Southern Utah Elopement Locations

State Parks Edition

Southern Utah is known for it’s Mighty 5 national parks. And many people choose to elope in Utah because of the national parks. But did you know we have many state parks that are just as pretty, if not more?! And they usually cost less to elope in! So, here are my top 5 state parks for Southern Utah elopement locations.

Sand Hollow State Park

Sand Hollow is SUCH an underrated location! Not only does it have the beautiful red rock that people come from all over the world to see, but there is also a reservoir that you can play! Plus, the water looks stunning against the red rocks. Sand Hollow doesn’t have wedding permits specific to the park. But if the elopement is more than a handful of people, you’ll have to get a Special Use Permit.

There are many activities that you can do in Sand Hollow:

• Boating
• Jet Skiing
• Paddle Boarding
• Kayaking
• Swimming
• Camping
• Fishing
• Picnicking
• Sand Boarding
• ATV and UTV Riding

Not only is there a ton of fun things to do in Sand Hollow, but it’s super close to St. George and Zion National Park! So you could totally make a whole trip out of your elopement and see many cool sites and do a bunch of fun activities! For more info about Sand Hollow State Park, visit their website or Utah.com!

Dead Horse Point State Park

Dead Horse Point has become a favorite of mine! As much as I love working in Arches and Canyonlands national parks when I am in Moab, the rangers have made it more and more difficult to elope in those parks. More-so Arches than Canyonlands. So I definitely recommend having your actual elopement ceremony outside of the national parks and then taking portraits in them before or after!

Dead Horse Point offers spectacular views similar to the Island in the Sky portion of Canyonlands. And there are often very few people there. It’s fairly easy to find spots where there are no tourists, and if there are, they’ve always been super polite and let my couples take photos without getting in the way.

There are also many activities to do in and around Moab, where Dead Horse Point is located. For more information on eloping in Moab, check out my blog Eloping in Moab!

Goblin Valley State Park

Goblin Valley State Park is a pretty otherworldly location. The park features thousands of hoodoos, referred to locally as goblins, which are formations of mushroom-shaped rock pinnacles, some as tall as several yards. With hoodoos everywhere, you may feel like you’re on another planet or in a Star Wars movie!

Goblin Valley sits nestled between Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef, so there’s a ton to do in and around the area! Just a few ideas for activities include:

• Stargazing (Utah has quite a few International Dark Sky Parks, and Goblin Valley happens to be one of them!
• Camping
• Canyoneering
• Mountain Biking
• Hiking
• Play Disc Golf

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Coral Pink Sand Dunes is such a cool park to visit! The park features uniquely pink-hued sand dunes located beside red sandstone cliffs. These dunes are estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 years old! If you are looking for a location that’s even more unique to what Utah has to offer, this might be the place for you!

Some activities that you can partake in while in the area are:

• ATV and UTV Riding
• Sand Boarding
• Hiking
• Camping
• Picnicking
• Sand Sledding

Snow Canyon State Park

Snow Canyon is located in Ivins, Utah in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, near Zion National Park. The park features a canyon carved from the red and white Navajo sandstone of the Red Mountains, as well as the extinct Santa Clara Volcano, lava tubes, lava flows, and sand dunes. Like a lot of locations here in Utah, Snow Canyon is rich in history dating back to AD 200 when Ancestral Puebloans inhabited the region, utilizing the canyon for hunting and gathering. Southern Paiute used the canyon from AD 1200 to the mid-19th century. And according to local stories, Mormon pioneers first came upon Snow Canyon in the 1850’s while looking for lost cattle.

Activities to think about when eloping in and near Snow Canyon State Park include:

• Hiking
• Camping
• Visit the sand dunes in the park
• Explore the lava tubes (caves made from where lava used to flow)
• Horseback Riding
• Bike Rides
• See a play or musical at Tuacahn Amphitheater
• Visit Gunlock Falls

There are many Southern Utah State Parks and these are just the top 5 I would recommend for elopement locations. If you are looking for a more mountainous location, be sure to check out my favorite Mountain State Parks here in Utah, next week!