Duke's Slickrock Campground and RV Park

However empty Utah’s south might look in your atlas, it’s packed with things to do and sights to make your jaw drop. For a quick intro, drive 20 minutes for a look at the Mars Desert Research Station, where astronauts train in conditions a bit like those in outer space. The research station is on the way to the Capitol Reef National Park (half an hour from Duke’s), so named because one of its many weird rock formations looks just like the US Capitol. The park’s eastern edge is the most accessible, for trout fishing on the Fremont, scenic drives and hikes through the towering monoliths of Cathedral Valley. More compact, but even more alien, Goblin Valley State Park (40 minutes) features on many a magazine cover and scifi film poster for its gnome-like red sandstone structures, sculpted over millions of years. As far-out as it looks, the park is fitted out with seven miles of well-maintained walking and mountain biking trails. To get up high, head for the Henry Mountains (45 minutes), a range of around two million square miles whose highest point, Mt Ellen is over 11,000 feet. The area is full of wildlife, from mule deer to antelope and mountain lions, and Mt Ellen’s South Summit draws visitors keen for a view of the bison herds. If you're hunting history, it's a 15-minute drive to the ghost town of Giles (abandoned in 1922), and half an hour to Robber's Roost Canyon, the preferred hideout of Butch Cassidy.