Why Utah Calls its Five National Parks “Mighty”

If you’ve looked online or seen ads promoting tourism in Utah, you may have noticed the featured use of the word “mighty” to describe Utah’s national parks.  Frankly, I like the word because I’ve seen three of Utah’s national parks, and they are indeed “mighty,” in many senses of the word. This article presents some descriptions of the parks and explains why Utah calls its five national parks “mighty.”

The Parks are HUGE

First, the massive sizes of Utah’s national parks qualify them for the term “mighty,” as in grand or huge.  Thousands of square miles, deep canyons and valleys, high buttes, mountains, and plateaus, inspire awe at the rare majesty of this geologist’s paradise.  

The Parks are Beautiful

Second, the sheer beauty of the parks invokes descriptive words like mighty:  Wow, Unbelievable, Challenging, Fearsome, Extreme, Enormous, Tremendous, Breathtaking, and Awesome.  Though the word “awesome” is clearly overused in popular American conversation, this is one instance where it fits.  Jaw-dropping vistas do inspire awe.

Zion National Park

As examples, let’s go from Z to A.  You’ll find Zion National Park in Southwestern Utah, near St. George and Hurricane, Utah.  Coming from the St. George area, the highway will take you to Springdale, Utah, a charming, small town which sits at the entrance to Zion.  Shuttle buses stand ready to escort you to the Visitors Center and into the park. Zion is famous for towering mountains, deep, red-rock canyons, the Virgin River, hikes through narrow sandstone walls, steep or easy trails, waterfalls, pools, and spectacular views.  Hikes vary from easy for families and kids, to strenuous for athletes, to scary for the thrill seekers. Zion is the third most-visited national park in America and therefore is the biggest reason why Utah calls its five national parks mighty.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park owns “Island in the Sky” a dream adventure for mountain biking enthusiasts.  One hundred miles of other-worldly scenery are sure to challenge and please. Canyonlands has great canyons, of course, along with towering buttes, which were carved out by the Colorado River.

Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park was unlike anything the explorers had ever seen, so its name came from its white rock domes (resembling Capitol buildings) and rocky ridges (ocean reefs).  The park envelopes a long wrinkle in the earth’s crust called the Waterpocket Fold. It glistens with golden sandstone, canyons, and striking rock formations. Chimney Rock and the Hickman Bridge arch are famous destinations for tourists and adventurers.  Cathedral Valley impresses with its towering monoliths and is one reason why Utah calls its five national parks mighty.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is famous for its hoodoos.  Hoodoos are vertical sculptured aliens of orange sandstone, and there’s no place on earth that has as many as Bryce.  The most popular ways to see Bryce are from overlooks and viewpoints along the highways and by venturing onto trails, such as the Navajo Loop, Queen’s Garden Trail, or Wall Street Trail.  At a higher elevation than other national parks, you may see snow and some cold.

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is near Moab, Utah in southeastern Utah.  Accessible and famous for photography and mountain biking, Arches shows off many pinnacles, cliffs, balanced rocks, and about 2,000 sandstone arches!  The reddish-orange formations make vibrant and beautiful pictures.

Your American experience simply wouldn’t be complete without seeing Utah’s five national parks.  If you include them on your bucket list, you’ll witness first-hand why Utah calls its five national parks “mighty.”

Why Utah Calls its Five National Parks “Mighty”

Article By: Clear Content Marketing