With five national parks, more than two dozen national landmarks, and award-winning skiing, Utah is one of the most beloved states in America for fans of outdoor adventures. But it pays to consider the climate, as winters can be chilly and temperatures soar in summer.
Utah has four distinct seasons, each with advantages and disadvantages for travelers. What you do on a trip to Utah will definitely vary depending on the timing of your visit, and how you choose to get around. Whether you come for hiking, off-roading, skiing, city exploring, or just admiring the scenery, here are our tips for choosing the best time to visit.
June to August is the best time for getting wet and high-altitude hiking
Utah gets busy from June to August thanks to the summer vacation period and the abundance of things to see and do in the state. While the days are hot – often exceeding 100°F in July – nights are cooler and it can be chilly after dark at altitude. In July and August, national parks are inundated with both international and local visitors on holiday and thrill-seekers flock to Moab for outdoor adventures on foot, on two or four wheels, or out on the water.
Summers are the ideal time to get wet in the Beehive State. In addition to Lake Powell, one of America’s most fun-filled recreation areas, Utah is home to dozens of lakes, rivers and reservoirs that are ideal for boating, swimming and fishing – Flaming Gorge in the far northeast of the state is a local favorite. July is a good time to hit canyoneering hotspots such as Zion National Park.
The state is also home to the cool highlands of High Uinta Wilderness, one of the state’s best-kept secrets and a great place to beat the summer heat. This is also the best time to enjoy two of Utah’s greatest hikes – the trail through The Narrows gorge at Zion National Park and Lower Calf Creek Falls trail at Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument. To avoid hot, crowded trails and get better pictures, time your hikes for the early morning or late afternoon.
June sees the start of the fruit harvest season at Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, and the Utah Arts Festival and Utah Pride come to Salt Lake City. In August, you can watch speed demons set land speed records on the otherworldly landscape of the Bonneville Salt Flats as part of the Southern California Timing Association’s annual Speedweek.
The spring shoulder season in March to May is perfect for hiking
Although it’s not as toasty as some other desert states, Utah can get dangerously hot in the middle of summer, especially in the southern half of the state. Because of this, a lot of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts make for national parks such as Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion in the cooler shoulder season.
If you’re looking to hike the very best trails, spring is the time to go, with milder temperatures than at the summer peak. However, don’t be surprised to see crowds of other well-informed hikers at this time. Waterfalls are also more impressive at this time of year and hotels and rental cars are more affordable when compared to summer.
Snow usually begins to melt in the valleys by March and hikers start in the south and work their way north as the weather warms. Cyclists gather in Moab for the Skinny Tire Festival in March while wildflowers erupt across the state in April and off-roaders flock to the Red Rock 4-Wheelers’ Easter Jeep Safari. May sees birders congregate in Davis County for the Great Salt Lake Birding Festival.
The fall low season from September to November is best for budget travelers
All things considered, this is the best time to visit if you’re watching costs – prices and crowds are at their lowest, and you’ll avoid extremes of temperature, though you won’t see the beautiful meltwater runoff that swells rivers and streams in spring, and temperatures will likely be too cold to enjoy the water.
But if you want to enjoy what the state has to offer and can only visit during one season, make it this one. Among other perks, hotel rates fall to 40% of peak season prices, and you’ll see some beautiful fall foliage at higher elevations as trees start to hunker down for winter. If you go hiking, you’ll find it’s mild enough to walk in short sleeves during the middle of the day (although you’ll need a warm jacket at night).
In September, you can catch the peach harvest and the Utah State Fair in Salt Lake City. By October, the fall foliage is in full swing along the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, and you can stop off for a cavern tour of the Timpanogos Cave National Monument, but only until the middle of the month.
In Northern Utah, ski season runs from December to February
Every year, the mountains of Northern Utah get an average of 500 inches of the driest, fluffiest snow you can imagine. This is why the US Ski Team trains here, and the state boasts more than a dozen top-ranked ski resorts that welcome skiers and snowboarders from all over the world. The list includes Park City, the largest ski resort in North America.
Although prices for snow sports are at their highest in winter, and resorts can get crowded, skiing in Utah is undeniably worth it. Skiing in some states can require a half-day drive to reach the slopes (and often higher prices for inferior snow), but half a dozen resorts can be reached from Salt Lake City airport in under an hour. For the best powder, wait till temperatures hit the optimum level for snow crystal formation in January or early February.
In December, Utah is lit up by millions of Christmas lights and The Tabernacle Choir performs in Salt Lake’s Temple Square – a major event in one of the most religious states in the country. This is also the season for the Dickens Festival in Southern Utah in December, and the legendary Sundance Film Festival, held in Park City in January. Winter also sees the creation of the popular Ice Castles – a fantasy landscape of illuminated, sculpted ice that is carefully crafted every year in Midway.
