Photo Friday: The Colours Of Utah

It’s been a while since I’ve done a photo post – but Utah is so full of photogenic spots that this one was always on the cards. Plus there are plenty of places we saw or passed that haven’t made it into other blog posts.

Utah is one of my favourite US states. Sometimes I think it IS my favourite, but then I remember how much I love California. Between those two, it’s tough, because they are fantastic for different reasons, and they both evoke very different iconic pictures of the USA; Utah with its deserts straight out of a Western movie and beautiful canyons and incredible sweeping views, and California with its beaches, cities and, well, Yosemite. Utah has Monument Valley. California has Disneyland. It’s not really something you can compare.

But something they both have in common is that they both make for phenomenal road trips. Utah is the epitome of the “wide open road through the desert” American road trip. California boasts one of the most scenic coastal highways in the world.

It wasn’t until towards the end that I realised just how colourful (or “colorful”!) Utah is. Because most of it is…

Orange

Naturally, in a desert-filled state of canyons and rock, the main colour is orange.

However, occasionally I found that the orange turned to a definite…

Red

Although sometimes it was more of a…

Brown

I know, I know. You think I’m joking. How are these any different?

Here are a couple of snapshots from the lovely town of Moab, near Arches.

Alright, let’s get a bit lighter.

Yellow

As I stood in the road taking this photo, I came up with the idea for this post. We were visiting in late autumn (or fall), but the colours were still stark in the trees – this felt especially surprising after we had been in the desert for so long, but it made me appreciate just how colourful this trip had been.

Green

I know there are forests in Utah, but other than driving through and not really stopping in Ashley National Forest, the only green we really saw was around Zion National Park.

Blue

There isn’t a whole lot of water in Utah.

But for the most part, we had very blue skies! In fact, blue features almost as much in my photos as orange!

Grey

There wasn’t much grey in Utah… apart from the asphalt on the roads and the very occasional grey sky.

But then we went to Moab, where they have loads of upcycled statues! This tornado one is my favourite.

White

Who knew you could see snow in Utah?!

Around Salt Lake, there is plenty of opportunity for skiing, but on some of our drive and also at Delicate Arch, we could see snow-capped mountains!

All the colours

But sometimes, Utah just gives you everything.

Read more of my posts on Utah:

That Time We Were Trapped In Monument Valley

Hiking Angel’s Landing In Zion National Park

Arches National Park & A Surprising Stop In Moab!