Outdoor adventures are one of the best parts of living in Utah. The mountains surrounding it provide ample opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, and other outdoor activities. And Provo is only 30 minutes south of Salt Lake City, so plenty of cities are nearby with even more amazing adventures.

If you love the great outdoors, visiting the national parks is a great way to get out, breathe clean air, and look up in awe at the raw beauty surrounding us. But where do you go? Utah is home to eight national parks that are open year-round. Here are the best national parks near Orem, Utah—all accessible by car.

Arches National Park

Arches National Park, in the heart of Utah, is a fantastic park. It is devoid of any tall trees, and that is because it gets very little rain and the wind blows. The area was once a vast sea, and the wind has sculpted the sandstone into a veritable museum of stone sculptures and arches. The park is one of the most visited in the United States, and we can understand why. The natural stone and rock formations are so spectacular and varied that you could spend a lifetime studying them. The park boasts over 2,000 natural stone arches of all shapes and sizes.

Deer Creek State Park

Deer Creek is a top spot for outdoor recreation. It is one of the Utah Valley’s best places for hiking, biking, and trail running. It’s home to various plant and animal life and fascinating geological formations. This park has something for everyone: from beginner to expert, from casual open year-round, and the hiking trails are rated easy to intermediate.

Wasatch Mountain State Park

Wasatch Mountain State Park in Orem is only 30 minutes away from downtown Salt Lake City. The area immediately surrounding the park is a popular place to live, and the population is snowballing. 

Like most state parks in Utah, it’s free to enter and offers camping, hiking, biking, fishing, and swimming. The highlight is the hiking. There are three trails of varying difficulty. The most accessible trail is about two miles, the moderate trail is about three miles and the hard trail is more than five miles. The trails wind through a picturesque pine forest, providing a beautiful view of the canyon below and the snow-capped Wasatch mountain range as a backdrop. The trails are also popular with mountain bikers and hikers.

Utah Lake State Park

Utah Lake State Park is a state park located 9 miles, Southeast of Orem.. The park, which covers an area of 1,234.3 acres, is an excellent location for fishing, boating and picnicking, and is a great place to observe the local wildlife. A variety of trees and plants, including cottonwoods, box elder, willow and sagebrush, grow in the park. Their presence is in part due to the lake’s natural alkalinity, which makes the soil near the lake ideal for vegetation. There are many trails that weave through the park’s woods, some of which lead to scenic views of the lake.

Conclusion

Utah national parks are a good place to view wildlife, canyons, mountains, and rock formations. These national parks in Utah are easy to access and in close proximity to hotels, airports, and other attractions.