Utah's Mighty 5 — National Parks Road Trip

A self-guided interactive map of Southern Utah's legendary Mighty 5 national parks — all packed within a single week's drive of each other. The map covers 21 stops across all five parks, including visitor centers, iconic overlooks, top trails, and gateway towns.

→ Open the Interactive Map

Who This Map Is For

• First-time visitors planning a Southern Utah road trip
• Anyone with 5–10 days and an America the Beautiful pass
• Hikers, photographers, geology buffs, and anyone chasing big skies and red rock
• Families looking to combine iconic landmarks with accessible trails

How to Use the Map

• Click any marker to see a popup with the location name, park, type (visitor center / trail / viewpoint / gateway town), description, and key logistics.
• Click a park name in the legend (left panel) to toggle that park's layer on/off — useful for planning one park at a time.
• Click a park card in the panel to zoom straight to that park.
• The dashed orange route line traces the recommended west-to-east road trip order.
• Marker style:
  • ℹ (large circle) = Visitor Center
  • ● (medium circle) = Trail or Viewpoint
  • ★ (small circle) = Gateway Town
• Colors match the five parks: Red = Zion · Orange = Bryce Canyon · Yellow = Capitol Reef · Green = Canyonlands · Blue = Arches

The Route

Recommended order (west → east), ~500 miles total:

Springdale / Zion NP  →  Bryce Canyon NP  →  Capitol Reef NP  →  Canyonlands NP  →  Arches NP / Moab

Most travelers fly into Las Vegas (for Zion) or Salt Lake City (for Arches/Canyonlands) and do the loop in 5–10 days.

Top Stops by Park

🔴 Zion National Park — Springdale, UT

Utah's most-visited park. Sheer Navajo Sandstone walls rise 2,000 feet above a lush river canyon.

• Zion Canyon Visitor Center — start here; free shuttle departs for Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
• Angels Landing — the legendary chain-assisted scramble to a 1,488-ft mesa (permit required May–Nov)
• The Narrows — wade into a 1,000-ft slot canyon carved by the Virgin River

🟠 Bryce Canyon National Park — Bryce Canyon City, UT

The world's largest concentration of hoodoos — thousands of orange spires glowing at sunrise.

• Sunrise Point — best hoodoo panorama; top of the Queens Garden Trail
• Inspiration Point — overlooks the "Silent City" of densely packed hoodoos
• Bryce Point — favorite sunrise spot; start of the Peekaboo Loop Trail

🟡 Capitol Reef National Park — Torrey, UT

Utah's quietest Mighty 5 park — a 100-mile wrinkle in the Earth's crust called the Waterpocket Fold. Free scenic drive included with park entry.

• Capitol Reef Visitor Center — ranger talks + access to Fruita's historic pioneer orchards
• Hickman Bridge — 2-mile hike to a 133-ft natural bridge; park's signature trail
• Chimney Rock Viewpoint — dramatic monolith with 360° Waterpocket Fold panoramas

🟢 Canyonlands National Park — Moab, UT

Utah's largest park. The Colorado and Green Rivers meet below a thousand-foot mesa.

• Island in the Sky Visitor Center — perched on a flat-topped mesa above the canyon labyrinth
• Mesa Arch — Utah's most photographed sunrise view; easy 0.5-mile walk
• Grand View Point — overlooks the full canyon network and the White Rim 1,000 ft below

🔵 Arches National Park — Moab, UT

Over 2,000 natural sandstone arches — more than anywhere else on Earth.

• Delicate Arch — Utah's state symbol; 3-mile hike across open slickrock
• Balanced Rock — a 128-ft boulder seemingly defying gravity; 0.3-mile loop
• The Windows — three massive arches reachable via easy 1-mile loops; family-friendly
• Devils Garden / Landscape Arch — one of the world's longest arches (306-ft span); easy 1.6-mi walk

Gateway Towns

Practical Tips

• America the Beautiful Pass (~$80) covers all five parks for one year — pays for itself after two parks.
• Best seasons: March–May and September–October. Summer canyon temps exceed 100°F.
• Zion shuttles replace private cars on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive in peak season (free, boards near visitor center).
• Campsite reservations fill 6 months out for Zion and Arches — book early on recreation.gov.
• Arches timed entry was eliminated as of January 2026; check nps.gov/arch for the latest policy.
• Bryce Canyon is an International Dark Sky Park — plan a night for stargazing.
• Carry at least 1 liter of water per hour of hiking. Desert dehydration sets in fast.

Verify Before You Go

Note: Hours, permit requirements, timed-entry policies, shuttle schedules, and trail closures change seasonally. Always check the official NPS pages for each park before your visit:

• Zion: nps.gov/zion
• Bryce Canyon: nps.gov/brca
• Capitol Reef: nps.gov/care
• Canyonlands: nps.gov/cany
• Arches: nps.gov/arch
• Recreation.gov for campsite and permit reservations