Utah’s most popular tourist attractions include the Mighty 5 National Parks, the Wasatch Mountain ski areas and … Richfield?
Maybe not yet, but the central Utah mining town of about 8,000 people has a lot going for it. It’s located in the crux of two interstates, I-15 and I-70. It’s three hours or less from most of the state’s population centers and portions of western Colorado. Plus, it’s surrounded by public lands, like Fishlake National Forest, that are teeming with trails, wildlife and otherworldly vistas.
In recent years, Richfield and nearby other towns in Sevier County have leaned into their sparsely-tapped potential as tourist destinations. Billing themselves as “Utah’s Trail Country,” they’ve built miles of mountain bike routes to add to an enormous and varied off-road network. They even offer sky trails via world-class paragliding around Monroe and a hot air balloon festival in Salina.
Here are five of the best ways to get off the beaten path in and around Richfield:
Rev up to explore the Paiute Trail
Richfield’s original tourist trail, the 275-mile multi-use route was established in 1990. It touches four counties and links in with other trail systems to create a network of nearly 3,000 miles of trails, mostly through the quaking aspen and pine of Fishlake National Forest or the red- and gold-painted hills of the Richfield BLM area. Some of the more mountainous trails are restricted to 50-inch-wide vehicles, but most are open to side-by-sides, ATVs, Jeeps and even equestrian and hikers. JP Sport Adventures offers guided tours.
Details: paiutetrails.com.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A biker rides along a popular trail outside Richfield on Friday, June 6, 2025.
Hold onto your handlebars on the Pahvant Trail System
Local mountain bikers set out to build this 38-mile network of cross country and flow trails for their own enjoyment in 2019. Word has since gotten out, however, and people now come from all over to test themselves on trails like Cairn-age, Telegraph and Kiln-It. The most renowned of the trails is Spinal Tap, an 18-mile flow trail that features more than 4,000 vertical feet of descent (compared to 450 feet of climbing). Earlier this year, Singletracks named it one of Utah’s top five biking trails.
Details: singletracktrails.com/utah-projects/pahvant-trail-system.
Sky’s the limit on adventure in Monroe
Central Utah has some of the most reliable flying weather in the Intermountain West, and Monroe has made taking advantage of that as easy as possible for paragliders. Monroe Mountain is a high-altitude launch site that’s accessible by 2-wheel-drive vehicles and offers enough open space to allow gliders to coast for miles. For the past four years, Monroe has served as the base for the Global Rescue XRedRocks, a four-day adventure race that bills itself as “the premiere hike and fly race in North America.” The next competition is set for Sept. 24-27.
Details: cuasa.com/monroe-peak OR xredrocks.com.
Hot air balloons on the rise in Salina
Reliable flying weather lifts more than mortals, it’s also good for hot air balloons. Every Father’s Day weekend since 2007, the tiny town of Salina has hosted the free Eyes to the Sky Balloon Festival. In addition to a daily breakfast followed by the launch of 25 balloons, it includes a street fair, concerts and a carnival. Those wanting to go up themselves may be able reserve rides before and after the festival. According to the event website, expect to pay about $500 per person.
Details: eyestotheskyballoonfestival.com.
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Pando, located in the Fishlake National Forest is the largest tree in the world by weight, species and and mass, July 26, 2023.
Turn over a new leaf inside Pando
The world’s largest living organism by size and mass resides just 45 minutes from Richfield at the southeastern tip of Fish Lake. Pando appears to be a grove of quaking aspen, but is actually more than 40,000 stems sprouting off of the same root system. Visitors can drive through the aspen clones and camp there at Doctor Creek. The 20-mile Lakeshore National Recreation Trail offers views of the grove from within and afar.
Details: fs.usda.gov/r04/fishlake.