Memorial Day: Utah's scenic spots will be busy during holiday weekend

One such tour is the 46-mile Cottonwood Canyon dirt road from Cannonville to U.S. Highway 89, which links Lake Powell and Kanab. Notable points of interest include Kodachrome Basin State Park, Grosvenor Arch and the Cockscomb, one of the park's most startling geologic features. Ten miles west of the junction with 89 is the Paria Road, which leads to an old movie set and to the abandoned town of Pahreah.

There are also two slot canyons in the area that are not on the map — Round Valley and Bull Valley. The easiest one to reach is Bull Valley.

Capitol Reef gets less traffic than some of the other parks, mainly because of access. Some of the more intriguing sights are off the main highway that runs through its midsection.

Some hidden sights away from the highway include Glass Mountain, Temple of the Moon, Temple of the Sun and Cathedral Mountain, all located toward the northernmost tip of the park. To view these sights, however, requires travelers to leave the paved highway and take to a dirt road.

Cedar Breaks lacks the size of Bryce, but not the full range of colors or features. There are no camping sites within the park, but there are outside the boundaries.

To the north there's Brian Head Ski Resort, with all its amenities, to the east is Panguitch Lake and the town of Panguitch, and to the southeast is Duck Creek village.

Others listed among Utah's most visited are Dinosaur National Monument, This Is the Place Heritage Park, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Antelope Island, Utah Lake, Willard Bay and Jordanelle Reservoir.

All, of course, are Utah's true natural treasures.

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