A Road Trip Through Utah's National Parks

A seven day plan for driving Utah's five national parks from Las Vegas, with routes and the town for each park.

Route: Routes
Mapped: October 7, 2026

Visit Utah says Utah is a hard state to beat for scenic road trips. Visit Utah says each of Utah's five national parks anchors a travel region.

This guide lays out a seven day plan that starts in Las Vegas. It covers the route, the driving between parks, and the towns that sit at each park's gate.

The Mighty 5 and the Las Vegas start

The five are Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion. Zion National Park is located in southwest Utah. Arches is in the southeast, 5 miles north of Moab.

Harry Reid International Airport is in Las Vegas, Nevada, 170 miles from Zion. Many visitors to Zion come from Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, or nearby parks. If you would rather fly into Utah, Salt Lake City International Airport is 300 miles from Zion.

Day 1: Las Vegas to Zion

Zion Canyon sits next to the town of Springdale, and to reach Zion Canyon from the south, you travel to Springdale first.

Visit Utah lists Springdale as the town for Zion National Park.

Day 2: A full day at Zion

Spend the day in the park. Visit Utah says Zion is always ready to quench your appetite for outdoor wonder.

Look at the park's own website ahead of your visit. It has the current word on roads and entry.

Day 3: Zion to Bryce Canyon

From the south, Bryce Canyon is reached on UT-9 east through Zion National Park to US-89.

Per Zion's page, the Highway 20 route to Bryce Canyon runs roughly 150 miles and takes 2.5 hours. Visit Utah lists Bryce as the town for Bryce Canyon National Park.

For more on this leg, see Zion to Bryce Canyon.

Day 4: Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef

Give the morning to Bryce Canyon. The park has one main 18-mile road that runs north-south through it. The Bryce Amphitheater is along the first 3 miles of that road. The four most popular overlooks are Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point. The visitor center is 1 mile inside the park boundary.

Then take Utah Highway 12. The highway runs 123 miles, linking US-89 near Panguitch with Torrey. A highway to Torrey crosses Dixie National Forest and goes by Bryce Canyon National Park. SR-12 carries you between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef in about three hours.

Visit Utah lists Torrey as the town for Capitol Reef National Park. The Capitol Reef visitor center is in the center of the park, off Utah Highway 24. See Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef for more on this leg.

Day 5: Capitol Reef to Moab

Arches National Park is 5 miles north of Moab, and Canyonlands also uses Moab as its town.

Moab is the town Visit Utah names for Arches and for Canyonlands alike. Arches National Park says the town of Moab is only ten minutes away.

Day 6: Arches and Canyonlands

From Moab, drivers go north on US 191 for five miles to reach the Arches entrance. Give Arches the first half of the day.

Then turn to Canyonlands. Three major districts make up Canyonlands, divided by the Green and Colorado rivers, and no roads within the park cross those rivers to join them. Traveling between Canyonlands districts requires two to six hours by car.

The Island in the Sky is the most accessible district of Canyonlands. UT 313 branches off US 191 north of Moab and takes you to Island in the Sky. From US 191 south of Moab, UT 211 leads to The Needles. Only unpaved roads reach The Maze in Canyonlands. Canyonlands is Utah's largest national park.

For more, see Arches National Park.

Day 7: Back to Las Vegas or on to Salt Lake City

Two airports end this trip. You can drive back to Las Vegas, or fly out of Salt Lake City instead. Salt Lake City International Airport is 300 miles from Zion.

Check both flight options before you book the outbound leg.

Other ways to run the trip

You can also fold the Mighty 5 into a bigger loop. See the Grand Circle road trip itinerary for a route that takes in parks beyond Utah. For a page built around all five parks together, start with the Mighty 5.

A few practical notes

St. George Regional Airport is 49 miles from Zion, and Cedar City Regional Airport is 60 miles from Zion. For Bryce Canyon, Cedar City is 80 miles away and St. George is 125 miles away.

Before each park, check its own website. That is where you will find current road news, entry rules, and anything that changed since this page was written.

The shape of the trip

Seven days, five parks, one loop. Along the way you pass through four gateway towns, Springdale, Bryce, Torrey, and Moab, each one tied to the park next door. Set the plan, check the park websites, and go.