5 Charming And Walkable Utah Downtowns To Visit, According To Travelers

In recent years, Utah has made a name for itself as a top state for outdoor recreation, with only two states making more money off winter sports. With 4,468 miles of hiking trails and 14,548 miles of mountain bike trails, it's become a premier destination for hikers, bikers, and outdoorsy folks in general looking to heed the call of a snow-capped mountain or red cliff mesa.

While Utah's diverse natural scenery — which includes vibrant sandstone hoodoos at Goblin Valley State Park and tranquil mountain lakes hidden in the Wasatch Mountains — grabs all the headlines, Utah's numerous small towns are worth seeking out as well. Many of Utah's historic hamlets have walkable downtowns and are tucked a short drive away from the state's five national parks. This means you can easily make a pitstop to tour a local gallery or grab a scoop of handmade ice cream on your way to hike the Narrows at Zion or mountain bike the canyons at Moab.

Below are five historical small towns that have some of the most enchanting walkable downtowns in Utah. All were chosen for their quaint charm and proximity to other popular Utah attractions, such as major cities or national parks. 

Many people's view of Springdale is limited to the glimpse they may catch out their car windows as they pass through on their way to the red-ribbed sandstone cliffs of Zion National Park. While many towns advertise themselves as the gateway to such-and-such national park, Springdale is located literally just outside the Zion gates (at the park's south entrance, to be exact). The town's picturesque beauty makes it worth stopping in for huevos rancheros at Oscar's Cafe, a post-hike celebratory beverage at Zion Canyon Brewery, or a stroll through the town's assorted art galleries and souvenir shops.

The vast majority of the shops and restaurants are located on the same 2-mile stretch of State Route 9, making it possible to walk the entire downtown in just an hour or two. The best time for a stroll is at sunset, when you'll see the cliffs that soar over the town glow a fiery red.

If people outside of Utah have heard of Panguitch, it may be because of its proximity to Bryce Canyon National Park, which has helped earn it a reputation for outdoor adventure. Panguitch, which comes from the Paiute term for "big fish," sits near Dixie National Forest, as well as Panguitch Lake, a popular fishing destination. 

While you may have landed in Panguitch as a jumping off point for your hiking or camping adventure, you may want to stick around to explore the town's historic downtown. Panguitch is small — just over 3 square miles — but the town's English and Dutch-inspired architecture and historic brick houses, which date as far back as 1880, make it a charming place for a pitstop ahead of your entry into Bryce Canyon, which is just 25 miles away. 

Catch a movie at the Panguitch Gem Theater, which is a quirky, family-owned movie theater that sells tamales, handmade ice cream, and locally sourced rocks, and shop for turquoise jewelry and souvenirs at Bryce Canyon Trading Post. Afterward, you can fill up on pulled pork and homemade cobbler at Cowboy's Smokehouse Cafe.

If you're looking for a historic town with a classic western vibe, then Kanab may be your perfect choice. Nicknamed "Little Hollywood," Kanab is surrounded by surreal landscapes of slot canyons, sand dunes, and pink sandstone mesas, all of which have helped secure it as a filming location for dozens of movies, including "Planet of the Apes" (the original and the 2001 remake) and "The Flintstones," as well as TV shows like "The Lone Ranger." While walking the tree-lined streets of downtown, you'll want to pop into The Little Hollywood Movie Museum, which is a free exhibit that lets you explore the actual set pieces from some of the movies and TV shows that were filmed in and around Kanab. 

For a different type of star gazing, tour companies and the local Stella Vista Observatory offer nighttime "star parties." Kanab's isolated location makes it ideal for viewing the night sky. While Kanab is located just 40 miles from Zion National Park, it's a full 80 miles from the closest city, St. George. 

Also located downtown is the Kanab Heritage House Museum, which is located inside an 1894 Victorian-era home and provides historical insights into Southern Utah's unique cultural heritage. After your tour, you can stop in for lunch at the Rocking V Cafe, a popular downtown hotspot that serves new American cuisine in an artsy, southwestern atmosphere.

Located just about 1 hour, 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas, St. George, Utah, is a great place for Vegas locals to flee if they're craving some small-town charm. With a population of 207,943, St. George is actually southern Utah's largest city, though you'd never realize this while walking the city's quaint downtown. With its tree-lined streets, historic statues, old-time carousel, and Stars Hollow-like gazebo, the downtown feels more like a small town in New England from a bygone era than anything you might find in a desert city. 

Although St. George has a lot to offer tourists in the form of history or hiking, its proximity to Las Vegas and Zion National Park means that many people only see St. George as they stop to refuel along the freeway. However, hidden under the shadows of the red desert cliffs that surround the city is the string of restaurants, mom-and-pop boutiques, antique stores, and Mormon temples that make up the historic downtown. A good place to end your walk is the centrally located Town Square Park. On warm days, you can cool your feet in the park's lazy river or enjoy a cold drink by the fountain. 

Out of all the small towns in Utah, Park City is one of the most famous, thanks in no small part to the film festival that's hosted there annually. During the Sundance Film Festival, held each year at the end of January, this snowy village — that has a population of a little over 8,000 — sees a flood of actors, directors, and fans from all over the world crowd into the town's pizzerias, coffee shops, and wine bars before and after showtimes.

Park City is also wonderful to visit throughout the rest of the year. Located in the Wasatch Mountains just 45 minutes from the Salt Lake City International Airport, Park City is a popular destination for skiing in the winter and horseback riding and mountain biking in the summer. Its historic downtown has over 200 businesses, including the popular High West Saloon, Atticus Coffee & Teahouse, and the Park City Museum. At the museum, visitors can take a thorough look into Park City's history as a once prosperous silver mining town. 

Since it's located in the most expensive zip code in the state, Park City has earned a reputation as a luxury travel destination (you can buy both lululemon and a Rolex on Main Street), but the old Victorian architecture and wood-and-brick storefront facades provide enough wild west charm to counteract some of the modern opulence.

In reviewing what other travel publications had included in their lists of top walkable Utah downtowns, we noticed that many of these roundups included downtowns located in cities. This makes sense, since several of Utah's cities earn high scores in walkability. However, walkability relates to so much more than the ability to get from Point A to Point B safely and comfortably on foot. In our minds, these downtowns needed to have an element of history and quaint charm that make them a pleasant place to spend an afternoon.

Thus, we shifted our focus, scouring blogs and travel videos on YouTube to find small towns that fit our criteria. We wanted to select small towns that were close to some of Utah's other major attractions, like Salt Lake City or Zion National Park, so that travelers could easily squeeze in a visit during a cross-state road trip. We also wanted these towns to be destinations unto themselves. This meant that they needed to either play an interesting part in Utah's history or have something that makes them unique, whether it be the natural scenery, the mom-and-pop shops, or highly rated food. While this article relied on research from articles, TripAdvisor, and Yelp reviews, it also leaned heavily on the author's own lived experience, as she has personally traveled to all but one of the towns on this list.