Grand Canyon & Canyonlands National Park Top 'Best Of' Lists, But This Gem Is Overlooked

In 2025, more than 325 million people visited a national park in the U.S. These epic, extraordinary wildernesses are some of the most popular outdoor spaces on the planet, and it is easy to see why. Whether you want to see the otherworldly desert landscapes of Joshua Tree, explore the alpine meadows and carved valleys of Glacier National Park, or stay at one of Yellowstone's many hotel lodges, U.S. national parks are a joy for any outdoor adventurer.

Grand Canyon National Park is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and one of the most popular national parks in the United States. It sits alongside Canyonlands National Park in Utah as one of the best places in the country to visit for anyone looking to explore dramatic desert landscapes, towering rock formations, and steep mesas under wide-open skies. But while the Grand Canyon and Canyonlands National Park regularly top a variety of "best of" lists, their popularity does come at a price. Sure, the views from the South Rim are spectacular, but you'll likely be sharing them with crowds of other tourists and photographers, which can take away from the experience somewhat. So if you are looking for similar scenery a little bit further off the beaten track, it might be worth giving Manti-La Sal National Forest a try.

Manti-La Sal National Forest sits right at the heart of Utah, stretching across 1.4 million acres. By car, it is around two hours from Provo, three hours from Salt Lake City, and four hours from St. George. The nearest airport is Canyonlands Regional Airport (CNY), but most visitors will arrive at Salt Lake City International (SLC), which is in the midst of an airport upgrade to the tune of $5 billion.

The landscapes of the Manti-La Sal National Forest are extraordinarily diverse. The park is covered by thick forests of aspen, Douglas fir, and lodgepole pine, alongside soaring alpine meadows, dramatic mountain peaks, deep sandstone canyons, and loads of fantastic hiking trails.

The forest can be split into two distinct areas: the Manti Mountains in central Utah, part of the Wasatch Plateau, and the La Sal Mountains near Moab in the southeast. The Manti Mountains offer a combination of dramatic escarpments and high-altitude forests, as well as some gorgeous alpine lakes. The La Sal Mountains boast sweeping alpine meadows, some startlingly rugged mountain peaks, and the Dark Canyon Wilderness, a remote system of colorful limestone and sandstone canyons.

Manti-La Sal National Forest has a number of exceptionally panoramic roads, which offer stunning views across the forest and over the scorching deserts below, highlighted by stunning mountain ranges in the distance. The Skyline Drive on the Wasatch Plateau is one of the most celebrated and runs along the spine of the plateau itself. The La Sal Loop Road is another great option, winding its way 60 miles up from eye-catching red rock canyons into the cooler alpine forests of the La Sal Mountains.

Manti-La Sal National Forest offers some superb outdoor recreation opportunities. The La Sal and Abajo mountain ranges in southeastern Utah offer stunning spots for cross-country skiing and rock climbing, including the Harts Draw Recreation Area, the Elk Ridge Recreation Area, and the Geyser Pass Winter Recreation Area. Hiking trails also abound in this fabulous wilderness, with easy lakeside hikes from the Oowah Lake Campground, several moderate loop trails from the Warner Lake Campground, and some more challenging routes like Burro Pass and Mount Peale. For something really serious, the Manns Peak Trail extends from Burro Pass right to the top of the 12,272-foot summit, with some truly spectacular views.

The national forest is also a delightful place to pitch a tent and enjoy a few nights under the stars, which is no surprise since Utah is home to some of the best national parks in the U.S. for camping. The Warner Campground is the most popular spot, with its charming lakeside location and convenient access to several of the best hiking trails. Other great locations are the Oowah Campground, which is smaller, quieter, and ideal for anglers, and the Buckeye & Mason Draw Campgrounds, both more remote and secluded. Wild camping is also permitted throughout most of the national forest area.

Manti-La Sal is also a haven for wildlife and an ideal place to explore for budding wildlife photographers. Of particular interest are pronghorn, one of the fastest creatures in the U.S., which are regularly spotted in the high desert grassland areas, and mountain lions, who emerge to hunt in the half-light at dawn and dusk.