Utah's Unique Off-The-Tourist-Trail City Brims With Red Rock Canyons, Nearby National Monuments, And Dinosaurs

Few places are as naturally equipped to attract visitors as Utah. Gifted with five mighty national parks that can all be visited in one road trip, Utah draws upwards of fifteen million tourists a year to its canyons, deserts, and alpine peaks. But with headline destinations like Zion National Park and popular cities like Salt Lake City, dodging crowds can be tough. The small town of Blanding could be the answer. This off-the-tourist-trail city's red rock canyons, Jurassic roots, and national monuments make it an epic Utah detour.

Nestled in Utah's southeastern corner, Blanding is an ideal base for exploration. With just over 3,000 inhabitants, it's a small town that functions primarily as a gateway to some of the region's best monuments. But the city itself boasts more than enough to warrant an extended stay. From its dinosaur and indigenous peoples museums to prehistoric ruins and stunning scenery, it makes a unique alternative to the nearby go-to city of Moab or even Bluff.

On paper, Blanding's history reaches back to 1897, when two Mormon brothers set out from nearby Bluff to scope out locations for a new settlement. By 1905, the foundations of Blanding — then named Grayson after the wife of the town founder, Joseph Lyman — were built. In reality, the area was inhabited as far back as 600 A.D. by the Anasazi, and used later by the Navajo and Utes. The remains of some of these villages can still be visited. Jumping back 150 million years, the area was a hotbed for locals of a different kind — the dinosaurs.

Blanding serves as a gateway town to some of Utah's greatest spectacles. While it's worth sticking around, any visitor would be crazy not to try and visit the national monuments closest to the town. Four Corners Monument, about a 90-minute drive away, is the only point in the U.S. where four states meet — it's an excellent photo opportunity and one of the country's most iconic roadside attractions. Bears Ears National Monument is another special experience. The 1.35 million-acre protected landscape is awash with epic canyons and over 100,000 archeological sites related to the various peoples that lived in the area for the past 13,000 years. Throw in the Natural Bridges National Monument and the prehistoric ceremonial sites of Hovenweep National Monument, and Blanding can help you visit a whopping four of the 131 national monuments across the country.

Blanding itself takes prehistoric to another level with its Dinosaur Museum. Laying out the history of man's reptilian predecessors in detail, the roadside museum is privy to rave reviews and, for a small setup, punches well above its weight. Blanding was once a hotbed for dinosaurs, which became evident when a 2008 excavation nearby unearthed a large group of fossils, including a 150-million-year-old sauropod skeleton. If you're heading north after your Blanding stay, and haven't scratched the Jurassic itch, Vernal is another great gateway to prehistoric history in Utah.

Utah is a place built for outdoor adventure, and Blanding is no exception. The town is situated in "Canyon County", which means the possibilities for hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and more are endless. The nearby Canyonlands National Park is a hiker's dreamscape. Furthermore, dramatic geological formations, the famous Horseshoe Canyon — with its ancient red rock art gallery — and plenty more iconic spots combine to make the area one of the country's finest outdoor escapes. 

First things first: you're gonna need a car. But frankly, when the scenery is that good, a road trip is just what the doctor ordered. If you're traveling from further afield and need to fly in, you've got some decisions to make. Blanding is pretty remote and, while there are small airports in the nearby vicinity — including a non-commercial one in the town itself — you'll have to accept that there will be some travel involved to get here.

Salt Lake City is the closest major hub and will be around a five-hour drive at best. Vegas and Denver's airports are also options, but will take closer to seven hours to get to from Blanding. Airports like Durango and Cortez are closer and support limited regional flights from cities like Denver, Phoenix, and Dallas, but you'll be at the mercy of just one or two flights a day and will still need to drive on to Blanding after you land.

However, once you get there, Blanding offers plenty of places to stay. Even better, it's pretty affordable compared to some of the other towns and cities in the area. For food, there's a modest selection of solid restaurants that can more than replenish your hiked calories for the day. The local drive-in diner, Patios, is a favorite along with Homestead Steakhouse.