Utah is home to five world-class national parks within a roughly 200-mile radius — Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands. Doing all five in a road trip is one of the great American travel experiences. The landscapes transition from narrow slot canyons to pink limestone amphitheaters to ancient desert arches, and the driving itself through red rock canyon country is worth the trip on its own. A 5-day loop gives you meaningful time at each park without feeling rushed.
Best seasons: Spring (April–early June) and fall (September–October). Summer is extremely hot at lower elevations (Zion especially) and crowded everywhere. Winter closures affect some roads. Spring brings wildflowers and waterfalls; fall brings golden cottonwoods and cool air.
Click "more options" on the Google Maps embed above to open the full Utah National Parks loop driving route.
Day 1 — Las Vegas to Zion National Park
Fly into Las Vegas (LAS) — it's the most affordable and well-connected gateway to this loop. The drive from LAS to Zion is 2.5 hours northeast on I-15. Arrive in the afternoon and spend the evening walking the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive on the park shuttle (private vehicles not allowed in the main canyon). The canyon walls at golden hour are extraordinary — glowing red and cream against a blue sky.
- Evening hike: Canyon Overlook Trail — 1-mile, 163 ft gain, massive views, no permit required
- Stay: Springdale (right outside the park entrance); Zion Lodge inside the park if available
Day 2 — Zion: Angels Landing or The Narrows
Full day in Zion. Two iconic hikes dominate — pick one or do part of both.
- Angels Landing — 5.4 miles, 1,488 ft gain. The final half-mile is a chain-assisted scramble along a narrow ridge with 1,000-ft dropoffs. Requires a permit ($6/person, lottery-based via recreation.gov). One of the most thrilling hikes in the US.
- The Narrows — bottom up — hiking up the Virgin River through slot canyon walls 1,000 feet tall and just 20 feet wide. No permit needed for the bottom section. Rent canyoneering boots and a walking stick in Springdale (highly recommended — the river is cold and slippery). Go 2–4 miles in and turn around.
Day 3 — Drive to Bryce Canyon via Highway 9 & 89
Take Highway 9 east out of Zion (the Mt. Carmel Highway — it goes through a famous tunnel and up through switchbacks with epic views), then north on 89 to Bryce Canyon. The drive is 1.5 hours.
Bryce Canyon is technically not a canyon at all — it's the eroded edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, forming a series of natural rock amphitheaters filled with thousands of hoodoos (tall, thin spires of rock). The color is almost surreal — deep orange, red, white, and lavender.
- Navajo Loop + Queen's Garden Trail — 3 miles, walks down into and through the hoodoos; one of the best hikes in the park
- Sunrise/Sunset Point — arrive 30 min before sunrise for the hoodoos glowing pink
- Rim Trail — flat 5.5-mile walk along the canyon edge with continuous views
- Stay: Bryce Canyon City or inside the park at Bryce Canyon Lodge
Day 4 — Capitol Reef & Drive to Moab
Head east on Scenic Byway 12 — consistently ranked one of the most beautiful roads in America. It passes through Red Canyon, the town of Escalante, and crosses the Hogsback, a narrow paved ridge with thousand-foot dropoffs on both sides. Stop at Capitol Reef National Park for 2–3 hours — the Fruita Historic District has free fruit orchards you can pick from in season, and the short hikes to Hickman Bridge and Cohab Canyon are excellent.
Continue east on Highway 24 to Moab — about 2.5 hours from Capitol Reef. Arrive in the evening and explore the town. Moab is a full outdoor adventure hub with excellent restaurants, gear shops, and the best mountain biking in the world just outside of town.
Day 5 — Arches & Canyonlands
Your final day covers two parks within 30 minutes of Moab.
- Arches National Park (morning) — timed entry required March–October, book on recreation.gov. Delicate Arch (3 miles, 480 ft gain) is the iconic image on Utah license plates — it's worth every step. Windows Section is flat and accessible for all ability levels. Give yourself at least 3 hours.
- Canyonlands — Island in the Sky (afternoon) — 30 minutes from Arches. Mesa Arch trail (0.5 miles) frames a sunrise view that photographers line up for. Grand View Point Overlook shows the full canyon system from 5,000 feet above. A perfect final afternoon before driving back to Las Vegas (4 hours) or Moab airport.
Logistics & Tips
- America the Beautiful Pass ($80) covers entry to all 5 parks — essential if you don't already have one
- Book permits early — Angels Landing and Arches timed entry fill weeks in advance
- Gas up in St. George, Springdale, Torrey, and Moab — stations are sparse on the backcountry stretches
- Cell service is spotty between parks; download offline maps on Google Maps or Gaia GPS before you leave
- Accommodations — book 3–4 months ahead for peak season; everything near the parks fills up fast
