Utah's National Parks & Monuments
From the 50 State Visitor Guide:
Utah Code Ann. 2019 §§77-41-101 through 77-41-112
Utah. Code Ann. §§77-27-21.7 through 77-27-21.9
U.A.C. §§R251-110-1 through R251-110-5
Registration Triggers and Deadlines:
“Sex Offender” is defined to include any out-of-state SO who is in Utah for more than 10 days in any 12 month period. §77-41-102(17)(b).
Visitors must register “within 10 days of entering the state, regardless of the offender’s length of stay.” §77-41-105.
Updates required within 3 business days. §77-41-105.
Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:
Presence restriction: May not be on premises of a day care or preschool, public swimming pool, school, community park open to the public, playground that is open to the public. Exceptions for access to schools when carrying out “necessary parental responsibilities” and day care center or preschool when in building for other purposes.
Residence restriction: w/in 1,000 ft. of victim, with exceptions. §77-27-21.7.
“Sex Offender in Presence of Child Law:” Registrants w/ convictions involving minors under 14 years old cannot invite the minor to accompany him or her absent parental consent, with exceptions. §77-27-21.8.
Because “Sex Offender” is defined to include only out-of-state SO’s in Utah for more than 10 days in a 12 month period (see Registration Triggers & Deadlines at left), visitors not meeting this definition would, in theory, not be required to register & thus not subject to these restrictions during their visit. However, this theory remains untested.
Duration & updates:
Lifetime. Petition 10 years. Updates every 6 mo. §77-41-105.
Most recent visit: October 2023
Compared to other states, Utah’s restrictions on registered visitors shouldn’t be too tough to get along with. Yes it does have presence restrictions, including the usual boogeymen such as day care centers, schools, public swimming pools, community parks & playgrounds. I assume that, like me, you have no interest in visiting any of these places on your visit to Utah. Notice that the list includes “public swimming pools” but not the pool at any hotel you may be staying at.
Also, it says “community parks” but not state and national parks. That should be a relief since Utah’s national parks and monuments, national forests, and state parks are among the state’s biggest attractions.
Lastly, because the term “Sex Offender” is defined by statute to include only out-of-state registrants in Utah for more than 10 days in a 12 month period (see Registration Triggers & Deadlines), visitors not meeting this definition would, in theory, not be required to register & thus not subject to these restrictions during their visit. Admittedly, however, this theory remains untested. Still, you get ten days in-state per calendar year without ever having to test it. Most registered visitors should have nothing to worry about. Just remember, all partial days are going to count toward the 10 day total, including your entry and exit days.
Utah has some of the most stunningly beautiful natural wonders of any state in the union. I had been there two years ago, and also the year before I went to prison. That first time I went specifically because I had no idea whether I’d ever be able to come back. Now that I have my chance I can never resist the chance to go back.
If by any chance you ever read my previous Utah blog post (now deleted) you’d know that I have wanted to focus an entire road trip on Utah’s great natural wonders instead of just “slowing down” on my way through to see a few things on my way back home from somewhere else. Also, my previous drive-by trips were in the second half of October when the weather in Utah can be pretty darned cold.
This time I spent over a week in Utah, and chose the first week of October. I spent an entire day at each park, arriving as early as possible (i.e. about 6:30 am) and breaking off around 3:00 pm to head for my next campground. The weather that week was perfect, yet it was still a so-called “shoulder season” when the parks were less crowded than at the summer peak. I also want to give a shout out to a AAA map called “Indian Country” which I used to guide myself on this trip. It’s the most complete info on this region I have ever seen.
Arches National Park – Days 1-2
Whether you are coming from the east or west, I urge you to skip the main access highway US 191 and go in the back way which is State Rd 128 – it runs along the Colorado River through some of the most magnificent canyons you will ever see. Plus there are many campgrounds and on the first week of October there were plenty of sites available. However, DO NOT think you’re going to find any last minute food or supplies at the exit or anywhere else on this road because it doesn’t exist. Stock up ahead of time or wait until you get to Moab.
Of Utah’s Big 5 National Parks Arches is my 2nd favorite (sorry, Zion is even better). It is truly a wonderland and this time I went to places I’d never been to before e.g. Devil’s Garden (Wow!). Then there’s Delicate Arch, Fiery Furnace, Balanced Rock, and of course Park Avenue and the Courthouse Towers.
Every American should see these great wonders before you die.
Canyonlands National Park – Day 3
Canyonlands is a huge park that encompasses the confluence of the Colorado River and Green River. The northern section, called Island in the Sky, is accessed from US 191 via State Rd 313 which is much closer to civilization than the southern Needles section. Because of that remoteness I’d never been to The Needles before, but this time I camped as close to that park entrance as I could – not realizing that because this remoteness I could have gone to the Squaw Flat campground inside the park which was half-empty.
It turns out while The Needles can be seen in the distance from the park road, you can’t actually go explore them without at least a 2 day backpacking commitment and I’m too old for that. There are a couple of canyon views in this section too but they don’t hold a candle to the overlooks from Island in the Sky, where I also was able to spend a few hours before heading off to my next campground.
Along the 50 mile road to The Needles you will also pass the famous Newspaper Rock petroglyphs. WOW!
Like the Grand Canyon, all of the main canyon views are from above. Unlike the Grand Canyon, there are no guided horse treks to get you to the bottom of the canyons. You’re on your own if you want to explore the remote areas of the park.
Be sure to make the side trip to Dead Horse Point State Park which is really spectacular.
Capital Reef National Park – Day 4
I imagine you have not heard of Capital Reef – but you should have. It’s truly spectacular. Unfortunately, as of October 2024 there’s a lot of construction going on, and the scenic drive that takes you to the most remote areas you can get to by car – well, it’s completely closed. That was a big disappointment since my plan was to go all the way to the end and go for a hike which I’d not done before, perhaps to see the Golden Dome. The visitor center parking lot is also completely ripped up.
Capital Reef has within it a preserved historic town named Fruita. Yes it has a blacksmith shop and a fruit pie shop, but it’s really not that great. There are viewpoints and trails extending from State Rd 24 so I hiked part of the Cohab Canyon trail and it was beautiful. Maybe next time the construction will be finished.
West of Capital Reef on State Rd. 24, be sure to stop at Red Canyon. It’s well worth your time.
Grand Staircase / Route 12 Corridor – Day 5
The Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument is vast and remote. If you’re a backpacker or have an ATV you can go exploring, but otherwise you’re restricted to the highways that skirt the edges of it, like US 89 to the south and Historic Route 12 which is just about the only route from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon.
The good news is there’s plenty to see along Route 12 and I try to go to new places every time. This time, after leaving Capital Reef I found a campsite at one of the many campgrounds along the way. Then the next morning before proceeding to Bryce Canyon I took I hike at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. Yes I saw petrified tree trunks.
On past trips I have visited Anasazi State Park & Museum (very interesting) and camped at Kodachrome Basin St. Pk. which is named after the colorful landscape.
Bryce Canyon – also Day 5
Bryce Canyon is all about the hoodoos – those otherworldly spires that made this canyon famous. There have to be millions of them. And for me, therein lies the problem. Much like you sometimes hear people say the Grand Canyon is “just a big hole in the ground,” I have to admit my attitude toward hoodoos is, “you seen one hoodoo, you seen ’em all.”
Bryce has one main road from the entrance to the far south end of the park. There are many viewpoints and they are very beautiful but they all look the same to me. You can remain in the Bryce Amphitheater area and end your tour at Bryce Point, but on this trip I drove all the way down to the end of the road at Rainbow Point hoping for a little variety but no, it’s just more hoodoos.
However, out on Route 12 east of the park entrance you will find Mossy Cave and waterfalls, which is about a one mile hike, very cool and something I’d never seen before.
Zion National Park – Days 6 & 7
Zion is my favorite national park and on this trip I allowed two days for it. What makes Zion so unique is that, unlike the Grand Canyon, or Canyonlands, or Bryce, the entry to Zion National Park takes you straight into the mouth of the most spectacular canyon you will ever see (my opinion), the Virgin River which flows through the canyon nourishes a forested canyon floor filled with wildlife, and there are such a variety of things to see!
On this trip one week into October I was able to find parking at the Visitor Center as long as I got there by 7:00 am. The weather was good, the park was crowded, and the bus trams were still in operation until the end of the month. Get off at The Grotto, Court of the Patriarchs. Then the Zion – Mt. Carmel Highway takes you up the switchbacks to the WPA Project tunnel, Canyon overlook and spectacular views.
One thing you should know about Zion National Park is that both camping and anything like an affordable motel room in the tourist town of Springdale are basically nonexistent, and I was visiting on a weekend. While on the tram a couple was bragging about how they had found a good affordable room – but that was in St. George, 50 miles away! I had managed to find a bed in a four-person bunkhouse in La Verkin, UT, “only” 25 miles away. Good news! Even on a weekend, it was off-season enough that the bunkhouse place was mostly empty and I had an entire bunkhouse with kitchen and bathroom to myself for $75 per night. Yey!
Bears Ears & Natural Bridges Nat. Mons. – Days 8 & 9
If you’ve never been to Utah you’ve probably never heard of either Bears Ears or Natural Bridges National Monuments. If you choose to read my next blog post which will describe the registry implications of a very serious medical emergency I experienced on the day after I left Zion Nat, Park you’ll know why I was unable to do much more than drive past Bears Ears on this trip. But I have been there in the past and I can tell you it’s just as spectacular as everywhere else in Utah.
Together with Glen Canyon Nat, Recreation Area, Bears Ears actually surrounds Canyonlands Nat. Park – Newspaper Rock is in Bears Ears, not Canyonlands. From there Bears Ears extends all the way south to the Navajo Nation (which includes southernmost Utah). Natural Bridges Nat. Mon. is much smaller and located entirely within Bears Ears.
There’s just so much in Utah. It never seems to end.
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