10 Best Small Towns to Visit in Utah for Fun (2024)
Utah is an adventurous state, and every person who loves travelling dreams of visiting Utah at least once. It is a haven for people consumed by wanderlust, filled with natural scenery, deserts, forests, and lakes. Some of the highlights of Utah include the Bryce Canyon National Park, Salt Lake City, Park City, and so on.
People fall in love with Utah’s magnificent landscapes, lush forests, mountains, and lakes. However, there is also another thing that makes Utah wonderful: small charming towns that can take you away from all the tensions of your life and give you a real taste of comfort and fun.
10 Best Small Towns to Visit in Utah For Fun
Here, we have enlisted the top small towns to visit in Utah that will make your trip even more memorable.
1. Heber
Heber will give you the traditional vibes of the Wild West; known for its beautiful buildings and music community; it is a small town that you must visit in Utah. You can enjoy a breathtaking view of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains and also enjoy activities like swimming, skiing, biking, sightseeing, horseback riding, paddle boarding, fishing, and so on in Heber. Enjoy an adventurous ride on the hop-on & hop-off Heber Valley Historic railroad line. If you visit Heber in the month of October, then make sure to witness the popular Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Heber Valley Western Music.
2. Panguitch
Panguitch is a Pauite Indian word and means “Big Fish”. As the name suggests, Panguitch is known for beautiful lakes that offer year-round fishing as well as summer boating. Your mind will be blown away when you see beautifully carved buildings and roads of Panguitch. The National Register of Historic Places has featured most of Panguitch’s main road.
The rivers and lakes in the town are great for fishing, and you can find plenty of rainbow trout there throughout the year. Tourists also enjoy hiking, biking, sailing, fishing, and riding in the town.
This small town of Utah is also filled with interesting art galleries, craft stalls, and antique shops for shopping. The summer season for sure is the best time to visit Panguitch as this is when many festivals are celebrated there, including the Annual Quilt Walk Festival and Panguitch Valley Balloon Rally.
3. Midway
Midway is a small town located near the Wasatch State Park and is a peaceful town in Utah. You can visit Homestead Crater- a 40 ft deep natural geothermal pool and go for a scuba dive or a snorkel there. Midway is awesome to visit during the winter season as it offers plenty of options for snowshoeing, tubing, and snowmobiling.
All in all, Midway is a great place to visit, and you must add this town to your bucket list.
4. Mt. Pleasant
When the town’s name is itself, Mt. Pleasant, isn’t it obvious that the town will be worth visiting? Mt. Pleasant is a small town in Utah, but you will surely enjoy a plethora of activities there. If you want to enjoy solitude and bid farewell to all your worries, then this is the place to visit.
Most of the buildings in Mt. Pleasant have historical significance and are even listed on the National Historic Register. The town’s main highlight is the LDS Tabernacle, owing to its magnificent architecture.
Another place to visit in Mt. Pleasant is the Fairview Museum of History and Art, as it showcases many interesting stories about the town’s past. It is a fantastic place to relax and have fun in Utah.
5. Torrey
Torrey is one of the best small towns to visit in Utah. It is a tiny town with less than 200 residents. Torrey is a fun small town to visit, especially during the summer season, as visitors can enjoy laid-back lodging with good food in the town. Also, you can explore Thousand Lake Mountain and enjoy hiking, fishing, and kayaking. It is a quiet and wholesome town, and people are very friendly to the tourists. One of the main reasons people visit Torrey is attending the Cowboy Music and Poetry Festival.
6. Kanab
Kanab is famously known as “Little Hollywood” because of the fact that many movies and television shows have been filmed in this town.
Kanab is also famous for hiking, camping, ATV riding, rafting, horse riding, and canyoning activities. Make sure to visit the Buckskin Gulch is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the United States of America. There are also many other famous landscapes in Kanab, such as Wire Pass, Coyote Buttes, and so on.
You will also enjoy magnificent coral-pink sand dunes in Kanab. Do not forget to take pictures of the surreal sand dunes and enjoy great food in Kanab.
7. Moab
Moab is a beautiful town, thanks to its beautiful scenery, and that is why it is on our list of the best small towns to visit in Utah. Many films such as Star Trek and John Carter have been shot here, showing the surreal landscape of the town.
The town boasts of beautiful red sandstone arch, Delicate Arch, and so on. You must also visit the Fisher Towers that looks incredible, especially at sunset, and the Canyonlands National park to see the panoramic view of the scenery. It is a small town wherein you can visit two national parks, and that too within the borders of the state.
Dead Horse Point State Park, as well as the La Sal Mountains, are also near Moab, making it an ideal small town to visit. So, do visit Moab to enjoy beautiful landscapes and activities like biking, hiking, canyoneering, hot air balloon tours, and rafting.
8. Filmore
Filmore was the first-ever capital of Utah. The oldest government property in Utah, i.e. the original Statehouse, has now been turned into a beautiful museum. Known for its history and architecture, Filmore is one of Utah’s best small towns to visit. You can drive along the I-15 freeway and explore the magnificent town. You can also enjoy other activities such as trout fishing, ATV riding, and so on in Filmore. If you visit Filmore in the month of June, do not forget to attend the annual festival that is dedicated to ATV riding.
9. Garden City
Garden City is known for the 18-mile long Bear Lake State Park as it offers many water sport activities such as wakeboarding, jet skiing, and so on. Garden City is on the shores of Bear Lake and is covered with beautiful mountains.
Raspberries are quite famous in this town, so make it a plan to visit Garden City in August to celebrate Raspberry Days Festival and taste the best raspberries in the West.
10. Morgan
Last but definitely not least, Morgan is another fantastic small town in Utah that is worth visiting. If you are in love with thrill and adventure, then visiting this town must be on your bucket list because Morgan is known for outdoor sports. You can enjoy boating, biking, camping, golfing, wagon riding, snow skiing, ATV riding, and so many other activities in Morgan. If you don’t want to spend much of your time under the sun, then you can enjoy ten-pin bowling, dining, and shopping in this small town.
All of these towns are incredibly beautiful and fun places to visit. Cherish each and every moment of yours when you visit these small towns.
