The Perfect 10-Day Utah Road Trip: Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks

The Utah National Parks are some of my favorite places in the world. Even though all 5 parks are located relatively close together, each one is so different.

There is so much to do and see in this part of the country, that planning a Utah road trip can be totally overwhelming. I’ve found it best to try and focus on just 2-3 of the Utah National Parks at a time vs. trying to cram all 5 into one week-long trip.

If you’re looking for an epic week-long Utah road trip that takes you through Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks (plus some other cool stuff in between), look no further than this road trip itinerary!

This Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Park itinerary starts and ends in Salt Lake City. You’ll spend 5 nights in Moab (near Arches and Canyonlands), and 3 nights in Torrey (near Capitol Reef). You’ll see the famous Delicate Arch, traverse some fun off-road trails, hike to incredible overlooks, and visit some otherworldly scenery in lesser-known parts of the state along the way.

We have visited this part of Utah twice in different seasons, and I’m bringing you all my best tips and tricks to have the best experience possible!

I’ve linked more in-depth guides for each destination throughout this itinerary since I don’t have the space to go into a lot of detail here. Treat this post as your starting place for planning, but definitely read the other related posts for more details on each location.

This post is a long one, so feel free to use the Table of Contents below to navigate to the sections you’re looking for.

The Best Time to Visit Utah

The best time to visit southern Utah is in the spring or fall when temperatures are pleasant. It gets brutally hot in Utah during the summer, with highs over 100 degrees. Summer is also the busiest time to visit since kids are out of school and people are taking their summer vacations.

In Utah, most hikes don’t have treecover to shade the trails, so you get full sun exposure most of the time. It’s important to prioritize hiking early or late in the day because of this. The months of March, April, October, and November will have the best weather for hiking while balancing crowd levels.

We have visited this area of Utah at the end of May and October, and we preferred October since it was so much cooler.

Rental Car Information

You will be doing a lot of driving on this trip and some light off-roading, so I recommend renting a comfortable SUV with high clearance and AWD if possible.

There are a few fantastic off-road drives in Capitol Reef and Canyonlands National Parks plus a few off-the-beaten-path sights along the way that require high clearance and ideally, 4×4 or AWD. 

If you don’t want to rent an SUV for the entire week, there are plenty of companies in town that will rent you a Jeep Wrangler for a day, but it is quite expensive, especially if you plan to do this multiple times during your trip.

If off-roading isn’t your thing, I’ve also suggested alternate ways to spend your time.

Arches, Canyonlands, & Capitol Reef Itinerary Overview

You will start and end this road trip in Salt Lake City, Utah, the closest major airport to Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks.

Here is a high-level overview of your itinerary:

• Day 1: Fly to Salt Lake City & Drive to Moab
• Day 2: Arches National Park
• Day 3: Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky District)
• Day 4: Canyonlands National Park (The Needles District)
• Day 5: Hiking in Canyonlands or Arches
• Day 6: Highlights Near Hanksville
• Day 7: Capitol Reef National Park
• Day 8: Capitol Reef National Park
• Day 9: Drive to Salt Lake City and Fly Home

You will stay in Moab for the first 5 nights of your trip and in Torrey for the final 3 nights. You could also add a day at the beginning or end of your itinerary for a stay near the SLC airport, depending on your flight times.

The map below shows you where you’ll be spending your time this week!

Why Doesn’t This Road Trip Include Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks?

By my standards, visiting the Utah Mighty 5 National Parks in just a week is impossible.

Yes it is possible to drive through all of the parks and make a short stop in each, but you will be missing out on a lot of great hikes, off-road drives, and sunset/sunrise experiences. You will also be spending most of your time in the car.

The Utah National Parks aren’t close to any major airports, so it will take you a half-day of driving to get to and from the airport on your first and last days, which cuts into your vacation time.

I’m a big fan of giving yourself adequate time to truly explore the area you’re in, instead of just rushing through to check a box. There are also a ton of incredible National Monuments and State Parks in this area that are just as worthy as the National Parks, and many people miss out on them!

Location-wise, I recommend spending a week in Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks and then coming back for another week to spend in Zion and Bryce Canyon (you can also add the Grand Canyon to this trip pretty easily as well). 

Breaking up your Utah trip into two weeks will allow you to spend more time in each park and visit some of the lesser-known areas that are definitely worth your time!

We have visited northern Arizona and southern Utah 4 times and there are still things I want to come back and do. I am not exaggerating when I say that there is SO MUCH to do and see here!

Where to Stay

You will be staying in two main locations for this road trip: Moab and Torrey.

Moab

Moab is located just 10 minutes from the entrance to Arches National Park, 45 minutes from the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands, and 1.5 hours from The Needles District of Canyonlands. 

Moab is an outdoor lover’s hub and has tons of restaurants, chain hotels, adventure companies, and more. You won’t have any trouble finding a hotel or food in this town.

We stayed in an Airbnb just south of downtown since I traveled to Moab with my family and we wanted a larger space. I enjoy staying in more comfortable Airbnbs with a full kitchen when we are settled somewhere for a long period of time vs. staying in a hotel. I think an Airbnb/VRBO would be a great option for this trip since you will be settling in for 5 nights.

Torrey

Torrey is a small town situated on the west end of Capitol Reef National Park. There are a few hotels, a general store, and a handful of restaurants in town so you will have everything you need.

Here are some good lodging options in Torrey:

• Red Sands Hotel and Spa: We stayed here for 2 nights on our second trip and would recommend it. There is a pool, spa, rock garden, and a restaurant on-site.
• Capitol Reef Resort: You can stay in a luxury room, a glamping teepee, or a wagon with an amazing view of the red rock cliffs. There is also a restaurant, pool, and hot tub.
• Chuck Wagon Lodge: This is a great budget option with a convenient location above the general store with a bakery and deli. 
• Broken Spur Inn: Simple, affordable accommodations 5 minutes from the park. They also have wagons you can stay in.

Fees, Passes, & Timed Entry Information

Admission to Capitol Reef National Park costs $20 per vehicle and Arches and Canyonlands both cost $30 per vehicle. All passes are good for 7 days. 

This trip is cost-neutral with the America the Beautiful National Park Pass. If you think you’ll visit another National Park site within the year, I’d recommend having the pass on hand so you can get into your next park for free.

Arches National Park is no longer requiring a timed entry ticket in 2026. You can enter the park at any time without a pre-booked timeslot.

Canyonlands and Capitol Reef National Parks also do not have any timed entry or advance reservation requirements.

As always, check the NPS website for the latest information on fees, passes, and important park notices and closures. Links to each park’s website are below:

• Arches
• Canyonlands
• Capitol Reef

The Ultimate Arches, Canyonlands, & Capitol Reef Road Trip

Day 1: Fly to Salt Lake City & Drive to Moab

Spend day 1 of your road trip getting to Moab. Fly into Salt Lake City with hopefully enough time to pick up your rental car and complete the 4-hour drive to Moab on the same day.

If you must fly in the evening, I recommend flying the night before, staying near the SLC airport, and driving to Moab the next day to stay on schedule with this itinerary.

Settle into your hotel or Airbnb in Moab and get ready for an action-packed week in Utah!

Day 2: Arches National Park

Spend your first day in Moab exploring Arches National Park! This will be a big day, so I highly recommend bringing a picnic lunch.

There are a lot of excellent sunrise spots in Arches National Park, so I recommend getting an early start and checking what time sunrise is during the time of year you plan to visit. 

You will have another opportunity to visit Arches on Day 4, so it will be possible to see two sunrises here.

Hike to Delicate Arch

One of the best things to do in Arches National Park is to hike to Delicate Arch. The full hike is 3.2 miles with 629 feet of elevation gain and labeled as moderate. 

The best lighting for photos is at sunrise and sunset. Midday will bring much higher crowds, hotter temperatures, and bright overhead lighting for photos so I recommend doing this hike first thing in the morning or waiting until late afternoon.

Related: How to Hike to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park

Arches Scenic Drive Viewpoints

Spend the rest of your day in Arches driving the main park road and stopping at the viewpoints. Most of the arches in Arches National Park can be seen via a short trail or even from the road.

Here are the can’t-miss points of interest:

• Skyline Arch
• Sand Dune Arch
• Fiery Furnace Overlook
• Balanced Rock
• The Windows & Double Arch
• Courthouse Towers
• Park Avenue
• Landscape Arch (optional)

If you’re doing well on time and want to add another hike to your day, I recommend hiking to Landscape Arch via the Devil’s Garden Trail. Hiking to Landscape Arch and back is about 2 miles round-trip. 

If you choose to come back to Arches on day 5, I’d skip this trail today because my recommended hike is the entire Devil’s Garden Loop, which will include Landscape Arch.

When you’re finished exploring Arches, head back to Moab for dinner and relax in your accommodations.

Related: Top 16 Things to Do in Arches National Park

Day 3: Canyonlands Island in the Sky District

You will spend the next two days exploring Canyonlands National Park. Canyonlands is broken up into two major regions: the popular Island in the Sky District and the more remote Needles District.

Day 3 will be dedicated to Island in the Sky. You’ll find lots of short trails to panoramic views over the Island in the Sky Mesa. If you’re up for a fun 4×4 drive, taking the Shafer Trail back to Moab is a great way to end your day here!

I also recommend a picnic lunch, as Island in the Sky has no restaurants inside and it is a 45-minute drive from Moab. 

Canyonlands is a huge park and there is a lot to do here. 2 days (or 3 if you opt to come back to Canyonlands on day 5) will only allow you to scratch the surface of incredible experiences here. 

If you can add more time to your trip and want to explore this park further, definitely check out the rest of my Canyonlands National Park guides.

Sunrise at Mesa Arch

If you’re up for the most incredible sunrise, head to the Island in the Sky District early and go straight to Mesa Arch. The sun lights up the bottom of the arch to a bright red color that is just incredible!

Related: Canyonlands Itinerary: How to Spend 1-5 Days in Canyonlands National Park

Scenic Overlooks

Spend the rest of the morning visiting some of the scenic overlooks and short hikes in the park. Most are accessed via a short trail. Here are the can’t-miss spots:

• Green River Overlook
• Shafer Trail Overlook
• White Rim Overlook
• Buck Canyon Overlook
• Upheaval Dome
• Grand View Point Trail

Drive the Shafer Trail or Visit Dead Horse Point State Park

If you’re up for an off-road adventure, opt to take the Shafer Trail to Potash Road back to Moab instead of the way you came in. You will want a high-clearance 4×4 vehicle for this (Canyonlands Jeep rents Jeep Wranglers for daily use if you don’t want to take your rental car).

You’ll descend the Shafer Canyon Switchbacks down to the White Rim, and then turn onto Potash Road which will take you back to Moab. Plan for this to take you about 3 hours!

I wrote a whole guide on how to drive the Shafer Trail loop, so definitely check that out if you want more details on this experience. 

If you’re not quite up for this drive, head back to Moab the way you came, but make sure to stop by Dead Horse Point State Park on your way out. There is an incredible overlook that you shouldn’t miss!

Related: How to Drive the Shafer Canyon & Potash Road Loop in Canyonlands National Park

Day 4: Canyonlands The Needles District

The Needles District is the more remote area of Canyonlands National Park and feels totally different from Island in the Sky. You’ll get to see the “needles” formations a lot more closely along with other cool rock formations.

Getting here will take you 1.5 hours from Moab though, so definitely pack a picnic lunch, plenty of water, and snacks. The drive is well worth it and you will enjoy hardly any crowds!

Go Hiking

The best thing to do in The Needles is to go hiking. We really enjoyed the Slickrock Foot Trail, a 2.7-mile loop with amazing views of some crazy rock formations plus a good view of the needles out to the distance.

The Chesler Park Viewpoint Trail consistently gets ranked as the best hike in The Needles, but it is a bit longer at 5.4 miles with 1151 feet of elevation gain. This trail will get you closer to the Needles though!

Related: 15 Incredible Hikes in Canyonlands National Park

The Needles Viewpoints

When you’re done hiking, make sure to visit the Wooden Shoe Arch, Pothole Point, and Cave Spring Trail.

If you’re doing well on time and have a high-clearance 4×4 vehicle, consider checking out the Colorado River Overlook. The overlook is located down a rough, dirt road with the last 1.5 miles being large rocks that “stair step” down. 

We didn’t feel comfortable taking our rental car down this road and it was unseasonably hot this day (especially after hiking) so we unfortunately skipped it.

Head back to Moab and relax after your long day in The Needles!

Related: 12 Great Things to Do in The Needles District in Canyonlands National Park

Day 5: More Hiking in Canyonlands or Arches

As you can probably tell by this point, there is so much to see and do in both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Spend day 5 of your trip exploring an area that interests you a little deeper via a longer hike!

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ARCHES:

• Devil’s Garden Trail: 7.8 miles with 1085 feet of elevation gain. Often ranked the best hike in Arches, you’ll see 7 total arches on this trail, hike on a steep fin, use your route finding skills on the primitive portion of the trail, and admire sweeping views of the area.
• Explore the Fiery Furnace: Explore the Fiery Furnace via a self-guided hike or with a park ranger. You’ll wander and scramble over the labyrinth of fins, slots, and abrupt dead ends inside the Fiery Furnace. You will need a permit to explore the Fiery Furnace beyond just the viewpoint.
• Visit the Klondike Bluffs & Tower Arch: The Klondike Bluffs section is a seldom-visited, remote area of Arches National Park. It requires driving 7.5 miles on a dirt road to get here. You can hike 2.4 miles to Tower Arch here as well.

Related: 11 Stunning Hikes in Arches National Park

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ISLAND IN THE SKY:

• Drive the Shafer Trail & Potash Road Loop (if you didn’t do this on day 3)
• Dead Horse Point Overlook (if you didn’t do this on day 3)
• Gooseberry Trail: 4.2 miles with 1548 feet of elevation gain. This is the steepest trail in Canyonlands and you’ll descend the Island in the Sky mesa down to the White Rim Road.
• Syncline Loop: 7.9 miles with 1601 feet of elevation gain. You’ll circle the Upheaval Dome on a primitive trail with lots of rock scrambling.
• Murphy Loop: 10.1 miles with 1614 feet of elevation gain. Hike a lollipop loop on the Murphy Hogback to the White Rim Road and loop back out via the Murphy Wash.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEEDLES:

• Chesler Park Loop: 10.2 mile trail with 1794 feet of elevation gain. Weave in and out of the needles rock formations, hike through a slot canyon, and experience the Chesler Park grassland.
• Druid Arch: 9.7 miles with 1446 feet of elevation gain. Hike to a massive, angular arch deep within The Needles District. Most of this trail is shared with the Chesler Park Trail.

Related: 15 Incredible Hikes in Canyonlands National Park

Day 6: Hanksville Sights & Hikes

On day 6 of your road trip, you’ll make your way over to Capitol Reef National Park. There are some lesser-known, otherworldly places to visit along the way. Most of these sights are near Hanksville, a tiny town with a handful of restaurants and a motel.

It will take you about an hour and a half to get to Hanksville from Moab and then another hour to drive through Capitol Reef to Torrey.

Depending on how ambitious you want to be, you can visit most of these areas in one busy day or just pick one or two. If these things really interest you, plan to stay in Hanksville tonight (the Whispering Sands Motel is your only option, we stayed here for one night and it was fine) to give yourself more time.

Some areas require a high-clearance vehicle, some require 4×4, some don’t require either. I’ve linked my in-depth guides on how to visit each of these areas, so definitely check those out for more details!

Here are your options with links to my guides with more detail:

• Factory Butte and/or Moonscape Overlook: high-clearance required, 4×4 recommended for the Moonscape Overlook, plan an hour to account for the drive time along the rough road.
• Goblin Valley State Park and Little Wild Horse Canyon: no high-clearance or 4×4 needed, and a visit here can be as short as 15 minutes to view the valley or a few hours if you choose to do a hike. Little Wild Horse Canyon is also located nearby- you can hike the entire 8-mile loop through the slot canyon or hike in as far as you’d like.
• Long Dong Silver Spire Hike: high-clearance recommended, but you can walk an extra mile and avoid going off-road at all, plan 1.5 hours to complete the 2-mile hike (and yes, it is really named that).

Stay in Hanksville or head to Torrey and get settled in your hotel for the night!

Day 7: Capitol Reef National Park

In my opinion, Capitol Reef is the most underrated of the Utah National Parks. It gets less than a third of the visitors Zion gets, so you’ll enjoy much lower crowds! 

A lot of people miss out on this park entirely, or only spend a few hours driving through it. I promise you there is a lot to see here and that it is definitely worth your time!

Related: Capitol Reef Itinerary: How to Spend 1-4 Days at Capitol Reef National Park

Hike the Cassidy Arch or Hickman Bridge Trail

Start your first day in Capitol Reef National Park with a hike! This park is full of relatively short, moderately difficult hikes that have incredible scenery. 

Two of my favorites are the Cassidy Arch Trail and the Hickman Bridge Trail. Cassidy Arch is more strenuous at 3.1 miles with 600 feet of elevation gain and the Hickman Bridge Trail is 1.7 miles with 400 feet of elevation gain.

If you’re ambitious, you can hike both in one day. Just make sure to leave time to visit the scenic viewpoints along Highway 24 and do the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive!

Scenic Viewpoints

After your hike, grab lunch in Torrey and spend the afternoon exploring the scenic viewpoints:

• Gifford Homestead (make sure to get homemade pies and ice cream!)
• Petroglyphs
• Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
• Panorama Point
• Goosenecks Overlook
• Sunset Point

Related: 15 Best Things to Do in Capitol Reef National Park

Day 8: Capitol Reef National Park

You will spend your last day in Capitol Reef National Park doing an all-day off road tour. If you’re not comfortable with off road driving, I recommend spending the day hiking in the park instead (we loved the Cohab Canyon Trail!).

If you want the ultimate day hiking experience, hike the Rim Overlook to Navajo Knobs trail. This trail is very strenuous and will take you all day, but you’ll get the best panoramic view of Capitol Reef National Park.

Loop the Fold

“Looping the Fold” in Capitol Reef is a 124-mile driving tour of the Waterpocket Fold district. 

A high-clearance vehicle is required for this drive, and 4×4 is recommended. The roads are unpaved, rough, and sandy, so be prepared! 

This drive can take anywhere from 4 hours to all day depending on how often you stop for photos and hiking (there are some cool, short hikes along the way). 

You can grab a map of this drive at the Visitor’s Center for a few dollars. Make sure to check the weather, start with a full tank of gas, and bring plenty of food and water with you. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this drive in your rental car, Capitol Reef Jeep Rentals has Jeep Wranglers available for daily rentals.

On our second visit to Capitol Reef, we rented a Jeep Grand Cherokee specifically to do the Waterpocket Fold Loop. Mother Nature had other plans though, and we had some rain and snow on that day and were unable to do the loop. Dirt roads in Utah become impassable when wet, even in a 4WD vehicle.

Oh well, it’s just another excuse to come back again in the future!

I highly recommend eating at Hell’s Backbone Grill just south of Boulder after Looping the Fold, since you’ll pass right by it on your way back to Torrey. If you start this drive in Capitol Reef National Park and drive clockwise, you’ll end up in Boulder at the perfect time to have an early dinner.

Day 9: Drive to Salt Lake City & Fly Home

Conclude your Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef road trip by heading back to Salt Lake City and flying home. Fly out this afternoon or evening, or spend the night near the airport and head out the next morning.

If You Have More Time

If you have an extra day or two to spare, I would add on more hikes in either Arches or Canyonlands (do the other day 5 options) or drive the Cathedral Valley Loop in Capitol Reef National Park.

If you’ve got more than a few days, you can add on the thrilling drive down Utah Scenic Byway 12 as you make your way west toward Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and Bryce Canyon National Park. 

You can thoroughly explore Bryce in just one day, but you’ll want extra time to explore Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument on the way (it is located in between Capitol Reef and Bryce along Highway 12). There are excellent hikes that get you off the beaten path and away from the crowds!

If You Have Less Time

If you have less than 9 or 10 days for your trip, I would skip Capitol Reef and Hanksville for now and focus on just Moab, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks. 

Come back again and spend a week exploring Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Grand Staircase Escalante!

What are you most excited for on this road trip through Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks? Let me know in the comments below!

-Megan