Not everyone wants to spend hours hiking to reach a spectacular view. Sometimes the best adventures happen right from the driver’s seat.
If you love breathtaking scenery but prefer short walks and easy overlooks, Utah’s scenic byways are perfect for you. From towering red rock canyons and turquoise lakes to alpine forests and dramatic river gorges, these scenic drives offer some of the most beautiful landscapes in the American West without requiring strenuous hikes.
Many of these routes feature pullouts, overlooks, picnic areas, and viewpoints that are just steps from your vehicle. You can spend the day chasing incredible scenery, stopping for photos, enjoying a picnic, or simply soaking in the views without ever lacing up hiking boots.
So, if your ideal adventure includes jaw-dropping scenery, plenty of photo stops, and very little walking, these Utah scenic byways belong on your bucket list.
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Bear Lake Scenic Byway
Bear Lake Scenic Byway offers stunning turquoise water views with easy access from nearby parking areas. Beaches and day-use spots connect to the shoreline via short, flat paths, making it ideal for relaxing stops. The lake straddles Utah and Idaho, with the Utah side home to Bear Lake State Park, including Rendezvous Beach, a marina near Garden City, and popular fishing spots.
Bicentennial Highway (SR 95)
This remote desert drive features wide vistas, canyon overlooks, and scenic pullouts just steps from your vehicle highway onto gravel or paved pads. From these overlooks you can look across wide plateaus, down into side canyons, and out toward distant buttes while standing just a few steps from your door.
The route passes Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Lake Powell, and near Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Parks, ending at Natural Bridges National Monument. For a quick stop, Natural Bridges offers dramatic views with minimal walking. Nearby Blanding features ancient Puebloan ruins and cultural exhibits.
Travel tip: Fuel up before starting, services are limited along this route.
Capitol Reef Country Scenic Byway
Running along Utah State Route 24, this byway showcases cliffs, domes, and orchards visible right from the road. This is an approximate 65-mile-long highway drive that leads one through the Dixie National Forest and Capitol Reef National Park as well as the sprawling San Rafael Swell and colorful Maze District of Canyonlands National Park.
Easy-access viewpoints near the Fremont River and Fruita Historic District offer scenic stops, shaded picnic areas, and short walking paths. Add the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive for even more accessible overlooks.
Dead Horse Point Mesa Scenic Byway
This route climbs to one of Utah’s most iconic viewpoints. At Dead Horse Point State Park, overlooks sit just steps from parking areas and provide panoramic views of the Colorado River and canyonlands below. On clear days, you can see multiple mountain ranges in every direction.
This scenic byway leads you to one of the most photographed landscapes in the world. Dead Horse Point makes you feel as if you are on top of the world, with some of the most amazing 360-degree views. At the highest viewpoint on a clear day, the La Sal Mountains can be viewed to the east, the Abajo Mountains to the South, The Henry Mountains to the west and the Bookcliffs to the north.
Travel tip: Bring water and snacks, food options are limited.
Energy Loop Scenic Byway (Huntington & Eccles Canyons)
This lesser-known byway combines mountain scenery with historic mining sites. There are numerous interpretive sites along the byway, including the recovery site of a 9,500-year-old mammoth skeleton.
Drive through the Wasatch Plateau and stop at accessible viewpoints like the Wedge Overlook (Utah’s “Little Grand Canyon”), Huntington Reservoir, and the Mammoth Discovery Site. Most stops require little to no walking.
Flaming Gorge–Uintas Scenic Byway
This route features dramatic contrasts between red rock canyons and alpine forests. Overlooks near Flaming Gorge offer safe, easy-to-access viewpoints with railings and short paths.
The theme of the byway is “Wildlife Through the Ages” and features 15 Interpretive sites and 4 nature trails. During your drive you will not only experience abundant wildlife, but also deep multi-colored canyons, unique geologic features, breathtaking scenic vistas and vast forest landscapes.
Great Salt Lake Legacy Parkway
This easy, 14-mile drive runs along wetlands and offers views of the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island, and the Wasatch Mountains. With a lower speed limit and no billboards or trucks, it’s a peaceful scenic drive with convenient pull-offs just steps from your car.
Travel Tip: Use a dash cam to get video of your travels. You might be surprised at things you missed as you were traveling. It’s a great way to save memories.
Indian Creek Scenic Byway
Starting near Monticello, this byway leads to Newspaper Rock, a large petroglyph panel visible just a short walk from parking. The road continues through a valley filled with towering rock formations in Indian Creek Canyon and ends at Canyonlands National Park’s Needles District, with plenty of scenic pullouts along the way.
Kolob Fingers Road Scenic Byway
This byway in Zion offers a quieter slice of park scenery, with a main overlook and several turnouts where you step from the car to views of tall sandstone fingers. The road is short, and nearly all its key viewpoints are built within steps of small parking lots.
The overlook at the end of the road offers a 270° view across most of southern Utah. Views along the route are into various of the Kolob Canyons including Hurricane Cliffs and Horse Mountain.
Logan Canyon Scenic Byway
Logan Canyon drives through steep cliffs, forests, and a clear river view. Trailheads for short strolls to riverbanks and ponds sit close to the road. Overlooks near the upper parts of the canyon offer views that reach all the way to Bear Lake. The variety of rocks, trees, and water gives each stop a different feeling even when the walks stay brief.
Traveling along the Logan River and through Logan Canyon, this scenic drive climbs through the diverse terrain of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest and as it descends, offers outstanding views of Bear Lake’s turquoise waters.
Mirror Lake Scenic Byway
One of Utah’s most popular mountain drives, this route features lakes, meadows, and alpine scenery. Many lakes have parking areas with quick access to the shoreline. Bald Mountain Pass offers high-elevation views without requiring a hike.
It begins in Kamas, Utah and ascends high into the Uinta Mountains cresting at 10,715 feet at Bald Mountain Pass, and then descends past Hayden Peak, Kletting Peak and Holiday Park Peak before meeting with the Wyoming border.
Nebo Loop Scenic Byway
Nebo Loop rises from valley towns into high country with meadows, forests, and viewpoints where you can see far across central Utah. Many of the key pullouts have parking just off the pavement, with short paths to railings or low stone walls that frame the range.
Visitors will be able to enjoy spectacular views of 12,000-foot Mount Nebo and the very popular Devil’s Kitchen, with its red rock cliffs and spires. The byway is nationally known for its wonderful views of bright fall foliage.
Travel Tip: Take digital binoculars with a camera on your trip so you can see further from the viewpoints. You can use the zoom to still get great pictures.
Potash–Lower Colorado River Scenic Byway
This scenic drive along the Colorado River features towering cliffs, petroglyphs, dinosaur tracks, and river views, all visible from roadside pullouts. It’s a short but visually rich route near Moab that requires minimal walking.
Scenic Byway 12
Scenic Byway 12 winds through red rock country, forested plateaus, and open ridges, with official overlooks and pullouts that sit only a few steps from your car. Many viewpoints have railings or stone walls, which makes it easier to snap quick photos
One of the most famous drives in the U.S., Scenic Byway 12 connects Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef. Stops like Calf Creek and Boulder Mountain offer quick-access viewpoints.
Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway (SR 128)
Following the Colorado River through a tall canyon, with pullouts that put you just a few steps from the water and towering walls. Every few miles you find parking areas where a short walk brings you to the river edge or a clear view of the cliffs. The river and canyon stay close the whole time, so you never have to walk far for a dramatic scene.
Spending a day exploring this section of the river gorge will provide you with jaw dropping scenery and take you to the sixth-longest natural rock span in the United States.
Zion Park Scenic Byway (SR 9)
This route takes you through Zion National Park with stunning views right from the road. Pullouts and short paths lead to overlooks of sandstone cliffs, checkerboard mesas, sculpted cliffs and the Virgin River. You can easily combine scenic stops with shuttle rides or short walks in the park.
Historical and cultural amenities are scattered throughout the Byway corridor. The Grafton ghost town, historic cemeteries and well-preserved historic homes and buildings are all reminders of the area’s history of settlement.
Final Thoughts: The Best Scenic Drives in Utah for Non-Hikers
Utah officially has 28 designated scenic byways, and every one of them showcases a different side of the state, from red rock deserts and towering canyon walls to alpine forests and sparkling mountain lakes.
These 16 scenic byways stand out because they make Utah’s beauty accessible to everyone. You don’t need to tackle difficult trails or spend hours hiking to experience incredible landscapes. Most of the best viewpoints are only a few steps from your vehicle.
So, fill the gas tank, pack plenty of water and snacks, grab your camera, and hit the road. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or an epic Utah road trip, these scenic drives prove that some of the state’s most unforgettable views are waiting just around the next bend.
We love sharing tips and information we learn along the way to help you plan your next trip. We hope to inspire you to find your adventures, have lots of fun and make many memories.