Salt Lake to The Mighty 5®

• Temple Square
• Utah State Capitol
• Museum of Utah
• Memory Grove and City Creek Canyon

Salt Lake City’s grid system was laid shortly after the arrival of the Latter-day Saints. Thus, all roads lead to Temple Square. Start here and witness the early industry of the settlers. Following a multi-year renovation, the Salt Lake Temple in Temple Square will offer public tours during an open house from April 5, 2027, to October 1, 2027. This represents the first opportunity for the general public to access its interior since its dedication in 1893, as the Temple is typically only open to Church members. Visitors can reserve Temple Open House Tours beginning September 1, 2026, at templesquare.org.

From Temple Square, you can venture uphill to the Utah State Capitol, where you’ll enjoy views of the city below (you can see the grid!), explore the Museum of Utah and then drop down into the protected natural area, City Creek Canyon, where you’ll walk along its rolling creek in the undeveloped foothills.

Foodie picks: Three blocks southeast of Temple Square, you'll find Oquirrh Restaurant, a James Beard Award semi-finalist restaurant named for the mountain range bordering the west end of the Salt Lake Valley. MONARCA on State Street celebrates Mexican cuisine with their expressively decorated dishes, not to mention birria tacos to die for.  

• Green River
• Helper
• Moab

Linger for breakfast or brunch in Utah's vibrant capital city, or head straight to your adventure through The Mighty 5® national parks. It's about 235 miles from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park. Along the way, you'll pass through the quaint town of Helper, which is a great stop to top off your gas tank or grab a snack. Historically a central hub for coal mining, Helper has seen its downtown revitalized in recent years, and it is now home to several fantastic restaurants and unique art galleries. The community-built Western Mining and Railroad Museum remains an anchor of this historic strip. You'll also pass through Green River—once a stomping ground for Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, and now a haven for river runners white-water rafting through Desolation and Gray Canyons. When you arrive in Moab, you can spend a few hours exploring the shops and restaurants downtown, or rest up for tomorrow's adventures in Arches. Overnight in Moab. 

• Arches National Park
• Hiking in Arches

Here, 300 million years of erosion have carved unbelievably dramatic landscapes that look more like they were sculpted by giant mythological beings than by the slow passage of time. Arches National Park showcases about 2,000 sandstone arches, towering spires, harrowing hoodoos and precarious pinnacles—including Delicate Arch, perhaps Utah's most iconic feature and a must-hike destination. For those looking to explore by car, a paved 36-mile scenic drive from the park entrance offers numerous parking areas for trail access and stunning scenic overlooks. Overnight in Devils Garden Campground or Moab. (Read: How to Visit Arches)

• Canyonlands National Park
• Torrey

Imagine wave after wave of deep canyons carved by the currents of Utah’s Green and Colorado rivers — divided by towering mesas, pinnacles, cliffs and spires, and spread across tens of thousands of acres of the world’s most breathtaking red rock country. While Canyonlands National Park is comprised of four distinct, rugged districts, today’s journey focuses on the highly photogenic Island in the Sky. Spend the morning exploring these dramatic vistas, then make the 135-mile trek west to Torrey, the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park. Overnight in Torrey. 

• Capitol Reef National Park
• Dining in Torrey

The contrast of red Entrada and white Navajo sandstones and the magnificent warp in the crust of the Earth create 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 S.R. 24 and the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive. Overnight in Torrey.

• Scenic Byway 12
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Things to Do in Bryce Canyon

It's about 115 miles on Utah's Scenic Byway 12 from Torrey to Bryce Canyon. You'll discover that Bryce Canyon National Park is a series of natural amphitheaters sunk into pink cliffs and filled with delicate red rock "hoodoos." The most brilliant hues of the park come alive with the rising and setting of the 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 sites, hikes and starry skies of the park. Overnight in the lodge or Bryce Canyon City.

• Zion National Park
• Springdale

From Bryce Canyon, it's about 70 miles to Zion National Park. 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 the stretch of the imagination, Zion National Park is a canyon that invites you to participate in 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 an another day or two to explore additional hikes, the surrounding Springdale community, or even venture north to Zion's Kolob Canyons.