Epic. It’s a word you’ll likely see a lot in this post. It’s the word that best describes the experience of road tripping through Utah’s National Parks. Epic. Majestic. Heavenly. Incredible. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I’m not just saying that because I’d been cooped up in a house for the last year and a half due to the global pandemic. Like many of us, my sense of wanderlust was through the roof, and I couldn’t think of a better place to reconnect with nature, and revisit my Fresh Air mindset, than in Utah’s great outdoors.
Personally – and my roommate would agree – I think we really planned this trip well to see all that we possibly could in an eight day window. Each day was better than the one before, and I promise any way you travel this trip, it’s sure to be epic.
Route & Car Rental:
The best advice I can give you is to start in Salt Lake City (or Park City) and end your trip in Vegas. Of course that means renting a car. We flew into SLC and had a really great rental experience with Nu Car Rental, even being upgraded to a larger SUV for free which definitely came in handy with three girls on a road trip.
Above is the route we took through the beautifully diverse Utah landscape. We spent ~2 nights in each location which gave us the chance to get comfortable in our accommodations, and never drive for more than ~3 hours a day between destinations. We spent nights in: Salt Lake City, Moab, Page, AZ, Springdale, and Las Vegas for the flight home (and a little last-night-of-vacay fun!). The map shows the cities as well as the parks we explored.
Day 1: Salt Lake City
We flew into Salt Lake City to spend the first night in Utah’s capitol, and candidly, I wish we’d driven the extra 30 minutes to Park City. Don’t get me wrong, we found some cute spots within SLC and the community was vibrant with both colorful pride and religious culture, as well as a fantastic sunset spot. But, it just wasn’t my favorite.
If you do find yourself staying in SLC like we did your first day and night, here were my top highlights:
- Coffee and avocado toast at King’s Peak Coffee Roasters post-flight
- Lunch (with wine) at Ginger Street in downtown SLC
- Learning the history of the Great Saltair music venue
- Watching the sunset over the Great Salt Lake at the marina
Day 2: Moab & Arches National Park
This is when the magic really began. We drove from SLC to the charming, southwestern tourist town of Moab, Utah, right past the majestic entrance to Arches National Park. With red rocks set as the backdrop, this town with its eclectic boutiques and native shops made it the perfect homebase while exploring Arches (and Canyonlands, but we’ll get there!).
After a long drive, we arrived in Moab in time for a late lunch at Gloria’s Corner Cafe with much needed coffee, homemade smoothies, and delicious sandwiches on the patio overlooking downtown Moab. Once we were filled up and had our hiking shoes on, it was time to head into Arches National Park for an afternoon and sunset hike.
- Pro Tip: Parks Pass: *Before your trip* make sure to purchase a National Parks Annual Pass to save hundreds of dollars on park entrance fees. Each National Park costs $35 per car for entry, but with the Annual Passyou pay just one $80 price for a carload of 4 for a year to any National Park in the entire country – it’s a steal. (Note that this pass does NOT however work for Horseshoe Bend of the Grand Canyon or The Valley of Fire which cost $15 each per car but are both so worth the stop!)
We entered the park by 4pm and went right to the iconic Windows Arch and Double Arch to capture photos and hike the trails, knowing we’d spend some extra time oohing and awing at the rock formations. Double Arch can get busy since it’s an easy 0.5 mile flat trail, but the views and colors are so worth the added company.
Right across the parking lot is the entrance to the Windows, North and South Window, and we took the trails around the back to view the different arch formations with less company. Finally we settled in the perch of the North Window to watch the sun set over majestic Arches National Park.
Day 3: Arches & Canyonlands National Parks
Start your day with a sunrise hike over Delicate Arch. Trust me. As the most iconic of the arches in this National Park, Delicate Arch is a very heavily trafficked trail, and if you want that famous photo standing beneath the arch, you have to get here early. Plus, watching the sun rise in the canyons and how the light hits the arch is epic. Take in the moment.
After your glorious morning hike, get back in the car and head to Devil’s Garden trail to see some truly amazing arch structures in the park. There are 7+ formations, and after a busy morning hiking to Delicate Arch, we decided to go as far as the Navajo Arch before turning back, skipping Double O. The trail was perfect to capture the wildness of this landscape, but the trail was definitely a bit difficult and steep, so good hiking boots are required.
Part two of the day: The Canyonlands National Park. We had just a few hours before sunset to see this vast park, comprising of three sections spanning across Utah where the Colorado and Green Rivers meet. (The area of the park closest to Arches and Moab is called Island in the Sky.) So to make the most of the time we had, we started toward Mesa Arch for a short hike to a stunning scene, a low arch framing the Canyonlands beyond. And I can’t forget to mention to stop at the Shafer Trail overlook on your way in or out for impressive views that will leave you speechless.
From Mesa, drive to the edge of the park at Grand View Point, a 2-mile out and back trail following the canyon ledge with 360 degree views as far as the eye can see. This one isn’t for the faint hearted being so close to the ledge, but it’s the perfect place to end your incredible journey in the Canyonlands of Utah.
Day 4: Monument Valley & Lake Powell
On the road again! Ever since I watched Forrest Gump for the first time, I’ve wanted to go to Monument Valley to see the beautiful landscape where Forest decides to stop running. So, we took a pre-planned detour out of Utah and into Arizona to do just that!
The secret to seeing Monument Valley is to get there in the morning when the sunlight hits the rocks just right, illuminating the fiery red of the stone. Go too late in the afternoon and the monuments are in shadow. Monument Valley was a relatively quick 2.5 hour drive through little towns and majestic landscapes into Navajo Nation.
To get the iconic Monument Valley photo, set Forrest Gump Hill as your destination when leaving Moab, and aim to reach the spot by 11 am (with a few unplanned stops for photo ops on the way accounted for!). Make sure to watch out for the traffic on the active road, and peek at the beautiful native Navajo jewelry for sale in the booths by the parking areas!
After taking in the views at Monument Valley, we decided to continue on to Page, Arizona and the Lake Powell region to explore the iconic Horseshoe Bend of the Grand Canyon. (Normally this is the place to stay to see Antelope Canyon as well, but it remained closed due to COVID during our visit.)
On your first afternoon in Lake Powell, head to the Wahweap Recreation Area at Glen Canyon. Drive around the lake and check out the marina ( catch a glimpse of the Carl Hayden Dam as you do, you can’t miss it – you drive right over it!). Some extra time on hand? Rent a kayak and explore the lake by boat. Or drive along the shore to see the views by land. And after a long day of driving and activities, there’s no better place in town to refuel and catch the most incredible sunset over the ridge than Sunset 89. Try the brussel sprouts you will not regret it!
Day 5: The Grand Canyon National Park
The main reason we wanted to stay in the Lake Powell/ Page Arizona area was because of its proximity to Horseshoe Bend of the Grand Canyon National Park – perhaps the most majestic and recognized parks of them all.
However, we knew Horseshoe Bend was a quick and easy 0.7 mile loop trail with the high frequency of tourist traffic it gets. So to get out, explore and enjoy the day, we decided to drive down into the canyon and first see the beautiful Colorado River below, beyond the canyon walls created millions of years ago.
We felt like we’d landed in the age of dinosaurs walking into the Cathedral Wash Trail, a deceivingly difficult hike that starts smooth and easy and quickly becomes a rock climber’s paradise. There are definitely some high cliffs and tricky trail roots, so I wouldn’t recommend this 3.3 mile out and back trail to the faint hearted. But after the maze that was the Cathedral Wash, suddenly the slot canyons part and you step out into a clearing at the shores of the mighty Colorado River.
We initially were planning to spend the day exploring the famous Antelope Canyon, but due to the pandemic the tour guides who lead you into those canyons weren’t operating and it’s the only access in. But I’d say we had a pretty incredible experience seeing slot canyons nonetheless. (Nor would it be the last time we hiked through them! But we’ll get there at Zion.)
We hiked back out of the Cathedral Wash maze, taking perhaps half the time as it took to get in – as long as we remembered our route and footings from the first time. Then we ventured back toward Page and the notable Horseshoe Bend of the Grand Canyon.
- Pro Tip: Horseshoe Bend does have a separate $15 charge from your Annual Pass because it’s owned through the city of Page (or something like that).
There we’re definitely a lot of people traversing up and down the path to Horseshoe Bend – social distancing of course – but the most challenging part of the hike was the sudden sand storms! The wind was fierce the day we went and it whipped us with sand pelts. But finally we made it to the Bend, and the view was spectacular.
Having just seen the majestic Colorado River from within the canyon, it was pretty spectacular to also see it from above. It’s definitely an Instagram-worthy photo spot the way the water curves perfectly in a horseshoe around the canyon walls. But I will admit, after years of dreaming of seeing this iconic view, once there for 15 minutes or so, you’re ready to pack up and head back along the first path to the parking lot due to the countless other tourists all vying for the prime photo spot close, but not too close, to the edge of the canyon wall.
Day 6: Bryce Canyon National Park
A few hours. That was all we had, a few hours to explore one of the most iconic National Parks of the USA – Bryce Canyon.
We had taken our time checking out of the AirBnb at Lake Powell that morning, driving down to the lake shores to catch a glimpse of Lone Rock before meandering our way through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on our way to Kanab for a quick lunch pit stop.
- Pro Tip: Get up early when leaving Arizona to see the Toadstools in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It’s right on the road from Page to Bryce and you enter Kanab. It will be your first view of the famous hoodoos of the region! Big red stone pillars, iconic to the national parks of Utah, most prominently scattered throughout Bryce Canyon National Park.
If you, too, find yourself also with just a few hours to spend traversing through this otherworldly landscape of red rock spires called hoodoos, then there is just one looping trail you must take: the Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop.
While technically two seperate trails, the trails intersect at the base of the Queen’s Garden to loop back up through towering trees and hoodoo rocks along the Navajo trail. For the best views of the garden of rocks, be sure to start at the Queen’s Garden trailhead and move clockwise back up the other side of Navajo Loop. You will be blown away by the unimaginable rock structures beneath you, reaching heights of hundreds of feet after being cut by wind and erosion over millions of years. Legends from the indigenous people of the region claim that these stones are actually petrified people, frozen in time for the sins they committed on Earth.
As you loop through the hoodoos of the trail and ascend back up the other side of Navajo trail, be sure to look left to take in the sweeping views of the iconic Amphitheater. It’s the most visited section of the park for a reason, but for the best views down into the depths of structure, continue your hike up past Sunset point at the end of the Navajo trail, and hike the remaining 0.7 miles to Inspiration Point, a less-crowded viewing section where you can look down into the massive canyon (also perfect for those Insta-worthy photos!)
While this 4 mile loop trail was all we had time to explore before venturing out of Bryce to trek toward the infamous Zion National Park, there is SO much of the park to explore, and lots we weren’t able to see. So again, if you’re strapped for time, this is the perfect itinerary to see all the best spots, but if you do have more time to explore before you head out to Zion, I’d love to hear about what trails you find and love in the comments!
Day 7: Zion National Park
One of the best parts of Zion National Park is simply getting there. The route from Bryce into Zion isn’t for the faint hearted, but the views as the mountains climb in the sky before you will take your breath away.
We arrived right at sunset to drive through Zion into Springdale where we stayed for the two nights in Zion, and the views were just spectacular. Cotton candy skies, majestic mountains and valleys, it’s no wonder Zion means “a heavenly place”.
But as beautiful as this jaw dropping landscape is, the hairpin turns and mile-long underground tunnel through the canyon make the drive as exciting as the destination. Thank goodness for all the pull offs and viewpoints along the way, because every corner is a better postcard perfect landscape.
Once we’d descended through the mountains and into Springdale, we check into our lovely little hotel Zion Canyon Lodge, and took the locals recommendation and went to Oscars Cafe for some homemade burritos and sangrias overlooking Zion National Park under twinkling stars. We even got a piece of carrot cake to go courtesy of the waiter who told us all the best tips of the park! Those tips being:
- Pro Tip #1: Because we went during the pandemic, it was required that all visitors enter and exit via the park shuttle. And you had to buy tickets 30 days in advance. The shuttle costs just $2 per person, but booking the seats and time in advance is essential! Otherwise you’ll be renting a private car to take you in for hundreds more. We were lucky we got our tickets for the first bus weeks before!
- Pro Tip #2: If you’re planning to hike The Narrows, one of the two most popular hikes in all of Zion, then you need to rent water hiking equipment from the local trading post. Zion Outfitter is accessible from the visitor parking lot and opens early at 6:30 to get your gear together and ready for your water hike through 4 feet of the icy river! We decided to forgo the walking stick and shove the gear in our waterproof backpack we also rented, knowing we would hike The Narrows later in the day when the sun was out since the water is cold and the caverns damp, meaning we wanted peak noon time sunshine.
When you pre-book your Zion Shuttle tickets (see tip #1 above) get the earliest booking you can to maximize your time in the park. We knew we were ambitious, choosing to hike both Angles’ Landing and The Narrows in a single day, but despite being strenuous, we knew we could do it, each hike being ~5 miles in length and incredibly challenging both mentally and physically.
First stop: Angels Landing. It’s one of the 10 most dangerous hikes in the world. It’s a hike for the physically and mentally fit if you decide to conquer the entire course to the peak past the chain rails that are the only handles keeping you from plummeting down the mountain face. We were so incredibly glad we went early though and as our first hike because the trail was only mildly busy that bright and early, with no one yet attempting to come down the treacherous trail as we went up (there’s only one way up and one way down and we ran into this very issue on our own descent).
While the views from the summit are majestic, this one was truly the journey of getting there for me. And never will I ever do it again! Angels Landing is conquered! But even for those who value their lives too much to attempt the dangerous climb, the views go for miles as you make your way up the sloping, winding trail so be sure to still make your way to the viewpoint where the chain rainling begins. And beware of the chipmunks, they will eat your breakfast!
Stop #2 The Narrows: With wobbling legs post-descent we boarded back on the shuttle to continue driving through to the very last stop of the park – the trail leading to The Narrows. You can still access the entrance to The Narrows by an easy 0.8 mile trail out to where the land trail turns to the river, and watch as dozens of groups of people gear up in wet suits and special water shoes to trek through ice cold river water. (And trust me, it was cold. I fell in once ha!) We hiked fast, but made it all the way out to The Wall and back for the least crowded, and most epic views in under 3 hours, so definitely take the time to go as deep into the canyon as you can, just know you’ll be trekking the same distance back!
- Pro Tip: If the park shuttles are your only access in and out of the park during peak season, be sure to board a bus no later than 5 pm to avoid long lines and waiting up until the last bus around 7 to leave the park, otherwise you’ll be walking back to your hotel! We also liked ending at The Narrows for this reason, because it’s the “last” or “first” stop on the bus route depending on the direction you’re coming/going, making it best for boarding the bus with minimal lines, and ensuring it doesn’t become too packed to board at one of the bus stops closer to the park entrance.
Day 8: Las Vegas & The Valley of Fire
Viva Las Vegas! Our last leg of the journey. We decided to fly out of Vegas to experience its magic for the first time. And even with a pandemic, we still had a great time. But I’m getting ahead of myself!
The best route from Zion or Bryce back into Vegas is through the Valley of Fire. It’s barely a detour, more like a scenic cut through, that takes you through a scorched rock desert filled with history and natural beauty. For the best short hike, take the Fire Wave Trail a few miles past the visitor center. It’s an easy out and back, relatively flat trail just 1.5 miles. You walk along rock paths of swirling pink, white and orange sandstone and end up at a beautiful fire wave rock, an opportune photo opp!
- Pro Tip 1: The National Parks Pass doesn’t cover the charge for this park fee as it’s a state owned park. But, at just $15 a car, it’s absolutely worth the adventure. Especially if you pack a lunch to have at one of the many picnic areas!
- Pro Tip 2: This park is in the desert so it gets hot! Bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat on the journey!
Have extra time? For a short hike through history, take Mouse’s Tank Trail on your way back to the visitor center to catch a glimpse at ancient petroglyphs from hundreds of years ago! Plus hear the story of the outlaw who the trail is named after.
On the road again! Drive through the rest of the Valley of Fire on your way into Vegas. You’ll be on the highway, surrounded by desert, flat buildings and tumbleweeds and suddenly, on your left Vegas will appear like a mirage with all its skyscrapers and casinos!
Vegas during a pandemic was interesting. Utah had just dropped their mask mandate, and it was strange at first to see people in crowds without them on. It did limit a bit of what we could do while there too, but we still covered the basics! We started the night with dinner under the Eiffel Tower and a view of the Bellagio fountain show at Mon Ami Gabi and it was fantastic! After a delicious dinner and drinks, we headed right across the street to the Bellagio to watch one of the fountain shows that happen every quarter on the hour.
Next up we ventured into the casino for our reservation at the new, old-world supper club called The Mayfair. It was the perfect show paired with dessert and drinks. Just make sure to book a reservation before 9:30 as the show ends at 10. We had a dessert shaped like a cigar made of chocolate and ganache, and espresso martinis to compliment it. Plus the performance was just dazzling! Singing and dancing, all overlooking the Bellagio fountain through beautiful glass windows. It was absolutely an experience to remember! We then did what you do in a casino – gambled! I’m not much of a gambler typically, but when in Vegas! So I sat down at a slot machine and on the first attempt won $100 for myself to use the rest of the night! What a great night cap to one of the most incredible weeks of my life.
This trip is one of soul searching and living. It’s transformative and awe-inspiring. It’s one I recommend anyone should go on once in their life in some capacity to see the beauty of the Earth and the wonders of the USA. So, go discover Utah, the National Parks and all the majestic southwestern states! I promise, it will be epic.
