Utah's Most Scenic Overlooks and Viewpoints

Utah's overlooks are world-class — the canyon country geology produces views of geological complexity and beauty found nowhere else on Earth.

Dead Horse Point State Park
A 2,000-foot mesa above a dramatic gooseneck bend of the Colorado River — the river winds through a 6-mile loop and returns to within 1,000 feet of where it started. The canyon below the point is 2,000 feet deep; the La Sal Mountains provide the backdrop. Named for the legend of mustangs corralled on the mesa who died of thirst within sight of the river below. One of the most photographed overlooks in the American Southwest.

Mesa Arch (Canyonlands: Island in the Sky)
A short 0.5-mile trail to a pothole arch on the rim of the Island in the Sky mesa — the arch frames a view of the Washer Woman and Monster Tower mesas, the White Rim, and the Colorado River canyon 1,000 feet below. Sunrise photography here is a competitive pursuit; photographers arrive before dawn to capture the canyon glow through the arch.

Bryce Canyon: Sunrise and Sunset Points
The most dramatic hoodoo formations in Bryce Canyon visible from the rim — Silent City, the Silent City, and the Amphitheater section. Sunrise from Bryce Point looking north into the main amphitheater, with the hoodoos glowing orange, is one of the finest natural spectacles in the US.

Canyonlands: Grand View Point
At the southern tip of Island in the Sky, Grand View Point looks across a 100-mile view of the White Rim, the Colorado and Green River canyons, and the distant La Sal, Abajo, and Henry mountains. The full canyon country panorama — horizontal layers of sandstone, limestone, and shale — is extraordinary.

Angels Landing Summit (Zion)
Standing on the narrow summit spine of Angels Landing with 1,488-foot drops on both sides and the entire Zion Canyon visible below — this is one of the most thrilling viewpoints in any US national park. The view up canyon to the Narrows and down to the Zion Lodge is superb.