Utah is home to the strangest and most phenomenal geological formations in the country, and the parks that showcase them are fairly close to each other. Aside from the famous "Mighty Five" National Parks --- Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches --- the state also has breathtaking National Monuments like Grand Staircase Escalante and Cedar Breaks in the same general vicinity. Utah has so many spectacular parks in a concentrated area that many people say some of its State Parks like Kodachrome Basin and Escalante Petrified Forest --- both amazing and well worth visiting --- would be National Parks if they were in any other state. Also, many great attractions in neighboring states like the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon in Arizona, and Valley of Fire in Nevada are close enough to include in an epic Utah parks road trip.
The itinerary below goes to the Mighty Five only, but if you have the time it is easy and definitely worthwhile to visit the other parks mentioned above. Read on to learn more about Utah's famous National Parks then contact us to customize a private driving tour for you.
The itinerary below goes to the Mighty Five only, but if you have the time it is easy and definitely worthwhile to visit the other parks mentioned above. Read on to learn more about Utah's famous National Parks then contact us to customize a private driving tour for you.
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Utah's Mighty 5 National Parks: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, Moab - 9 days Las Vegas to Salt Lake City
Utah is world famous for its parks and the Mighty Five or Big Five are the most spectacular. They showcase the uniqueness of Utah’s landscape and the mind-blowing natural beauty of the American West. The Big Five are also relatively close to each other. Following this driving itinerary each National Park is only 30 minutes to 2.5 hours away from the next one. Starting in Las Vegas, Nevada and ending in Salt Lake City, Utah, this epic road trip will take you to some of the most stunning places in the United States.
Day 1: Drive from Las Vegas to Zion. Visit Valley of Fire.
Las Vegas is the ideal starting point for this driving tour because flights to the city are plentiful and generally inexpensive, and it is only 2.5 hours away from the first National Park in this itinerary. Also, another wondrous park that is not part of the Big 5 is only 50 minutes away from Las Vegas and a short detour from the main driving route. Valley of Fire is Nevada’s first state park and gets its name from the color and shape of its stunning sandstone formations. Aside from flame-like rock formations the park is also home to natural arches, petroglyphs, petrified logs, historic cabins and even an old Western movie set. Valley of Fire is a fantastic place for hiking, sightseeing and photography and is well worth the 40 minute total detour.
After visiting Valley of Fire you drive on to Zion National Park where you spend the night in Zion Lodge inside the park or in the town of Springdale just outside the Zion’s West Entrance.
Day 2: Go hiking or canyoneering in Zion National Park
It’s fitting that Zion is the first National Park in this driving tour because it’s also the first National Park in Utah. Isaac Behunin, the Mormon pioneer who settled in the park in 1863, named it after Mount Zion in the Bible. Zion means utopia or Promised Land in several religions and anyone who has been to Zion National Park will agree that visiting it is a religious experience.
Zion’s most striking feature is its main canyon with sheer walls that rise up to as high as 2,000 feet. These sandstone cliffs are among the tallest in the world and are on both sides of the canyon that narrows down to only 20 feet in some areas. The park’s scenic drive takes you into this canyon and to various landmarks such as The Grotto, Weeping Rock and Temple of Sinawava. Hiking (either guided or independent) is a great way to explore Zion and the park has wonderful trails in various difficulty levels ranging from the easy walk to the Emerald Pools to the vertiginous scramble to Angels Landing. Canyoneering (guided, unless you are an experienced canyoneer) is another exciting way to experience the park and The Narrows section of Zion is a world renowned place for that.
After a full day of adventure in Zion you stay another night in Zion Lodge or in your hotel in Springdale.
Day 3: Explore Peek-a-Boo Canyon, Red Canyon and Bryce Canyon
Today you drive east to Kanab to start an ATV or Jeep tour to visit Peek-a-Boo slot canyon. On the tour you’ll drive over sand trails to Peek-a-Boo and explore its narrow and picturesque passageways. After the tour you head on to Red Canyon and hike through its bizarre but beautiful rock formations. Finally, continue on to Bryce Canyon National Park and cap off the day by visiting Bryce’s viewpoints to get your initial look at the park’s breathtaking landscape. Tomorrow you’ll go into the canyon and get up close and personal with Bryce’s most unique wonders: the hoodoos.
Spend the night in Bryce Canyon Lodge within the park or in the town of Byce just outside the park entrance.
Day 4: Go hiking or horseback riding in Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos are pillars of rock formed through erosion by rain and ice. Their improbable shapes and dynamic colors that change with the sunlight make them one of the most impressive and distinctive natural wonders of the American West. The view of the hoodoos from the top of the canyon is truly amazing, but going down into the canyon, being amidst the hoodoos and looking up at them is a surreal experience that should not be missed. You have two options for exploring Bryce Canyon. You can hike (on a guided tour or independently) one of its many trails that have various lengths and difficulty levels, or you can explore on horseback in a tour. If you come in winter horse tours are not available but you can still hike the trails --- just be sure to bring waterproof hiking boots and snow traction devices (e.g. Yaktrax) because Bryce is high altitude and gets a lot of snow.
After a full day with the hoodoos you spend another night in Bryce Canyon Lodge or in the town of Bryce.
Day 5: Go hiking or off-roading in Capitol Reef National Park
Today you drive just a little over 2 hours to Capitol Reef. The defining feature of the park, the Waterpocket Fold which is a massive wrinkle in the earth caused by upheaval at a fault line, is not evident to most visitors because of its scale. Like an ant standing on a painting, you won’t be able to see the big picture --- you need a long distance aerial view for that --- but you’ll be right within the masterpiece and interact with all its marvelous details. Capitol Reef gets its name from its white sandstone domes that resemble capitol buildings, and from its rock cliffs that present a barrier like an ocean reef. Aside from its geological wonders, the park is also rich in history, with ancient rock art made by the Fremont people and preserved structures made by pioneer settlers. You can spend the day on your own hiking to some of Capitol Reef’s natural attractions like Cassidy Arch or Capitol Gorge, checking out pictographs and petroglyphs of the Fremont, and taking in spectacular views from the park’s many viewpoints. Or you can do a guided hiking or jeep tour that takes you to more remote areas of the park and gives you get an even deeper understanding and appreciation of Capitol Reef’s features.
Spend the night in the town of Torrey, just west of the park entrance.
Day 6: Explore Island in the Sky in Canyonlands National Park
The Island in the Sky sector of Canyonlands is a mesa with sheer cliffs dropping down over a thousand feet. The top of the mesa is a 3 hour drive from Torrey and once there you are rewarded with sweeping views of the entire surrounding area since Island in the Sky towers above everything. From various viewpoints you can see The Needles and The Maze, the other two districts of Canyonlands National Park, as well as the canyons created by the Colorado and Green Rivers. You can also see Upheaval Dome, a strange and still not fully explained geological formation, and the picturesque Mesa Arch which is one of the few arches in the West that you can stand on. Spend the day doing short hikes to get magnificent views and visit the various landmarks of Island in the Sky. If you are not afraid of heights or enjoy the sensation of your heart dropping to your stomach you can walk to the edge of the mesa and look down at the sheer thousand foot drop beneath your feet.
Spend the next three nights in the city Moab, one of Utah’s great adventure hubs.
Day 7: Go hiking in The Needles district of Canyonlands National Park
One look at the colorful sandstone spires of The Needles makes it obvious how this area of Canyonlands got its name. Though part of the same National Park, this district is very different from Island in the Sky and gives an almost opposite experience. Whereas you spent yesterday in the sky, taking easy walks on a flat mesa overlooking everything, today you are on low ground weaving your way through rock formations that tower over you. The Needles has many miles of hiking trails with various lengths and difficulty, and they generally have a wilder and more remote feel than the trails in Island in the Sky. Many hikes follow cairned routes on rock rather than defined dirt trails and some involve rock scrambling and climbing ladders. All hikes take you through unusual and astonishing landscapes. We’ll recommend the best hike for you so no matter how fit or experienced you are as a hiker you are sure to have a fun and memorable adventure in The Needles.
Overnight in Moab.
Day 8: Visit as many arches as you can in Arches National Park
We’ve saved what might be the best park for last. Natural stone arches are among the most impressive formations in the American West. Some of the other National Parks in this driving tour have a few arches and they are considered highlights. Arches National Park has over 2,000 arches --- the densest concentration in the world --- and the most famous ones such as Landscape Arch, Delicate Arch and Double Arch are among the most stunning stone arches in the world. The park also has other amazing rock formations such as pinnacles, rock fins and the famous Balanced Rock that seems to defy physics.
Arches National Park is only 10 mins away from Moab so you can spend the whole day exploring the park. Most of the famous named arches are easy to visit on your own. Some are only short walks from the road and others require a longer hike. Other areas like the Devil’s Garden are best explored with a guide because it’s very easy to get lost within its maze of rock fins. You can also go on a guided tour to visit more remote areas and get a deeper understanding of how all the arches and other formations in the park were created.
Overnight in Moab.
Day 9: Go on a half day adventure in Moab then fly out of Moab or Salt Lake City
Moab is often referred to as the adventure capital of the West and has a slew of thrilling activities to offer such as mountain biking, canyoneering, 4x4 off-roading and rock climbing. Moab is also a mecca for dinosaur buffs with numerous track sites and the Moab Giants dinosaur park. Choose your final adventure for the trip before flying out of Moab or Salt Lake City.
Day 1: Drive from Las Vegas to Zion. Visit Valley of Fire.
Las Vegas is the ideal starting point for this driving tour because flights to the city are plentiful and generally inexpensive, and it is only 2.5 hours away from the first National Park in this itinerary. Also, another wondrous park that is not part of the Big 5 is only 50 minutes away from Las Vegas and a short detour from the main driving route. Valley of Fire is Nevada’s first state park and gets its name from the color and shape of its stunning sandstone formations. Aside from flame-like rock formations the park is also home to natural arches, petroglyphs, petrified logs, historic cabins and even an old Western movie set. Valley of Fire is a fantastic place for hiking, sightseeing and photography and is well worth the 40 minute total detour.
After visiting Valley of Fire you drive on to Zion National Park where you spend the night in Zion Lodge inside the park or in the town of Springdale just outside the Zion’s West Entrance.
Day 2: Go hiking or canyoneering in Zion National Park
It’s fitting that Zion is the first National Park in this driving tour because it’s also the first National Park in Utah. Isaac Behunin, the Mormon pioneer who settled in the park in 1863, named it after Mount Zion in the Bible. Zion means utopia or Promised Land in several religions and anyone who has been to Zion National Park will agree that visiting it is a religious experience.
Zion’s most striking feature is its main canyon with sheer walls that rise up to as high as 2,000 feet. These sandstone cliffs are among the tallest in the world and are on both sides of the canyon that narrows down to only 20 feet in some areas. The park’s scenic drive takes you into this canyon and to various landmarks such as The Grotto, Weeping Rock and Temple of Sinawava. Hiking (either guided or independent) is a great way to explore Zion and the park has wonderful trails in various difficulty levels ranging from the easy walk to the Emerald Pools to the vertiginous scramble to Angels Landing. Canyoneering (guided, unless you are an experienced canyoneer) is another exciting way to experience the park and The Narrows section of Zion is a world renowned place for that.
After a full day of adventure in Zion you stay another night in Zion Lodge or in your hotel in Springdale.
Day 3: Explore Peek-a-Boo Canyon, Red Canyon and Bryce Canyon
Today you drive east to Kanab to start an ATV or Jeep tour to visit Peek-a-Boo slot canyon. On the tour you’ll drive over sand trails to Peek-a-Boo and explore its narrow and picturesque passageways. After the tour you head on to Red Canyon and hike through its bizarre but beautiful rock formations. Finally, continue on to Bryce Canyon National Park and cap off the day by visiting Bryce’s viewpoints to get your initial look at the park’s breathtaking landscape. Tomorrow you’ll go into the canyon and get up close and personal with Bryce’s most unique wonders: the hoodoos.
Spend the night in Bryce Canyon Lodge within the park or in the town of Byce just outside the park entrance.
Day 4: Go hiking or horseback riding in Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos are pillars of rock formed through erosion by rain and ice. Their improbable shapes and dynamic colors that change with the sunlight make them one of the most impressive and distinctive natural wonders of the American West. The view of the hoodoos from the top of the canyon is truly amazing, but going down into the canyon, being amidst the hoodoos and looking up at them is a surreal experience that should not be missed. You have two options for exploring Bryce Canyon. You can hike (on a guided tour or independently) one of its many trails that have various lengths and difficulty levels, or you can explore on horseback in a tour. If you come in winter horse tours are not available but you can still hike the trails --- just be sure to bring waterproof hiking boots and snow traction devices (e.g. Yaktrax) because Bryce is high altitude and gets a lot of snow.
After a full day with the hoodoos you spend another night in Bryce Canyon Lodge or in the town of Bryce.
Day 5: Go hiking or off-roading in Capitol Reef National Park
Today you drive just a little over 2 hours to Capitol Reef. The defining feature of the park, the Waterpocket Fold which is a massive wrinkle in the earth caused by upheaval at a fault line, is not evident to most visitors because of its scale. Like an ant standing on a painting, you won’t be able to see the big picture --- you need a long distance aerial view for that --- but you’ll be right within the masterpiece and interact with all its marvelous details. Capitol Reef gets its name from its white sandstone domes that resemble capitol buildings, and from its rock cliffs that present a barrier like an ocean reef. Aside from its geological wonders, the park is also rich in history, with ancient rock art made by the Fremont people and preserved structures made by pioneer settlers. You can spend the day on your own hiking to some of Capitol Reef’s natural attractions like Cassidy Arch or Capitol Gorge, checking out pictographs and petroglyphs of the Fremont, and taking in spectacular views from the park’s many viewpoints. Or you can do a guided hiking or jeep tour that takes you to more remote areas of the park and gives you get an even deeper understanding and appreciation of Capitol Reef’s features.
Spend the night in the town of Torrey, just west of the park entrance.
Day 6: Explore Island in the Sky in Canyonlands National Park
The Island in the Sky sector of Canyonlands is a mesa with sheer cliffs dropping down over a thousand feet. The top of the mesa is a 3 hour drive from Torrey and once there you are rewarded with sweeping views of the entire surrounding area since Island in the Sky towers above everything. From various viewpoints you can see The Needles and The Maze, the other two districts of Canyonlands National Park, as well as the canyons created by the Colorado and Green Rivers. You can also see Upheaval Dome, a strange and still not fully explained geological formation, and the picturesque Mesa Arch which is one of the few arches in the West that you can stand on. Spend the day doing short hikes to get magnificent views and visit the various landmarks of Island in the Sky. If you are not afraid of heights or enjoy the sensation of your heart dropping to your stomach you can walk to the edge of the mesa and look down at the sheer thousand foot drop beneath your feet.
Spend the next three nights in the city Moab, one of Utah’s great adventure hubs.
Day 7: Go hiking in The Needles district of Canyonlands National Park
One look at the colorful sandstone spires of The Needles makes it obvious how this area of Canyonlands got its name. Though part of the same National Park, this district is very different from Island in the Sky and gives an almost opposite experience. Whereas you spent yesterday in the sky, taking easy walks on a flat mesa overlooking everything, today you are on low ground weaving your way through rock formations that tower over you. The Needles has many miles of hiking trails with various lengths and difficulty, and they generally have a wilder and more remote feel than the trails in Island in the Sky. Many hikes follow cairned routes on rock rather than defined dirt trails and some involve rock scrambling and climbing ladders. All hikes take you through unusual and astonishing landscapes. We’ll recommend the best hike for you so no matter how fit or experienced you are as a hiker you are sure to have a fun and memorable adventure in The Needles.
Overnight in Moab.
Day 8: Visit as many arches as you can in Arches National Park
We’ve saved what might be the best park for last. Natural stone arches are among the most impressive formations in the American West. Some of the other National Parks in this driving tour have a few arches and they are considered highlights. Arches National Park has over 2,000 arches --- the densest concentration in the world --- and the most famous ones such as Landscape Arch, Delicate Arch and Double Arch are among the most stunning stone arches in the world. The park also has other amazing rock formations such as pinnacles, rock fins and the famous Balanced Rock that seems to defy physics.
Arches National Park is only 10 mins away from Moab so you can spend the whole day exploring the park. Most of the famous named arches are easy to visit on your own. Some are only short walks from the road and others require a longer hike. Other areas like the Devil’s Garden are best explored with a guide because it’s very easy to get lost within its maze of rock fins. You can also go on a guided tour to visit more remote areas and get a deeper understanding of how all the arches and other formations in the park were created.
Overnight in Moab.
Day 9: Go on a half day adventure in Moab then fly out of Moab or Salt Lake City
Moab is often referred to as the adventure capital of the West and has a slew of thrilling activities to offer such as mountain biking, canyoneering, 4x4 off-roading and rock climbing. Moab is also a mecca for dinosaur buffs with numerous track sites and the Moab Giants dinosaur park. Choose your final adventure for the trip before flying out of Moab or Salt Lake City.