*All photos are protected by copyright and the property of Briana Nickas unless they are stock photos or otherwise noted.

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Click on the map for details of each of the Utah National Parks

Utah National Parks Road Trip Itinerary

For a Utah National Parks road trip, Las Vegas is a great starting point. You can fly into Vegas and spend a few days there if you have the time before renting a car and driving up to Utah to begin your National Parks of Utah road trip.

I recommend hitting up Zion National Park first and work your way over to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Then you can circle back through Page, AZ for some must-see places there while you’re at it!

PRO TIP: Use the RoadTrippers app or website to find other interesting stops along the way with the Trip Planner. For $5 OFF the Pro Version, use this coupon code: BTR5QTP!

PRO TIP: Get an America the Beautiful Pass to access all the National Parks in Utah. The Interagency Annual Pass is just $80 and covers the entrance fees to all the National Parks and more than 2,000 federal recreation sites in the U.S. for one year. It would cost you $150 to pay the separate entrance fees at each of the Utah National Parks, so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth with the pass! Plus, you can use it for the rest of the year at other National Parks throughout the United States!

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DAY 1: Zion National Park (Drive from Las Vegas, NV)

Campground

Zion River Resort in Virgin, UT

This campground is about a 20-minute drive from Zion National Park but worth it. This is one of our favorite RV parks of all the campgrounds we’ve stayed at in the country!

Zion National Park

Location: Springdale, UT

Entrance Fee: FREE with America the Beautiful Pass OR $35 for private vehicles and all passengers (15 or less) for 7 days

If I had to choose a favorite out of the National Parks in Utah, it would have to be Zion. The scenery is stunning and there’s so much to explore! Plus, there are some truly unique hiking trails in Zion that make it a must for hikers.

The drive from Las Vegas to Zion National Park is only about 2.5 hours. So if you get an early enough start, you can have plenty of time to start exploring Zion on the first day. Parking is extremely limited in Zion National Park, but there’s a shuttle system to get you around the Park.

For your first day in Zion, I recommend starting with a fairly easy hike and one of my favorites: the Canyon Overlook Trail. The short trail will take you to a lookout point featuring an incredible canyon view!

Canyon Overlook Trail

Distance: 1.0-mile roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Easy-Moderate

Hiking Time: 1 hour

Trail Access: There’s no shuttle service to this hike, so you’ll need to drive to the trailhead located by the east entrance of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel on the right side. There are very few parking spots, so be prepared to circle around as you wait for a spot to open up.

Another trail you can hike on your first day in Zion National Park (if you’re up to it, have the time, and aren’t scared of heights) is the Hidden Canyon Trail. This trail provides nice views of the valley below and a small arch at the end. 

But it’s a little longer and more strenuous with switchbacks. There are also narrow cliff ledges with steep drop-offs and chains to hold on to. This is why you may want to skip this trail if heights aren’t your thing.

Hidden Canyon Trail via the East Rim Trail

Distance: 2.5-miles roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Hiking Time: 2.5 hours

Trail Access: Shuttle Stop #7 (Weeping Rock). The trailhead for the East Rim Trail is located across the footbridge adjacent to the parking lot.

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DAY 2: Zion National Park

For the second day of your Utah National Parks road trip, I suggest spending more time in Zion National Park and hiking one of the most popular trails in the Park: the Narrows!

This is a fun and unique trail that takes you through a canyon up the Virgin River. In fact, the majority of the trail is actually in the river itself! You’ll be walking, wading, and possibly even swimming through the river.

There are two different routes you can take in the Narrows – from the Bottom Up or the Top Down. The Bottom Up option for hiking the Narrows does not require a permit, unlike the Top Down option.

The Narrows – From the Bottom Up

Distance: up to 9.4-miles roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Hiking Time: 1-8 hours depending on how far you want to go

Trail Access: Shuttle Stop #9 (Temple of Sinawava)

Heads-up: the water is FREEZING! So you’re going to want waterproof hiking gear, such as waterproof pants, socks, and shoes. You’ll also want to have a walking stick. It will help you navigate the slippery rocks in the river and keep your balance in the flowing water. 

You can rent gear for hiking the Narrows in the town of Springdale outside the entrance to Zion National Park. But if you’re into hiking, it’s worth it to buy your own. I highly recommend the following:

• waterproof hiking boots (I use and love these ones – they’re lightweight, super comfy, and have excellent traction!)

• neoprene socks

• waterproof phone case

• waterproof pouch for small items like keys

• waterproof bag to carry all your hiking gear

There aren’t any particular viewpoints or special sights in the Narrows. It’s all about the journey. So you can stop at any point or keep going as far as 9.4-miles roundtrip. I made it about 6-miles roundtrip (and 4 of those miles were in the Virgin River).

Traversing the river while being surrounded by towering canyon walls was such an amazing experience! Definitely fit hiking the Narrows into your itinerary if you can.

WORD OF CAUTION for Hiking the Narrows: Be sure to check the weather forecast including the flash flood potential beforehand! If there’s a chance of rain, save this hike for another day. Flash floods are a real possibility and extremely dangerous (even deadly).

*For more amazing hikes in Zion National Park like Angels Landing and the Subway, be sure to see my post with the Top 5 Hikes in Zion National Park for Hiking Enthusiasts!

DAY 3: Bryce Canyon National Park (Drive from Zion National Park)

Campground

Ruby’s Inn RV Park & Campground in Bryce Canyon, UT

We love how woodsy this campground is as well as how close it is to Bryce Canyon National Park (just 1 mile away)!

Bryce Canyon National Park

Location: Bryce, UT

Entrance Fee: FREE with America the Beautiful Pass OR $35 for private vehicles and all passengers (15 or less) for 7 days

Bryce Canyon National Park is a close second when it comes to my favorites for the National Parks in Utah. One of the reasons is because it’s probably the most unique National Park I’ve been to. 

Bryce Canyon has the largest concentration of hoodoos found on Earth. In case you’re wondering what hoodoos are, they’re tall, thin spires of rock rising up from the ground. The out-of-this-world hoodoos will make you feel like you’re on a completely different planet! Repeat after me: Hoodoos are awesome!

After driving about 1.5 hours from Zion National Park to Canyon Bryce National Park, I recommend starting your day in Bryce Canyon National Park with a hike. That way you can get up close and personal with the mysterious hoodoos. 

We did the Figure 8 Combination Trail which combines three separate trails (Queen’s Garden, Peekaboo Loop, and Navajo Loop) into one incredible hike! 

During the hike, we couldn’t stop saying “WOW!” It was simply spectacular! The detail and crimson-orange shades of the otherworldly sandstone shapes are mind-blowing.

Figure 8 Combination Trail

Distance: 6.4-miles roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours

Trail Access: Since this trail is a loop, you can start at either Sunrise Point or Sunset Point and end at the other point. We started at Sunset Point.

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If that’s too long for you though or you’re short on time, I would just do the Peekaboo Loop. That was our favorite section of the Figure 8 Combination Trail and features the Wall of Windows.

Peekaboo Loop Trail

Distance: 5.5-miles roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Hiking Time: 3-4 hours

Trail Access: Bryce Point

End the day with the scenic drive to catch the sunset from the stunning viewpoints along the way. Drive the entire 18 miles of the Park’s main road to Rainbow Point at the end. 

Then start heading back towards the Park entrance stopping at the overlooks to take in the incredible views of hoodoos stretching for miles.

The four main viewpoints are located in the Bryce Amphitheater within the first few miles of the Park: Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point. 

PRO TIP: Take the short walk to the upper level of Inspiration Point (0.5-mile roundtrip) for the best panoramic view of the Park!

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DAY 4: Capitol Reef National Park (Drive from Bryce Canyon National Park)

Campground

Wonderland RV Park in Torrey, UT

This campground has large grassy sites and views of the red cliffs in the background. Plus, it’s just 3 miles to Capitol Reef National Park.

Capitol Reef National Park

Location: Torrey, UT

Entrance Fee: FREE with America the Beautiful Pass OR $20 for private vehicles and all passengers for 7 days

The lesser-known Capitol Reef National Park is the least-visited of the National Parks in Utah. But it’s still a sight to see and deserves some exploration!

It’ll take you about 2 hours to drive from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef National Park. When you reach Capitol Reef, keep driving to take in the 7.9-mile scenic drive and appreciate the desert landscape.

Next up: hike one of the many trails! My favorite hike in Capitol Reef National Park is the Cassidy Arch Trail featuring expansive scenic views and a large natural stone arch.

 FUN FACT: Cassidy Arch is named after Butch Cassidy who reportedly had a hideout in the area!

Cassidy Arch Trail

Distance: 3.4-miles roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Hiking Time: 2-3 hours

Trail Access: From the Grand Wash trailhead

If the Cassidy Arch Trail is too much for you or you have some extra time, do the shorter hike to Hickman Bridge. The trail offers fabulous canyon views and loops under the 133-foot span of Hickman Bridge.

Hickman Bridge Trail

Distance: 1.8-miles roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Hiking Time: 1-2 hours

Trail Access: Hickman Bridge Trailhead

After your hike(s), stop in the Fruita Historic District and visit the Fruit Orchards where you may be able to sample and pick some fresh fruit depending on the time of year. Unfortunately, we were there in April before the fruit was ready to be picked. 

According to the NPS.gov website, the best time for harvesting the fruit is between mid-June to mid-October. See the typical harvesting times here. If fruit-picking is a must for you, you’ll want to plan your trip accordingly.

DAY 5: Moab, UT & Arches National Park (Drive from Capitol Reef National Park

Campground

Spanish Trail RV Park in Moab, UT

This is one of the few campgrounds with grass (period let alone at the RV site). Our dog likes her grass! It can get noisy from the highway, so try to get a site in the back.

Arches National Park

Location: Moab, UT

Entrance Fee: FREE with America the Beautiful Pass OR $30 for private vehicles and all passengers (15 or less) for 7 days

The drive from Capitol Reef National Park to Moab, UT will take you just a little over 2 hours. Why am I having you go to the seemingly random town of Moab? 

Because there are two National Parks located there – Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park! By staying in Moab, you can kill two birds with one stone.

We’re going to start with Arches National Park. It’s one of the National Parks I can’t get enough of and keep going back to explore more. 

With more than 2,000 natural stone arches, Arches National Park definitely lives up to its name. I’m usually not a fan of desert landscapes, but the vibrant red rock formations are captivating.

Start with the 18-mile scenic drive and stop at Balanced Rock 9.2 miles from the Visitor Center where you can walk around the giant teetering boulder (0.3 mile roundtrip). 

Then take a right to reach the Windows Section, one of the most scenic locations in the Park. Find parking at the end of the road, then look to your left to see one of my favorite sites in the entire Park: the massive Double Arch.

You can take a short walk to the base of Double Arch (0.5-mile roundtrip from the Double Arch Trailhead). Next, head to the right of the parking area where you can take an easy 1-mile roundtrip trail to also explore North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch.

Delicate Arch is the most iconic arch in Arches National Park as well as the most famous natural arch in the world. Don’t miss it! End the day with an awesome hike to Delicate Arch to catch the sunset. Be aware that it can get pretty crowded. So be prepared to wait your turn to get a photo.

Delicate Arch Trail

Distance: 3-miles roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Hiking Time: 2-3 hours

Trail Access: the Delicate Arch Trailhead at Wolfe Ranch

If you’re not able to do the hike to Delicate Arch, you can still view it from about a mile away from the Delicate Arch viewpoints 14.2 miles from the Park entrance and Visitor Center.

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DAY 6: Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Location: Moab, UT

Entrance Fee: FREE with America the Beautiful Pass OR $30 for private vehicles and all passengers (15 or less) for 7 days

Canyonlands National Park doesn’t get much credit compared to the other National Parks in Utah. But it’s still worth seeing, especially since it’s practically right next to Arches National Park! 

The Park is divided up into 4 districts by the Colorado River and its tributaries: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves. Island in the Sky is the closest to Moab and the most accessible, making it the most popular district to visit. 

This is where you’re going to spend your day in Canyonlands National Park and the last day of your epic Utah National Parks road trip.

You’re going to need to wake up at the crack to get a super early start to the day! Because you’re going to want to catch the sunrise at Mesa Arch.

It’s a must! Watching the arch start to glow as the sun lights up the canyon below will be one of the highlights of your trip.

Mesa Arch Trail

Distance: 0.5-mile roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Easy

Hiking Time: 30 minutes

Trail Access: Mesa Arch Trailhead

PRO TIP: Make sure you get to Mesa Arch early before sunrise so you can get a good viewing spot. It can get crazy crowded at dawn and you may be fighting for a view of the arch.

After spending some time taking in the view at Mesa Arch, go on a scenic drive of Canyonlands National Park. There are many pull-outs you can stop at along the way with dramatic views of the Park, including Green River Overlook, Buck Canyon Overlook, and Grand View Point Overlook.

Be sure to walk to Grand View Point for stunning panoramic views! There’s a short paved trail to the viewpoint. You can also continue past the viewpoint along the cliff edge for another mile to a second viewpoint.

Then you can hike to Upheaval Dome. The first overlook is only 1-mile roundtrip, or you can keep hiking to the second overlook for another mile. You might also want to hike one of the other Island in the Sky Trails.

PRO TIP: After you’re done exploring Canyonlands National Park, end the day at Dead Horse Point State Park for a gorgeous view of the sunset. From Dead Horse Point Overlook, you’ll have a dramatic view of the Colorado River winding around the canyon below.

Even though Dead Horse Point State Park is not technically in Canyonlands National Park, it’s only about 20 minutes away (14.4 miles) and completely worth the short detour!

DAY 7: Arches National Park (then Drive to Page, AZ or Back to Las Vegas, NV)

One day at Arches National Park is simply not enough! So spend the last day of your Utah National Parks road trip with another day in Arches hiking in Devils Garden.

Devils Garden is located at the very end of the 18-mile Park road and features a variety of arches you can see (8 to be exact). In fact, one of the must-see arches in Arches National Park is in Devils Garden – Landscape Arch, the longest arch in North America. 

Landscape Arch at Devils Garden

Distance: 1.9-miles roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Easy

Hiking Time: 1 hour 

Trail Access: From the Devils Garden parking area

For the best view of Landscape Arch, get there in the early morning. Reaching Landscape Arch is an easy 1.9-mile roundtrip hike on the Devils Garden Trail. And you can take a side trail on the way to also see Tunnel and Pine Tree Arches (adds 0.5 mile).

Beyond Landscape Arch, the trail gets difficult with narrow slickrock, rock scrambling, and climbing. But you can see several more arches if you continue on the Devils Garden Trail. 

WARNING: Do not keep hiking this trail if it’s wet, raining, snowing, or icy. The rock becomes even more slick with a greater risk of slipping and falling off the steep drop-offs.

About a 0.5-mile past Landscape Arch is another one of my other favorite arches – Partition Arch with an awesome view through the arch. There’s also Navajo Arch on another turn-out by Partition Arch.

Past Partition and Navajo Arches is Double O Arch. The out-and-back hike to Double O Arch is 4.2 miles total and will have you scrambling, climbing, and walking on sandstone fins with narrow ledges and steep drop-offs.

Double O Arch at Devils Garden

Distance: 4.2-miles roundtrip

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Hiking Time: 2-3 hours

Trail Access: From the Devils Garden parking area

If you want to keep going, you can continue on the Primitive Trail to see the Dark Angel and Private Arch. This is the most difficult section of the Devils Garden Trail involving route-finding, rock scrambling, steep inclines, and narrow drop-offs. You may not want to attempt this section if you’re afraid of heights. 

Devils Garden Primitive Trail

Distance: 7.2-miles roundtrip for the entire Devils Garden Trail with the Primitive Trail

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours

Trail Access: From the Devils Garden parking area

With one last hike in, your Utah National Parks road trip has (sadly) come to an end. You can now drive back to Las Vegas (or wherever you started from or are catching a flight from). The drive from Moab, UT to Las Vegas, NV will take about 7 hours.

Or... you can break up the drive back to Las Vegas with a detour to Page, AZ if you have the time. Ever heard of Page, AZ? If not, it’s another place to add to your bucket list and worth the detour (trust me)! The drive from Moab to Page will take about 4.5 hours.

From Moab, head south on US-191 and turn right on US-163 to drive through Monument Valley before heading over to Page, AZ. Be sure to stop in Page for at least a day to see Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon! Then it’s about another 4.5 hours to Las Vegas.

Wrapping Up the Utah National Parks Road Trip Itinerary

Wow! That’s a jam-packed week full of incredible sights and hikes in the Mighty 5 National Parks in Utah! I can’t wait for you to visit Utah, explore all the National Parks there, and experience each Park’s unique beauty! 

Feel free to ask any questions you have about Utah’s National Parks in the comments below. When you make it to them, be sure to let me know which of the National Parks in Utah was your favorite and why!

Want to keep track of the National Parks you visit in Utah and the rest of the United States? Get your FREE U.S. National Parks Checklist!

Leave a question or comment HERE!