Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip: Salt Lake City to Las Vegas in 7 Days

You can drive all five of Utah's national parks, from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, in about 800 miles. Give it at least seven days: two around Moab for Arches and Canyonlands, one for Capitol Reef, one for Scenic Byway 12 and Bryce Canyon, and two or more for Zion. Two big changes for 2026: Arches no longer requires timed-entry reservations, and non-US residents pay a new $100 per-person surcharge at Bryce Canyon and Zion.

The route at a glance

Leg	Approx. miles	Notes
Salt Lake City to Moab	230	I-15, US-6 and US-191
Moab to Island in the Sky and back	65	Canyonlands day trip
Moab to Capitol Reef (Fruita)	145	I-70 and UT-24 through Hanksville
Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon	115	Scenic Byway 12, about 3 hours
Bryce Canyon to Springdale (Zion)	85	US-89 and UT-9
Springdale to Las Vegas	160	UT-9 and I-15

Mileages are approximate and exclude driving inside the parks, which can add 100 miles or more.

Days 1 to 3: Moab, Arches and Canyonlands

Drive from Salt Lake City to Moab on day 1, roughly four hours without stops. Base yourself in Moab for two nights so you can visit both parks without packing up.

Arches is 5 miles north of town. The park announced in February 2026 that timed-entry reservations would not be required this year, which makes spontaneous visits easier but means the entrance line and the Delicate Arch and Windows parking lots fill fast. Enter before about 8 a.m. or after mid-afternoon.

Canyonlands' Island in the Sky district is about 30 miles from Moab. Reservations are not required. Mesa Arch at sunrise and the Grand View Point overlook are the classic stops. There is no fuel or food in the district, so fill up and pack lunch in Moab.

Day 4: Capitol Reef

Head west on I-70, then south and west on UT-24 through Hanksville to Capitol Reef. The park is the quietest of the five and the cheapest to enter. Drive the Scenic Drive, walk among the historic Fruita orchards, and stop at the Gifford Homestead. Overnight in Torrey, just outside the west entrance.

Day 5: Scenic Byway 12 to Bryce Canyon

Utah Highway 12 links Torrey to US-89 near Panguitch, and the stretch to Bryce takes about three hours without stops. It crosses Boulder Mountain and climbs to about 9,600 feet, where snow and ice can make winter driving hazardous. The narrow Hogback ridge section near Boulder has steep drop-offs on both sides, so take it slowly.

At Bryce Canyon, watch sunset from Sunset or Inspiration Point and walk the Queens Garden and Navajo Loop into the hoodoos. Nights at around 8,000 feet are cold even in summer.

Days 6 and 7: Zion

From Bryce, drive west to Mount Carmel Junction and enter Zion through the east entrance. The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway includes a historic tunnel with strict size limits for the whole section between the east entrance and Canyon Junction: vehicles over 11 feet 4 inches tall, 7 feet 10 inches wide, or 35 feet 9 inches long (50 feet for combinations) are turned around. RVs and larger camper vans should check the park's large-vehicle page before planning this approach.

During shuttle season you cannot drive your own car on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive; you ride the free shuttle from the visitor center instead. Shuttles generally run daily from March through November and again over the late-December holidays. Hike Angels Landing only with a permit from the park's lottery, or choose Riverside Walk, the Emerald Pools or the lower Narrows.

From Springdale it is about 2.5 hours to Las Vegas.

Entrance fees in 2026

Park	Private vehicle fee	$100 nonresident surcharge?
Arches	$30	No
Canyonlands	$30	No
Capitol Reef	$20	No
Bryce Canyon	$35	Yes, per person aged 16 and over
Zion	$35	Yes, per person aged 16 and over

Individual fees add up to $150 per vehicle, so the America the Beautiful annual pass is the better buy: $80 for US residents and $250 for non-US residents. A nonresident who holds the $250 pass is not charged the $100 surcharge, and the pass covers everyone in one private vehicle. For a car of four non-US resident adults, the pass saves more than $500 over paying surcharges at Bryce and Zion.

Fees are set by the National Park Service and can change; check the official pages for Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion before you go.

Fuel and driving costs

At about 800 route miles, a car averaging 25 mpg uses roughly 32 gallons. At around $3.50 a gallon that is about $115 in fuel, but rural Utah stations often charge more than city ones, and in-park driving adds to the total. Use the official fueleconomy.gov trip calculator with your own vehicle for a closer estimate. Fill up in Moab, Green River, Hanksville or Torrey, Tropic and Springdale; gaps between stations on UT-24 and UT-12 can be long.

When to go

April to May and September to October bring the most comfortable temperatures. Summer is very hot at Arches, Canyonlands and Zion while Bryce stays mild. Winter means fewer crowds and snow on the hoodoos, but UT-12 and Bryce can see snow closures, and Zion's shuttle does not run for part of December, when private cars may use the Scenic Drive.

Before you go

• Buy the annual pass online or at the first entrance station.
• Book lodging in Moab and Springdale early; both sell out in spring and fall.
• Carry at least a gallon of water per person per day and a paper map, as cell service drops out on long stretches.
• Apply for Angels Landing permits in advance if that hike is on your list.