If you can’t make it to the Grand Canyon or you’re just seek­ing a less-crowd­ed park with sim­i­lar geo­log­i­cal fea­tures, con­sid­er Canyon­lands Nation­al Park in south­east­ern Utah. The Col­orado and Green rivers cut through the park and act as nat­ur­al dividers between three des­ig­nat­ed sec­tions: Island in the Sky, the Nee­dles and the Maze.
Island in the Sky is the most pop­u­lar among vis­i­tors as it con­tains diverse hik­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties as well as a scenic dri­ving route with ample pull-out spaces and pic­nic areas. Some of the best stops include Mesa Arch and Aztec Butte, accord­ing to vis­i­tors. (If you have time, sched­ule a stop at Dead Horse Point State Park, which is locat­ed near the entrance to Island in the Sky, to wit­ness a spec­tac­u­lar sun­set over the canyon.)
For a more off-the-grid expe­ri­ence, head to the park’s Nee­dles sec­tion via Route 211, which ends at the Nee­dles Vis­i­tor Cen­ter. Note: You can­not dri­ve direct­ly from Island in the Sky to the Nee­dles with­in the park. This area is reserved for more advanced hik­ers and is over­all less acces­si­ble. How­ev­er, dra­mat­ic views of tow­er­ing sand­stone columns await those who make the trek.
The Maze is the most remote and least-vis­it­ed area of the park. This sec­tion fea­tures dif­fi­cult roads and very chal­leng­ing trails; you should­n’t trav­el there with­out the prop­er equip­ment and the abil­i­ty to be self-suf­­fi­­cient for at least three days. Canyon­lands Nation­al Park costs $30 per car to enter; the pass is valid for sev­en days.