Delicate Arch, a red sandstone arch in Arches National Park, with snow-capped mountains behind it in warm evening light

Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip: 7-Day Itinerary Through the Parks

Five national parks in seven days: one-way from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City, with the best road in the middle.

765 mi · 7 days · Moderate
By

Photo: Ymaup, CC BY-SA 3.0

This is the classic Utah loop without the loop: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands (the Island in the Sky district), driven in a line from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City, with Scenic Byway 12 between Bryce and Capitol Reef. It covers about 765 miles (1,231 km) in seven days. The days below are our own split of the road: the distances are measured along the roads and every fee, rule and date comes from the park pages.

Seven days is tight, and the honest version is that you are choosing which parks get half a day. Zion and Bryce get most of the first three days, Capitol Reef gets the morning of day 5, and Arches and Canyonlands share day 6. If you can add days, add them in Zion and at Moab.

The one decision that matters is the season. Spring and fall give mild days, though Bryce can still see heavy snow in March and April and snowstorms in October. Summer is hot and crowded, and from late autumn to early spring the high road between Bryce and Capitol Reef can close. The fees add up, so decide on the annual pass before the first gate.

The Route on the Map

Each day in its own color, with the start and every night's stop numbered along the way.

Loading map...

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified.

Day by Day

7 legs and 6 nights on the way, each in a different place.

  1. Day 1

    Day 1: Las Vegas to Springdale: into Zion

    Las VegastoSpringdale

    Distance
    157 mi 253 km

    Interstate 15 north to Hurricane, then State Route 9 to Springdale, the town at the south entrance of Zion. The South Entrance and the pedestrian entrance both sit at the north end of town, and a free Springdale shuttle line runs to the pedestrian entrance, so leave the car at your lodging.

    Zion charges $35 per vehicle, valid for 1 to 7 days. The canyon shuttle needs no ticket. In the shuttle season, private cars cannot use the Scenic Drive into the canyon, so you ride the bus to the trailheads. Angels Landing needs a permit for the chains section; read the Angels Landing page before you plan the day. The Zion Narrows page covers the river hike.

    Sleep
    Springdale · Town
  2. The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway switchbacks winding down Pine Creek canyon, seen from Canyon Overlook under a clear blue sky, with red cliffs on both sides
    Day 2

    Day 2: Springdale to Tropic: Zion, then Bryce Canyon

    SpringdaletoTropic

    Distance
    90.1 mi 145 km

    Spend the morning in Zion Canyon on the shuttle, then drive out on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (State Route 9). The East Entrance is 13 miles (21 km) west of Mt. Carmel Junction, and the highway usually has speeds under 30 mph (48 km/h). The NPS puts the Bryce Canyon route via Highway 20 at about 150 miles (241 km), 63 miles (101 km) longer than this one, which makes the Zion-Mt. Carmel way about 87 miles (140 km) from the park.

    From Mt. Carmel Junction take US-89 north, then State Route 12 east. The leg ends in Tropic, on the same State Route 12 that carries on to Torrey. Bryce charges $35 per vehicle, and its visitor center stands at 7,894 feet (2,406 m), so mornings are cold even in fall. Plan to see the rim at sunset or sunrise.

    Sleep
    Tropic · Town

    Photo: Julianibarra, CC0

  3. Orange and pink hoodoos filling the Bryce Canyon amphitheater at sunrise, seen from Sunrise Point, with pine forest below and a pale sky above
    Day 3

    Day 3: Tropic to Escalante: Scenic Byway 12, part one

    TropictoEscalante

    Distance
    38.2 mi 61.4 km

    This is the short day, on purpose. Spend the morning at Bryce Canyon first (the shuttle was free and optional in 2026), then take State Route 12 east. Scenic Byway 12 is 122.9 miles (197.7 km) from Panguitch to Torrey, an All-American Road, and it is open all year, but sections can be impassable after big winter storms until plowed.

    Stopping in Escalante splits the byway across two days, so you drive its best stretch in daylight with room for stops rather than in one long push.

    Sleep
    Escalante · Town

    Photo: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. Sandstone ledges and juniper scrub above the Escalante River valley, under a blue sky with clouds
    Day 4

    Day 4: Escalante to Torrey: Hogsback and Boulder Mountain

    EscalantetoTorrey

    Distance
    64.3 mi 104 km

    The byway's most dramatic part is the Hogsback between Escalante and Boulder, where the road drops steeply from the shoulders into deep canyons with hairpin turns. After Boulder the road climbs over Boulder Mountain, whose summit the Capitol Reef page puts at 9,600 feet (2,926 m). In winter this is the section that gets ice.

    Near the summit the byway looks out over the Henry Mountains, Grand Staircase-Escalante and Capitol Reef. The byway ends at Torrey, where Route 12 meets State Route 24, the road into Capitol Reef.

    Sleep
    Torrey · Town

    Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0

  5. The Grand Wash trailhead sign, reading Do Not Enter If Storm Threatening, with sandstone cliffs rising behind it
    Day 5

    Day 5: Torrey to Moab: Capitol Reef and the road to Arches

    TorreytoMoab

    Distance
    171 mi 276 km

    Highway 24 runs through the middle of Capitol Reef, so the park comes first on this long day. Capitol Reef charges $20 per vehicle. As of 3 November 2026 the Scenic Drive was open to ordinary cars, Capitol Gorge Road was closed and the visitor center moves to winter hours of 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from November 29. From I-70 exit 149 to the visitor center is about 81 miles (130 km), by the park's own directions.

    Past Hanksville, Highway 24 meets I-70, which you take east to Crescent Junction, then US-191 south to Moab. Arches' entrance is on US-191, 22 miles (35 km) south of Crescent Junction and 5 miles (8 km) north of Moab, so if the light is good you can see the park's first stops before you reach town.

    Sleep
    Moab · Town

    Photo: Phil Whitehouse from London, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0

  6. Mesa Arch, a sandstone arch framing a view over canyons and rock towers in the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands
    Day 6

    Day 6: Moab to Green River: Arches and Canyonlands

    MoabtoGreen River

    Distance
    63.7 mi 103 km

    Both parks are reached from US-191 north of Moab, so this day runs up that road and on to Green River. The 63.7 miles (102.5 km) of this day is the highway only; the park roads are extra, and each is an out-and-back. Arches charges $30 per vehicle and, in 2026, had no timed-entry reservation. The NPS lists Balanced Rock at 9.2 miles (14.8 km) from the entrance, about 15 to 20 minutes, and Devils Garden at 18 miles (29 km), 40 to 45 minutes. Devils Garden Campground and the Fiery Furnace hikes still need a reservation.

    Island in the Sky is the Canyonlands district you can see in a few hours. The turn is 10 miles (16 km) north of Moab on US-191, then State Route 313 runs about 22 miles (35 km) southwest to the park. The NPS gives about 40 minutes of driving from Moab to the visitor center. Canyonlands charges $30 per vehicle. You will not see all of both in a day: choose one to do properly and give the other a short visit.

    Sleep
    Green River · Town

    Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0

  7. Day 7

    Day 7: Green River to Salt Lake City: the last day

    Green RivertoSalt Lake City

    Distance
    180 mi 290 km

    The last day is a drive. From Green River take US-6 northwest through Price and over Soldier Summit to Spanish Fork, then Interstate 15 north into Salt Lake City. The drive from Green River is 180 miles (290 km). If your flight is in the evening, you have a margin; if it is in the morning, drive the evening before.

Permits

No permit is required

The drive needs no permit. Arches announced no timed-entry reservations for 2026, and the Zion shuttle needs no reservation. Each park charges an entrance fee, and the America the Beautiful annual pass covers all five.

Fees at the gate (per private vehicle, as the NPS lists them): Zion $35, Bryce Canyon $35, Capitol Reef $20, Arches $30 and Canyonlands $30, which is $150 for the five. The America the Beautiful pass costs $80 for US citizens and residents, so it pays for itself on this trip. Visitors who are not US residents pay $250 for the same pass, and without it Zion and Bryce each add $100 per person aged 16 and older on top of the vehicle fee, so the pass is cheaper even for a single adult ($350 at the gates against $250).

Rules that can bite: the Zion shuttle needs no ticket, but private cars may not drive the Scenic Drive in the canyon while it runs. At Arches the NPS says vehicles may be diverted from the entrances when the park is congested, so arrive early. Hikes inside the parks have their own permits: Angels Landing needs a lottery permit for the chains section (see the Angels Landing page), and the Narrows has its own rules on the Zion Narrows page.

The lottery

Angels Landing, if you want the chains section, is awarded by seasonal and day-before lotteries; the application windows are on the Angels Landing page, not here.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip, and how to get home from the end.

The start

Las Vegas. The Zion page puts Harry Reid International Airport 170 miles (274 km) from the park and Salt Lake City airport 300 miles (483 km) away, so Las Vegas is the shorter way in. Take I-15 north and leave at Hurricane for State Route 9 up to Springdale.

The end

Salt Lake City. The NPS gives 237 miles (381 km) from Moab to Salt Lake City airport, and the route passes through Green River. Going back to Las Vegas instead would mean driving the whole state again on another day, so the trip is one-way: ask the rental company about a one-way drop-off charge before you book.

Shuttle

Zion runs a free shuttle in the canyon and a free Springdale line, with no permit or reservation. Bryce Canyon's shuttle was free and optional from April 3 to October 18 in 2026. Neither takes you between parks, so the car does all of that.

Parking

Zion canyon parking often fills by early or mid-morning, and Arches warns that parking at the popular stops is limited in busy seasons. Park in Springdale and ride the free Springdale line to the park entrance rather than circling for a space.

Safety

  • Heat: Zion regularly passes 100 F (38 C) in summer and Arches averages 100 F in July; the NPS says summer heat makes strenuous exercise difficult. In summer, hike before 10 a.m. and keep the afternoon for driving and viewpoints.

  • Winter driving: Scenic Byway 12 climbs Boulder Mountain to a summit of 9,600 feet (2,926 m), which the Capitol Reef page calls hazardous in winter. Bryce Canyon freezes nearly every night from October to May, and October snowstorms are not unusual. Check the UDOT traffic site for cameras and road conditions the morning you drive.

  • Flash floods: the NPS asks Zion visitors to watch for them in the monsoon months of July to September. The Arches page says roads there may close after rain or snow, and Bryce sees afternoon thunderstorms in July and August; leave exposed viewpoints when thunder starts.

  • Large vehicles: on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance, the NPS limit for a single vehicle is 35.75 feet (10.9 m) long, 7.8 feet (2.39 m) wide and 11.3 feet (3.45 m) high, mirrors and attachments such as bike racks included. Vehicles over the limits cannot use that section; the NPS lists Highway 20 as the alternative to Bryce, about 150 miles (241 km) and 63 miles (101 km) longer.

  • Unpaved roads: the Capitol Reef page warns against South Draw Road, an unmaintained high-clearance 4WD road, and says to use a map rather than rely on GPS. On a normal car stay on the paved Scenic Drive and Highway 24.

Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip: FAQ

Do you need a reservation for Arches National Park?

Not for the park itself in 2026: the NPS said it would not require timed-entry reservations this year, and you can enter any time the park is open. Devils Garden Campground and the Fiery Furnace hikes still need a reservation, and the NPS may divert vehicles from the entrances when the park is congested, so check the park page before you go.

Do you need a reservation for the Zion shuttle?

No. The shuttle is free and needs no permit or reservation, though you still pay the park entrance fee. It runs most of the year; as of 3 November 2026 the NPS schedule has it running until November 28, no service from November 29 to December 25, and holiday service from December 26 to January 2. In the months when it does not run, usually December to February, private cars may drive the Scenic Drive.

Is the America the Beautiful pass worth it for the Mighty 5?

Yes for almost everyone. The five entrance fees add up to $150 per vehicle against $80 for the annual pass for US citizens and residents. Non-US residents pay $250 for the pass, and without it Zion and Bryce each add $100 per person aged 16 and older.

Should you start in Las Vegas or Salt Lake City?

Las Vegas is the shorter way to Zion: the park puts Harry Reid airport 170 miles (274 km) away and Salt Lake City airport 300 miles (483 km). That is why this trip runs from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City. The loop back to Las Vegas would mean driving the same state again.

Is Scenic Byway 12 open in winter?

It is open all year, but sections can be impassable after big storms until the road is plowed, and the Boulder Mountain stretch gets ice. Check the UDOT traffic site for cameras and road conditions the morning you drive.

Can you hike Angels Landing on this trip?

Yes, if you hold the permit for the chains section, which is awarded by lottery. Scout Lookout, short of the chains, needs no permit. The details are on the Angels Landing page.

More road tripsAll adventuresMore about United States