Activity

Swimming

13 destinations along 11 roads

Water is scarce enough out here that finding it is half the pleasure — a reservoir gone turquoise against the desert, a hot spring at the end of a dirt road, a green pool at the foot of a slot canyon. Almost none of it is lifeguarded, most of it is colder or deeper than it looks, and the prettiest slot pools are exactly where a flash flood would funnel. Check the upstream weather, know your exit, and then enjoy the rarest thing in this country: a place to get wet.

Scenic Byway 122

Lower Calf Creek Falls

Escalante

A 126-foot waterfall hidden in a desert canyon

Upper Calf Creek Falls

Escalante

A remote 88-foot cascade reached by a rugged trail

NV-281

Sand Harbor

Incline Village

The crown of Lake Tahoe's Nevada shore—car-sized granite boulders standing in water so clear the boats above them seem to float on air, on a beach the Washoe kept for thousands of summers

US-401

Jordanelle State Park

Heber City

A sapphire reservoir nestled between the Wasatch and Uinta mountains

SR-89A1

Oak Creek Canyon

Sedona

The switchback drive from red rock to ponderosa on State Route 89A

US-891

Bear Lake

Garden City

The Caribbean of the Rockies — a turquoise lake straddling the Utah-Idaho border

US-931

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Boulder City

The largest reservoir in the country — and its most legible drought gauge

UT-1011

Hyrum State Park

Hyrum

A family-friendly reservoir at the mouth of Blacksmith Fork Canyon

UT-1501

Mirror Lake

Kamas

A pristine alpine lake reflecting the Uinta peaks like glass

US-1912

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

Manila

A turquoise reservoir carved into blazing red canyon walls

Steinaker State Park

Vernal

A warm-water reservoir popular for swimming in the desert heat

Homestead Drive1

Homestead Crater

Midway

A hidden geothermal spring inside a 55-foot limestone dome

Tony Grove Road1

Tony Grove Lake

Logan

A glacial alpine lake at 8,100 feet surrounded by wildflower meadows

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PhotographyPaid EntryFamily-FriendlySummerIconicScenic DrivingHikingFall