Must-seeWalk the river
The Narrows
No permit from the bottom, just a long wade between thousand-foot walls. The park shuts it whenever the river tops 150 cfs.
Plan your visit
Springdale, UT Colorado Plateau, Southwest Utah
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Photos: Tuxyso / CC BY-SA 3.0 · gillfoto / CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jon Zander (digon3) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Best Slot Canyons and Red Rock in the US
Antelope, Buckskin Gulch, the Narrows and Peek-a-boo with Spooky are the true slots here; the rest are the red-rock parks around them. From July into September the monsoon can flood a slot under a clear sky, so go after it's over.
15 places · United States
Must-see
Canyons & deserts
Must-seeMust-seeA City of Hoodoos
Bryce Canyon National Park
An eroding amphitheater of orange spires rather than a canyon, best at sunrise from the rim, with the Navajo Loop dropping you straight down among them.
Plan your visit
Bryce Canyon City, UT Southern Utah
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Must-seeTwo Thousand Arches
Arches National Park
A single scenic drive and short trails reach Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch. Go early or late to miss the midday crowd; one $30 pass covers the whole car.
Plan your visit
Moab, UT Southern Utah
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Must-seeThe Mittens, Up Close
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
Everything past the 17-mile dirt loop and the Wildcat Trail takes a Navajo guide. From the visitor center the Mittens sit close enough that their size finally registers.
Plan your visit
Kayenta, AZ Colorado Plateau, Navajo Nation, Northern Arizona
Learn moreMust-seeLight Through Sandstone
Antelope Canyon
Navajo guides only, and in peak season tours book out weeks ahead. Upper is a flat sand walk with midday light beams in summer; Lower drops you in on five flights of steep metal stairs.
Plan your visit
Page, AZ Colorado Plateau, Navajo Nation near Page
Learn moreMore to explore
Canyons & deserts
Canyons & deserts
Canyons & deserts
Canyons & deserts
Canyons & deserts
Canyons & deserts
Canyons & deserts
Canyons & deserts
Canyons & deserts
Canyons & desertsIf you like this one
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