Start in Zion before heading to Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef. This is how you move on your. Stand at Angels Landing in Zion. Marvel at a wonderland of hoodoos in Bryce Canyon.
Explore the Water Pocket Fold on Capitol Reef Watch the sun rise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands. And watch the sun set at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. The next step is to determine how much time you have and how much you “need.”
On average, we recommend that you plan at least 1-2 days per park on your trip. Home to the Mighty Five of Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion, a road trip to Utah National Park is an incredible journey. From towering arches to magnificent rock formations, iconic hikes, and dramatic scenery, there’s so much to see and do. For those of you planning your own Utah road trip, we’d like to share with you our recommended Utah National Parks road trip itinerary.
Leave Capitol Reef National Park and head to Moab, your home base, to visit both Arches and Canyonlands National Park. Most people who take a road trip through Utah’s national parks swing past Iceland in the Sky. So if you’re in the same boat, just know that hiking opportunities are limited. One of the most fun parts of planning a road trip to Utah National Park (at least for us anyway) is drawing everything on a map. Important noticeZion National Park requires advance permission from all visitors to hike Angels Landing.
I recommend booking the earliest flight possible so that you have time to relax and explore while heading to Zion National Park. It is a 2-hour drive from Capitol Reef to Bryce, the town next to Bryce Canyon National Park. Here’s an example of a Mighty 5 itinerary with more time spent in multiple national parks and the addition of several great state parks and hiking destinations in Utah. After lunch, visit the Devils Garden area and check out the Landscape Arch (hard to miss) before heading back to the park entrance.
Plus, you’ll be driving 900 miles in 7 days, not to mention the little driving you’ll do at every park. This means that if you want to camp in the parks during high season, you should either make a reservation in advance or you must arrive very early in the hope of getting a spot if one of the first-come, first-serve campsites is vacated every morning. With its endless rugged landscape and colorful desert rocks, Capitol Reef National Park is a magical place for a The Grand Canyon South Rim is most popular with visitors and is easy to get to when you travel back towards Las Vegas.