The granddaddy of all Utah road trips is the Grand Circle. It’s a comprehensive tour of all five national parks in the state — plus throwing in the Grand Canyon for good measure. You also get a chance to see Lake Powell, Monument Valley, and the Grand Staircase. The Grand Circle Tour covers a lot of ground, but is not to be missed.

Those of us at the Red River Ranch know a lot of different ways to make this journey. Some are better than others. In this Blog, we’ve compiled the best information to create “The Lodge’s Best of the Grand Circle.” You can start from any point on the map, and circle back to where you began. Read More

Southern Utah has some of the greatest scenic highways in the nation. We at the Lodge love driving the Capitol Reef Scenic Highway, Zion National Park Scenic Highway, and all the other scenic routes in and around our national parks. There are quite a lot of them, and each one offers something for everyone.

Many scenic drives can be found on the way to our national parks. Working these routes into your road trip is always worth the few extra miles. We have a couple of favorite scenic highways you should try. Read More

We love the history of the Old West. For us, nothing provides a glimpse into that world like a ghost town. Southern Utah during the 19th century was a harsh and dangerous place, and many settlements were abandoned for a number of reasons. Drought, flooding, and other natural disasters took their toll on the inhabitants. Indian conflict and lawlessness could force the entire population to abandon the town. At times the people just left without apparent reason and sometimes vanished without a trace.

These are three of our favorite ghost town sites. They can be easily incorporated into a trip from the Lodge at the Red River Ranch on your way to Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, or Zion National Parks. Read More

Goblin Valley State Park makes a great day trip from the Lodge at Red River Ranch. It only takes about an hour to get there, and can be easily accessed from Highway 24.

Goblin Valley is a large basin filled with hoodoos. These sandstone formations are the work of countless years of erosive forces. Many Indian tribes are known to have lived in this region, and they almost certainly knew about its location. Some authorities believe various tribes regarded Goblin Valley as a sacred place. It wasn’t until the end of the 1920s that Goblin Valley was “discovered” by Arthur Chaffin. After his full exploration, Goblin Valley soon became an exciting destination for tourists. It was made an official state park in 1964.
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