Hotel At a Glance: Grand Lodge at Brian Head

The rustic Grand Lodge at Brian Head complements the surrounding red-rock formations and tree-covered mountains. Within its rich, wooden exterior hides a wealth of amenities. Go for a swim beneath the pool's gentle waterfall, which pours into colorfully lit water, or relax in the indoor and outdoor hot tubs. For an especially relaxing time, head to the Red Leaf Spa, whose staff will leave you rejuvenated with a massage or organic sugar sculpting. The Lift Bar & Patio also has plenty to offer—you can play billiards or enjoy drinks and appetizers by the outdoor patio's two fire pits. And when you're ready to explore the outdoors, you're steps from the Brian Head scenic lifts, 7 miles from Cedar Breaks National Monument, and a 90-minute drive from Zion National Park or Bryce Canyon National Park.

• Onsite steakhouse: Dig into a juicy ribeye or baby-back ribs at Leany's Steakhouse.
• Rustic accommodations are decorated with Mission-style furniture, exposed beams, and nature photography. Each room is also equipped with a microwave, a mini fridge, and free WiFi.
• Walk to Brian Head Ski Resort, where summer activities include hiking, mountain biking, or taking a scenic lift. Colder months offer ample skiing and snowboarding.
• Cedar Breaks National Monument: This national park just 7 miles away allows you to peer down a half-mile-deep rock formation or wander through a bristlecone pine forest at 10,000 feet elevation.

Brian Head, Utah: Views of the Red Rocks and World-Class Mountain Biking

One of the United States' highest towns, Brian Head is nestled amid southwest Utah's sprawling pine trees and sweeping mountain ranges. The tiny town has a population that hovers around 100, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in natural splendor. At 11,000 feet, Brian Head Resort draws skiers and snowboarders in the winter and mountain bikers in the summer. You might even find a relatively easy hike to the summit, where you can see mountains in Nevada and Arizona. Perhaps the best view here is of Utah's Red Rocks—miles of cliffs and canyons that cut a striking crimson figure against the horizon.

From Brian Head, you’re within easy driving distance of several national parks and monuments. One of the most famous is Cedar Breaks National Monument, where ancient rock formations create a natural amphitheater. Colorful limestone spires and crags characterize this landscape, which is home to yellow-bellied marmots, western big-eared bats, mountain lions, and other exotic wildlife. Less than a two-hour drive south, Zion National Park makes for a great day trip. Its 2,000-foot sandstone walls command immediate attention, but the park also encompasses pine groves, wildflowers, and porous rock formations, where natural water nurtures sprawling greenery. About 90 minutes east of the lodge is Bryce Canyon National Park, which is filled with red-rock formations called "hoodoos"—pieces of limestone, sandstone, and mudstone that have eroded over thousands of years into oddly shaped spires.

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