For decades, one of the favorite pastimes of Americans across the country has been to take a drive through the beautiful fall leaves, to see the pops of red, yellow, green and orange as the seasons change. As development has spread, it’s more difficult to find these in residential areas, but, fortunately for Utahns, there’s no shortage of canyons full of beautiful colors to see this fall. Here are our top five drives for fall colors, in order from north to south.

5. Logan Canyon – Connecting Bear Lake and Cache Valley, Logan Canyon is the farthest north on our list, and has plenty to offer. Driving alongside the Logan River for most of the way, Logan Canyon eventually leads to Garden City on the western shores of Bear Lake through the beautiful foothills and vistas of the Bear River Mountains. It’s a longer drive, but one guaranteed to have a great show of color.

4. Box Elder/Sardine Canyon – Colloquially dubbed Sardine Canyon, Box Elder Canyon, which leads from the Wasatch Front and Brigham City to Logan is one of the wider-open canyons on this list. Despite that, the rolling hills and mountains on the drive from Brigham City to Logan offer plenty of fall leaves to look at with unobstructed views. Stop by and grab some Aggie Ice Cream while you’re there! 

3. Parleys Canyon – This canyon, which connects Salt Lake and Summit Counties provides some significant elevation change, and therefore some of the earliest color changes on the trees. The beautiful contrast between the pines and deciduous trees on the drive provides a backdrop worthy of a Bob Ross painting. 

2. Provo Canyon – The quickest way from Provo and Orem to Heber, Provo Canyon has one thing all of the canyons on our list don’t - Bridal Veil Falls. Encompassed by trees with leaves changing colors, this beautiful, and staggeringly tall waterfall offers views that can’t be found anywhere else, even in fall-famous New England. 

1. Spanish Fork Canyon – Our farthest-south canyon is one of the longer drives as well, but well worth the effort. One of the most efficient ways to get down to Moab, and the National Parks in the Southeastern part of the state, Spanish Fork Canyon gives drivers a diverse ecology, shifting from deciduous and coniferous forests to the deserts of Carbon County. It’s a long drive, but a beautiful one, and on the way to some of the best parks in the nation.

There are many other places to see the fall leaves of course, but canyons and these canyons in particular promise to be saturated with amazing, vibrant colors this fall. Don’t miss out, and head up before it’s too late, and the leaves have all dropped. Remember, leaves at higher elevations will change their colors sooner than in the valleys, many are already starting to change.