5 Most Photogenic Places in Utah (2024)

Utah is home to some of the most beautiful and photogenic places in the United States. This is where photographers come to when they want to capture some of the most scintillating images of the American Southwest. Dramatic canyons, majestic rock spires, beautiful sand dunes, mesmerizing lakes and rivers, and the unique landscape of this state create wonderful and spectacular scenery that gives you some of the most stunning photographs. In fact, the national and state parks of Utah provide for some of the most photogenic locations in the state.

When you are exploring Utah to take photographs, the best idea is to try to take pictures in the morning or later in the day to get the best quality of light here. If you want to explore the parks here to capture the stunning landscape, you should ideally buy a park pass, have a pair of hiking boots handy, and clear your mind to absorb in the captivating scenery you are going to see in Utah.

5 Most Photogenic Places in Utah

Here are some of the most photogenic places in Utah that you must capture with your camera:

1. Zion National Park

The Zion National Park is the first place to visit to catch sight of the stunning scenery of Utah’s natural landscape and one of the most photogenic places in the entire Southwest US.

What’s more, it is barely a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so you can complete a shooting session in Las Vegas before heading over to this stunning national park. The Zion National Park is known for its beautiful red rock cliffs, mesmerizing waterfalls, and stunning vistas all around. You will find many of the most impressive sites sitting in the Zion Canyon, located along the Zion Canyon scenic drive, a route that follows the valley floor. There is a sightseeing bus that takes visitors through the park on this route and stops at all the major attractions and trailheads. But, this bus only runs from spring to fall. If you are visiting the park during this time, taking this tour bus is the easiest way to see the park. In the winter, visitors are allowed to drive this route in their own vehicles.

Owing to the sheer vertical walls of the Zion National Park, this park is sometimes also called a vertical park. The Zion National Park is also a hiker’s paradise as there are many popular trails that take you through the park. The most popular routes can be accessed off the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. You can find simple walking trails along the valley floor to trails that take you through the cliff-side, for example, the famous Angel’s Landing trail. Remember, though, these trails are not for those who have a fear of heights. Getting some early morning shots and late evening shots will give you some of the best views of this dramatic landscape.

2. Monument Valley

Any nature photographer who knows their way around the US will know the importance of Monument Valley in Utah. In fact, if you are coming here for the first time, you will be forgiven if you assume that this is a scene from an old western film or a Martian landscape.

With its bright red rock, buttes rising up from the orange desert floor and a few riders wandering by on their horse, the Monument Valley, or Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, is one of the most scenic areas in Utah. Several films and commercials have been shot on this beautiful site, famously known throughout the US for its stunning red mesas and stone pinnacles. So you can well imagine the wonderful time you are going to have at this photogenic location.

If you want to explore the park better, there is a one-way 17-mile self-drive dirt road you can take that runs between the buttes and takes you through this spectacular and dramatic landscape. A trip to this spot will be well worth the effort you put in for the amazing photographs you will get.

3. Arches National Park

The Arches National Park has the highest concentration of natural arches in the world, having more than 2,000 sandstone arches. Imagine capturing these beautiful natural arches through the lens of your camera. Photographers from all over the country flock to this beautiful location to get some award winning shots.

The freestanding horse-shoe-shaped Delicate Arch is one of the most famous sandstone arches in the park, sitting majestically on a cliff wall in front of a spectacularly shaped sandstone bowl.

The arches here are nothing short of awe-inspiring, as you see them in a wide range of shapes and sizes, each seeming to have a character of its own. The Arches National Park is situated high above the surrounding Utah desert and the nearby town of Moab. The park is also home to spires, giant stone fins, Slickrock, sand dunes, and many beautiful views as you stare out to the distant La Sal Mountains. Hiking trails and many short walks will lead you to many fantastic photogenic sites where you can spend hours taking pictures from different angles.

4. Bear Lake

Sitting on the Utah-Idaho border, the mesmerizing Bear Lake is the second-largest natural freshwater lake in the state. The rich turquoise blue water of this lake has earned it the famed nickname of the Caribbean of the Rockies. You will feel awed to look at the natural beauty of this area. Surrounded by lush green wooded forests and majestically standing mountains all around, there is a certain sense of peace and tranquility here that lends a mysterious and enigmatic touch to the spot. This is a popular summer tourist destination, so if you want to photograph this lake and its stunning surroundings in peace, choose an off-season time to come here.

5. Bryce Canyon National Park

As mentioned above, the national and state parks of Utah are some of the most photogenic places in the state. When you first lay eyes on the Bryce Canyon National Park, you will feel like you have been transported to some fantasy world with towering stone spires and many balanced rock formations that are called hoodoos. These hoodoos cover the landscape in shades of gold, orange, pink, and cream. From the lookouts located high above the canyon rim, you get to peek out over this stunning collection of hoodoos into a surreal landscape. This photogenic site is so popular with photographers that you will always find someone or the other setting up camp to photograph various locations at the park at both day and nighttime.

If you want to get the most stunning views, then head to the Sunrise and Sunset Points, located along the Rim Trail. You won’t be disappointed to see the majestic views from here. If you want to get a different perspective on these fabulous sights, consider taking a walk along one of the hiking trails that snake through the canyon and explore around the bases of these gigantic spires and oddly-shaped rock formations. The park is located at an elevation of 8,000 to 90,000 feet, and it is home to many ancient bristlecone pines. This is one of the lesser common sights you will get to see in Utah.