9 Close-Knit Towns to Visit in Utah
When Brigham Young, an influential leader of Mormonism, established Salt Lake City in Utah, he named the state “Deseret,” which means honeybee in the language of the Jaredites. Since then, the Beehive State of Utah has been buzzing with activity due to the sheer abundance of tourists eager to see all the beautiful attractions near the close-knit towns worth visiting in Utah. Between the big cities of Salt Lake City and Saint George are modern communities that have developed from small settlements into close-knit towns to visit in the most homogeneously religious state in the US. So however you wish to proceed in the Beehive State, you ought to at least visit one or all of these friendly small towns neighboring some of the most dynamic terrain in Utah.
Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, about 100 miles south of Salt Lake City, is home to the Wasatch Academy, the oldest secondary school still in operation in Utah. The Academy’s history began when the early Mormon settlers of Mount Pleasant fled to the nearby settlement of Manti during the Black Hawk War and Walkara (Walker) Indian War in the 1800s. When the violence ended, the townsfolk returned to Mount Pleasant and established many new industries, including the Wasatch Academy.
They also opened their doors to tourists who wanted to enjoy the simple pleasures along the San Pitch River or at the Nebo Loop National Scenic Byway, in addition to the numerous mountain ranges ringing the town, such as Horse Heaven Mountain, South Tent Mountain, Candland Mountain.
Monticello
About 7,000 feet on the Abajo Mountains’ slopes, one can just barely spot the highest town in all of Utah—the town of Monticello. With a vantage point that overlooks over 12 national landmarks in the Colorado Plateau, Monticello allows one to gaze down at the Canyonlands National Park and the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Those interested in watery wonders can go wading about at either the Monticello Lake or Indian Creek, while those with interests in archaeology will certainly adore the ruins of the Anasazi at the Bear Ears National Monument and the former abodes of the Puebloan people at Hovenweep National Monument, both of which date well back to 500 BCE to 1300 CE period.
Furthermore, a massive dark sandstone panel known as Newspaper Rock in Indian Creek contains a number of huge petroglyph carvings that were supposedly made by the Fremont, Ute, and Archaic peoples. Should you wish to spend a longer time in Monticello to admire its natural and cultural sites, then you ought to seek accommodations at the Monticello Inn, The Atomic Blue Motor Inn, or Rodeway Inn & Suites.
Moab
Nature is the oldest artist in the universe, and one can admire “Nature’s Masterpiece” in the small town of Moab. Only about 54 miles from Monticello, Moab’s vivacious buttes and impressive rock formations have been the setting for popular movies such as Galaxy Quest, Indiana and the Last Crusade, and The Lone Ranger. Whether you are following the course of the Colorado River towards destinations like the Arches National Park, the Canyonlands National Park, and Dead Horse Point State Park, you will undoubtedly come across both familiar and alien landscapes that will continue to stay in your memories for a long time.
These fierce and dynamic terrains have been home to the Navajo, Hopi, Pueblo, and other Native American communities as seen in their thousands-year-old petroglyphs on some rock walls. So if you are enthusiastic to go sightseeing for more of Moab’s marvels, then you should consider booking a room in one of Moab’s respectful establishments such as the Moab Springs Ranch, Aarchway Inn, or Gravity Haus Moab.
Panguitch
Panguitch entreats newcomers to a handful of unique settings and landmarks in the Colorado Plateau. From the hoodoo rock formations of Bryce Canyon to the lush biomes at the Dixie National Forest and Lake Panguitch, you will be invested in many of Panguitch’s splendid tourist areas. Consider riding a horse like a cowboy of old through the Kodachrome Basin and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, where ancient artifacts belonging to the Anasazi, the Fremont, and the Paiute peoples have been unearthed.
Participate in the Quilt Walk Festival in June, which celebrates the achievements of people who, in the hectic days of the year 1864, used quilts to cross snowy mountains and deliver flour to the starving people of Panguitch. Last but not least, have a pleasant and sound sleep in warm lodgings such as The Golden Spur or Panguitch Countryside Cabins.
Kanab
Kanab, located 67 miles from Panguitch, is yet another destination that has been filmed a handful of towns, notably seen in the movies Sergeants 3, Desperate Hours, and The Outlaw Josey Wales and why Kanab is often called the “Little Hollywood” of Utah. The name of the town derives from the Paiute phrase for “the place of the willows,” and this willowing wonderland is a convenient stop towards other grand landmarks such as the Bryce Canyon, Grand Staircase Escalante, the Vermillion Cliffs National Monuments, Lake Powell, and the Grand Canyon.
Aside from movie inspirations, Kanab also inspired American author Zane Gray’s magnum opus, Riders of the Purple Sage, based on the many basecamps in Kanab during the year 1912. Most of all, you can attend the Western Legends Heritage and Musical Festival in the summer to appreciate the wild ways of the Wild West. There are more sights to see in this town just between St. George and Lake Powell, so you should definitely seek lodgings in accommodating places like the Grand Plateau Lodge.
Bluff
Bluff, one of Utah’s prettiest towns surrounded by sandstone bluffs and only about 50 minutes from Monticello, is another gateway to the Hovenweep National Monument and the pair of bear-ear buttes at the Bears Ear National Monument. When kayaking down the San Juan River, you will eventually come across tight loops known locally as “goosenecks” that lead towards the Gooseneck State Park. If you prefer a more terrestrial trek, then take the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway, which contains over 116 miles of routes once used by the Puebloan people and are lined with their artworks as evidenced by the Sand Island Petroglyph Panel.
Appreciate history at Fort Bluff, formerly old barracks and waystation for Mormon pioneers on the Hole-in-the-Rock trail that Mormon pioneers once traversed. No need to feel unwanted in Bluff, not when you are spending your evenings in places like the Kokopelli Inn, La Posada Pintada, or Bluff Dwellings Resort & Spa.
Springdale
Springdale, located about 75 miles from Panguitch, is a nice getaway from much of the city bustle in Utah as well as a gateway to the Zion National Park. Within this scenic national park—which you can learn all about at the Zion Human History Museum—are a number of remarkable landmarks such as the Greatheart Mesa, the Court of the Patriarchs, and a campground built within a natural rock tube called The Subway.
The Temple of Sinawava, a natural amphitheater accessible vis-à-vis the Virgin River, contains the Narrows and the Big Springs, a duo of unique waterways for you to gawk at. More tours and treks await in Springdale, but if you ever get exhausted from all the traveling, you can always allow the hospitable accommodations of the Zion Canyon Lodge, Canyon Vista Lodge, and Driftwood Lodge to meet your daily and nightly needs.
Huntsville
As one of the oldest small towns in Utah, Huntsville’s structures and attractions have been open to travelers ever since settlers 15 miles east of Ogden relocated to the Ogden Valley in 1860. Whether you are admiring the human ingenuity of the artificially made Lake Pineview or enjoying the deep wilderness of the Ogden Valley at Anderson Cove Campground, visitors will undoubtedly need a good rest and respite in welcoming establishments like the Atomic Chalet Bed & Breakfast. Once you get yourself settled in Huntsville, you might want to ascend the many mountains ringing Huntsville in regions like the Weber Memorial Park and Snowbasin Resort.
Better yet, you can participate in Huntsville’s annual Marathon every September or perhaps the Cyclekart Race in the month of May.
Bountiful
Bountiful, about 11 miles away from Salt Lake City, was founded by Mormon pioneers in the year 1847. Originally called Sessions’ Settlement after founding member Peregrine Sessions, Bountiful took inspiration from a mystical city in The Book of Mormon and has thus withstood a number of Native American raids which the remnants of a thick adobe wall and Utah’s oldest church, the Bountiful (Mormon) Tabernacle, testify.
Traverse the Wasatch Range or traipse about in the Legacy Nature Preserve. One might also be intrigued by the Great Salt Lake—a body of water seven times saltier than the saltiest parts of the sea—in addition to the West Crystal Unit Farmington Bay.
Although the actual origins of Utah’s name derive from the Ute tribe (the “people of the mountains,” or yuttahih meaning “higher up”), Utah is nevertheless a state replete with numerous landmarks and features worthy of movies and mementos. In close-knit communities like Moab and Monticello, one can admire nature’s artistry in scenic destinations like the Bears Ear National Monument and the Hovenweep National Monument. Even more unique landscapes can be admired with Panguitch’s hoodoos and Huntsville’s man-made Lake Pineview. But most importantly, one can admire the close-knit ties and cultural heritages of the communities in Utah.
