The Most Epic Utah National Parks 7-day Itinerary
Utah is one of the best states to visit and explore in all the United States. It has five wonderful national parks, many stunning state parks, national monuments, hiking trail and it offers many more things to see and to do. Utah National Parks are truly breathtaking, they will blow you away and transport you to another planet. We spent one week in Utah and in this post, I present you the most epic Utah National Parks 7-day itinerary. I built this Utah National Parks itinerary for Damian and I when we visited Utah in November this year. I allocated at least one night in each park which gave us plenty of time to visit what we wanted to see. In one week in Utah you can visit five National Parks and explore the unbelievable beauty of this amazing state. This Utah National Parks guide includes everything you need to know when traveling to Utah: things to do and to see, things to know for each park, where to eat & travel tips.
Zion National Park
Canyonlands National Park - Green River Overlook
Arches National Park - Delicate Arch
Capitol Reef National Park
What you should know before going to Utah?
Here are some travel tips:
The best cities to start your perfect Utah road trip is Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. We started our trip in Vegas, then we drove to Zion National Park through Valley of Fire.
I recommend you purchasing America the Beautiful Annual Pass, which is valid for one year and allows you to all national parks for only $80. You can buy the pass at any of park entrance.
Don’t forget to take a jacket, mornings in Utah might be cold. You should have a variety of outfits because the temperatures change quickly. Also, a pair of comfortable shoes would be a great choice! You should be prepared for many beautiful hikes.
Many of the national parks and sights don’t have food options, so I recommend you taking snacks with you. Also, you can have with you like travel utensils set or a knife to prepare your snacks.
Valley of Fire, Nevada
Welcome to Utah Sign
Utah Road Trip - Day 1-2
Zion National Park
Where to stay?
The day before we drove from Las Vegas, through Valley of Fire to Zion National Park. We stayed a night in a small city of Hurricane, located an only 30-minute drive from the entrance of Zion National Park. Actually, I’d suggest you staying in a lovely town Springdale, we drove through this place and it was so nice. They have many Airbnb accommodations and hotels.
On the first day of our Utah Road Trip we headed to Zion National Park. The park was so crowded (it was Saturday and Halloween) so I highly recommend going there early in the morning. Also, Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is closed to private cars most of the year. Because of this, you should take a free shuttle bus which takes you to all the beautiful sights in the park. So the best thing to do is to leave your car early in the morning in the parking lot at Visitor Center and explore the park by the shuttle bus. The shuttle starts at Visitor Center and travels to the end of Zion Scenic Drive. We only spent one day in Zion, unfortunately, we didn’t have time to do scenic hikes as Angels Landing or The Narrows. If you have time, I recommend you so!
Zion National Park Highlights:
Emerald Pools Hike (Lower, Middle and Upper - 1,5 hour round trip from shuttle stop #5)
Golden Hour at Virgin River, Zion National Park
Sunset at Canyon Overlook Trail (an easy one-mile hike, perfect for sunrise or sunset)
Virgin River Overlook
Canyon Overlook
Trail to Emerald Pools
Middle Emeral Pool - Zion National Park
Sunset at Canyon Overlook
Utah Road Trip - Day 3
Bryce Canyon National Park
After leaving Zion Nation Park, we drove to Bryce and stayed there for a night. Bryce Canyon is my favorite national park in Utah, this park is like no other. I was amazed by the beautiful scenery, where sandstone hoodoos form a natural amphitheater and show off its magical shades of orange, pink and red. Your visit won’t be complete without seeing a sunrise in Bryce Canyon National Park. That’s why it’s so important to stay close to the entrance and make it for sunrise.
Where to stay and to eat?
We stayed in Best Western Plus in Bryce, the hotel was wonderful and they served a tasty buffet breakfast even in the middle of the pandemic. We booked this hotel on Booking.com, here is the link.
Bryce Canyon National Park Highlights:
Watching sunrise at Inspiration Point
Stopping at Bryce Point and Rainbow Point
Navajo Loop Trail Hike & Wallstreet Loop
Sunrise in Bryce Canyon National Park
Sunrise at the Inspiration Point - Bryce Canyon National Park
Navajo Loop Trail
Entering to Navajo Loop Trail
Utah Road Trip - Day 4
Capitol Reef National Park
After visiting the beautiful Bryce Canyon, we drove North to Capitol Reef National Park, the least-visited national park in Utah. When driving to Capitol Reef I highly recommend you taking the Scenic Byway 12 with many picturesque stops along. There is a Grand Staircase Escalante Monument which is worth the visit, unfortunately, we didn’t make it to this place. I also recommend grabbing some food-to-go because there won’t be many stops to eat on the drive.
Where to stay and to eat?
We stayed in a hotel in Torrey, a small town located nearby Capitol Reef National Park. Almost all the restaurants (there was only a few) were closed due to covid, but we found one, cute restaurant The Pioneer Kitchen, which was right next to Capitol Reef Resort Hotel. I highly recommend you both places to stay and to eat. The day after we stopped there to grab breakfast before our drive to Moab, it was so good!
What you should know before going to Capitol Reef?
Capitol Reef National Park is a really huge park full of sand, red cliffs, canyons and domes. The park is divided into a few parts, and the best way to explore them is by a 4x4, high clearance vehicle. You can explore only a small part of this beautiful place by a regular car, so I highly recommend you renting a jeep. You will be able to make it to the gorgeous Cathedral Valley and the Temple of the Sun and Moon
Capitol Reef National Park Highlights:
Drive the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive (it’s beautiful especially during golden hour)
Watching sunset at Gooseneck Overlook and Sunset Point
Hikes: Hickman Natural Bridge and Cassidy Arche (we didn’t have time to make it but you can!)
Visiting the Cathedral Valley & the Temple of the Sun and Moon (you’d need a 4x4 vehicle)
Sunset Point - Capitol Reef National Park
The end of Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Sunset Point - Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Utah Road Trip - Day 5
Dead Horse State Park & Moab
Where to stay in Moab?
On day 4, early in the morning, we left Capitol Reef National Park and headed to Moab. It took us around 4 hours to get there, but the drive was epic! Looked like we’re on a different planet. In the early afternoon, we checked in to our beautiful hotel Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn where we stayed two nights. I booked this hotel on Booking.com, here is the link. We had a complimentary breakfast included and it was delicious. I highly recommend this hotel, located in the center of Moab.
Dead Horse State Park
Dead Horse State Park is an extremely beautiful place located 45-minutes away from Moab. We drove there on our first day in Moab, for the sunset. It offers a stunning overlook spot at the end of the park. Dead Horse Point Overlook is a must-see. It’s located in the Island in the Sky, which is the district the easiest to access by car and it’s the most visited. The views were spectacular.
Dead Horse Overlook
Scenic views from Dead Horse Overlook
Dead Horse Overlook at Sunset
Utah Road Trip - Day 6
Arches National Park
Arches National Park is such a picturesque park, it looks like out of this world. Full of different kind of arches and formations, it’s just simply breathtaking. We only spent there half of the day but you should definitely stay longer if you want to explore more stunning spots.
Hiking to Delicate Arch
Since we slept in Moab after our adventure in Dead Horse State Park, we decided to wake up early in the morning and head to Arches National Park before sunrise. Arches National Park tends to be crowded, so it’s highly recommended to go as early as you can. We parked our car at the Wolfe Ranch parking lot and started hiking to Delicate Arch, the most famous and iconic arch in Arches National Park. The hike is almost 4,8 km round trip (3 miles), it took us around 1,5 hour. The hike was quite easy and the view was absolutely gorgeous. The best lighting is in the morning, so waking up early was definitely worth it.
After hiking to Delicate Arch, we explored other beautiful parts of the park as The Windows, Landscape Arch, Balanced Rock and Garden of Eden. Then we went back to the hotel to take some rest before going to Canyonlands National Park
Delicate Arch - Arches National Park
Delicate Arch - Arches National Park
Delicate Arch - Arches National Park
Arches National Park
Arches National Park
Turret Arch - Arches National Park
Double Arch - Arches National Park
Arches National Park
Arches National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands is the last national park that we visited in Utah and it totally blew my mind away. Canyonlands National Park is an enormous park, divided into three districts (Island in the Sky, The Maze, The Needles). For most of them you would need a 4x4, high clearance vehicle. Island in the Sky is the most visited area, from which you can admire breathtaking views of the canyons, made by Green and Colorado River. We only had few hours to explore the park, so we focused on the Island in the Sky.
Canyonlands National Park Highlights:
Shafer Canyon Overlook
Mesa Arch for sunrise or sunset (we made it for sunset)
Watching sunset from Green River Overlook
Grand View Point Overlook (the view is similar to Green River Overlook)
Utah Road Trip - Day 7
Forest Gump Point & Monument Valley
We spent our last day in Utah driving to Page, Arizona. After stopping at Forest Gump Point, we planned to explore Monument Valley, but unfortunately, it was closed due to covid-19. Anyways, we didn’t give up and took some stunning photos at Forest Gump Point, with Monument Valley in the background. The landscape was really beautiful, we enjoyed every single moment spent there. It really looked like a film! This spot was the cherry on top of our Utah Road Trip! ♥
Address: US-163 Scenic, Mexican Hat, UTAH
(there is a sign “Forest Gump Point” so you shouldn’t miss out on this spot; it’s located on a small hill)
