The Perfect 3-Day Road Trip Through Utah's Best-Kept Secrets

Published 2023-06-25
The lesser visited area in the middle of Utah has some great places to explore. Visitors get national park views without the crowds. Watch as we explore the area near the San Rafael Swell on an ATV, see the world's largest dinosaur quarry, walk in the footsteps of Butch Cassidy, and search for petroglyphs and pictographs.

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We have many RESOURCES for you if you’re visiting the west: 👇
⚡️We offer must-have travel guides, to many locations like Arches, Bryce, and Yellowstone. They come complete with itinerary (and most come with audio) and will make your trip planning so much easier. Check them out here: wereintherockies.com/store/

Other great resources:
⚡️Read our San Rafael Swell article, The Perfect 3-Day Road Trip Through the San Rafael Swell & Central Utah (Helper, Goblin Valley, Price, & More!): wereintherockies.com/san-rafael-swell/
⚡️Watch our Moab, Canyonlands, Arches playlist:    • Moab, Arches, Canyonlands  
⚡️Watch our Bryce Canyon playlist:    • Bryce Canyon  
⚡️Watch our Zion playlist:    • Zion National Park  
⚡️Watch How to Plan a Trip to the National Parks:    • How to plan a successful trip to the ...  
⚡️The Perfect Day Trip from Moab to Monument Valley:    • The perfect day trip from Moab to Mon...  
⚡️Our Heart-Pounding Off-Road Adventure on Moab's Best Jeep Trail:    • We Tried Moab’s Best Jeep Trail: Hell...  

Companies Referenced in Video: 👇
⚡️Northern Utah ATV Riders: www.nuatv.com/
⚡️Big Mountain Lodge in Ferron, UT: www.bigmountainlodgeutah.com/

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro & Overview
0:55 Helper, UT
4:50 Jurassic National Monument
6:32 Castle Dale, Utah
9:55 San Rafael Swell
11:37 Buckhorn Wash Petroglyphs
15:15 ATV Ride in Green River, UT
20:19 Canyonlands National Park
22:00 The Great Gallery
23:48 Nine Mile Canyon

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All Comments (21)
  • @karukun0212
    Oh-the secret is out! Darn. I live near the Swell--greatest place on earth to spend a week with family in national park scenery and not see another soul. I raised my kids and now grandkids out there. Truly the secret sauce exists there. Grand Canyon of the San Rafael, Three Fingers Canyon, Head of Sinbad, Chutes of Muddy Creek and more.
  • @TS-lw5nv
    Great video. Tough stuff like this worries me as over promotion is exactly how the quiet UT parks became over crowded in 2015.
  • @amymarie3337
    We used y’all’s planning guides for Yellowstone and Glacier NP and had the BEST VACAY ever! Considering we drove from Texas, it had to be right! We stayed in Cody, Wyoming before entering Yellowstone and fell in love with that place! We also love Utah!
  • @daniellebollman447
    Great storytelling, Matt! Thank you for sharing! I loved the footage of the little Grand Canyon. Good to see your dad and his love for adventure!
  • I drive up to Park City Utah each year from Oklahoma and drive through Helper each year! I had no idea this place had so much too offer. Appreciate you creating this video.
  • @BillyJ244
    You sold me on it. As soon as I can afford to I am going to go. I've always wanted to go out west. I've been stuck in Cleveland Ohio for most of my life. I really need to get out of here. Thank you for your great presentation!
  • @JordanMcKee
    When I saw this video... it must be about Uintahs around Vernal Utah, and around Dinosaur National Monument in Northeast Utah/colorado/Wyoming border. I was surprised to see Utah has two Dinosaur themed National Monuments with National Park views! Thanks for this video! My wife is from Helper and me from Vernal, I'd recommend making your way up there at some point!
  • @tictocbang7443
    Fantastic video, thank you! We love going to Helper. Such a cool town with fun art galleries and museums.
  • @stolman2197
    Many of the locations in there swell carry the names of my grandmother's uncles. Swasey's Leap, Swasey's Cabin, Sid & Charlie, Baptist Draw and many more. They were contemporaries with Butch & Sundance who would "swap out" horses on the way through.
  • @posteroonie
    Beautiful scenery and useful information, thank you.
  • @mysparky2011
    I'm in love with Utah too. Our third visit from Ontario will be this fall 2024. It's nice to get off the beaten path sometimes. Thanks for this!
  • Great video! Spectacular sights, that I never will be able to visit myself. So Thanks so much!
  • @oddjobs3025
    DUDE....thanks so much! I am going there as soon as it warms up. Best vid!!!
  • @petem6846
    Wonderful video! You did a great job of pointing out some gems. Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry is cool--went there before it was a National Monument. The Wedge looks fantastic! Nine-mile Canyon is well worth the time. We drove it before the road was paved and there was a lot of gas field traffic. Now I want to go back since it's paved; it also looks like it's been upgraded.
  • @toadj7670
    Great now we can have even more tourists taking over everything the locals used to be able to enjoy in peace and quiet
  • @Seabeagle10
    My father is from an coal mining town, in utah. Must people never heard of it. Dragonton, utah. His brother lived in Helper, ut as well. My grandfather was an coal miner , in the horse canyon.
  • @willicat44
    I would love to go on one of these jamborees. For years now I wanted to get a SXS and introduce my kids and granddaughter to the beautiful country that we live in...
  • @kevincrock1202
    I did not want this video to end !! My wife and I are heading out there in May ! Thanks for sharing some hidden places for us to venture !! Really enjoyed the video ! Thanks again from Kevin in France and Florida