100 Western movies, Kanab hosts an annual Western Legends Roundup to commemorate its movie-making heritage. The event includes a film festival, a wagon train, a cattle drive parade, Dutch oven cook-offs, live entertainment, food and craft vendors, and cowboy poetry.

Las Vegas

Attracting nearly 40 million visitors every year, Las Vegas, Nevada boasts a wide variety of entertainment options, including gambling at its casino resorts and a wide variety of shows at the casinos, ranging from concerts by headline artists to cirque de soleil extravaganzas to stand up comedian performances. Las Vegas is also popular for its buffets, golf courses, fine dining, and a wide variety of retailers. In addition to its adult entertainment offerings, the city is near a wide variety of attractions the whole family can enjoy, including Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Red Rock Canyon, and Mount Charleston.

Moab

Located in southeastern Utah among red sandstone cliffs near the banks of the Colorado River, Moab sits next to two spectacular parks, Arches and Canyonlands. Many consider Moab the adventure capital of Utah. One of the most popular destinations for Moab visitors is the Slickrock Trail, one of the most famous mountain biking trails in the nation. The surrounding area is also a mecca for other recreational pursuits, including hiking in the nearby national parks, river rafting down Cataract Canyon, and four wheel driving on hundreds of miles of area trails. Every spring, the city hosts the Moab Jeep Safari, which attracts off-road enthusiasts from all over the nation.

Park City

Formerly a mining town, Park City is now Utah’s top winter resort destination, boasting three ski areas within minutes of its downtown: Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort, and The Canyons. Once a centerpiece of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Park City boasts a variety of shops, art galleries and restaurants in a charming downtown lined with many turn-of-the 20th century facades. Park City is popular in the summer for hiking, mountain biking and an alpine slide. Besides its fantastic skiing and snowboarding, Park City hosts the Sundance Film Festival, which brings Hollywood celebrities to town every January.

Panguitch Lake

Panguitch Lake is a 1,250-acre body of water surrounded by aspens, ponderosa pines, firs, and lava flows. Named for a Pauite Indian word meaning “big fish,” the lake is a popular fishing destination where anglers can try their luck at landing brook, brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout from a boat or from the shore. Near the lakeshore are two campgrounds, as well as a few lodging options and restaurants.

Provo

Located between 250-square mile Utah Lake and the towering peaks of the Wasatch Mountains, Provo is Utah’s third largest city. The city is home to Brigham Young University, operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The school is home to a student population of approximately 30,000 and is the cultural heart of Provo, boasting museums, theatrical events, conferences, seminars, NCAA Division I athletic events and other offerings. The surrounding mountains offer incredible alpine recreation, including hiking, mountain biking, and fishing. A few of the notable attractions near Provo are Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Bridal Veil Falls, and Sundance Resort, a ski area owned by famed actor Robert Redford.

Salt Lake City

Utah’s state capital, Salt Lake City boasts a metropolitan area of over one million residents. The city abounds in cultural offerings, including Ballet West, the Utah Opera, the Utah Symphony and many theatrical companies. The host of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, Salt Lake lies amidst the backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains within 45 minutes of seven top-notch ski resorts. In the summer, the nearby canyons are perfect destinations for hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. The city’s most popular tourist destination is Temple Square, home to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint’s Salt Lake Temple and Tabernacle. The scenic plaza is also home to two visitor centers and an assembly hall.

Springdale

Located adjacent to the south entrance of Zion National Park, Springdale is where most Zion visitors choose to lodge, dine and shop for souvenirs. It is home to several outfitters that offer everything from guided canyoneering excursions to jeep tours. Springdale boasts several entertainment options, including stage performances at the Bumbleberry Playhouse, large-screen format films at the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theater, and outdoor concerts at the O.C. Tanner Amphitheater. In addition, the town boasts its own shuttle system that transports visitors to the park’s south entrance, where they cross the Virgin River to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, the terminus of the shuttle into Zion Canyon, the park’s most-visited area.

St. George

Southern Utah’s largest city, St. George is a favorite getaway destination for residents of colder climates due to its favorable year-round weather. The St. George area boasts 11 scenic golf courses that boast views of red cliffs, black lava ridges, the peaks of the Pine Valley Mountains and the monoliths of Zion National Park, which lies approximately 45 miles from the city. The St. George area is also home to pioneer historic sites, an outlet shopping center, day spas, a major convention center, a natural history museum, dinosaur tracks and a unique outdoor theatrical venue, the Tuacahn Amphitheater, which hosts performances of Broadway-caliber musicals against a backdrop of red rock cliffs. Spectacular red rock scenery is only minutes from downtown at Snow Canyon State Park and Red Cliffs Recreation Area.