UTAH’S Mighty 5 National Park Road TripRoad tripping to all 5 of Utah’s National Parks is one of the most epic adventures you will ever take! Each park has unique views and landscapes that feel as if they are from another planet making the hiking and exploring here out of this world! Authorsthetravelingdans
DestinationsUtahItinerary

Day 1 & 2 Arches National Park

Trip Highlight
Welcome to Arches National Park! This park is quite small but there is a lot to see and do here so 2 days is the perfect amount of time to explore the park and the town of Moab. **NOTE: a timed entry ticket is needed from April 1st to July 6th and August 28th to October 31st between 7am and 4pm. These can be purchased on recreation.gov
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Delicate Arch
This is the most iconic arch in the park! The hike to get here is around 1.5 miles. This hike gets very busy and can be crowded at all times of the day so be prepared for that!
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Double Arch Trail
One of our favorite arches in the park! This arch requires no hiking and can be accessed by most.
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Window Arch
Right across the parking lot from Double Arch is the trail to the Windows Arches and Turret Arch! The Windows are right off the parking lot but the 1 mile loop is worth doing to see Turret Arch.
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Sand Dune Arch
This is our favorite trail to escape the crowds! Sand Dune Arch is best at sunrise, we started the trail at 7am and only saw a few other people. There is a loop that continues from Sand Dune Arch to Broken Arch and you will actually pass a few other arches along the way.
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Landscape Arch
This is the longest arch in North America! It can be accessed by a fairly easy 2-mile round trip hike. The trailhead is also home to the 8-mile Devil’s Garden hike if you are in the mood for half day adventure!
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Exhilarating Hells Revenge 4X4- 3 HOUR TOUR
If you are looking for a unique and epic adventure, book a 4x4 tour to explore the desert landscape and crazy rock formations.
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Antica Forma
Moab is the closest town to Arches and boasts a bunch of restaurants. We love Antica Forma because they serve phenomenal pizza and have a super cute outdoor patio.
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Slackline Moab, Outset Collection by Hilton
We love this accommodation for both van lifers and people looking for a hotel room. Aside from rooms, they offer van parking spots that are a much cheaper rate with access to amenities like the pool, shower, indoor work space, and more.
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Day 3 & 4 Canyonlands National Park

Trip Highlight
Canyonlands National Park is one of the most otherworldly destinations in Utah! This park is huge and it is divided up into 4 sections. The Needles District and Island in the Sky District are the most accessible and will be the ones we focus on. The other two districts are very remote and require a 4x4 vehicle. We recommend staying in Moab when exploring this park as there are no accommodations near the Needles District so you will day trip here from Moab. The Island in the Sky District is a short 30-45 minute drive from Moab.
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Druid Arch Trail
There are quite a few hikes in the Needles District, although all of the hikes here are long. It typically takes a full day to drive here, complete the hike, and return to your accommodation so this is how we would spend Day 3! Druid Arch is a great hike for those looking for incredible views of the Needles District ending at a massive arch. We recommend downloading the trail prior to coming here as there is no cell reception and the trail can be difficult to follow at times. The hike is 10 miles with 1,500 feet of elevation gain.
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Mesa Arch
Located in Island in the Sky District, this is a quintessential Canyonlands spot! We visited at sunrise but it would be beautiful any time of day. The hike is short, .7 miles total.
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Green River Overlook
The Island in the Sky District has a bunch of scenic overlooks and pull offs. This spot is a must see! It is also a great sunset spot.
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Upheaval Dome
This 2-mile trail takes you along a rocky ridge to look at a geological mystery. This is the one place in Canyonlands where the rocks are drastically different from anything else in the park and how they formed is unexplainable.
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White Rim Overlook Trail
Another short 2-mile trail providing more epic views of Canyonlands!
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Day 5 Capitol Reef National Park

Trip Highlight
We would say that Capitol Reef is definitely one of the most underrated national parks in the USA! This park truly has it all, epic hiking, unique rock formation, slot canyons, arches, and more. We recommend starting with the scenic drive! It leaves from the visitor center and it is a beautiful introduction to the park. Then dive into a hike or two based on what you want to see and what difficulty level you can complete.
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Grand Wash Trailhead
If you like slot canyon hikes, you will love this one! We only went a mile into the wash but you can hike this all the way to Cassidy Arch if you want! Its an easy walk and would be great for kids!
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Cassidy Arch
This is the arch you can tag onto the Grand Wash Hike. If you start from the Cassidy Arch trailhead, the hike is 3 miles with 700 feet of elevation gain.
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Hickman Bridge Trail
One of the prettiest arch-type hikes in Utah! The trail is only 1.5 miles round trip with a pretty mild elevation gain. A great easy hike option for families.
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Rim Overlook Trail
If you are up for a workout, hike another two miles (off the same trailhead as Hickman Bridge) to Rim Overlook! This is one of the only spots you can look over the whole park and it is beautiful! The hike is 4.5 miles with 1,100 feet of elevation gain.
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Chimney Rock
This is a great landmark to see in the park. There is a trail that loops around it if you want to do another hike!
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Slackers Burger Joint
A great place to eat at post-hike in the nearby town of Torey. The burgers are incredible but they are known for their banana split which was incredible!
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Skyview Hotel
Even though this is one of the more remote national parks in Utah, there are still accommodations nearby like this hotel! The views from here are incredible and the rooms are cozy and clean.
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Day 6 & 7 Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park Sunset Point
You have to watch sunrise once while in the park! The best place to do this is actually at SUNSET point! There is a Sunrise Point here (that’s where everyone else will be) and what most people don’t know is that both viewpoints face the same direction. Watching sunrise here allows for solitude and better views of the hoodoos in our opinion.
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Fairyland Loop Trail
If you want to escape crowds, this is the trail to do! At 8 miles round trip with 1,500 feet of elevation gain, this loop takes you along the rim of the park then drops down to wind around unique hoodoos. Just remember when hiking in Bryce Canyon, you start by going downhill and finish by hiking uphill :)
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Navajo Loop Trail
To see the famous Wall Street, this is the trail you will want to take! We recommend going counterclockwise! This loop is 3 miles round trip with 650 feet of elevation gain.
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Peekaboo Loop Trail
This is our favorite hike in the park! It begins at the highest lookout in the park and winds around unique and famous hoodoos, like the Wall of Windows! This hike is challenging, you will drop 700-800 feet into the canyon in one mile, walk the three mile loop, then climb the mile back up to the top. It is so worth the trek though!
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Best Western Plus Ruby's Inn
If you want to stay close to the park entrance, this is a great hotel for that! In the same parking lot, you also have access to the local grocery store to help you fuel up for your hikes!
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Day 8 & 9 Zion National Park

The Narrows
An iconic Zion hike! Where else can you hike in a river at the bottom of a slot canyon?! You can walk the narrows for almost 5 miles but you really can just go as far as you feel like. To safely complete this hike, we recommend renting gear from Zion Outfitter!
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Emerald Pools
This is a great hike for families or other people looking for a more relaxed adventure. This hike is 3 miles round trip with 600 feet of elevation gain and it takes you to beautiful pools and seasonal cliffside waterfalls.
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Angels Landing
Possibly the most exhilarating hike in the USA! Angels Landing takes you across a steep ridge with the assistance of chains to see the most epic view in the park! This hike is 4.3 miles with 1,900 feet of elevation gain and it does require a permit in advanced so make sure you research that prior to planning for this hike.
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AutoCamp Zion
There are a ton of hotels in Springdale but this one has to be one of the most unique because you can stay in Airstreams! It is only 10-15 minutes away from the entrance to the national park.
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Camp Outpost
This is a great spot for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and it is located in Springdale making it a great spot to eat at before or after adventuring in the park.
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Zion Canyon Brew Pub
A beer always tastes better after a hike or epic adventure so definitely stop here to grab a local brew while exploring Zion!
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Zion Outfitter
This is a great place to rent gear for your adventures, including The Narrows hike!
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Hot Air Balloon Adventure In Southern Utah By Zion Balloons
To see Utah from the sky would be a dream! This is a great tour to get a unique perspective of the landscape and take in the beauty of Utah.
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