Utah's five national parks, known as the Mighty Five, lie across the south of the state: Zion and Bryce Canyon in the south-west, Capitol Reef in the middle, and Arches and Canyonlands on either side of Moab in the east. Zion and Bryce Canyon share a page with the experiences worth booking, and the USA page covers the Narrows in Zion and the hike to Delicate Arch in Arches.
This page helps you pick the parks and join them up, and adds three things worth the drive: sunrise through Mesa Arch on Canyonlands' Island in the Sky, the pioneer orchards and pies of Fruita in Capitol Reef, and Scenic Byway 12, the road that links Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef.
Watch sunrise through Mesa Arch on Canyonlands' Island in the Sky
Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park
Half a dayNo booking needed
A 27-foot arch on the cliff edge frames the canyon and the La Sal Mountains, glowing underneath at sunrise.
What it is
Island in the Sky is the mesa-top district of Canyonlands and the easiest to see in a short visit. Mesa Arch is the classic sunrise stop: a 0.6-mile loop of about 30 minutes to a 27-foot arch on the cliff edge, framing the canyon and the La Sal Mountains, with photographers waiting for the glow on its underside. At Grand View Point, at the end of the road, a 1.8-mile round trip follows the rim with the White Rim 1,300 feet below.
How to do it
Leave US 191 10 miles north of Moab and follow Utah 313 for 22 miles, about 40 minutes, to the visitor center; trust a map over your navigation app. Entry is $30 per car, with no nonresident surcharge. For sunset, the park suggests Green River Overlook.
Good to know
Walk the Mesa Arch loop clockwise for fewer steps.
Pick fruit in the Fruita orchards and buy a pie at the Gifford House
Fruita, Capitol Reef National Park
Half a dayNo booking needed
About 1,900 fruit trees in a pioneer settlement of 1880, still watered by ditches dug in the 1880s, with pick-your-own in season.
What it is
Capitol Reef's visitor center stands in Fruita, a pioneer settlement founded in 1880 in the Fremont River valley, whose orchards still hold about 1,900 trees, watered by ditches dug in the 1880s. You can walk through them all year. Apricots ripen from late June, peaches from late July, pears in August and apples from mid-August to mid-October.
How to do it
When fruit is ripe, the park posts 'U-Pick Fruit' signs: pick only in those orchards, use the pickers and ladders provided and pay at the self-pay scale by the gate. The park's fruit hotline, 435-425-3791, has the latest. A mile south on the Scenic Drive, the Gifford House sells fruit pies, jams and ice cream, usually from 14 March to late November. Entry is $20 per car.
Drive Scenic Byway 12 from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef
Utah 12, from US 89 near Panguitch to Torrey
A full day with stopsNo booking needed
Between Escalante and Boulder the road rides a narrow ridge with steep drops on both sides and no shoulders.
What it is
Utah 12 links Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef: 123 miles from US 89 south of Panguitch to Torrey, about three hours without stops, and a designated All-American Road. Heading east, it passes through the two rock arches of Red Canyon, runs past Bryce, crosses Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and, between Escalante and Boulder, rides the Hogback, a narrow ridge with steep drops on both sides and no shoulders. After Boulder the road climbs over Boulder Mountain, at about 9,600 feet, then drops to Torrey.
How to do it
The hike to fit in is Lower Calf Creek Falls, from the campground 15 miles east of Escalante: 6 miles round trip on sandy trail to a 126-foot waterfall, with a $5 day-use fee per car.
Good to know
It is open all year, but check UDOT in winter, when ice makes the Boulder Mountain stretch hazardous.
Climb open slickrock to a sandstone bowl where Delicate Arch stands on the rim, best at sunrise for cooler air and more space.
What it is
The trail from the Wolfe Ranch trailhead is 3 miles (4.8 km) round trip with 480 feet of steady climbing, much of it on open slickrock with no shade. The arch stands on the rim of a sandstone bowl, reached along a ledge in the final stretch. Shorter options: the Lower Viewpoint is a flat 100-yard walk with a view from about a mile away, and the Upper Viewpoint is half a mile with stairs.
How to do it
When the Wolfe Ranch lot is full, park at the Delicate Arch Viewpoint lot and walk the extra mile of road each way. No timed-entry reservation is needed in 2026.
Good to know
Carry plenty of water and avoid the middle of the day in summer. Sunset is the famous hour and also the busiest, sometimes with hundreds of people at the arch, so a sunrise start gets you cooler air and more space.
For a first trip of four or five days, pick Zion and Bryce Canyon in the south-west, about 87 miles apart and easy to reach from Las Vegas. Arches and Canyonlands sit either side of Moab in the east: the Arches entrance is 5 miles north of town and Canyonlands' Island in the Sky visitor center about 40 minutes away, so two or three nights in Moab cover both. Capitol Reef, near Torrey in the middle, is the natural stop between the two pairs. With ten days or more you can join all five in one loop.
How to combine them
Las Vegas is the gateway to the south-west: Zion's South Entrance is 170 miles from its airport. Salt Lake City is the gateway to the east: Arches is 236 miles away. The full loop runs from Zion to Bryce Canyon, then along Scenic Byway 12 to Capitol Reef, about three hours, then east on Utah 24 for 81 miles to Interstate 70; Arches is 22 miles south of I-70 at Crescent Junction, on US 191. Fly into one city and out of the other to avoid driving back the same way. Canyonlands' districts have no road link inside the park, so pick Island in the Sky for a short visit.
Fees and permits
In 2026 none of the five parks uses timed entry, but some activities need permits, such as Angels Landing in Zion and the Fiery Furnace in Arches. Entry costs $35 per car at Zion and Bryce Canyon, $30 at Arches and Canyonlands and $20 at Capitol Reef, each for seven days. Zion and Bryce also charge $100 for each non-US resident aged 16 and over. If you are not a US resident and are visiting both, the $250 nonresident annual pass costs less than two surcharges plus five entrance fees, and it covers everyone in the car. You need a car: Bryce and Canyonlands have no public transport, though a free Moab-Arches shuttle runs from Moab into Arches until 31 October 2026.
When to go
Spring and autumn suit the whole loop. In summer Zion regularly passes 100°F (38°C), Arches and Canyonlands issue extreme-heat warnings, and from July to September monsoon storms bring flash floods to canyons and washes. Bryce Canyon, at 8,000 to 9,000 feet, stays cool in summer but is at its snowiest from December to February, when the Boulder Mountain stretch of Scenic Byway 12 can also be icy. Capitol Reef's orchards blossom from March to early May, and fruit is ripe from late June to mid-October.
Questions travellers ask
What are Utah's Mighty Five national parks?
Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches, all in southern Utah. Zion and Bryce are in the south-west, Arches and Canyonlands near Moab in the east, and Capitol Reef between them, reached from Torrey. The state tourism office uses the name for the five parks and the regions around them.
How many days do you need for Utah's national parks?
In must30's view, four or five days for Zion and Bryce Canyon alone, and ten to twelve for all five, with two or three nights in Moab for Arches and Canyonlands and one near Capitol Reef. With fewer days you spend more hours in the car than on the trails.
Do you need a reservation for Arches or Zion in 2026?
No. Arches dropped its timed-entry reservation for 2026, and none of the southern Utah parks uses one. You still need permits for Angels Landing in Zion and for the Fiery Furnace in Arches. Expect queues at the Arches entrance and full car parks on busy days.
Do non-US visitors pay the $100 fee at every Utah national park?
No. In 2026 the $100 surcharge for each non-US resident aged 16 and over applies at Zion and Bryce Canyon, not at Arches, Canyonlands or Capitol Reef. The $250 nonresident annual pass covers it for everyone in the car and pays for itself on a trip that includes both Zion and Bryce.
Should you fly into Las Vegas or Salt Lake City?
Las Vegas if you start with Zion and Bryce Canyon: Zion is 170 miles from its airport and Bryce about 270. Salt Lake City is closer to the east, with Arches 230 miles from its airport. For all five parks, fly into one and out of the other.
