Eugene Swalberg and Justina Parsons-Bernstein share fun date ideas that will get you outside enjoying all of the amazing scenery Utah has to offer.
Great Dates in Utah State Parks for Valentine’s Day and Beyond!
I Think You Are Out of This World!
Utah State Parks preserve some of the darkest skies in the State. So get away from the city glare and head out with the light of your life for a romantic star gazing date. Wasatch State Park is hosting a Moonlight Snowshoe Hike on February 19th. Snow Canyon State Park is offering special Moonlight Hikes on February 19thand February 20th and Star Walk on March 4th. Dead Horse Point will conduct a Guided Constellation Tour on March 5th. As the weather gets warmer, look for more of our parks around the state to offer special celestial events. (See Photo)
Is Our Love Tepee or Not Tepee? Because Yurt My One and Only!
Camping with your snuggle bunny in February is no problem in one of our luxurious yurts—complete with heat, furniture and a kitchenette. Goblin Valley, East Canyon and Dead Horse Point State Parks all have yurts. If cabins are more your style, Hyrum, East Canyon, Jordanelle, Wasatch Mountain, Starvation, Steinaker, Green River and Yuba State Parks all offer cute, comfy cabins with beautiful views. And for the truly adventurous, when it warms up a bit, you should try camping out in one of our new tepees at Red Fleet, Scofield or Fremont State Parks. (See Photos)
Wild Thing, I Think I Love You!
If you love a wild thing or love someone who loves wild things, capture their heart forever by taking them on the guided “I Love Nature Valentine’s Hike” on Antelope Island State Park’s beautiful Lakeside Trail where you are likely to cross paths with bison, pronghorn, coyote and variety of raptors and other wintering birds. The hike is Saturday, February 13th at 10:00 a.m. OR grab your binoculars and cameras and create your very own Wildlife Watching Safari at any of our states parks. (See Photos)
At Last I Found Love!
Take the love you’ve found and go out for a Geocaching or GPS Date. Grab your GPS device and walk hand-in-hand through beautiful orange sand dunes in search of the ancient ponderosa forest that is hidden in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. The park’s visitor center has the brochure with the coordinates for the hike. Also, most of our state parks have official geocaches. Get out and try to find the caches at Anasazi, Camp Floyd, Deer Creek, East Canyon, Fremont, Green River, Huntington, Jordanelle, Kodachrome, Millsite, Piute, Quail Creek, Rockport, Scofield, Snow Canyon, Territorial State House, Utah Field House of Natural History, Utah Lake, Wasatch Mountain and Yuba State Parks.
You’ve Got Me Raptor ‘Round Your Finger!
Utah State Parks can help make your love life “Saur”. Fill your daypack with a paleo diet picnic, strap on some snowshoes and head out on Red Fleet State Park’s Dinosaur Tracksite Trail. You will literally be following in the footsteps of giants! Another way to cram 200 million years of fun into one date is to visit the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum. You can take some great selfies with lifelike replications of extinct species in the dinosaur garden or pose under the heart space of the 90 ft. long Diplodocus in the Museum’s rotunda. And if a bouquet is more your Valentine’s style, take your date on a hike to the Petrified Forest in Escalante State Park. The site of all those ancient trees are sure to rock their world.
Even When We’re Old As Dirt I’ll Still Love You!
Utah State Parks encompass some of the most fascinating geological spots on the planet. The spectacular layered scenery at Goosenecks State Park, Goblin Valley State Park, Kodachrome State Park, Escalante State Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Sand Hollow State Park, and Snow Canyon State Park, just to name a few, will be sure to take your date’s breath away—and that will give you an excuse to administer some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
I’m hooked on you!
Take your sweetheart ice fishing! Utah State Parks are some of the best places to undertake this unique winter event and the bonus is you will have a great excuse to huddle up close together. Check out current ice conditions before you head out to East Canyon State Park, Deer Creek State Park, Jordanelle State Park, Rockport State Park, Starvation State Park, Steinaker State Park, Red Fleet State Park, Scofield State Park, Huntington State Park, Millsite State Park, and Otter Creek State Park.
We Need S’More Alone Time Together!
Whether you are rekindling an old flame, stoking your current relationship or want to act on a burning desire for someone new, you can’t go wrong with a State Parks S’Mores date with your sweetie. Grab the most delicious box of Valentine’s candy you can find and load up on graham crackers and marshmallows and head out to the State Park with a sanctioned fire pit or fire grill closest to you.
To find out more about the Utah State Parks events mentioned above, visit the website: stateparks.utah.gov and look for the events tab under the park you are interested in visiting. For camping reservations, visit the website www.reservamerica.com or call the reservation hotline at 1-800-322-3770.
