Utah's National Parks RV Vacation Itinerary
RV trip to Utah's National Parks
This itinerary will take you to some of the most scenic national parks in the country. Known as the Utah Mighty Five®, these parks include Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Your entire tour, round trip from Salt Lake City will amount to just under 1,000 miles and take 7-10 days to complete.
Day 1
Pick up Your Motorhome
0 miles - 2 hours
Day 1
Pick up Your Motorhome
0 miles - 2 hours
Pick up your motorhome from our Salt Lake City location.
You’ll start out from Salt Lake City by driving south on I-15/US -89S, Beck Street and continue to go south on Interstate 15 until you get to Exit 40, towards Kolob Canyons. Turn left onto E. Kolob Canyon Road to Zion National Park. You can camp tonight at Zion Canyon Campground and RV Resort, which is just a short hop from the main entrance of Zion National Park.
This is about a four-hour drive from Salt Lake City so you may want to break up the driving with a stop at Fishlake National Forest along the way. There are several eating establishments within a close distance of the campground if you choose to make this a night to dine out.
Day 2
Zion National Park, Springdale, UT
313 miles - 1 day
Day 2
Zion National Park, Springdale, UT
313 miles - 1 day
Zion is the first of Utah’s national parks, complete with sandstone cliffs, huge waterfalls and a lush landscape. Take your time to enjoy watching more than 207 different types of birds that fly through here every year. You can spend the night here and start out the next morning exploring this gorgeous park by free shuttle bus. Take a tour of the park and enjoy park ranger talks at the visitor center as well as in key places in this gorgeous park. Get your park map and guide in advance and plan your trip through this amazing and diverse landscape.
You should definitely consider buying a National Park Pass as this admits you to each of the National Parks without having to pay each time, saving you both time and money. Seniors (age 62 or older) get a lifetime pass for only $10.00 per person.
Day 3
Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon, UT
84 miles - 1 day
Day 3
Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon, UT
84 miles - 1 day
Drive through Zion National Park to the east entrance (or exit) and you will only be about 100 miles from your next stop, Bryce Canyon National Park. You will find it just off Utah Route 63. Here you can enjoy camping at Bryce Canyon RV Park, which offers several pull through RV sites. Their full service hookups are complete with electricity, water, sewer and your own fire pit and picnic table. They provide restrooms, hot showers and a guest laundry for those staying in this natural environment surrounded by a Ponderosa Pine Forest.
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You are only six miles from the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center at the Bryce Canyon National Park and 14 miles from the Grand Staircase National Monument. You can also try your luck securing an RV site in the park’s own campgrounds. There are two, Sunset and North, which offer RV sites. You are better off to reserve ahead of traveling your spot but failing that, some are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
At Bryce Canyon, as in many of the National Parks there are shuttles to make your trip more enjoyable and minimize the human impact on this spectacular environment. There are hikes you can take deep into the canyon and even go horseback riding if you are up to it. You can enjoy a moonlit guided hike or a ranger program, featuring telescope stargazing at Bryce. You may want to plan to spend a couple of days at this incredible spot, but check their website in advance and heed their alerts as changes happen due to road damage, construction and even rockslides in this park.
Again, take the time to plan your visit ahead of time so you will get to enjoy all there is to see in Bryce Canyon. This park has been described as a series of natural amphitheatres sunk into pink cliffs and filled with delicate red rock “hoodoos.” The most brilliant views occur at sunrise and sunset.
There is a 38-mile scenic drive in the park, which you’ll want to do around sunrise or sunset to see the park’s “otherworldly” formations and brilliant colors come to life. In the summer, you can walk a variety of hiking trails ranging from an easy, 1.3-mile walk on the Navajo Loop Trail to many others more challenging.
Further exploration will be rewarded by learning many interesting facts from park rangers who also will share wildlife stories, geologic history, kids’ interests, full moon hikes, astronomy, and even snowshoeing in winter.
Day 4
Capitol Reef National Park, Wayne County, UT
112 miles - 1 day
Day 4
Capitol Reef National Park, Wayne County, UT
112 miles - 1 day
When you have enjoyed Bryce Canyon to your heart’s content, you will begin traveling a 112-mile north and east route to Capitol Reef National Park. You will see splashes of color here unlike anywhere else on earth. There is the contrast of the red Entrada and the white Navajo sandstones, plus a huge rip in the earth’s crust, which make for some surreal landscapes.
Capitol Reef National Park contains ancient rock art petroglyphs which tell the tales of the early Fremont people, indigenous to this area. Large fruit orchards of more than 2500 fruit trees remain in Fruita inside the park, from an early pioneer Mormon settlement.
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Don’t miss the Waterpocket Fold, a bulging geologic wrinkle of rainbow-hued sandstone “reefs” and canyons. Lots of easy hiking trails and a 25-mile scenic drive complete the picture. The park is located eleven miles east of Torrey on Hwy 24.
For staying over for a night or two, you may be able to find space in the Fruita campground, complete with 71 sites within Capitol Reef National park on a first-come, first-served basis. Or you can find RV camping at numerous locations outside the park in nearby towns of Torrey, at Sandcreek RV Park, or Bicknell, at Aquarius RV Park or in Caineville, at Sleepy Hollow Campground. Check out the availability at any of these parks ahead of your trip to ensure they will have space to accommodate your RV.
Day 5
Arches National Park, Moab, UT
147 miles - 1 day
Day 5
Arches National Park, Moab, UT
147 miles - 1 day
After a day or two at Capitol Reef, you will begin your journey farther east and north to the Moab area, home of Arches National Park. There are 50 sites in the Arches’ Devils Garden campground, which you must reserve ahead of time. If you wish or need to camp outside the park, there are several more options in Moab. You will want to settle in where you can park your RV for a few nights in Moab, possibly at the KOA Campground, located closest to both Arches National Park and Canyonlands. You may want to stay several nights here before you head back to Salt Lake City.
Check out the KOA Campground’s site and the Moab site to see the many things you may want to do in this unique area. There are many possibilities, including mountain biking, golfing, canyoneering and rock climbing, as well as some of the most incredible views of the night sky anywhere. You can stay here for several days while you visit some of the most incredible sandstone and rock formations anywhere on earth.
Witness unbelievable balancing acts of giant rocks, natural stone arches and hundreds of soaring pinnacles, fins and other amazing formations of red rocks in Arches National Park. Bring your camera and hiking boots here for lots of trails, inspiring sunsets and a wealth of history and culture.
Day 6
Canyonlands National Park, UT
26 miles - 1 day
Day 6
Canyonlands National Park, UT
26 miles - 1 day
These two parks are only 25 miles apart and if you have chosen to stay in Moab, you can easily gain access to each of these unique parks less than about a half hour from there. Canyonlands is more of a wilderness park, formed of countless canyons and buttes, carved out by the Colorado river and its tributaries.
These rivers divide the park into four distinct districts, named the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves. Well-worth spending at least a day or two here, you will be treated to a primitive desert atmosphere, with many sightseeing and high-adventure opportunities.
This year is the fiftieth anniversary of Canyonlands National Park, so there are special events occurring throughout this year. Check out all that is happening here at Utah’s largest national park.
For all your Utah adventures, check out the weather ahead of time and pack appropriate gear, including plenty of water bottles, which you will want to keep refilled. Here is a site for lots of travel information, maps and data about Utah’s weather so you can travel prepared.
Day 7
Return Your Motorhome
246 miles - 1 day
Day 7
Return Your Motorhome
246 miles - 1 day
November 2023
Everything was great since the beginning. It was our first experience at they made it really easy for us. The RV was in excellent condition and the only problem we had they responded really quickly. Hoping to get back on the road with your RVs
November 2023
RV was in brand new condqnd the staff was helpful and friendly
We've now rented five times from road bear and will be back.
November 2023
We had a great trip we had no issues at all. We are looking forward on renting next year as well.
November 2023
we had a great trip, we rented the same RV we had last time just different model and we had some differences with that one, we proffered the first model we got other than that we loved it.
November 2023
Easy IN EASY OUT. SUPER EASY AND HELPFUL STAFF
November 2023
Great customer service.
November 2023
Everything was great since the beginning. It was our first experience at they made it really easy for us. The RV was in excellent condition and the only problem we had they responded really quickly. Hoping to get back on the road with your RVs
November 2023
RV was in brand new condqnd the staff was helpful and friendly
We've now rented five times from road bear and will be back.
November 2023
We had a great trip we had no issues at all. We are looking forward on renting next year as well.
November 2023
we had a great trip, we rented the same RV we had last time just different model and we had some differences with that one, we proffered the first model we got other than that we loved it.
November 2023
Easy IN EASY OUT. SUPER EASY AND HELPFUL STAFF
November 2023
Great customer service.
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