Utah’s Mighty Five: Road Trip Through Utah’s National Parks

The Mighty Five road trip connects Utah’s most spectacular protected landscapes, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion across a sweeping high-desert corridor. While a rapid five-day itinerary covers the basic driving highlights, a slower 7-to-10-day trip is ideal to truly explore the diverse networks of slot canyons, sandstone arches, and signature hiking trails. Spring and autumn offer the best weather conditions and lowest crowd density for navigating this legendary loop.

With one Utah national park itinerary, you can visit five of the most popular and beautiful national parks in the Southwest.

At these parks, which are also part of the Grand Circle Road Trip, you can explore natural arches, dramatic canyons and cliffs, domes, hoodoos, and more.

This guide is supported by our readers. When you book a tour through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

What is the best Mighty Five Route?

A logical driving route to see Utah’s Mighty Five goes from east to west, starting at Arches, then to nearby Canyonlands, and on to Capitol Reef, Bryce, and ending at Zion. Of course, you can reverse the route if you are coming from the west.

We discuss each of these parks below, suggest scenic byways and stops along the way, and offer nearby towns for overnight lodging, RV parks, and refueling.

We’ll start our driving route for Utah’s Mighty Five with the popular outdoor adventure launching point of Moab, Utah. Moab is the gateway to Arches and Canyonlands national parks. You can find plenty of lodging, restaurants, outdoor equipment stores, and fun side activities in Moab, which is right on U.S. 191.

After visiting Arches and Canyonlands, we’ll head west to Capitol Reef National Park, not far from the community of Torrey. From there, visit Bryce Canyon National Park, accessed from Utah Highway 63. Finally, head further southwest to explore Zion National Park, with Cedar City and Springdale as local communities to restock supplies and find lodging.

Book a Utah Mighty Five Tour.

What’s the park-by-park breakdown?

You can learn more about each of these must-see national parks in our dedicated articles linked to in each section, but here’s an overview of what you can expect to see at Utah’s Mighty Five parks.

1.    Arches National Park

Its name tells you that Arches National Park is famed for its dramatic sandstone arches, formed by erosion over millennia.

Arches has something for everyone, from those who simply want to drive from one breathtaking viewpoint to another to those who want to put on their hiking boots and explore.

Delicate Arch is one of the park’s highlights and the place where many visitors gather to greet and photograph the sunrise. Other popular stops include Landscape Arch and the Windows Section. Depending on the amount of time you have allocated for this park and your interest in taking on some of the best hikes in Arches, you can explore many other sections, such as the Devil’s Garden or Park Avenue areas.

While you’re in the Moab area, you may want to schedule time to visit nearby Dead Horse Point State Park, which also has dramatic desert views and offers camping for those who reserve a space far in advance.

Pro tip: Arches National Park requires timed entry permits from early April through early July and late August to the end of October (check the park’s website for exact dates for when you’re visiting), but if you arrive before 7 a.m. or after 4 p.m., you can enter without one. You also do not need one if you are camping or have a special use permit.

Take a tour of Arches National Park.

2.    Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is, as you may guess, famed for its many canyons and dramatic buttes carved by the Colorado and other rivers. It is vast, with four districts to explore, the most popular being the Island in the Sky and Needles districts.

Island in the Sky is closest to Moab, about a 30-minute drive. At this most accessible district of the park, you can enjoy views from overlooks like Mesa Arch and Grand View Point. The 34-mile round-trip driving tour takes you to many Canyonlands overlooks where you can enjoy stunning views along with trailheads to launch hiking treks.

Top hikes at Canyonlands include Mesa Arch, Grand View Point, and Druid Arch. You can get maps and details from the park’s visitor center.

The Needles District is about 1.5 hours from Moab along Utah Highway 211, where you can stop along the way to see Newspaper Rock, a large panel of petroglyphs. Note that you must navigate to each district of the park separately, as they are not connected.

Tour Canyonlands National Park.

3.    Capitol Reef National Park

Your third stop is Capitol Reef National Park, named for the huge Navajo Sandstone domes shaped like the U.S. Capitol and the rocky cliffs that are a barrier to travel (like reefs in the ocean can be for ships). It is also known for the Fruita orchards where visitors can harvest fruit in season.

Along with the pioneer town of Fruita, you can enjoy the park’s Scenic Drive, which takes about 1.5 hours, see petroglyphs, Cassidy Arch, named for Butch Cassidy, and Hickman Bridge, a large natural sandstone bridge. Hikers can find trailheads for 15 day-hiking routes along Utah Highway 24 and the Scenic Drive. There are also backcountry options for serious hikers and backpackers.

The campground surrounded by fruit orchards at Capitol Reef National Park is the most desirable place to stay, but RVers should note that there are no hook-ups available.

Browse all Capitol Reef tours.

4.    Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is famous for its otherworldly hoodoos, amphitheater views, and stargazing in the protected night skies. Top hikes at Bryce include Navajo Loop, Queen’s Garden, and Peekaboo Trail.

Those who want to visit without dusting off their hiking books can enjoy the 18-mile Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive, where they can pull over to see the views for which the park is known. The Bryce Amphitheater, a vast area filled with fascinating rock formations, can be seen along the first three miles of the main road, which continues for a further 15 miles along the Southern Scenic Drive. The road ends at the park’s highest elevation at Rainbow and Yovimpa Points.

Spots to enjoy along the way are Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point (where you can see the largest collection of hoodoos in the amphitheater), and Bryce Point, the most iconic of the amphitheater’s major viewpoints.

Trailheads for most of the park’s day hikes can be found within the first three miles of the main road. There is only one entrance to the park and one main road that goes north to south. When you first begin on the road, the major viewpoints will be on the left, then on the way back, Rainbow and Yovimpa Points will be on your right.

Tour Bryce Canyon.

5.    Zion National Park

It’s fitting to end our tour at Zion, which is a must-see destination in the Four Corners. Some of the signature experiences at Zion National Park include visiting The Narrows, Angels Landing, and the Emerald Pools.

While no timed entry permit is required for the park, timed entry permits are allocated through a lottery system to hike Angels Landing.

Hiking The Narrows can be as simple as walking the one-mile, wheelchair-accessible Riverside Walk from the Temple of Sinawava to a permit-required, 16-mile through-hike from Chamberlain’s Ranch to the Temple of Sinawava.

Zion is one of the most popular parks within Utah’s Mighty Five, requiring use of the Zion Canyon Shuttle to visit stops along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive during the busiest months, which include March through November, and at the holiday season at the end of December. The shuttle is free, and no reservations are required.

Take a guided Zion National Park tour.

Sample Itinerary: Utah’s Mighty 5 in Five Days

• Day 1: Arrive in Moab and explore Arches at sunset. Enter after 4 p.m. to avoid needing a timed entry pass.
• Day 2: Visit Canyonlands and then drive to Capitol Reef.
• Day 3: Capitol Reef exploration, then continue to Bryce Canyon.
• Day 4: Bryce Canyon hikes and scenic drive to Zion.
• Day 5: Full day in Zion, ending in Springdale or Las Vegas.

Your five-day (or more) Utah travel plan can include even more fascinating locations, like Kodachrome Basin State Park just 20 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park, Goblin Valley State Park near Capitol Reef, and Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, located between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef. If you add time to your itinerary, you can fit in more destinations along the way and feel less rushed in your explorations.

How many days does it take to do Utah’s Mighty Five?

While we’ve offered a five-day trip itinerary, that timeline doesn’t allow time to explore these outstanding national parks in-depth. To complete a road trip through all of Utah’s Mighty Five national parks, the ideal timeframe is 7 to 10 days.

While you can technically compress the driving route into a fast-paced 5 days, a shorter trip forces you to spend a massive portion of your time behind the wheel, leaving you with only a few hours to check off the basic drive-by viewpoints at each park.

A breakdown of the different timelines shows what you can realistically accomplish:

• 5 Days (The Bare Minimum): Best if you just want a scenic driving tour. You will rush through one park per day, limiting your time to roadside overlooks and very short trailheads.
• 7 Days (The Standard Loop): The sweet spot for a classic week-long vacation. This allows for one full day at each park (with two days split between the neighboring Arches and Canyonlands near Moab) and gives you time for signature day hikes like Delicate Arch or the Navajo Loop.Embrace Someplace
• 10 to 12 Days (The In-Depth Experience): Highly recommended if you want to explore larger parks like Zion and Canyonlands without rushing. This timeline leaves plenty of room for long backcountry treks, off-road 4×4 excursions, and scenic detours through spectacular state parks like Goblin Valley or Kodachrome Basin.

You’ll also want to factor in your time on the road between parks. Here are projected travel times between the parks, using our suggested order.

Destinations	Approximate Travel Time
Arches to Canyonlands (Island in the Sky District)	.5 hour
Arches to Canyonlands (Needles District)	1.5 hours
Canyonlands to Capitol Reef	2.5 hours
Bryce Canyon to Zion	1.5 hours

What are some Mighty Five road trip tips?

1. Dry, High-Altitude Climate: The parks sit in a high-desert environment where elevations range from 4,000 to over 10,000 feet.
2. Extreme Daily Temperature Shifts: Temperatures can swing by more than 30 degrees in a single day, making layered clothing essential.
3. Unpredictable Weather Patterns: Summer brings intense heat and sudden afternoon thunderstorms, while winter brings freezing temperatures and snow.
4. Best Times to Visit: Spring and fall offer the best balance of mild weather and smaller crowds.
5. Summer Survival Strategy: If you visit in the summer, plan your hikes for early morning or late afternoon to avoid the intense midday heat and peak crowds.
6. Daily Essentials: Always carry plenty of water and wear sun protection like hats, long sleeves, sunscreen, and lip balm.
7. Buy a Park Pass: If you plan to visit multiple parks, buy an America the Beautiful annual pass for $80 to save on entrance fees. U.S. seniors can buy a lifetime pass for even bigger savings. Note that international visitors face higher fees, with an annual pass costing $250 or a $100 extra entry fee at high-demand parks like Bryce Canyon and Zion.
8. Inspect Your Vehicle: Get your car serviced before you leave. Make sure your tires are in good shape and your windshield wipers are working well to handle sudden changes in weather.
9. Watch the Weather: High-desert weather changes fast. Watch the forecast for spring or late fall snowstorms. In summer, be ready for severe thunderstorms that trigger flash floods, and never try to drive through running water. If a heavy dust storm hits, pull over safely until it passes.
10. Fuel and Stock Up: Gas stations and grocery stores are far apart in remote areas. Fill up your tank whenever you can, and always keep extra water and snacks in your vehicle just in case.
11. Carry Paper Maps: Do not rely on your phone or GPS apps, which often make mistakes or lose connection entirely. Bring physical paper maps or print directions from the official park websites to keep from getting lost when cell service drops.

What should I bring on the road trip?

• Clothing Layers: High-desert temperatures drop quickly in the morning and evening, so pack versatile layers you can add or remove throughout the day.
• Sun Protection: Wear sun-protective clothing, hats, and sunscreen year-round to protect against intense, high-altitude UV rays.
• Hiking Gear: Carry a backpack with the “10 essentials,” including plenty of water and healthy snacks. Consider using hiking poles to help balance on uneven, rocky trails.
• Refillable Water Bottles: Bring reusable bottles or hydration packs. Most national parks provide free water filling stations but do not sell single-use plastic water bottles.
• Backcountry Vehicle Prep: Before heading onto remote roads, make sure your vehicle is well-maintained and has a full tank of gas.
• Offline Maps: Download offline maps or carry paper maps, as cell phone reception and internet service disappear across wide stretches of the desert.
• RV Safety: Check local road conditions and size restrictions before driving a large RV onto unpaved or narrow backcountry roads.
• Rental Car Rules: Review your rental agreement before leaving the highway, as most companies strictly prohibit driving on unpaved roads.

Where can I stay along the route?

Lodging options can vary widely throughout your travels, and during the high season, you’ll want to make reservations for RV parks or hotels far in advance. If you plan to camp at national park campgrounds, you can (and should) make reservations up to six months in advance.

• Moab (Arches and Canyonlands): Moab has many boutique motels, lodges, and RV parks. If you want to stay in one of the parks, Arches offers the Devils Garden campground, and Canyonlands has campgrounds in both the Island in the Sky and Needles Districts. Nearby Dead Horse Point State Park also has a popular campground.
• Torrey (Capitol Reef): Torrey is just eight miles from the west entrance to Capitol Reef National Park and has hotels, RV parks, art galleries, and restaurants. You can also camp in the park’s Fruita Campground.
• Bryce Canyon and Bryce Canyon City: The most iconic place to stay is The Lodge at Bryce Canyon, inside the park and just a short walk from the Bryce Amphitheater. The lodge also has a restaurant and gift shop. Other options include the park’s campgrounds or hotels in Bryce Canyon City, just a few miles from the park.
• Zion National Park Lodge and Springdale: If you can’t get a reservation at the Zion National Park Lodge or campgrounds inside the park, there are lodging options in nearby Springdale.

Book a Tour Around Utah’s Mighty Five

Utah’s Mighty Five delivers adventure at every turn, with towering arches to red-rock cathedrals. Tour Utah’s Mighty Five parks or make it part of your Grand Circle adventure.

Start planning your Utah’s Mighty Five road trip today and discover why this legendary route belongs on every traveler’s bucket list.

Utah’s Mighty Five FAQs

How many days do you need for Utah’s Mighty Five?

Our proposed itinerary has visitors arriving at Moab on day 1 and finishing at Zion on day 5, but you can certainly spend more time at each of these outstanding Utah national parks. You can also select one or two parks to explore more thoroughly and have shorter visits to the others.

You’ll want to do more than stop at the visitor center, stamp your national park book, and hit a few overlooks, though! Each of Utah’s Mighty Five national parks has dramatic scenery, fascinating history, plenty of hiking trails, and lots to do. Allocate more than five days to explore them if you can.

What’s the best time of year to visit Utah’s national parks?

The best time to visit Utah’s national parks depends on your availability and what you want to do when you visit, but generally, spring and fall offer the mildest temperatures and smallest crowds.

Winter can bring snow and ice, but for some, that’s exactly the weather and scenery they’re seeking. Summer temperatures can reach into the 90s and low 100s, so if you visit during the hot season, schedule your outdoor activities in the cooler parts of the day. The parks will also be more crowded in summer.

Can you camp inside all five parks?

Camping at national parks provides easy access to the parks’ trails and special features, but be sure to reserve your site early. You can reserve campsites as early as six months before your visit. Here’s a list of the campgrounds at each of the national parks in Utah’s Mighty Five.

Arches: Devils Garden campground has 51 sites, but none with RV hookups. Sites are reservation-only from March through October, then first-come, first-served.

Canyonlands: Island in the Sky (Willow Flat) Campground has 12 non-reservation sites, none with RV hookups. There is no water at the campground. Needles Campground has 26 sites, some of which can be reserved from spring through fall and are all first-come the rest of the year. None of the sites have RV hookups.

Capitol Reef: If you’re camping, be sure to reserve a spot at the Fruita Campground, which has 71 sites. There are no RV hookups. The campground is adjacent to producing fruit orchards, from which visitors can pick during the harvest season. This park also has primitive campgrounds.

Bryce Canyon: There are two campgrounds at Bryce. The North Campground, with 100 sites, is open all year and the Sunset Campground with 99 sites is closed in winter. None of the sites have RV hookups.

Zion: This popular park has three campgrounds, although South Campground is closed for a long-term rehabilitation project and Lava Point is a remote location with only six primitive campsites. The large Watchman Campground is near the visitor center, with some sites that have electric hookups (most 30 amp, a few with 50 amp).

What is the climate like in Utah’s Mighty Five National Parks?

The climate of Utah’s high desert is generally dry with cold winters and hot summers. Weather varies by season and altitude. The higher you are, the cooler the temperatures. There can be high winds in spring or any time of year, and summer brings thunderstorms (July and August have the most days with thunderstorms and are also the hottest months).

In general, December and January are the coldest months, but you can still expect snow at high elevations almost anytime other than during the peak of summer.

So, what’s the weather like? Changeable! Review your weather app and check in at the park’s visitor center when you arrive for the latest weather and road condition reports.

How far is Capitol Reef from Bryce Canyon?

There are two routes between these two parks. It will take a little more than two hours to travel the 110 miles from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon using Utah Highway 24, 62, and 22. Alternatively, Utah Highway 12 Scenic Byway has been designated an All-American Road and offers many scenic viewpoints along the way. It is 116 miles and will take about 2.5 hours. Compare the routes and stopping places along the way to determine which way you’d like to go.