Exploring The Mighty 5 National Parks of Utah: Trip Guide

Utah has 5 national parks and they are often referred to as the Mighty 5 and there are countless people every year who attempt to visit all of them in a single road trip. Having personally done this more than once, this post will show you some of the most ideal ways to do the same thing if it’s your first time.

I’ll be providing you with sample itineraries which span from exploring the Mighty 5 in 5 days to longer (ideally the latter is better so you can do more). But whether it’s your first time or you have 5 days or a week, you’ll be able to plan out an awesome trip to see these national parks regardless!

Quick info:

• Name: Mighty 5
• Location: Southern Utah
• Cost to visit: $35 per car, $70 for an America the beautiful pass (provides access to all parks)
• Ideal time to explore for: 7-10 days (5 days if you’re ready to rush)
• Best airports to land in: Las Vegas International Airport or Salt Lake City

Summary:

Here is a brief overview of each national park in the Mighty 5 and what makes them special:

1. Zion National Park: Most popular of the 5 which has the most diverse hikes
2. Bryce Canyon National Park: Smallest of the 5, filled with what are known as Hoodoos.
3. Capitol Reef National Park: Least crowded of the 5, but one with many diverse hikes like Zion and sights.
4. Canyonlands National Park: Looks like Mars and has the highest points in the area.
5. Arches National Park: Contains over 2,000 naturally formed arches, hikes and more.

Map:

Planning your trip (Itinerary tips):

If you want to explore all 5 national parks in a single road trip then there’s several suggestions I have:

1. Give yourself at least 7-10 days to explore all 5 parks to avoid rushing and fully enjoying each one.
2. Buy an America the beautiful pass to save month when entering each park ($70, but you will save money).
3. Land in Las Vegas, explore Zion first, then Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, finish at Arches and then drive back to Vegas or Salt Lake City to conclude the trip.
4. Land in Salt Lake City and do the above backwards (Arches-Zion and finish in Las Vegas).
5. Give yourself at least 1-2 days in each park 
6. Plan ahead with your plane tickets and hotel accomodations for each park, especially if you plan to go there during a crowded weekend or period. 
7. I recommend you rent an AWD or 4X4 vehicle when you travel because there are areas in each park (optional areas that is) where the road isn’t very flat. For the most part though the entire trip will be on concrete and well organized roads.

Best towns to stay at near each park:

1. Zion National Park: Springdale or Kanab
2. Bryce Canyon National Park: Kanab or Bryce Canyon City
3. Capitol Reef National Park: Torrey
4. Canyonlands National Park: Moab
5. Arches National Park: Moab

Best times to go:

January-April are generally the best months I’d recommend going during. While it is generally cold/chilly in all 5 parks then, you will find that this is the least crowded period, and the costs for hotels are also much smaller. 

If you can’t go during that period, then the next best period would be November because this is when you will also find chilly weather and fall foliage throughout the Mighty 5, adding even more flavor to your experience. I would not recommend going between the months of May-October as it will usually be very crowded and typically very hot, especially during the summer months. 

Photos:

Best things to do in each park:

Zion National Park:

• Observation Point
• Angels Landing
• The Narrows
• Scenic drive through road 9
• More info

Bryce Canyon National Park:

• Queens Navajo Loop trail
• Scenic drive on road 63
• Explore Red Canyon (not part of the National Park)
• More info

Capitol Reef National Park:

• Hickman Bridge
• Cassidy Arch
• Scenic drive through the park
• The Narrows

Canyonlands National Park:

• Green River trail
• Mesa Arch
• Scenic drive on the White Rim Trail
• Druid Arch trail (hard)
• More info

Arches National Park:

• Scenic drive through the park
• Devils Garden trail
• Double Arch, Windows Arches and Turret Arch (1 trail)
• Delicate Arch
• More info

Each of these things to do are for the most part beginner friendly and great for families. You will likely not be able to do fit all of the things into a single day’s trip there, but this list will give you several options to consider depending on when you go. If you have any questions about them, feel free to ask me below.

A 5 Day Mighty 5 Itinerary Example:

This sample itinerary involved me exploring each park for only 1 day. If you visit for longer, you can break up the list of things into 2 days or more depending on how much you enjoy each park. Having rushed through each park I can honestly say I regret that because I didn’t get to absord the experience as much as I’d like to, so 2 days for each park is ideal in my opinion.

Optional sights to see:

Between each of the national park lies other amazing sights worth exploring and here’s just a few of them:

• Goblin Valley State Park (located near Canyonlands National Park)
• Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (located near Kanab, close to Zion National Park)
• Coyote Gulch (located between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Park)
• Nebo Loop trail (located between Arches and Salt Lake City)
• Monument Valley (located 3 hours from Canyonlands National Park)
• Page Arizona (an amazing city to stay in 2 hours from Kanab Utah)

Can’t explore all the parks?

If you don’t have the 7-10 days to explore every park like I listed above, then here’s a good alternative:

• Land in Las Vegas, head to Zion, stay overnight, explore Bryce Canyon the next day, then go back to Vegas (Min: 3 day trip)
• Land in Salt Lake City, head to Arches, stay overnight at Moab, explore Arches one day, then Canyonlands the next, head back the next day (Min: 4 day trip)

Related:

• Best hikes in Grand Staircase Escalante
• Best scenic drives in Utah
• Best things to do in Page Arizona