August brings incredible beauty and potential danger in Utah's national park country. At dawn, as the sky turns amber, the air is usually cool and calm. But "monsoon-like" thunderstorms often boil up on August afternoons. These storms usually bring only virga - rain that evaporates before it hits the ground. It's a rare and glorious occasion when rain actually falls in our desert canyons.
Storms highlight the beauty of Zion Park. The cliffs and pinnacles, normally pastel, glisten with vibrant colors. Rainfall is channeled into streamlets, which cascade over the canyon walls as a thousand waterfalls.
It's awe-inspiring to see thunderstorms rumble across the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley. Watch lightning play across the sky over Arches or Canyonlands and you'll never forget the experience. It's better than Time Square on New Years Eve.
This is a great month to visit Utah. But take care because lightning can pose a real danger. And flash floods occasionally bounce boulders around as they tear through our canyons. Take cover in your vehicle or some low, sheltered spot if lightning moves close. Get off the high points. And never enter a narrow canyon if rain is likely in the drainage above. Often flash floods cause damage miles downstream from the area where it is actually raining.
High Country Escape
The Uinta Mountains in NE Utah provide a wonderful escape from summer's heat. These mountains are the antithesis of our red-rock deserts. They are the highest mountains in Utah and they shelter lush forests, over a thousand lakes and streams, and all kinds of wildlife. In the Uintas it rains almost every day - and it snows or hails on many summer days.
The Uintas offer hundreds of miles of backcountry and protected wilderness accessible only to backpackers and people packing with horses or llamas. A few roads skirt the edges of this area and provide access to countless campgrounds and trailheads, and waters teaming with trout. This is a paradise for fishermen and people who love wildlife.
The Flaming Gorge and Mirror Lake scenic byways (highways 191 and 150) cut across the Uintas on the east and west, respectively. The Mirror Lake Byway is a popular play spot for people from Utah's heavily populated Wasatch Front. It's a wonderful area but it's often crowded. The Flaming Gorge Byway is never crowded and provides access to more remote mountain areas, as well as spectacular Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the popular Green River blue-ribbon fishery.
If you have kids, you can’t visit this area without going dinosaur hunting. Dinosaur National Monument is located just a few miles east of Vernal, on the Utah/Colorado border. Hundreds of fossilized bones are exposed at the Monument’s main quarry. In Vernal, the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park also showcases a large collection of fossils, along with life-size replicas of dinosaurs.
– Dave Webb
Reprinted with permission from The Utah Office of Tourism
www.travel.utah.gov
Activities to Enjoy: |
| Hiking |
Golf |
ATVs |
Boating |
| Camping |
Ice Skating |
Biking |
Rafting |
| Hunting |
Wildlife |
Fall Colors |
Scenic Drives |
| Museums |
Lakes/Rivers |
Snowmobiling |
Dog Sledding |
| Horseback Riding |
Fresh Water Fishing |
| Climbing/Canyoneering |
Festivals/State Fairs |
| Alpine & Nordic Skiing/Snowboarding |
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