Utah National Park Road Trip: The Mighty 5 Ultimate Journey
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Ready for the journey of all journeys? This 10-day Utah national parks road trip is the granddaddy of all itineraries. Hit The Mighty 5® — every national park in Utah — as well as state parks, national monuments, Monument Valley and several stunning spots in between.
Discover our beloved parks: Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion. Find tranquil sunrises, fiery sunsets and unadulterated views of the Milky Way. Gape at technicolor cliffs, massive arches and brilliant-hued hoodoos. Discover wide-open spaces, tight slot canyons and vertiginous views. Experience magical mountain biking, big-time off-roading and monumental Jeep tours. Explore ancient dwellings, pioneer homesteads and slickrock labyrinths. Wind through world-renowned scenic drives, run thrilling river rapids and stand atop magical overlooks.
One day of this trip could give you a year of adventure. These 10 days will fill you with enough adventure for a lifetime. Are you ready to catch the first few rays of sunlight streaming through Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park? Or to gape at the sheer scale of the narrow walls that surround you as you wade through the river that carved them in Zion National Park? Get out there.
Start: Moab, about 3.5 hours southeast of Salt Lake City by car
End: Zion National Park
Consider taking pit stops along your journey. You need to refuel, eat, answer the call of nature, and stretch your legs anyway, so why not make them into mini-adventures?
Moab to Arches
50 Miles
Adventure in Arches National Park, where 300 million years of erosion has created dramatic landscapes that look as if giant mythological beings sculpted them rather than time. Arches National Park contains about 2,000 windowed arches, towering spires, harrowing hoodoos and precarious pinnacles, including Delicate Arch, perhaps Utah's most iconic feature. A paved 36-mile scenic drive from the park entrance provides numerous parking areas for trail access and scenic overlooks.
Overnight stay: Devils Garden Campground or Moab
Moab to Canyonlands
100 Miles
Imagine wave after wave of deep canyons, formed by the currents and tributaries of Utah's Green and Colorado rivers, divided with towering mesas, pinnacles, cliffs and spires, and spread out over tens of thousands of acres of some of the world's most breathtaking red rock country. Though Canyonlands National Park is made up of three distinct land districts, today focuses on the photogenic Island in the Sky and neighboring Dead Horse Point State Park. Camp in the parks or return to Moab; it's just 35 minutes away.
Overnight Stay: Dead Horse Point State Park, Island in the Sky or Moab
Canyonlands and the La Sal Mountain Loop
125 Miles
A solid hike up Grandstaff Trail will stretch your legs before you continue along a scenic loop into the very mountains that Delicate Arch frames. You can also access the thrilling Porcupine Rim Trail from up here. For an even bigger adventure, consider a two- to five-day Colorado River rafting trip to take this trip to its logical extreme. (Don’t worry, there’s the popular Moab Daily stretch for just a taste of the Colorado.) Two or more days on the White Rim Trail is another great way to linger in Moab.
Overnight stay: Moab
Moab Adventure Day
40 Miles
Use this extra day in the Moab area to hit the rapids if you haven’t yet, pick up trails you may have missed in either national park or take an off-road tour with an experienced guide at the Sand Flats Recreation Area. Enjoy the legendary slickrock from the vantage point of an all-terrain vehicle in this off-road enthusiast's paradise. Save time for a relaxing meal in Moab to refresh yourself for the second half of this Ultimate Journey.
Overnight stay: Moab
Moab to Monument Valley
225 Miles
The large petroglyph panel of Newspaper Rock is on the scenic road to the the Needles District of Canyonlands. It’s worth an early start to sneak in a hike here, but be warned: You may not want to leave so soon. Except what awaits is Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, an iconic symbol of the American West and the sacred heart of the Navajo Nation. The rugged landscapes are infused with ancestral spirits, yet they are hauntingly familiar thanks to Hollywood's long love affair with this land. Tour Edge of the Cedars State Park and Bluff Fort along the way.
Overnight Stay: Monument Valley
Monument Valley to Goblin Valley
200 Miles
While the Goulding Film and Cultural History Museum at Goulding's Lodge offers a great introduction to the area, guided Jeep tours and hikes will bring you up close and personal with Monument Valley's incredible landforms. Next, head north on State Route 261 up the switchbacks of the Moki Dugway and across Cedar Mesa for a stop at Natural Bridges National Monument. If you linger in Monument Valley, you may only have time for the scenic overlooks.
Overnight Stay: Goblin Valley, Hanksville or Torrey
Capitol Reef Country
60 Miles
The contrast between red Entrada and white Navajo sandstones, along with the magnificent warp in the Earth's crust, creates surreal landscapes unlike any you have seen. Capitol Reef National Park splashes color for 100 miles through an inviting wilderness of sandstone formations, petroglyphs telling the story of the early indigenous people of the Fremont Culture, and the large fruit orchards of Fruita, an early pioneer settlement. With a high-clearance vehicle, you can explore the backcountry, but there’s also plenty to see and miles of unique trails in the front country along State Route 24 and the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive.
Overnight stay: Torrey
Torrey to Kodachrome Basin via Scenic Byway 12
115 Miles
- Lower Calf Creek Falls
- Anasazi State Park Museum
- Kodachrome Basin State Park
- Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
Utah's All-American Road Scenic Byway 12 is a spectacular experience on its own, and this itinerary gives you breathing room to slow down and take in more of what this stunning route through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument has to offer. Boulder is home to the renowned Hell’s Backbone Grill and the starting point of the Burr Trail Scenic Backway. Consider stops at Anasazi, Escalante Petrified Forest, and Kodachrome Basin State Parks, and definitely plan time for the hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls. Charming towns dot the highway for overnight options, or stay the night at Bryce Canyon. (Read: Dining Between the Mighty 5)
Overnight Stay: Boulder, Escalante, Tropic or Bryce Canyon City
Bryce Canyon
40 Miles
Bryce Canyon National Park is a series of natural amphitheaters carved into pink cliffs and filled with delicate red-rock hoodoos. The park's most brilliant hues come alive with the rising and setting sun. Summertime offers a myriad of walking and hiking trails and a 37-mile scenic drive overlooking incredible vistas (with a summer shuttle option to avoid driving in traffic). Historic Bryce Canyon Lodge’s location within the park means great access to the sights, hikes and starry skies of the park.
Overnight Stay: Bryce Canyon Lodge or Bryce Canyon City
Bryce Canyon to Zion
85 Miles
Zion translates to "The Promised Land," and for you that means some of the most spectacular hiking of your lifetime and impossibly beautiful landscapes you will never forget. Carved by water and time beyond imagination, Zion National Park is a canyon that invites you to join the very forces that created it. Park at the visitor center and take the multi-passenger shuttle through the canyon to as many stops as you have time and energy to enjoy. One day will give you a taste of Zion. But if you have some extra time, add another day or two to explore additional hikes, the surrounding Springdale community, or even venture north to Zion's Kolob Canyons.
Overnight Stay: Springdale or Zion Lodge
The Mighty 5 Road Trip FAQs
Plan on seven to 10 days to see all five Utah national parks. This itinerary uses 10 days to add Monument Valley, a Moab buffer day and time on Scenic Byway 12. With five days, you can still visit every park, but expect long drives and short stays at each.
The most efficient order is Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion, or the same route in reverse. Starting in Moab works best if you fly into Salt Lake City. Starting in Zion works best if you fly into Las Vegas.
Spring (April and May) and fall (September and October) bring mild temperatures and the best hiking weather across all five parks. Summer highs in Moab and Zion often top 100 degrees, so hike early and carry plenty of water. Winter brings snow to Bryce Canyon and smaller crowds everywhere, but check road conditions before driving Scenic Byway 12.
Most of Utah's national parks are about two to 2.5 hours apart by car. Arches and Canyonlands are just 30 miles apart near Moab. Bryce Canyon and Zion are about 85 miles apart.
Fly into Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to start in Moab, or into Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas (LAS) to start in Zion. Smaller regional airports in St. George and Grand Junction, Colorado, put you closer to the parks, but offer fewer flight options.
Utah National Park Road Trip at a Glance
- Trip length: 10 days, or seven days if you trim the Moab buffer day and skip Monument Valley
- Route: Moab to Arches and Canyonlands, south to Monument Valley, north through Goblin Valley to Capitol Reef, then Scenic Byway 12 to Bryce Canyon and Zion
- Parks: All five of Utah's national parks plus Natural Bridges National Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and six state parks
- Total driving: About 1,040 miles
- Best time to go: April to May and September to October
This Utah national parks itinerary runs east to west, starting in Moab and ending in Zion, so you'll drive each leg once without backtracking. Each day lists the miles, the must-see stops and where to spend the night. Treat the days as building blocks: add a second day in Zion, skip Monument Valley if you're short on time or flip the whole route if you're flying into Las Vegas.
