Here’s Why Some Describe Utah as Visiting a Different Planet

A travel site has a new top ten list of the best road trips to show off the USA. These include the Pacific Coast Highway up the coast of California to Seattle, The Blue Ridge Parkway through the Appalachians, and Scenic Byway 12 in Utah. 

Parts of Utah Look Like an Alien Landscape 

This route through Utah starts in Panguitch and winds through the middle part of the state eventually winding up near the Capitol Reef entrance. It is nationally recognized as one of the best scenic drives in the U.S. 

This one road also puts you near Bryce Canyon National Park and near historical locations like Hole in the Rock and Hell’s Backbone, two places important in Utah’s history. It is some unreal country that is often compared to driving through Mars. 

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The Geological Explanation for Utah’s Unique Landscape 

To understand why Utah has so many red rocks sticking out of the ground that makes it feel like another planet, you have to understand how the ground was lifted in the past. The Colorado Plateau is an area that was pushed up according to geologists. 

Think of it like the land was tilted and water cut through the edges leaving the rock exposed. This gives Bryce its cliffs and hoo doos. It is where the deep canyons were cut through by retreating water and it exposed the rock in amazing ways. 

Read More: Tiny Utah Town Went Viral For This Street View

Scenic Byway 12 is a great way to see these geologic processes up close. It is inspiring and it does feel like you are visiting another planet.