This Utah State Park Is a Less-crowded Alternative to Nearby National Parks-and It Was Named After How Photogenic It Is

""Kodachrome is known for its 67 monolithic spires that vary in shape, size, and color, and we have 15 miles of hiking trails with trail lengths varying from 0.5 miles to nine miles," park manager Brandon Baugh tells Travel + Leisure. So instead of hoodoos, like the ones you'll see in Bryce Canyon, the park features those aforementioned sandstone spires, or sedimentary pipes, and they range from six to 160 feet tall."

"And that's exactly how the park got its name. "Kodachrome" refers to the Kodak film known for its vibrant, rich colors. When a group from the National Geographic Society visited the park in 1948 to snap photos for the magazine, they allegedly gave it the nickname "Kodachrome Flat," after the landscape's own palette of contrasting colors. Later on, Kodak gave legal permission for the official name change."

Kodachrome Basin State Park covers 2,240 acres near Cannonville, Utah, and sits close to Bryce Canyon. The park recorded just under 180,000 visitors from July 2024 through July 2025, while Bryce Canyon receives nearly 2.5 million visitors annually. Kodachrome contains 67 monolithic sandstone spires, or sedimentary pipes, ranging from six to 160 feet tall. The park offers 15 miles of hiking trails with lengths from 0.5 to nine miles. The name comes from Kodachrome film after a 1948 National Geographic visit, and Kodak later approved the official name change. A $10 per-vehicle day-use fee grants access to vistas and trails.

Read at Travel + Leisure