8 RV Road Trips That Will Get You Off the Beaten Path
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Rockies to Red Rocks: 5 Regional Adventure Tours for the Restless Traveler
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SPRINGDALE, Washington County Utah s most-visited park has a new designation.
The International Dark-Sky Association on Thursday announced that Zion National Park is its newest International Dark Sky Park. With the announcement, all five national parks in Utah now have received the status, which is given to the best parks in the world to view the night sky.
But receiving the dark sky status doesn t just mean that a park has a great view of the night sky, but work is actively being done to ensure that night sky views are preserved. Over the past 20 years, the International Dark-Sky Association awards dark sky park status to places around the globe that aim to preserve dark sky viewing and reduce light pollution. It argues that combatting light pollution has positive effects on wildlife and ecosystems.
Southern Utah has enough panoramic mountain views, striking red-rock formations, and dark-sky zones for a lifetime of adventure. But sometimes it’s better to settle in to explore one place than try to do everything in one trip. We asked a couple of adventurers who love southern Utah to share their favorite spots for going beyond the parks, and staying for a week or longer.
Beyond Bryce Canyon and Zion
For a week of exploring around Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, head to St. George, where you can camp within a short drive of hundreds of miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails. “Our national parks are stunning but I have a soft spot for the many state parks in Utah,” says Nailah Blades Wylie, a Salt Lake City–based adventure coach and founder of Color Outside, which runs adventure retreats for women of color. One of Blades Wylie’s favorites is Snow Canyon; the trails there wind through striking red rock, and streams of black lava are frozen in time against the can