We drove further up the road and met up with Jones. I’ve always found Jones to be an interesting man, what I would call a policy shaker of sorts, and his job, is to protect the antiquities that no longer have a voice of their own. He was raised by a National Park Ranger in places like Dinosaur National Monument, California’s Sequoia National Park, and Mount Rainier. He spent over 20 years strumming his mandolin in a bluegrass band called the Lab Dogs.

But about 100 million years ago, this part of Utah looked very different. A shallow sea covered the region, creating coastal environments where oysters thrived. Today, their fossilized shells reveal a fascinating chapter in Utah’s ancient history.

Arches National Park isn’t just a place to look at rocks, it’s a giant outdoor science classroom. Every arch, canyon, and balanced rock tells a story about erosion, weather, time, and the incredible forces that have shaped the Colorado Plateau. If you’re exploring Arches with kids, these are ten places and experiences I would put on your family adventure list.

The scent of summer, coconutty sweet sunscreen and deep-fried corn dogs fondly known as Pronto Pups, wafts through the air in the desert oasis of Veyo, a small resort town in Southern Utah. In the lush, green Crawdad Canyon, aptly named for the non-native species found in the warm waters of the Santa Clara River, temperatures are generally 10-15 degrees cooler than in nearby St. George, 17 miles to the south.

The morning sun arrives quietly in Utah’s red-rock country, slipping across canyon walls and waking the land in layers of crimson, tangerine, and soft desert pink. For early risers, this light feels like a private reward.

Locals simply call it The Gap, but this 600-foot natural break in the rock is far more than a scenic pass. It is a living calendar, a sacred gathering place, and a vast stone archive shaped by the hands and observations of the Hopi, Paiute, and other Indigenous peoples who lived, traveled, and worshipped here long before roads, fences, or town names existed.

The smell was unmistakable: rotten eggs, sulfur heavy and sticky in the air. We pulled off the narrow track, dust settling behind us like a curtain, and Dan popped the hood. Everything looked normal, yet the odor lingered. That’s when Tara pointed off to the right, where the ground cracked open like a secret waiting to be told.

Great Salt Lake Ariel Photo of Saltair Update: Great Saltair It’s remarkable, much like the lake itself, the story of Great Saltair seems to be shaped by forces bigger than any of us. Over the past ten years, since this article was originally written in 2013 for Summer of Salt: An Exploration of Great Salt Lake , the Great Saltair hasn’t been a quiet relic; it’s lived, breathed, rattled its walls with basslines, and even whispered secrets to the curious. Once you knew Saltair

Some days, depending on wind and temperature, the water reappears in shimmering puddles that reflect the sky like spilled mercury. Other days, the Jetty looks like a fossil left high and dry, its basalt boulders dusted in white, surrounded by a landscape that feels both fragile and fierce at once.

Bryce Canyon National Park is a red rock wonderland, full of magical views, unforgettable hikes, and stories waiting to be made. Lace up your boots, bring your sense of adventure, and let the canyon work its magic.

Discover Utah’s Mighty Five—Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Tips, trails, and adventures await in these iconic parks.

Minnetonka Cave has a history as fascinating as the formations inside.

And hidden just off the highway, tucked into the base of the Floating Island Mountains, lies one of Utah’s most remarkable archeological sites, Danger Cave and its neighbor, Jukebox Cave.

When she left Denmark, her father was a farmer and if you weren’t Lutheran you weren’t allowed to own land leaving very few options for work to support a family.