Utah is home to some of the most epic and scenic National Parks in the United States. These five National Parks include: Zion, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, and Bryce Canyon - commonly known as the "Mighty Five". You'll want to purchase the Annual National Parks Pass-America the Beautiful - it's $80, which pays for itself in 2-3 NP's. You can purchase it in advance, or at your first National Park stop.
I'm going to share my six day, road trip itinerary, starting in Las Vegas. Vegas is a common (and cheap) place for people to fly into who are going to visit Zion, and it also makes a good "layover" for those driving from other areas like I did.
My itinerary makes somewhat of a loop, so that it breaks up the driving throughout the whole trip, not just on the way out. I also highly, HIGHLY, recommend exploring the parks in the early mornings and evenings - this is when the light is the most magical, there's fewer crowds, and then you can spend the middle of the day driving.
Day 1: Drive from Las Vegas to Zion National Park (about a 2hr and 30min drive)
Zion National Park is Utah's oldest National Park, and the most visited; you'll want to try to avoid going on a weekend, and regardless, try to get into the park as early as possible! You can also time it with your shuttle reservation time-slot.
Due to the large amount of visitors to Zion National Park, there is now shuttle bus system to help reduce traffic and parking problems. The shuttle buses operate during the popular tourism months which now run from February through November; I would recommend getting your shuttle ticket(s) a month in advance as they only release a smaller amount the day before. To see the official shuttle dates and times, view the NPS Shuttle System page.
If you miss your chance to reserve shuttle tickets, or want to get into the park before the first shuttle, another fun option is to rent a bike/e-bike from Zion Cycles, Zion Peddler, Ebikes Zion, or Zion Outfitter.
Here are some of my favorite/must do hikes in Zion:
Easy(ish):
Emerald Pools (1.2-mile round-trip loop to the Lower Pool; 2-mile round-trip visit to the Middle and Lower Pools; 2.5-mile round-trip hike to all 3)
Canyon Overlook Trail (1.5 miles) - great for a sunrise or sunset!
East Rim Trail to Observation Point (7.15 miles)
Difficult:
The Narrows (2.5 - 4.5 miles, depending on how far you go) - If you go when it's colder, you'll want to rent cold water wading gear from Zion Outfitter.
Angels Landing (4.8 miles) - Because of increasing popularity (and for safety), you now have to have a permit to hike Angels Landing, which can be secured on recreation.gov. Seasonal lotteries take place during January, April, and July. There are also a fewer amount of permits released on day before lotteries.
** Both the Narrows and Angels Landing can take between 4-6hrs to complete.
If you have the time (and are wanting to do both), I would recommend staying
an extra night, so that you have two days at Zion NP, making this a seven day trip. **
For more details about Zion NP, including lodging and where to eat,
check out my Zion National Park blog post.
Day 2: Zion National Park to Capitol Reef National Park (about a 3hr and 30min drive)
Start Day 2 with one of the easier hikes in Zion - I enjoyed sunrise at Canyon Overlook Trail. Moving your body first thing in the morning in such an epic place is not only a great way to start your day, but nice to do before making the drive to Capitol Reef NP.
Capitol Reef Nation Park is truly overlooked/underrated in my opinion. It's a bit more isolated, and more "difficult" to get to... but you know what that means?! Fewer crowds!!
Some of my favorite views and hikes in Capitol Reef:
Scenic Byway + Capital Gorge Drive - You can enjoy these views right from your car! There are many places for you to get out for photo ops, but no hiking required.
Cassidy Arch Trail (3.1 miles)
Goosenecks + Sunset Point (1 - 2.5 miles) - it's in the name, but this is a great spot for sunset!
Hickman Bridge Trail (2 miles)
Petroglyphs - Native American carvings/engravings in the rock.
For more details about Capitol Reef NP, including lodging and where to eat,
check out my Capitol Reef National Park blog post.
Day 3: Capitol Reef Nation Park to Canyonlands Nation Park (about a 2hr and 30min drive), with a stop at Goblin Valley State Park
Start Day 3 with a stop to view some of the Petroglyphs and hike the Hickman Bridge trail before hitting the road. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend stopping at Goblin Valley State Park on your way to Canyonlands - you will need to pay to get in, as your National Parks Pass doesn't work for State Parks. It's a little bit of a detour, but it's such a neat area - kind of feels like you're on Mars! There's actually the Mars Desert Research Station nearby.
Canyonlands National Park is carved by the Colorado River, and is a very large park with different sections (that you can't all access from within the park) - a whopping 337,598 acres. It reminds me so much of the Grand Canyon! I only spent time in the more common area, Island in the Sky. The other areas include, Needles, the Maze, and Horseshoe Canyon.
Here are some of my favorite/must do hikes in Canyonlands:
Grand View Point + White Rim Overlook
Mesa Arch (.5 miles)
Shafer Canyon Viewpoint
If you have some time, making another stop at Dead Horse Point State Park is worthwhile. Again, you'll need to pay a separate fee to get into a State Park.
For more details about Canyonlands NP, including lodging and where to eat,
check out my Canyonlands National Park blog post.
Day 4: Arches National Park
Because of the proximity of Canyonlands NP to Arches NP, you'll be able to stay two nights in the same place: Moab! This is the largest town you'll stay in on the road trip (other than Las Vegas, of course), and has a variety of lodging options and places to eat.
With over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, the highest density of natural arches in the world, Arches National Park has so much to see and explore! You'll also want to make sure you take advantage of some incredible star gazing at night! Here are some of my favorite + must do hikes and views:
Spur Trail (1.2 miles) - Double Arch, Windows, + Turret Arch (incredible arches and views in such a small area).
Garden of Eden
Arches Scenic Drive - You can enjoy these views right from your car! There are many places for you to get out for photo ops, including La Sal Mountains Viewpoint and Balanced Rock.
Sand Dune Arch (.4 miles)
Delicate Arch (3 miles) - as seen on Utah's license plate! I recommend going for sunrise or sunset - another NP to try to avoid on weekends due to crowds.
If you want to escape the crowds and explore hidden parts of Arches National Park, book a ticket on the ranger-led Fiery Furnace tour.
For more details about Arches NP, including lodging and where to eat,
check out my Arches National Park blog post.
Day 5: Arches National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park (about a 4hr drive), with a stop at Mystic Hot Springs
Make one more stop through Arches during Sunrise. I've said it before and I'll say it again, these National Parks at sunrise and sunset are EPIC!! On your way to Bryce Canyon, you can breakup the drive with a relaxing stop at Mystic Hot Springs in Monroe, UT; you'll need to book a soaking pass in advance.
The BEST hiking trail in Bryce Canyon is Queens Garden Trail to Navajo Loop/Wall Street (3 miles). Since it's a giant loop of connected trails, you can choose to go clockwise or counter-clockwise; if you have bad knees like me, and going down steep hills can be painful, I'd recommend going clockwise.
Other great hikes and viewpoints in Bryce Canyon:
Peekaboo Loop Trail (5.2 miles)
Mossy Cave Trail (.8 miles)
Inspiration Point, Bryce Point, Rainbow Point, and Sunrise and Sunset Point.
Natural Bridge
For more details about Bryce Canyon NP, including lodging and where to eat,
check out my Bryce Canyon National Park blog post.
Day 6: Bryce Canyon National Park to Las Vegas (about a 4hr drive)
Say farewell to your "Mighty Five" tour with a little star gazing and sunrise at Sunrise Point before hitting the road back to Sin City! You can also easily start/end your road trip from Salt Lake City, UT; I would just alter the order of the parks a bit and go:
Zion --> Bryce Canyon --> Capitol Reef --> Arches/Canyonlands.
Utah’s “Mighty Five” National Parks are truly some of the best National Parks
in the United States, and they make for the perfect road trip!
From easy to difficult hikes and scenic drives, six days in these National Parks
highlight the best that Southern Utah has to offer.
Trip Additions
There’s so much to see in the Southwest beyond the “Mighty Five” National Parks. If you have extra time, explore the Slot Canyons in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument or journey to Arizona’s most popular marvel: The Grand Canyon!
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