Attractions
- National Parks
- Zion National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Monument Valley
- The Needles, Canyonlands National Park
- Lower Antelope Canyon and Upper Canyon – requires reservations
- Needles, Canyonlands National Park
- Arches National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument – largest collections of petroglyphs, 650 designs
- Natural Bridges National Monument – three natural bridges can be seen from a nine-mile scenic drive.
- Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument – take Boulder Mountain’s famed Hogsback (with sheer drops on both sides).
- Zion’s Emerald Pools
- Horseshoe Bend
- Salt Lake City
- Temple Square
- Thunderbird Restaurant – Home of the Ho-made pies
- Moab
Notes
Zion National Park
- You can’t drive your car very far into Zion National Park during high season (March to November), but the park has a fantastic shuttle bus system to get around.
- The parking lot fills fast, and early. By late morning cars are being redirected to Springdale and even then parking can be a real hassle and costs about $20.
- Large Vehicles coming from the East will have to enter on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway through a tunnel that isn’t very tall or wide. Any vehicle that is more than 7 feet 10 inches in width or 11 feet 4 inches in height is required to have a $15 tunnel permit, and you can only pass at certain times of the day. Rangers shut down the tunnel and allow you to enter without other vehicles. Vehicles over 13 feet 1 inch, weighing more than 50,000 pounds, single vehicles over 40 feet long, or combined vehicles over 50 feet long are not allowed in the tunnel. Whenever possible, it’s best to come to the park from the West, but it adds an hour or more of travel time.
- Bryce offers RV camping by reservation at the Sunset Campground and first-come-first-served at the North Campground. There are no hook-ups at either campground, but a dump station is available for a $5 fee. We highly recommend staying at Sunset Campground and then utilizing the park’s shuttle during the busy season to get around the park.
- Hikes
- Angel’s Landing (5.4 miles, strenuous) – This hike is very popular, and starting early helps to avoid both the crowds and the heat of the day. It’s a beautiful but fairly strenuous hike with some pockets of shade.
- Observation Point (8 miles, strenuous)
- Canyon Overlook Trail (1 mile, moderate; easier alternative to Angel’s Landing)
- Riverside Walk (2.2 miles, easy)
- Weeping Rock Trail (0.4 miles, easy)
- The Narrows (9.4 miles, strenuous; high water levels can mean this is closed at some times during the year) – Cold water
Bryce Canyon National Park
- scenic 12-mile Zion-Mt Carmel Highway, passing through the historic tunnel. It’s a beautiful, winding road that exposes the red rocks of Zion.
- A half-hour east from Zion, Bryce Canyon has a landscape reminiscent of Mars. The scenery is defined by “hoodoos” which are essentially spire-shaped rock pillars that are still standing after years of erosion.
- Drive the park’s main road for sweeping views of these crimson-colored formations in Bryce Amphitheater. Along the road, you’ll also pass several overlooks (like Sunrise Point and Sunset Point) where you can find great photo ops.
- To see the hoodoos up close, hike Navajo Loop, beginning at Sunset Point down into the main amphitheater. Near the Visitor Center, North Campground provides a well-maintained home base while you take off to explore the area. Hookups aren’t available, but the campground’s prime location puts you within close distance of many trailheads.
- Best hikes in Bryce Canyon National Park
- Navajo Loop / Queen’s Garden (2.9 miles combined, moderate)
- Rim Trail (up to 11 miles, easy; paved from Sunset to Sunrise Points)
- Fairyland Loop (8 miles, strenuous)
Monument Valley
- Drive through the valley ($25 per vehicle, note that Monument Valley is not covered under the America the Beautiful national parks annual pass)
- You need two to three hours to do the 17-mile self-guided driving tour through Monument Valley (maps available at the Information Center).
- Stop at John Ford’s Point for a great view over the valley or for $5 you can channel your inner cowboy or cowgirl and have your photo taken on a horse.
- Stop at mile marker 13 on highway 163 for the classic road jumping shot with Monument Valley in the background. This is where Forrest Gump decided he’d had enough of running.
Needles, Canyonlands National Park
- Though they appear close on a map, there are no roads that directly link the four districts. Traveling between them requires two to six hours by car as there are few places to cross the rivers. Most people find it difficult to visit more than one area in a single trip.
- Drive through the Needles area of Canyonlands National Park.
- Canyonlands National Park is actually split into three distinct areas: The Needles, Island in the Sky and the Maze. The Maze is only accessible by 4WD and is very remote.
- Best hikes in The Needles, Canyonlands National Park
- Chesler Park Viewpoint (6 miles, strenuous)
- Slickrock Trail (2.4 miles, short)
- Big Spring Canyon to Squaw Canyon (7.5 miles, strenuous)
- Cave Spring (0.6 miles, short)
- Best hikes in Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park
- Mesa Arch (0.5 miles, easy)
- Grand View Point Trail (2 miles, easy) – simple, accessible two-mile round-trip trail for Island in the Sky’s best view, showcasing Monument Basin’s spires and river-carved canyons.
- Neck Spring (5.8 miles, moderate)
- Gooseberry Trail (5.4 miles, strenuous)
Arches National Park
- Like Capitol Reef and Bryce, RV camping is available but there are no hook-ups. Drinking water and flush toilets are located in the campground and reservations must be made during the busy season. It’s important to note that Arches has no dump station.
- Best hikes in Arches National Park
- Delicate Arch (3 miles, strenuous) – Your best bet to see Delicate Arch, the park’s most famous landmark, is head out early at sunrise to beat the crowds and the heat. It’s worth the 1.5-mile uphill trek to see this Utah license plate icon in real life.
- Double O Arch Trail (4.2 miles, strenuous)
- Park Avenue Trail (1 mile one-way, moderate)
- Devil’s Garden (7.2 miles, strenuous)
- Windows Trail (1 mile, easy)
- Fiery Furnace (reservation necessary, guided by Park Ranger) – At the park entrance, secure a $16 ticket for a ranger-led hike around the Fiery Furnace loop, which takes you through a maze of sandstone walls that, at times, requires crawling on your hands and feet. If you’re up for an adventure, Fiery Furnace is for you.
Capitol Reef National Park
- Like Bryce, Capitol Reef offers developed campsites for RVs, however, you won’t find any with hook-ups. You do however have access to a dump station and fresh water nearby and there are bathrooms with flush toilets, but no showers. Private campgrounds are an option, but you’ll have at least a 20-mile drive between you and the park.
- you can easily drive through it via the 9-mile scenic drive and stop off to do shorter hikes.
- Hike the Capitol Gorge Trail by the end of the park’s Scenic Drive for an easy family fun trip. This mile-long route follows a dirt road with narrow rock walls featuring ancient petroglyphs and famous potholes filled with water (known as “The Tanks”).
- Gifford Homestead to see what pioneer life was like and buy homemade pie.
- Scenic Byway 12, Utah’s only All-American Road and one of the country’s most beautiful drives.
- Best hikes in Capitol Reef National Park
- Sunset Point Trail (0.4 miles one-way, easy)
- Hickman Bridge Trail (0.9 miles one-way, moderate)
- Chimney Rock Trail (3.6 miles, strenuous)
- Rim Overlook Trail (2.3 miles, strenuous)
References: