Utah’s National Parks are some of the best in the entire United States. As all 5 all relatively close together in southern Utah, visiting all of them makes for one of the most epic road trips you can imagine! From Zion to Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef to Canyonlands and to Arches, we’ve drawn up this 7-day Utah National Park Road Trip Itinerary that will help you decide where to stay, what to do, and more useful travel tips.
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🚦Utah National Park Roadtrip Overview
Start: Las Vegas, Nevada
End: Salt Lake City, Utah
Trip Length: 7 days
Total Distance: 700–800 miles
Total Drive Time: ~12–14 hours across the course of a week
Best Time to Visit: Spring and Fall are the shoulder seasons, offering the most comfortable temperatures and plenty of sun during daylight hours. We did this route in late April and early May and felt the temperatures were perfect.
Why This Route: This road trip travels from east to west and progresses through southern Utah in a natural progression, instead of looping back on itself on your very last day.
ℹ️ About This Utah National Parks Road Trip
This Utah road trip will take you to see all 5 of Utah’s National Parks—Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches (in that order) over the course of 7 days. We’ve capped this road trip at 7 days as that’s the max amount of time we imagine most visitors can take off work, but feel free to spend more days in each park if you’d like!
Unless you’re driving in from a nearby state, we recommend flying into Las Vegas and renting a car for the week. Then, fly back out of Salt Lake City, Utah, a 4-hour drive away from Arches, the last park you’ll be visiting. Both Las Vegas and Salt Lake City are large airports, so they’re the most convenient, but you could also fly out of Grand Junction, Colorado, which is near Moab, Utah. If you need to, you can flip the order of this itinerary around, but this is the order we recommend.
As you’ll be traveling to 5 different national parks, each with its own $25-$35 entrance fee, we recommend investing in the America the Beautiful pass for $80 like we did. You can purchase the pass ahead of time or purchase it at one of the visitor centers or park entrance stations. This will save you some money on this road trip and will cover any other parks you wish to visit for the rest of the year! You can read more about the estimated cost of this road trip in this section.
🗺️ Utah Road Trip Map
How to use this map: We have saved the locations from this guide on this map. You can save this map to your Google Maps by pressing the star icon. In your Google Maps, click the menu icon and then Saved Maps, where this map will appear.
🚗 7-Day Utah National Park Itinerary
We’ve designed this road trip for the first-time visitor who hasn’t been to any of these parks before. If you have, we’ll link to related articles that list even more things to do, in case there’s a hike, experience, or tour you’ve done before. Let’s get into it!
Day 1: Fly into Las Vegas & Drive to Zion
Itinerary: Fly into Las Vegas, Pick up rental car, Provision, Drive to Zion
Afternoon Drive: Las Vegas, Nevada → Zion National Park
Driving Time: 2.5-3 hours
Where to Stay: Zion National Park, Springdale (right outside the park), or Hurricane/La Verkin (about 30 minutes outside the park)
On Day 1, fly into Las Vegas, Nevada, ideally arriving before lunch, to reach Zion National Park before nightfall and settle into your lodging. Once in Las Vegas, pick up your rental car, provision for the week at a grocery store for any snacks, and start on your 3-hour drive to the park!
If you have enough daylight, feel free to start exploring the park upon arrival, tackling something small like a visit to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, which is close to downtown Springdale. This is a great time to check for any special events happening tomorrow that you want to make time for.
To get some beautiful views of the park and stretch your legs, we recommend jumping on the peaceful Pa’rus Trail. You can hike the entire 2 hours of this out-and-back trail, all the way to Canyon Junction Bridge, or turn around whenever you like. End your evening watching the sunset near the Watchman Trail, or, if you have energy, hike up to the Watchman. It is a 3.3-mile (5.3 km) hike with 640 feet of elevation gain and takes about 1.5-2 hours. After, head to your campground, lodge, or hotel and settle in for the night.
💡 Note: If you want to do the famous Zion Narrows Hike the following day, we recommend picking up your gear on day 1 so you can start early, since the hike can get really busy.
Day 2: Zion National Park
Itinerary: Early wakeup in Zion, Full day in the park, Evening drive to Bryce Canyon
Evening Drive: Zion National Park → Bryce Canyon National Park
Driving Time: 2 hours
Where to Stay: Bryce Canyon National Park
The first official stop on this road trip is Zion National Park, the most visited national park in all of Utah! Spanning over 146,000 acres, it might feel a bit overwhelming to visit just for one day, but you’d be surprised at how much you can see with a little bit of planning.
Morning
Start your day early and beat the crowds (and the heat) by hopping on the first free shuttle from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center—departure times vary by season (6 a.m. May 18 to September 14 and 7 a.m. September 15 to November 1). Make sure to be parked early so you can get on the earliest shuttle. Grab a window seat, relax, and soak in the towering canyon walls as you ride all the way to the last stop: Temple of Sinawava.
From the Temple of Sinawava stop, enjoy the easy, mostly paved Riverside Walk. This peaceful 90-minute out-and-back trail takes you to the start of The Narrows Hike. You can tackle this hike as well, but it requires some preparation and will eat up most of your day (it took us 7 hours in total). Follow our guide to hiking the Narrows if you’re interested.
If skipping the Zion Narrows Hike, hop back on the shuttle and get off at Zion Lodge (Stop #6), for the Emerald Pools Trail. This is a moderate 90-minute hike with a little elevation gain, small waterfalls, and great red rock views. We loved how the destination “keeps going” on this hike, with each pool serving as a natural stopping point.
Afternoon
Refuel around noon with lunch at the Zion Lodge cafeteria or find a shady picnic spot nearby. If you packed your own food, the grassy lawn outside the lodge is the perfect place to relax! Then, head back toward the Visitor Center to pick up your car.
It’s time to head out of the main Zion Canyon and drive east on Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. This scenic route takes you through the historic tunnel and into a completely different side of the park filled with crazy-cool rock formations. There are a ton of pull-off points where you can stretch your legs, snap some photos, and read about what you’re seeing.
Right after the East Entrance tunnel, park, and hit the short-but-epic Canyon Overlook Trail. It’s just 1 mile round-trip (taking around 25 minutes to hike) but rewards you with a sweeping view back into the canyon.
Evening
Once you’ve finished up in the park, it’s time to continue to Bryce Canyon National Park, which you’ll be visiting tomorrow. This park is a 2-hour drive away from Zion, so you should be able to get there by dinner! If there is still light when you’re driving to Bryce Canyon, make sure to drive through Red Canyon Arch on Route 12, which is about 15 minutes from the park visitor center.
Day 3: Bryce Canyon National Park
Itinerary: Early wakeup in Bryce Canyon, Full day in the park, Evening drive to Capitol Reef
Evening Drive: Bryce Canyon National Park → Capitol Reef National Park
Driving Time: 2 hours 6 minutes
Where to Stay: Capitol Reef National Park
Next up is Bryce Canyon National Park, known for holding the largest concentration of hoodoos (tall, irregular rock formations formed by erosion) on Earth! We’re going to focus this one-day Bryce itinerary on visiting the main Bryce Amphitheater area of the park, as it’s where you’ll find the hoodoos. This park is located at the highest altitude of Utah’s 5 National Parks, sitting between 7,000 and 8,000 feet, so it’s going to have the coolest temperatures making it important to wear layers.
Morning
Kick off your time in Bryce Canyon by watching the sun rise over the hoodoos! Since Bryce Canyon National Park is open 24 hours, you can enter the park as early as you like. We recommend going to Sunrise Point, just a 4-minute drive from the Visitor Center. Make sure to check the exact sunrise time during your visit, and plan to arrive at least 30-45 minutes early to get a good spot. It’s likely to be cold for sunrise, so be sure to pack warm layers.
Next up is an easy stroll along the Rim Trail to Sunset Point. This paved walk should take you roughly 10-15 minutes and delivers jaw-dropping views of the main Bryce Amphitheater, bathed in the warm morning light. From Sunset Point, you can also hike Bryce Canyon’s most popular trail, the Navajo Loop & Queen’s Garden Combination Trail. Expect to take 1.5-2.5 hours, and make sure to pack hiking shoes and 2-3 liters of water per person. We hiked down from Queens Garden, which took us down the famous, picturesque switchback section, but if you have bad knees, we recommend going in the opposite direction.
Afternoon
After your hoodoo-filled morning, it’s time to recharge over lunch. If you’ve packed a lunch, you can find picnic tables at spots like the Visitor Center, Sunrise Point, and Sunset Point. If you’re craving something hot, we had a great meal at Valhalla Pizzeria and Coffee Shop, near the lodge.
After lunch, stop by the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center to learn a bit about the park! Here, you can see what we consider one of the best park films we’ve seen to date! This film beautifully illustrates Bryce Canyon’s changing seasons and explains how its unique flora and fauna adapt, providing some useful context to back what you’re seeing in the park.
In the afternoon, explore Bryce Canyon from the comfort of your car via the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive. This 18-mile (29 km) road through the park typically takes 2 to 3 hours, including stops, and takes you past a ton of incredible viewing areas like Swamp Canyon, Ponderosa Canyon, and Rainbow Point.
We recommend downloading the NPS App and going to Tours for a free driving tour of Bryce Canyon, you can follow!
If you have any energy left or want to explore the park some more, feel free to fit in a short hike or two before leaving Bryce Canyon. Bristlecone Loop was our favorite short trail in the park, taking just 30 minutes, and Mossy Cave Trail was our 2nd favorite short trail in the park, and is also under an hour.
Evening
Once you’ve finished hiking, make your way to Capitol Reef National Park, where we’ll be exploring tomorrow! This drive is just over 2 hours away, so you have until the late afternoon to explore Bryce Canyon before making the evening drive over. This takes you on one of the prettiest drives in Southern Utah, Utah Scenic Byway 12, which takes you past two state parks, including Kodachrome Basin State Park and Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, as well as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. We recommend prioritizing driving this route in daylight so you can take in the spectacular views.
Day 4: Capitol Reef National Park
Itinerary: Early wakeup in Capitol Reef, Full day in the park, Evening drive to Canyonlands
Evening Drive: Capitol Reef National Park → Canyonlands National Park (Moab, UT)
Driving Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Where to Stay: Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park is centered around the Waterpocket Fold, a nearly 100-mile-long wrinkle in the Earth’s crust. Although home to colorful canyons, historic orchards, and ancient petroglyphs, this park honestly doesn’t recieve as many visitors as the others in Utah (less than 2 million compared to Zion’s almost 5 million a year average). Here’s how you can see Capitol Reef in just one day!
Morning
Start your day off bright and early by hitting Capitol Reef’s #1 trail, the Hickman Bridge Trail. This 1-hour, moderate hike is incredibly popular, so the trailhead parking lot can fill up as early as 9:30 AM. We highly recommend setting out before sunrise to secure a spot and start making your way to Hickman Bridge. This trail is stunning at sunrise, so make sure to start hiking early.
Once you’re back, head to Gifford House, a small bakery and gift shop in the cute Fruita district. Opening at 9 am, this bakery sells fresh pies, cinnamon rolls, and jams, which you can enjoy in the nearby picnic area while enjoying views of the historic orchard.
With your belly full of homemade pie, explore the Fruita Rural Historic District. This lush, green oasis in the desert was founded by Mormon pioneers in the 1880s. To this day, you can wander through their orchards, go into the schoolhouse, and, depending on the season, pick your own fruit!
🥾 Fremont River Trail! There is also the Fremont River Trail, a moderate 1-hour hike along the river that starts right by Fruita Campground. Note that this trail is a bit steep on both the way down and the way up.
After, we recommend driving 13 minutes over to Cassidy Arch Trail, the 2nd most popular trail in the park, right after Hickman Bridge. The hike involves a decent initial climb, which we affectionately called “Nature’s Stairmaster,” before winding across varied terrain. This trail takes about 2 hours on average to complete.
🥾 Need an easier alternative? Head to Gooseneck Point and Sunset Point instead. These two scenic overlooks share the same parking lot and are just 15 minutes each, making them easy strolls more than actual hikes.
Afternoon
Enjoy a picnic lunch outside the Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center. After lunch, take some time to go inside the center and explore their small park museum and watch the park film. The park film shares more information on the Water Pocket Fold, which makes this park famous.
For the rest of the afternoon, explore the 8-mile (12.9-km) Capitol Reef Scenic Drive. Stretching from the Visitor Center to the start of the Capitol Gorge Trail, this route offers breathtaking views of the Waterpocket Fold from your car. If you decide to go on this trail, it’s a 1-hour hike that will bring you past prehistoric petroglyphs as well as landmarks from the area’s pioneering past. This trail wanders through the canyon walls, offering decent shade for an afternoon hike during most of the year.
Evening
Once you’re finished up in Capitol Reef, make the 2-hour drive over to Moab, Utah, a town that lies right by Canyonlands National Park as well as Arches National Park! This means you get to rest from driving for a few nights!
Day 5: Canyonlands National Park
Itinerary: Early wakeup in Canyonlands, Full day in the park
Drive: No long drive! Just driving within the park.
Driving Time: 0
Where to Stay: Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park, one of Utah’s Mighty 5, is located just outside of Moab and will absolutely wow you with its colorful sunrises and breathtaking mesa views. The park is divided into four districts—Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the Rivers. For time’s sake, this one-day itinerary focuses on the Island in the Sky District as it’s the most popular and easily accessible.
Morning
One of the most notable sunrise locations in this Utah National Park road trip is the sunrise at Mesa Arch Trail. Photographers flock to this famous arch daily to capture the sun as it wedges itself between the horizon and the arch. We will warn you that even though sunrise is usually less crowded, this spot is typically pretty busy. That doesn’t mean the views of the canyon with morning sunlight aren’t worthwhile. Although we highly recommend making it for sunrise, you can do this gorgeous, 20-minute loop once the sun is up, too.
When you get back from Mesa Arch, drive 10 minutes south to the trailhead of White Rim Overlook Trail. This 1.8-mile (2.9-km) trail takes you to some really incredible views of Monument Basin, the La Sal Mountains, and even the Colorado River over the course of 1 hour. When we visited, we were lucky enough to even catch a small fox on the trail, so keep your eyes peeled for wildlife here! Alternatively, you can drive out to Grand View Point at the end of the road and walk 20 minutes out on the Grand View Point Trail. We found White Rim Overlook Trail to be equally beautiful as Grand View Point Trail with a lot less visitors.
Afternoon
Once you’re back, take a break for lunch at the picnic area near the trailhead. After lunch, take some time visiting the Island in the Sky Visitor Center during the hottest part of the day, open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. While here, pop by the Visitor Center Overlook, located just across from the center, for some gorgeous views of the canyon.
After the heat of the day has passed, head over to Aztec Butte Trail, a 1-hour out-and-back hike that takes you to two buttes. The first stop on the trail is The Granary, a stone structure that scientists and descendants of these Indigenous peoples believe was used to store food.
The second brings you to one of our favorite viewpoints in the park, with incredible canyon views. You have the option to just tackle the first butte if the steepness gets too much for you, but we loved the view on the second so much, we encourage you to hike there if you have it in you!
Instead of, or in addition to, the Aztec Butte Trail, you’ve got a few gorgeous overlooks to visit in Island in the Sky. This all depends on your energy levels at this point in the day, so feel free to tackle the trail and these overlooks, or just defer to the overlooks if you’re feeling tired. Here are all the most-visited ones in Island in the Sky, in the order we recommend visiting them.
- Grand View Point (45-minute trail)
- Orange Cliffs Overlook (Pulloff)
- Buck Canyon Overlook (5-minute trail)
- Candlestick Tower Overlook (Pulloff)
- Shafer Canyon Overlook (10-minute trail)
Evening
No evening drive today! Instead, end your day with a gorgeous Utah sunset at Green River Overlook, adjacent to Willow Flat Campground in the park. This became one of our favorite spots in all of Utah to watch the sunset! The overlook is reachable by a very short, paved trail, with some rocks that you can hop on for a better view of Green River.
Make sure to look up the exact sunset time during your visit and plan to arrive at least 20 minutes before to find a good spot and set up. Feel free to bring a picnic blanket and dinner with you to enjoy as you watch the sun go down, as we did.
💫 Check out the park’s ranger programs, as they sometimes hold an astronomy ranger talk here just after the sun goes down.
If you’re looking for a hot dinner in Moab, here are our recommendations:
- Moab Garage Co. for coffee and breakfast items (closed Tuesdays)
- Snake Oil Coffee Company for a local drive through coffee spot
- Doughbird for amazing doughnuts and hot chicken sandwiches (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
- 98 Center Moab for some excellent Vietnamese cuisine
- Antica Forma for phenomenal Neapolitan-style pizza
- Milt’s Stop & Eat for burgers, fries, and milkshakes
- Moab Canyon Pizza for pizza with creative topping combinations (closed Sundays)
- Quesadilla Mobilla for delicious, homemade quesadillas
- Sweet Cravings for wraps, salads, and sandwiches – great for taking into the park for a picnic lunch
- Miss Gelato for the perfect treat after a hot day of hiking
Day 6: Arches National Park
Itinerary: Early wakeup in Arches, Full day in the park
Drive: No drive!
Driving Time: 0
Where to Stay: Arches National Park
Time to visit the last park of this Utah road trip—Arches National Park! Right next to Canyonlands National Park, this park is known for housing the largest collection of arches on Earth. Sculpted by time and erosion, there are over 2,000 natural sandstone arches in this one park. Let’s get into this one-day Arches Itinerary!
Morning
If you’re not opposed to an early rise, start your Arches trip off by watching the sunrise at Delicate Arch—the most photographed arch in the world! Fun fact: this is the arch on the popular Utah license plate. You can either drive to the Delicate Arch Viewpoint Trail, which requires a much shorter hike but is farther away, or take the Delicate Arch Trail up to the arch itself, a 3.2-mile (5.1-km) moderate out-and-back hike.
We went for the hike and arrived at the parking lot by 4:45 AM, hitting the Delicate Arch Trail by 5:10 AM, and reaching the arch by 5:45 AM. Adjust the time you leave so that you arrive at the arch 20-30 minutes before the sunrise is scheduled to take place. It took us about 35-40 minutes to reach the arch from the parking lot.
🔦 Let there be light! Be prepared with a headlamp or flashlight to see where you’re going on the Delicate Arch Trail if you leave before the sun comes up. There are some steep areas, so being prepared is key.
Once you’re back, drive back down the scenic road toward The Windows section. You’ll be hitting Double Arch Trail and the Windows Loop. Not only are these two trails right next to each other, but they both offer a huge concentration of arches in one small area. We were able to see both of these trails in just about an hour!
Then, continue back down the scenic drive for two quick stops, Park Avenue Overview and Courthouse Towers Viewpoint. Park Avenue Overview’s towering spires, which resemble Manhattan’s Wall Street, are visible from the viewpoint. Just past it, you also have Courthouse Towers, a massive rock monolith that resembles an ancient courthouse.
Afternoon
Break for lunch at one of the park’s picnic tables around Arches Visitor Center, stopping in to see the exhibits if you haven’t already, or make your way down the main road to Panorama Point. Here you’ll find plenty of covered picnic tables and stunning views of the La Sal Mountains in the distance.
After lunch, it’s time to see Landscape Arch and Double O Arch by hiking the out-and-back Double O Arch Trail (4.2 miles/6.8 km) in about 2-2.5 hours. If you continue on the trail, you’ll be hiking the rest of the Devil’s Garden Trail, but that extends the hike to 4 hours, so we recommend sticking to this shorter version, as you’re just here for the day.
Sand Dune Arch Trail (15 minutes) and Broken Arch Trail (45 minutes) are two nearby trails that can be easily combined into a 1-hour hike. Between these two routes, we saw lots of birds, had the trails almost all to ourselves, and found the arches very unique! If you’re looking to extend your hiking time by 15 more minutes, you can see the nearby Tapestry Arch as well.
Evening
Although Delicate Arch is the most popular sunrise and sunset trail in the entire park, we recommend a hike-free option after the long day you’ve had. Our favorite no-hike sunset spot in Arches is Balanced Rock. Although there is a short 8-minute loop that leads you around the formations, the views of the orange formations are spectacular even if you stay at the trailhead!
If you want to spend your last night stargazing, Arches National Park is an official International Dark Sky Park. Some great spots to stargaze in the park include Balanced Rock, The Windows Section, Garden of Eden Viewpoint, and Panorama Point.
Day 7: Drive to Salt Lake City, Utah, & Fly Home
Itinerary: Drive to Salt Lake City, Return rental car, Fly home
Drive: Moab, Utah to Salt Lake City, Utah
Driving Time: 3 hours and 45 minutes
Where to Stay: No overnight (flying home)
The time has come to fly back home! After grabbing breakfast in Moab and buying any last souvenirs to commemorate your time in Utah, start making your way to Salt Lake City. If you’re able to, we recommend flying out from there; try to get an evening flight so you don’t have to wake up too early. The total driving time from Moab is 3 hours and 45 minutes, without stops. We recommend giving yourself 5 hours to get there just in case.
If you have a later flight and want to explore a bit more, we recommend checking out some of the great hikes around Moab, including Corona Arch just off Potash Road, or head to Dead Horse Point State Park.
🏨 Where to Stay at Each National Park
Below, we’ve listed where you can stay the night around each national park. We’ve organized our recommendations by spots inside the park, outside of the park, and free stays outside of the park. Keep in mind that Arches and Canyonlands are right next to each other, so you don’t have to change your accommodation that night unless you want to stay at each park’s campground.
Near Zion
- Inside the Park: Zion Lodge, Watchman Campground, Lava Point Campground (open May-September), and South Campground.
- Hotels: Best Western Plus Zion Canyon, Cable Mountain Lodge, and Hotel De Novo Springdale are some of the top spots in Springdale.
- Glamping: Zion Wildflower Resort, Zion View Camping, and Under Canvas Zion are some of the top glamping spots near Zion.
- VRBO: One of our favorite pages to book homestays is VRBO.
- Free Stays: If you’re travelling in a van, there are tons of free spots around Zion listed on iOverlander.
Near Bryce Canyon
- Inside the Park: Bryce Canyon Lodge, North Campground, or Sunset Campground (closed in winter).
- Hotels: Best Western PLUS Bryce Canyon, Best Western PLUS Ruby’s Inn, and Bryce Pioneer Village are three highly-rated hotels near the park entrance.
- Glamping: Bryce Canyon Escalante Glamping offers glamping within 15 miles of the park.
- VRBO: One of our favorite pages to book homestays is VRBO.
- Free Stays: Dixie National Forest Dispersed Camping and Red Canyon Boondock Camping.
Near Capitol Reef
- Inside the Park: Fruita Campground is the only established campground in Capitol Reef. You also can stay at either of the free Primitive Campgrounds (Cathedral Valley and Cedar Mesa).
- Hotels: The Rim Rock Inn, Days Inn, and Motel Torrey are three popular hotels in Torrey, Utah.
- Glamping: Capitol Reef Resort and Broken Spur Inn & Steakhouse are two glamping properties that let you stay the night in a Conestoga Wagon!
- VRBO: One of our favorite pages to book homestays is VRBO.
- Free Stays: Beas Lewis Flat Road (20-minute drive) or Cathedral Road BLM (right outside the north entrance).
Near Canyonlands & Arches
- Inside Canyonlands: Willow Flat Campground (first-come, first-served) and The Needles Campground (reservations here) are the two park campgrounds.
- Inside Arches: Devils Garden Campground (reservations necessary March 1 to October 31; the rest of the year, it is first-come, first-served).
- Hotels: Scenic View Inn & Suites, Wingate by Wyndham Moab, and The Virginian Inn Moab Downtown are three popular hotels in Moab, Utah.
- Glamping/Camping: Sun Outdoors Arches Gateway and Up the Creek Campground are two campgrounds near the parks. Under Canvas Moab is one of the top glamping spots.
- VRBO: One of our favorite pages to book homestays is VRBO.
- Free Stays: There are tons of free spots around Moab, Utah, listed on iOverlander.
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⛅ Best Time to Visit the Utah National Parks
The Utah National Parks range in average temperature as their elevations vary. For example, Zion has the lowest elevation at 3,666 feet (1,117 meters) at Coal Pits Wash, whereas Bryce Canyon has the highest elevation at 7,000-8,000 feet. If you can swing it, the shoulder season is the perfect time for a Utah National Parks Roadtrip. During the spring and fall months, you’ll experience fewer crowds and more comfortable temperatures.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect from each season in Utah.
- June – August: The summer brings the highest crowds of the entire year, lots of programming, weather fit for water activities, and many hours of daylight. Downsides include crowding on popular trails, difficulty parking, extreme mid-day temps (especially in July & August), and some potential difficulty finding lodging.
- April – May & September – October: With medium crowds mid-week and higher crowds on the weekends, Spring and Fall in Utah’s National Parks look like comfortable temperatures, ample park programming, and fairly abundant lodging opportunities. This is our favorite time to go.
- November – March: The winter months experience low park crowds with ample parking and lodging, but frigid conditions with the possibility of ice and snow. The parks’ programming also slows down, so your experience will be mostly self-guided. Depending on the year, late March and early November can still be doable times to visit. Bryce Canyon usually gets snow during the winter.
We did this Utah National Parks Road Trip in late April/early May and had great weather, with cool mornings and evenings and warm days. We typically prefer shoulder-season travel, as it offers some of the most comfortable temperatures for van life.
💰 How Much Does a Utah Road Trip Cost?
Below, we’ve broken down the main costs of a Utah National Parks Road Trip. The biggest fees are your flights to Utah, the rental car, and your accommodation. If you’re able to save on any one of these by living close by (no flight), using your own car, or camping instead of staying at hotels, you might be able to spend as little as $500 for two people.
🎫 Consider investing in the America the Beautiful pass for $80 like we did if you’re planning on travelling to several parks within the year.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| America the Beautiful Pass (1 car) | $80 |
| Flights | Varies ($400 to $1,000 round-trip from within the US) |
| Rental Car for 7 days | $350-$600 |
| Groceries for 7 days | $50-$150 per person |
| Gas | $150-$200 |
| Restaurants | $15-$30 per person, per meal |
| Lodging (BLM Land) | Free |
| Lodging (NPS Campgrounds) | $20-$40 per night |
| Lodging (Private Campgrounds) | $40-$60 per night |
| Lodging (All Hotels) | $100-200 per night |
📰 Related Articles
- Zion National Park Travel Guides
- Bryce Canyon National Park Travel Guides
- Capitol Reef National Park Travel Guides
- Canyonlands National Park Travel Guides
- Arches National Park Travel Guides
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