tour of utah 2023 route

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Tour of Utah Race Guide – Get Set to Watch the Tour of Utah! August 17-22!

The 2010 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah:

August 17-22

Presented by Zions Bank

America’s Toughest Stage Race

Race Guide:

Are you watching the Tour this year?  Not that one in France, the Tour, the Tour of Utah.  Held in our own backyard, the 2010 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah presented by Zions Bank promises world class bike racing.

The race has a reputation for being the toughest stage race in the country.  Held over 6 days, from August 17-22, with 30000+ feet of climbing over 300+ miles, the Tour of Utah will test the mettle of even the most seasoned professional.

This year’s race opens with a prologue at the State Capitol building, then flows into two tough road races, a time trial, a new criterium in Park City, and finishes with the epic Queen stage that travels from Park City to Alpine Loop, Suncrest, and then finishes at Snowbird after climbing Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Cycling Utah, in conjunction with the Tour of Utah, presents this guide for you to use when watching the Tour.  Stage descriptions are below, along with maps of the road race stages.

A good spot to watch the race is at the finish of each stage, where you can enjoy the expo before the riders come in.  Or, go to one of the hot spot sprints (orange flags on the maps) or any of the mountain top summits (especially those marked with a red star) to see riders sprinting for points for the orange sprint jersey and the polka dot mountain jersey. Follow the jersey competitions as riders compete for these coveted garments.

While you are waiting look for sponsor cars to roll through with water and other swag. To keep tabs on the race while it’s happening, download the Tour of Utah’s iphone app, or follow the race on twitter @thetourofutah, or search for #tou and #tou10 in the feeds for posts from the caravan and spectators.  Race updates will also be broadcast on KFAN 1320 several times per hour during the race. Visit tourofutah.com for other useful information.

Make sure that you are in place at least 20 minutes to 1 hour before the caravan is slated to roll through, otherwise, you may not make it to your favorite spot.

When you are out and about at the Tour, please remember race organizer Terry McGinnis.  Terry passed away last fall after a long battle with cancer.  Terry’s presence will always be felt at the Tour, and he will be remembered fondly.

Enjoy this year’s Tour of Utah! It’s going to be a good one!

2009 Podium: Francesco Mancebo, Rock Racing; Darren Lill, Team Type 1; Jeff Louder, BMC Racing

Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau Prologue Time Trial

Tuesday, August 17

Utah State Capitol

In Memory of Terry McGinnis

Length: 4.5 km (2.8 mi)

Start Time: 6 p.m.

Finish Time: 7:30 p.m.

Expo Hours:  5-8 p.m.

The Prologue is dedicated to the memory of Terry McGinnis, former executive director of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, presented by Zions Bank.

2009 Winner: Brent Bookwalter

This year’s Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah Prologue features a 4.5 km out-and-back that gently climbs and descends one of the most beautiful—and popular—road cycling routes in Salt Lake City.

The course starts in the shadow of Utah’s magnificent Capitol dome on a boulevard that enjoys a 360-degree vista of the entire Salt Lake valley and urban mountainscape. Turning onto a false flat, it hugs a steep hillside, passing the entrance to City Creek Canyon and continues on to the eventual turnaround near the top of Utah’s famed Avenues neighborhood. The course returns to a finish that is just beyond its starting point for a fast, furious and thrilling bicycle racing hors d’oeuvre.

Where to watch: Anywhere along the course, but especially at the start/finish and at the turnaround.

University of Utah Health Care Ogden to Research Park Road Race

Wednesday, August 18

Ogden to Salt Lake City

Length: 137 km (85 mi)

Start Time: 11 a.m.

Finish Time: 2:30 p.m.

Expo Hours: Start: 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Finish: noon – 3 p.m.

2009 Winner: Francisco Mancebo

The real racing starts today near the mouth of Ogden Canyon, with this deceptively difficult mountain route. Facing two steep climbs, riders will find keeping their attention on the race will be especially challenging given the stunning canyon scenery. Looping through the high-mountain valley that surrounds Pineview reservoir, the route ascends a steep, winding, two-lane road to Snowbasin Ski Resort, site of the 2002 Olympic downhill ski events. The course then rolls along through the emerald ranches and farms of Morgan Valley, climbing to East Canyon Dam and reservoir. At this point, slightly more than halfway through the stage, riders now face the toughest climb of the day and one of the most difficult of the entire race, Big Mountain. Rising almost 2,000 feet in just over six miles, this climb is guaranteed to separate the climbers from the pack, breaking the peloton apart in time for a final fifteen-mile downhill dash to the line in University of Utah Research Park.

Where to watch: Good spots are at mile 29 (Snowbasin) race arrival: ~12:23pm, the sprint at mile 21 (~11:57), the summit of East Canyon (~2:14 pm), the summit of Little Mountain (~2 pm), and the finish in Research Park (~2:46 pm).

Stage 1 turn by turn descriptions with arrival times.

XANGO Thanksgiving Point to Mt. Nebo Summit Road Race

Thursday, August 19

Road Race, mountain top finish

Length: 124 km (77 mi)

Start Time: 10 a.m.

Finish Time: 2 p.m.

Expo Hours:  9-10:30 a.m.

2009 Winner: Darren Lill

Beginning, as it does, on the flats east of Utah Lake, the Stage 2 profile may appear relatively benign (outside of an enormous spike over the final twenty miles.) Riders may think they will find relief from yesterday’s tough Wasatch Mountains in those first fifty miles until they start the long grind to the finish line, 4,000 feet above the low point of the course! Mt. Nebo is a classic, local climb that will bring out the mountain goats in the peloton: the slightly-built, ectomorphs whose power-to-weight ratios qualify them as freaks of nature. They’ll need it all, as this climb seems never to end! The overall will surely begin to take shape after this amazing stage.

Where to watch: either of the hotspot sprints at mile 44 (~11:41 am) or 59 (~12:15 pm), or at the finish at the summit of Mt. Nebo (~1:19 pm).

Stage 2 turn by turn descriptions with arrival times.

teamgive Individual Time Trial

Friday, August 20

Miller Motorsports Park

Length: 14.5 km (9.2 mi)

Start Time: 6:30 p.m.

Finish Time: 8 p.m.

Expo Hours: 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.

2009 Winner: Tom Zirbel

Miller Motorsports Park, 40 miles west of Salt Lake City, will serve as a fitting venue for this year’s race of truth. This track is regarded as one of the finest, safest, most spectator-friendly motorsports venues in the world. The 2010 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah 14.8 km Individual Time Trial will use every bit of MMP race course, and then some. It’s a supremely fast, twisty, and easy-to-watch course that will give spectators visual access to nearly the entire race.

Where to watch: Anywhere on the course. View the action from the deck or from the start/finish.  Bring binoculars to get a view of the riders as they face the race of truth.

The Heiden Davidson Orthopedics Criterium

Saturday, August 21

Downtown Park City

Length: 90 minutes

Start Time: 4:30 p.m.

(Note: Amateur races run from 1:30 until 3:30)

Finish Time: 6:00 p.m.

Expo Hours:  9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

2009 Winner: Bernhard Sulzberger

The 2010 Heiden Davidson Orthopedics Criterium represents the most significant departure from past Tour of Utah schedules. This year’s fast and furious criterium will be more a brutal test of stamina, willpower and sheer endurance than crits in years past. In 2010, racers will grind up Park City’s historic Main Street, a half-mile, 12-percent grade that will be packed three-deep with spectators along the entire route. Reaching the top in a condition that can only be described as pure hypoxia, competitors will turn east and accelerate to upwards of 60 kpm down Swede Alley to the bottom of Old Town, negotiate a couple of 90-degree turns and do it all over again–30 more times. The field will likely shatter after just a couple of laps. After 90 minutes, the winning sprint will likely feature only a handful of the toughest power climbers in the United States. As they say, “this is not your father’s criterium.”

Where to watch: Anywhere on the course, especially Main Street. Walk around to different points on the course.  Look for prime sprints and the finale at the start/finish line.  Enjoy the expo.  Arrive early and watch the amateur crit featuring many of Utah’s top racers.

Park City (Newpark Center) to Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort Road Race (Presented by Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort)

Sunday, August 22

Length: 155 km (96 mi)

Finish Time: 3 p.m.

Expo Hours:  12:30 – 4:30 p.m.

2009 Winner: Alex Howes

Stage 5, also known as the “queen” stage, kicks off from the Newpark Center in Kimball Junction. Rocketing into Park City, racers will turn east to race across the ranches and rangeland of Summit County. Turning back west, riders enter what seems like another country, the Swiss-inspired town of Midway. After briefly skirting Deer Creek Reservoir, the race plunges down Provo Canyon, then turns sharply uphill as it passes Robert Redford’s Sundance resort, where it begins to climb the difficult Alpine Loop. This legendary Utah route ascends through narrow stands of aspen and fir trees, crests a saddle just under the summit of Mt. Timpanogos, and plunges down a twisty, narrow highway that rivals the Alps for sheer beauty and danger. Descending back into and through suburbia, riders suffer up a “small” bump over Traverse Ridge before they have to tackle the deciding 8-12 percent climb up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Creekside Center at the Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort.

The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, presented by Zions Bank will also include a non-competitive ride for cycling enthusiasts the Saturday prior, called “The Ultimate Challenge.”  The Ultimate Challenge will be held on August 14th and follows the exact same route as the queen stage.

Where to watch: Go to any of the mountain tops or climbs to watch the race unfold. Sprints are at mile 18 (~11:39 am) and 36.5 (~12:20 pm). Riders will be at their limit and working to make the race or break their opposition.  The climb on the backside of the Alpine Loop (KOM at mile 60, ~1:34 pm), the climb up Suncrest (KOM at mile 80, ~2:17 pm), or the climb up Little Cottonwood Canyon will provide great viewing.  Or, hang out at the finish at Snowbird (mile 100, ~3:19 pm) and see what promises to be a showdown for America’s best climbers.

Stage 5 turn by turn with arrival times.

The Tour of Utah Jerseys

Leader’s Jersey

The origins of the Yellow Jersey go back to the first sponsor of the Tour de France, L’Auto, a daily newspaper printed on yellow paper. The yellow jersey is awarded at the end of each stage to the rider with the best general classification time (not necessarily the Stage winner) and to distinguish the overall race leader. Best overall time is the lowest cumulative time for all Stages. This jersey will be awarded to the overall winner of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah.

XO Communications

The sprint competition adds a level of excitement to the race; it is often called a “race within a race.” Sprint points are awarded at designated sprint lines on a course and awarded at the stage finish. The rider with the most sprint points is awarded and retains the green jersey until he is no longer the point leader in the sprint competition.

Best-Young Rider

Powerade/Vitamin Water

Intended to reward and encourage the young lions of cycling, the Best-Young Rider jersey competition is for all participants under the age of twenty-three. The best young rider jersey is awarded to this age category for the rider with the lowest cumulative time.

King of the Mountains

Utah Toyota Dealers

The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah has some of the most intense climbing terrain in North America, drawing the media’s focus. The King-of-the-Mountains Jersey is awarded to the rider who accumulates the most points by being one of the first three riders crossing KOM check-points at the top of all significant mountains throughout the course.

Best Utah Rider

Siegfried & Jensen Law Firm

The Best Utah Rider competition is for all participants who call Utah their home a minimum of 180 days each year.  This jersey will be awarded to the rider with the lowest cumulative time.

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EDITOR PICKS

2016 tour of utah stage 6 photo gallery by cottonsox, 2016 tour of utah stage 6 photo gallery by dave richards, reijnen takes sprint win in stage 5 of the 2016 tour of utah in bountiful; morton stays in yellow; eisenhart in 7th, more stories, liège-bastogne-liège preview: two suitors for the old lady, dna pro cycling welcomes rylee mcmullen to the team for the 2024 season, redlands bicycle classic men’s stage 5: project echelon celebrates victory, securing the gc and stage 5 win, popular category.

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Tour of the Alps: Simon Carr wins stage 4 as Juan Pedro López responds to GC attacks

Chris Harper crashes out on first big mountain stage

A 45-kilometre solo break netted Simon Carr (EF Education-EasyPost) the hardest mountain stage of the 2024 Tour of the Alps , while a crash-marred but ferocious GC battle saw Juan Pedro López (Lidl-Trek) stubbornly cling on to the overall lead. 

Carr took off alone when he sensed his chance of victory, dropping fellow breakaway survivor Sergio Higuita on the rugged, poorly surfaced cat 1 Passo Vetriola climb. The British rider stayed away for the second Tour of the Alps stage victory of his career by nearly two minutes. 

Chris Harper of Jayco-AIUIa crashed on the high-speed descent off the second and last climb of the day, with the Australian forced to abandon the race. Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) also crashed in the same spot as Harper, but was able to continue. 

On the flatter run-in, overall contender Valentin Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) launched an all-out attack with some 15 kilometres to go, obliging an isolated López to chase him down in person. 

Yet more challenges materialised on the finale in a seven-rider GC group, with Michael Storer (Tudor ProCycling) and O’Connor snatching a few seconds in the end. 

López’s rivals largely neutralised each other, allowing the Spaniard to stay in control of the race with just one day of mountain racing remaining.

“Today was pretty special, but also because the first few days were so hard,” Carr said.   

“I came here with legitimate GC ambitions. Then I came here and I really struggled with allergies, but the team and Juanma Garate, my directeur sportif were saying I should still have confidence but those things can go just as quickly as they come. There was a bit of rain yesterday, so I felt myself again today and I’m really happy with the result.”

Carr was not confident about winning from such a long break.

“Not really to be honest,” he said. “The gap went down to just under a minute at one point but the gap went out on the final climb so I felt a little more confident. But I was running on fumes a bit by that point, so I had to get over that and then on the final downhill I could take it a bit easy.”

How it unfolded

An early move by 2023 Tour of the Alps runner-up Hugh Carthy (EF Education-Easy Post) and teammate Carr kick-started the mountain stage and meant the 141 km stage was going to be an intense day of racing. 

They were soon joined by Colombian allrounder Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Davide Piganzoli (Polti-Kometa). Then the addition of another seven riders: Ineos Grenadiers’ Oscar Rodriguez, Movistar’s Gregor Muhlberger, Lucas Hamilton (Jayco-AIUIa), Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Mattia Bais (Polti-Kometa) and Luca Covili (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè) and Gijs Leemreize (Team dsm-firmenich-PostNL) nearly tripled the number of participants in the early break.

As the best-placed GC rider, Piganzoli’s two-minute time-gap on race leader Juanpe López (Lidl-Trek) meant the Italian was a genuine threat and Lidl-Trek duly kept things under control for the first two hours of racing. 

The break’s lead all but disintegrated on the Category 1 Passo del Compet, after Simon Carr and Higuita hacked their way clear on the slopes.

They clearly still had some fuel left in the tank and having barrelled off the Passo del Compet, they tackled the nine-kilometre Passo del Vetriolo, with a solid 1:20 advantage on their previous companions in the break and over two minutes on the bunch. 

Then as soon as they hit the lower slopes of the roughly surfaced narrow ascent, with some 45 kilometres to go, Carr took off alone, with Higuita able to follow at a distance, but seemingly struggling to close the gap.

In the peloton, Decathlon-AG2R’s pronounced acceleration early on the Vetriolo left Tobias Foss (Ineos Grenadiers) flailing and the rider who took over the race lead from the Norwegian on Wednesday’s stage, Juanpe López, isolated from his Lidl-Trek teammates. 

More attacks came but the Spaniard responded to everything that his rivals threw at him, most notably by O’Connor. He was by far the most aggressive GC rider until destiny and hidden kerb stepped in a little later. 

The easier slopes nearing the top of the climb  then helped spark a regrouping of the main GC favourites, with Poels,  Tiberi, Lopez, O’Connor and teammate Valentin Paret-Peintre joined by Ivan Sosa (Movistar),  Romain Bardet (Team dsm-firmenich-PostNL), Chris Harper (Jayco-AIUIa), Michael Storer (Tudor ProCycling)  and a flagging Higuita.

Carr led over the Vetriolo with a minute’s advantage, but the action did not let up in the chase group on the descent, as first Harper, then O’Connor tested the waters downhill. 

The roads were thankfully smooth and broad given the aggressive racing, but Harper crashed at speed on curve, sliding out and then slamming his head against a post. O’Connor crashed in the same spot, losing his slight advantage on Lopez but thankfully seemingly only suffering minor grazes and able to get up and continue.In contrast Harper seemed dazed and was unable to race on.

The crash took the punch out of the leader’s group, allowing Carr to all but triple his advantage to nearly three minutes as he tackled the unclassified ascent of the Colle San Marco. 

When Valentin Paret-Peintre made an attack from the front group with some 13 kilometres to go, it brought almost no response from Lopez. A cagey series of attacks and regroupings followed almost all the way to the finish. 

There was time for one last blistering attack by O’Connor, despite the cuts and grazes visible on his arm but Storer was quick to outpace him at the finish, and López could keep control of the green leaders jersey despite all the challenges. He leads O’Connor by 38 seconds, with Tiberi and a select few others at 48 seconds.

One day of mountain racing remains on Friday but the Lidl-Trek leader has put the hardest stages behind him, and the former Giro d’Italia leader and appears on track to add overall victory to Wednesday’s first professional career victory.

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Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews , he has also written for The Independent ,  The Guardian ,  ProCycling , The Express and Reuters .

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SPRING TOUR OF HURRICANE

Join us on 04/13/2024, spring tour of hurricane race description, april 13, 2024.

Follow us on Social Media to stay up to date. We post reminders and important dates and times to keep you in the loop!

Imagine yourself at the start line. You’ve got some pre-ride jitters, there’s a hint of chill in the air and the sky is clear. From your vantage point, you can watch the desert sun rise over the hills that surround you. The start goes off just as the rest of the sky is awakened by the morning light dancing off the many distinct layers that make up St. George.

They say that variety is the spice of life, and St. George has a little bit of everything. It’s layered with red rocks that define the northern side of the city jutting above the valley. You get a look deep into those sandstone cliffs in Snow Canyon and it’s all topped off with the largest laccolith in the world, Pine Valley Mountain. The area is defined by these layers and accented by the green trees in the valleys and the cottonwoods around the Virgin and Santa Clara Rivers. There’s a lot to see.

The Tour of St. George gives you a guided tour of all those layers. Starting downtown, the route immediately climbs toward the red rocks and skirts the base of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve as you make your way toward the Red Mountain and pass by the mouth of Snow Canyon. You will be treated to views of the sandstone topped by the surrounding mountains. As you keep pedaling, you will dip all the way down to the Arizona Stateline while you make your way toward  Sand Hollow and Quail Creek State Parks and their corresponding lakes. From there, your return trip take you past more layers of sandstone and terminates back where you started in an oasis of green surrounded by red rocks.

The Spring Tour offers lengths for every rider and fitness level. Pick either a 30+, 75 or 100 mile distance to tailor your tour to your abilities. With rolling sag and fully stocked and themed rest stops, all you need is your bike and the desire to pedal your way through all the layers.

• Event will be chipped timed • Event is capped at 800 riders so register early • Enjoy the scenic landscapes of Sand Hollow State Park and Quail Creek State Park. • Fully stocked rest stops, a great lunch, and more! • Enjoy warm spring riding temperatures in scenic Southern Utah • A distance to challenge every rider with 30+, 75, 100 mile options • You will receive a custom Spring Tour de St. George Event Medal with your registration • You’ll get a custom Spring Tour T-Shirt your registration • Only 90 minutes North of Las Vegas • Just 4 hours south of Salt Lake City

Bring the Family! The Spring Tour will start and finish at North 100 West in Hurricane & there is something to entertain everyone for the entire day!

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Get ready for the SPRING TOUR OF HURRICANE

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SPRING TOUR OF HURRICANE Where & When

• Location: Hurricane , UT 84737
• Race Date: 2024/04/13 08:00:00 AM (Saturday)
• Citizens (30+-mile route)
• Metric Century (75-mile route)
• Century (100-mile route)
• Citizens (30+-mile route E-Bike)
• Metric Century (75-mile route E-Bike)
• Century (100-mile route E-Bike)

SPRING TOUR OF HURRICANE Reviews

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5 star experience.

Spring and Fall Tour of St George rides are top notch! You can't beat the diverse course that provides variety in elevation and scenery. The event organizers do a phenomenal job with registration, rest stops, support vehicles, and end of ride lunch. Not to mention the t-shirts are very cool! The course is very well marked and rider safety is a priority. The ride organizers make rider safety a priority and place emphasis on rider responsibility to ride with respect to others on the roadway. Thank you for providing a 5 star experience.

Beautiful scenery, great weather, and skilled organizers - what more could a rider ask for? Thank you, Red Rock Bicycle!

Great bike race

Great race, my first century ride. Organization was great, communication was spot on, signage was good and the food/water stations were well equipped.

Awesome Ride

Red Rock Bicycle does an excellent job! The course was clearly marked the staff/volunteers were friendly, the rest stops were well placed. The course was great, enough elevation gain to keep things challenging but not too difficult.

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Hurricane, UT Weather

• Based on a 5 year average and a race date of April 13th , Hurricane, UT can expect temperatures between 50℉ and 68℉ with humidity around 70% and precipitation of 0.43" . Last year the weather condition was Partly cloudy .

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10 Best Utah Road Trips: Unique Itineraries + Maps

by Mark and Kristen Morgan

Published: July 16, 2020

Utah has many unique road trip options, including national parks, state parks and off-road adventures. Spectacular landscapes, bucket list hikes and beautiful photo spots make Utah one of the very best road trip destinations in the world.

In this guide, we’re going to show you 10 original and personally tested Utah road trips based entirely on our own experiences.

Our Utah Road Trip Experience

Why trust us with helping you to plan your Utah road trip?

Because we’ve explored far and wide throughout two separate Utah road trips, first in the fall of 2019 and again in the winter of 2021. We love the region and consider southern Utah to have some of the best road trips in the US .

During both our extended visits to Utah, we’ve hiked the iconic trails, explored the major parks and photographed the unmissable sunrise and sunset spots. Every Utah road trip itinerary in this guide is created from first hand knowledge . Read more about us .

With so many amazing US road trips available for your next adventure, why would you choose to road trip through Utah ?

Here’s what makes Utah such a popular place to visit:

• Five remarkable national parks
• Countless other special natural landscapes
• Year round accessibility
• Several of the best hikes in the US are in Utah
• Diverse and adventurous attractions
• Excellent weather for most of the year
• Easy logistics with Las Vegas and Salt Lake City airports

Other popular road trip routes in the US have the ocean, big cities, rainforests or rugged mountains. Utah offers dramatic canyons , extraordinary sandstone formations and bucket list hikes .

Choosing Where To Visit

Utah is home to a diverse range of topography including canyons, sand dunes, mountains and salt flats. The Mighty 5 national parks are the most heavily visited places in Utah, but there are so many other fun and underrated places to see.

So where should you visit on your Utah road trip?

Well, the answer depends on factors like your travel style, how much time you have and how many times you have visited Utah in the past.

• Are you a hiker? You should prioritize hikes in Zion National Park above all else.
• Are you a photographer? You should prioritize Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon.
• First time in Utah or short on time? You should start with Zion and Bryce Canyon.
• Already seen the national parks? You should head to the adventure town of Kanab.

We think Utah is a state you can return to time and time again because there’s just so much to do. Even after 2 extensive trips to Utah, our bucket list is still only half full!

Further Reading: The 20 best places to visit in Utah

About Our Itineraries

Next, we’re going to show you our 10 favorite Utah road trip routes. You’ll find route statistics , a description and a map for each itinerary.

You can click into the interactive maps associated with each itinerary listed below. Simply touch or click the map to activate, then you can move around or zoom in and out.

We’ve tried to be as inclusive as possible in order to accommodate every traveler who wants to see the very best of Utah. Please feel free to leave us a comment at the end of the guide if we haven’t quite covered exactly what you are looking for.

Let’s get into the first itinerary!

1. Utah Mighty 5 National Parks Road Trip

• Distance : 389 miles
• Time : 7 hours 20 minutes
• Days : 6-8 days
• Attractions : Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef , Canyonlands, Arches

The Mighty 5 national parks road trip is the ultimate Utah experience . This famous route consists of many of the best US national parks with stops at Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands.

After driving the Mighty 5 we can confidently say that it’s the all-in-one scenic Utah ticket featuring the best hikes, photo spots and landmarks. If you’ve never been to Utah and you want to see all the major highlights , this is the road trip for you.

Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip Map

The Mighty 5 is most commonly driven as an out-and-back loop route from Las Vegas (here are the best things to do in Las Vegas ). Use the map above to see how the route begins in Zion, moves to Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef before stopping near Moab for both Arches and Canyonlands.

Returning to Las Vegas from Moab, you have several amazing options for places to stop including Monument Valley, Page AZ, Grand Canyon North Rim and the adventure attractions around Kanab.

Road Trip Tip : Drive UT-12 from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef. The route through Escalante is slightly longer but it’s incredibly scenic and shouldn’t be missed.

2. Utah State Parks Road Trip

• Distance : 476 miles
• Time : 9 hours 40 minutes
• Days : 3-5 days
• Attractions : Gunlock, Snow Canyon, Sand Hollow, Coral Pink Sand Dunes , Kodachrome Basin, Escalante Petrified Forest, Goblin Valley, Dead Horse Point

We’ve created this original Utah road trip itinerary for return visitors to Utah or those who prefer to avoid heavy crowds . It follows the same route as the Mighty 5 but only stops at state parks and avoids national parks altogether.

We think Utah is overflowing with incredible state parks that are completely overshadowed by the national parks. There’s so much more to see, hike and photograph in Utah outside of the national parks. And the best part is that they’re always quiet .

Utah State Parks Road Trip Map

Our Utah state parks road trip is best driven in a loop from Las Vegas . Similarly to the Mighty 5 route, you can easily throw in plenty of extras stops along the way, which could even include one or two national parks if you don’t want to miss out.

Road Trip Tip : If state parks are your thing, do not miss the amazing Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada either on the way in or out of Utah from Las Vegas, which we have included in the route map above.

3. Zion To Bryce Canyon Road Trip

• Distance : 86 miles
• Time : 1 hour 55 minutes
• Days : 2-4 days
• Attractions : Zion, Bryce Canyon

Zion to Bryce Canyon is our top Utah road trips pick for visitors with just 2 or 3 days available. It’s a hugely popular and well established route which works perfectly with the nearby Las Vegas airport as a transport hub.

Both Zion and Bryce Canyon are amazing places, but they’re surprisingly different considering how close they are to one another. We love both parks and think this double header offers the perfect balance between ticking off some of the best Utah hikes and photo spots in a short trip.

Zion To Bryce Canyon Road Trip Map

The Zion to Bryce Canyon road trip route is easy to plan . You simply fly into Las Vegas, drive to Zion, then drive to Bryce Canyon and eventually return to Las Vegas the same way. Here are 5 very different ways you can spend one day in Zion National Park .

Road Trip Tip : Serious hikers should spend more time in Zion, whereas photographers and sightseers should spend more time in Bryce Canyon.

4. Arches And Canyonlands Road Trip

• Distance : 78 miles
• Time : 2 hours 5 minutes
• Days : 1-2 days
• Attractions : Canyonlands, Arches

Arches and Canyonlands is one of the best bang for your buck road trips in Utah. We loved the photo spots in these two parks and can’t wait to go back for more landscape shoots. It’s possible to see the highlights of both parks in one day by starting in Canyonlands and ending in Arches.

However, 2 full days would allow you to relax and visit more natural attractions by spending a day in each park. You can tick off the best hikes in Arches and end with sunset from Delicate Arch on the first day, before spending the next day in Canyonlands which begins with an incredible sunrise at Mesa Arch .

Arches To Canyonlands Road Trip Map

Many visitors to Moab only have time to do Arches and Canyonlands in one day . Our route map above shows you exactly how to see both parks in a day from sunrise to sunset .

With more time you can do one day in each of Arches and Canyonlands. Start the second day in Canyonlands Island in the Sky district before visiting the further away districts called The Needles, The Maze and The Rivers.

Road Trip Tip : Start with Mesa Arch at sunrise and end with Delicate Arch at sunset for one of the most amazing days in Utah.

5. Kanab HQ Road Trip

• Distance : 320 miles
• Time : 6 hours 55 minutes
• Days : 3-4 days
• Attractions : Belly of the Dragon , Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Buckskin Gulch, The Wave, Toadstool Hoodoos , Grand Canyon North Rim

Our Kanab headquarters road trip is unique because you will use one tiny town as a base and the driving aspect is essentially fanning out in all directions around Kanab to visit attractions. Don’t be put off by what sounds like a boring road trip, trust us, it really isn’t!

We spent a few days ticking off hikes , landscapes , caves and sand dunes around Kanab during our second road trip through Utah and we were blown away by the area so much that we included it in our list of the 50 best US vacation spots .

Kanab is one of the most underrated places we’ve visited in America. Not only are there countless awesome things to do in Kanab , but the town also has affordable hotels, excellent restaurants and a chilled vibe.

Kanab HQ Road Trip Map

The route map above shows driving routes from Kanab to each of the most prominent attractions and hikes nearby. Visiting Grand Canyon North Rim is totally optional but it does make for a fantastic experience.

By using Kanab as a base, you can see the likes of Coral Pink Sand Dunes , Belly of the Dragon , Toadstool Hoodoos , Buckskin Gulch and The Wave . It’s also close to slot canyons and a bunch of fun adventure tours going out into the harder to reach areas of Utah like Peek-a-boo canyon.

Road Trip Tip : For the ultimate Kanab experience you should apply for the online lottery to win a permit for The Wave .

6. Kanab To Moab Road Trip

• Distance : 423 miles
• Time : 8 hours 45 minutes
• Days : 4-6 days
• Attractions : Kanab, The Wave or Grand Canyon North Rim, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches, Canyonlands

Moving into custom Utah road trips territory , we think our Kanab to Moab road trip itinerary could be among the very best in this list . It’s perfect if you want to get off the beaten path and do something a bit different.

You’ll start with the best of Kanab , which could include hiking The Wave if you win a permit, before moving to Page AZ for Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon ( book your Antelope Canyon tour in advance). Next is Monument Valley and eventually you reach Moab for Arches and Canyonlands.

Kanab To Moab Road Trip Map

This route can be driven from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City or Denver with plenty of stops available on the back end after leaving Moab. It works perfectly for anyone who plans to spend time in Colorado either before or after Utah. Remember, Rocky Mountain National Park isn’t too far from Moab.

Do you want to visit Grand Canyon South Rim during your Utah road trip? You could leave Kanab and arrive into Page, then drive down to South Rim before re-joining the itinerary to Moab.

Road Trip Tip : You can see most of Monument Valley without actually going into the paid area.

7. Utah Hiking Road Trip

• Distance : 932 miles
• Time : 18 hours 20 minutes
• Days : 6-10 days
• Attractions : Fire Wave, The Subway , Angels Landing , The Narrows , Queen’s Garden , Hickman Bridge, Mesa Arch, Devil’s Garden, Delicate Arch, Buckskin Gulch , The Wave

We’ve created this custom road trip through Utah specifically for hikers and we think it’s pretty awesome! Utah’s unique landscapes are a paradise for hikers but the iconic trails are time consuming, so this is the longest itinerary in our list.

The route effectively follows the Mighty 5 path but it only consists of the best hikes . There are no photography stops, sunrises, sunsets or stops at other attractions. It’s a case of getting your permits in advance , driving from hike to hike and enjoying the trails.

Utah Hiking Road Trip Map

The map for our hikers Utah road trip route is created as though you have acquired permits for every necessary trail. Adapt the route if you are unable to obtain any permit, otherwise sit back and soak up what is going to be an incredible hiking trip !

Are you considering the Grand Canyon? Here’s our popular guide on the best hikes in Grand Canyon South Rim .

Road Trip Tip : In Utah you need permits to hike The Subway, Angels Landing, Buckskin Gulch and The Wave.

8. Utah Photography Road Trip

• Distance : 1,019 miles
• Time : 20 hours 15 minutes
• Attractions : Fire Wave , Zion Canyon Overlook , Cedar Breaks, Bryce Canyon Amphitheater , Fruita Barn, Mesa Arch , Delicate Arch , Monument Valley, Horseshoe Bend , Grand Canyon

Our next custom Utah road trip itinerary is designed for photographers . Utah is not just for hikers, it’s also a prime location for landscape photography. Some of our favorite photo spots are in Utah. Think Mesa Arch, Delicate Arch and the Bryce Canyon amphitheater and you’ll get the idea!

The major issue with a photography itinerary is that you often need to be out for sunrise or sunset , so we’ve crafted this Utah road trip mainly around the most prominent locations at the best times of day. It’s a longer itinerary to accommodate for being in the right place at the right time .

Utah Photography Road Trip Map

Our photography route is one of our favorite Utah road trips because it leads to nothing but stunning landscapes . Use our itinerary as a starting point but be sure to include any other photo spots you know along the way (there are so many more!)

Follow the map above to see how you can drive around southern Utah and place yourself at the best photo spots every day . There are several ways you could plan this trip based on how much time you have and how important each stop is to you.

Road Trip Tip : The more time you allow for this road trip, the more sunrises and sunsets you can include. Dawn and dusk really are the most amazing times of day in Utah.

9. 4×4 Adventure Utah Road Trip

• Distance : 745 miles
• Time : 17 hours 30 minutes
• Attractions : Sand Mountain, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Red Canyon Slot, Willis Creek Slot, Kodachrome Basin, Zebra Slot, Natural Bridges, Valley of the Gods, White Pocket

Our custom 4×4 Utah road trip would be an entirely different experience to the typical routes. You can either hire a Jeep and drive yourself or take tours into the scorched wilderness. This adventure filled itinerary leads into countless slot canyons, washes and totally off the beaten path spots.

A lot of this itinerary is based around Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument but you could also include Glen Canyon National Recreation Area . These are the places nobody else goes in Utah so you really get that lost world feel.

Utah 4×4 Road Trip Map

The map above shows a basic 4×4 off-road adventure itinerary that we would follow if we were to take on this awesome road trip through Utah. Adapt, remove and include as you see fit based on any other spots you have pegged to visit.

This is the only itinerary in this list that deserves a cautionary warning up front . It’s vital that you are experienced with these types of terrains and situations, as well as being proficient in vehicle fixes and knowing what to do in emergency situations.

Road Trip Tip : With more time you can take your Jeep way off the beaten path. Study the roads in Grand Staircase Escalante in particular to plan the perfect off-road adventure.

10. Salt Lake City To Yellowstone Road Trip

• Distance : 832 miles
• Time : 16 hours 10 minutes
• Days : 7-10 days
• Attractions : SLC, Bonneville Salt Flats, Antelope Island, Park City, Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, Bear Lake, Jackson, Grand Teton National Park , Yellowstone National Park

Our last Utah road trip is an extension of our extremely popular 7 days Salt Lake City to Yellowstone road trip itinerary . You can create a fantastic 10 day itinerary with Yellowstone and Grand Teton simply by including 3 days ticking off the top attractions around Salt Lake City.

Uinta Wasatch Cache is home to some seriously amazing hikes, Bonneville Salt Flats and Antelope Island are perfect for photographers, Park City is a famous skiing destination and downtown SLC is lovely to walk around.

SLC To Yellowstone Route Map

The map above shows an extended version of our classic 7 day SLC to Yellowstone road trip route with several spur trips near Salt Lake City creating a 10 day itinerary.

After leaving the Salt Lake City area, the route continues through Jackson to Grand Teton and Yellowstone before ending in Gardiner, MT. You can either fly home from Bozeman or return to SLC airport.

Road Trip Tip : Allow at least one full day in Grand Teton and two full days in Yellowstone at a minimum. In an ideal world you will have six full days to see both parks. Here’s our 4 days Yellowstone itinerary .

Planning Tools

So you know the routes and you’re excited to get started with planning. But what about logistics and the important things you need to know?

Here are the tools we use and the key information you should be aware of:

When searching for flights to Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, we recommend checking prices on both Skyscanner and Google Flights as the two best flight search engines.

Tips to save on flights to Las Vegas or SLC:

• Shop around and compare prices on several days of the week
• Use incognito or private browser and clear your cache
• Use several devices such as your laptop and smartphone
• Read our guide on how to book cheap flights

You should have no issues booking accommodation for any of the Utah road trips covered in this guide with the exception of Zion National Park hotels during the peak season.

We always use and recommend using Booking.com to book hotels in the US. You might want to compare prices with Hotels.com to see if you can find a better deal.

Tips for booking hotels:

• Book your hotels in advance
• Sign up for a free membership account with Booking or Expedia
• Arrive at Zion during the week to avoid expensive weekend prices
• Read our popular guide on how to book cheap hotels

Resource : Our sister site Best Hotels Anywhere can help you find the best hotels in Las Vegas, Moab, Kanab, Page, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Grand Canyon South Rim.

3. Hire Car

If you’re not driving your own car to Utah, you’ll need to hire a car when you land at Salt Lake City or Las Vegas airport.

Our top recommendation is to find prices with Rental Cars and compare costs against Discover Cars . Input Salt Lake City airport or Las Vegas airport and your travel dates to see your options.

They’re our go to car hire platforms and we always choose whichever has the better vehicle at the right price point.

Tips for hiring a car:

• Book in advance for a better selection of cars
• Small cars are better for parking in tight spots at the national parks
• You’ll need a 4WD high clearance vehicle to go off road in Utah

4. National Parks

It’s important to stay up to date with live conditions such as roads, weather, hiking trails and lodging when you visit any of the national parks in Utah.

One of the unsung positives to visiting Utah is that natural disasters, wildfires, flooding and other problematic conditions are rare. Just look at Yellowstone and Yosemite in 2022 and 2023.

With that said, we still recommend keeping on top of the following current status reports:

• Arches – Live conditions
• Bryce Canyon – Live conditions
• Canyonlands – Live conditions
• Capitol Reef – Live conditions
• Zion – Live conditions

What To Pack For Utah Road Trips

Packing for a road trip in Utah will depend on what you plan to do and what time of year you decide to visit.

Our two trips to Utah have been in the months of October and December. Both times we packed for cold mornings and cold evenings but warmer days, especially when hiking.

If you plan your Utah road trip for summer you can expect hot days so your packing list will look very different. Take plenty of shorts, t-shirts and socks in case you need to wear more than one per day.

Are you planning to visit the Mighty 5? The number one thing you should buy and pack is an America the Beautiful Pass to save money on national park entry costs.

Here is a basic road trip packing list to get you started:

• America the Beautiful Pass – REI
• Car emergency kit – First Secure
• In case of snow – Snow Brush
• Hiking shoes – Men | Women
• Day hiking backpack – Best day bags
• Down Jacket – Men | Women

Further Reading: The essential road trip packing list

Where To Stay On Your Utah Road Trip

Let’s take a summarized look at the top rated hotels in the most popular Utah road trip destinations to help get you organized. Don’t forget you can click the links below to read complete hotel guides on our sister site Best Hotels Anywhere .

Each hotel listed below is a hotel we have either stayed at or would stay at because they have excellent ratings.

Springdale (Zion)

• Cable Mountain Lodge
• Red Rock Inn
• Watchman Villas

Further Reading: The best hotels in Springdale UT

Bryce Canyon City and Tropic (Bryce Canyon)

• Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel
• Bryce Canyon Log Cabins
• Best Western Plus Ruby’s Inn Bryce Canyon

Further Reading: Where to stay near Bryce Canyon National Park

Torrey (Capitol Reef)

• Capitol Reef Resort
• Broken Spur Inn
• Red Sands Hotel

Further Reading: Best places to stay near Capitol Reef National Park

Moab (Arches and Canyonlands)

• Aarchway Inn Moab Utah
• My Place Hotel Moab Utah
• Hoodoo Moab Utah

Further Reading: Where to stay in Moab Utah

• La Quinta Kanab Utah
• Kanab Suites In Kanab Utah
• Canyons Boutique Hotel Kanab Utah

Further Reading: Best places to stay in Kanab UT

Camping Special

Are you planning to camp during your Utah road trip?

We’ve teamed up with The Dyrt to offer our readers an exclusive no strings attached 30 day free trial with The Dyrt PRO .

This is our favorite camping app because it helps you find the best campgrounds along your specific driving route with benefits including no booking fees and free camping spots.

You can also use a fantastic new feature called Dyrt Alerts to receive notifications when sold out campgrounds have cancellations so you can snag near-impossible spots.

In Conclusion

Utah is home to some of the most scenic and exciting road trip routes in the US. Unique rock formations, dramatic canyons and adventurous hiking trails make Utah the perfect road trip destination for hikers, photographers and lovers of nature. It’s great for solo travelers, couples, groups and families alike.

After exploring most of the US, we can confidently say that Utah is one of our favorite states to visit. Hiking and landscape photography are our two favorite things to do when we travel, and Utah has both in abundance!

More Road Trips

• Las Vegas to Death Valley day trip
• Kancamagus Highway fall road trip
• Mt Rushmore to Yellowstone road trip
• New England fall road trip
• San Francisco to San Diego road trip
• Salt Lake City to Yellowstone road trip
• South Dakota road trip
• Best road trips in the USA
• Zion to Bryce Canyon road trip

Want more Utah content?  Head over to our Utah Travel Guides to explore the Mighty Five national parks and beyond.

We hope this Utah road trips guide helps with planning your visit to the Beehive State!

Please let us know if you have any questions about any of the routes in the comments below.

Happy Travels ,

Mark and Kristen

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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.

Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us .

13 thoughts on “10 Best Utah Road Trips: Unique Itineraries + Maps”

Dear Mark and Kristen, my boyfriend and I are thinking of having a 3-week vacation (we are coming all the way from Europe so less doesn’t really make sense for us) doing the classic national parks road trip in Utah and Arizona at the end of May. We are planning 2 days in each park (1 in Capitol Reef), and around 4 days in Kanab and Page each, trying to see and do as much as possible as most likely we will never come back to that part of the world again. We love hiking and active holidays, but we are not extreme hikers and we are not going to do the most challenging (even if they are the most famous) trails such as Angels Landing, the Narrows, or the Wave. I extensively used your website picking out the best trails and things to do and trying to estimate how much time is needed for each 🙂 The rough plan is this:

Day 1 – travel from Europe, arrive in Las Vegas the evening Day 2 – Valley of Fire, evening drive to Springdale Day 3 – Zion main canyon (Emerald pools & Kayenta trails, Watchman trail, Riverside walk, Zion Canyon overlook) Day 4 – Zion Colob canyons, evening drive to Kanab Day 5-7 – Kanab guided day tours to 1) Grand Canyon North Rim Toroweap Viewpoint, 2) White Pocket, 3) Peekaboo Slot Canyon, The White Wave, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, 4) Grand Staircase Escalante Day 8 – Kanab guided day tour (see above), evening drive to Bryce Canyon city Day 9 – Bryce canyon (Scenic drive viewpoints, Fairyland loop trail, Queen’s garden & Navajo loop trails) Day 10 – Bryce canyon (see above), afternoon/evening drive to Torrey Day 11 – Capitol reef, afternoon/evening drive to Moab Day 12-14 – Arches (Delicate Arch trail, Devil’s garden trail, Balanced Rock, Park Avenue trails, The Windows trail & Double arch) and Canyonlands (Island in the sky, Mesa Arch, Grand View point, Green river overlook, Needles/Chesler Park loop trail) Day 15 – Arches/Canyonlands (see above), afternoon/evening drive to Mexican hat/Monument valley Day 16 – Monument and Mystery valley full day Navajo guided tour OR Monument valley half-day guided tour and Natural Bridges national monument, evening drive to Page Day 17-19 – Page (Upper & Lower Antelope canyons guided tours, Secret Antelope Canyon guided tour & Horseshoe bend outlook, Antelope Canyon X guided tour, Navajo canyon boat tour, Horseshoe bend rafting tour, Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos) Day 20 – Page (see above), afternoon/evening drive to Grand Canyon village Day 21-22 – Grand Canyon South Rim (all viewpoints, beginning of Bright Angel trail, South Rim trail, Shoshone point trail) Day 23 – morning drive to Las Vegas Day 24 – Las Vegas Day 25 – morning travel back to Europe

As you can see, the ideal plan is a bit longer than 3 weeks and we will have only 22 days (including traveling to/from Europe, which uses up 2 whole days). So we will have to cut 3 days our of our plan, and we are not sure what to sacrifice. I’m thinking the following: – 1 day in Valley of Fire → instead combine as day trip from Las Vegas on day 24 – 1 day in Kanab → which of the 4 tours do you think is the least interesting? – 1 day in Page → scrap Navajo canyon boat tour and Horseshoe bend rafting tour? Is there anything else you would suggest?

In addition, I wanted to ask if it’s worth visiting Natural Bridges national monument compared to all the other sites, and if a full day Navajo guided tour of Monument and Mystery valleys is worth it?

We will appreciate any advice that you can give us!

Hi Petia, thanks for getting in touch and we are more than happy to help. This sounds like an amazing travel plan but let’s trim it a bit so you can make it work.

To answer you final questions first:

1. Valley of Fire – If you don’t mind losing that last day in Vegas, then you can definitely do Valley of Fire as a day trip on your last day. But if you want the day in Vegas, you should still include Valley of Fire early in your itinerary because it is unique. We recommend trying to arrive at Fire Wave Trail as early as possible because sunrise here is the park’s top highlight. 2. Kanab – They all sound great, but we would skip Grand Staircase because the others have the best balance. Kanab is a nice little town. 3. Page – It sounds like you are more interested in the canyons, so yes skip the rafting and boat tour. It doesn’t take long to see Horseshoe Bend from the overlook. You will end up with a lot of spare time in Page because the canyon tours don’t take long. Maybe look around Lake Powell or hike a portion of Buckskin Gulch. 4. We haven’t been to Natural Bridges yet. It looks great but you can get a similar theme at all the national parks in Utah, so we would skip it. We have been to Monument Valley and we drove the self guided tour, which was cool but again we would skip this if we were doing your trip. You can see Monument Valley from the main road you will drive anyway. Tip – Monument Valley is best seen early in the day if driving from Moab to Page which you are.

That is 3 full days saved already (or 4 if you decide to combine VoF into your last day in Vegas). Here are our other tips:

1. By skipping the 4th tour in Kanab, you can travel to Bryce Canyon on the morning of Day 8, spend the day hiking and driving the scenic roads, watch sunset, stay over and then watch sunrise in the morning. There’s not much else to do and Bryce is small so you can leave early on Day 9, spend 6-8 hours in Capitol Reef and drive to Moab. It would be a long day but it would also save another full day on your itinerary. 2. You have loads of time for Arches and Canyonlands. If you wanted to, you could probably save a day at Arches by doing Devils Garden Trail, Windows, Park Avenue and Delicate Arch in one day. That’s Arches done. Canyonlands isn’t as easy because it is split into regions but unless you plan to go hiking long distances, you won’t need much time there either, you can do Mesa Arch, Green River and Grand View in a few hours. So overall for Moab you could save a day. Probably skip Dead Horse State Park because it is another $20 and is similar to Canyonlands. 3. Two days is more than enough time for Grand Canyon South Rim if you don’t intend on hiking down into the canyon. You can see the viewpoints on both Desert View Drive as you enter Grand Canyon and Hermit Road in one day. So again, you could save time here if necessary.

If you haven’t already got one, definitely buy an America the Beautiful Pass for $80 which will get you into all National Parks on your trip.

There are plenty of places you can cut or save, but it will depend on exactly what you both want to do. You will also need some downtime because this is a full on adventure! The driving and hiking gets tiring after a few weeks, so you might end up needing a half day to relax and take it easy.

Hope this helps but if you have any more questions send us an email which you can find on our Contact Page. Have a great trip!

Thank you so much for the feedback, we will definitely consider your advice! I find it very difficult to estimate how much time is needed for each park, probably they could be done in shorter time as you said, but we also need downtime between intense days as you said 🙂

Hello. If you had to choose between taking a Utah road trip in the spring months of April or May vs the end of October, which would you choose? We would like to see Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and go on into Arizona for the Grand Canyon. Thanks for your help!

Hi Jane, both Spring and Fall are the best times to visit the Utah/Arizona parks so either time will be great. We personally prefer traveling the US southwest in Autumn, through September and October. However, if you are only able to do the very end of October, you may run a risk of temperatures cooling significantly in the morning and at night as you approach November (sunrise / sunset photography, long day hikes). If you are able to go in April or early – mid May, you are more likely to see more comfortable conditions for hiking (late May onward can be challenging for hiking with heat). Late October would also mean you may just about miss Utah’s considerable fall colors. With that said, hotels in Springdale, Moab and Grand Canyon will likely be more affordable in late Oct than in May. Finally, it’s impossible to avoid crowds in these parks, but late October will likely be slightly less busy than April / May. The balance between crowds, cost and weather is similar at either time. If you can make it slightly earlier in Oct, we’d say go for that, otherwise the beginning of May. April can have extreme weather in the US Southwest, which is something else to consider. Have a fantastic time whichever season you choose!

We’re planning a trip round trip Vegas through southwest Utah national parks to Grand Teton and Yellowstone. We’ve got two weeks. How would you split the time and what are the best roads to take. We’d like to see Bryce, Hoseshoe Bend, Arches, Canyonlands, up through Salt Lake City to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. We don’t hike as we’re seniors but love photography. Any assistance would be appreciated. It’s feels so overwhelming! Btw….your website is fabulous!

Hi Marie – sounds like a fantastic trip and we know how overwhelming it can be with so many amazing places to see in just two weeks. You’re right to avoid Zion, it is a wonderful place but is more of an adventure hiking park. When visiting Horseshoe Bend in Page, you might want to try nearby Antelope Canyon if you can book a slot for a photography tour. If you’re planning sunrise photography – Bryce Canyon amphitheater, Mesa Arch in Canyonlands and Mormon Row / Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton are our top 3 recommendations for your trip. Grand Teton is extremely photogenic and we’re sure your cameras will get a serious workout here! You’ll have an action packed driving itinerary here but this is roughly how we would do it:

D1 – Bryce, D2 – Bryce sunrise, drive to Page and HS Bend, D3 – Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley and arrive in Moab, D4 – Arches, D5 – Canyonlands, D6 – Drive to Salt Lake City, D7 – Morning in SLC and Drive to Jackson, D8 and D9 – Grand Teton, D10, 11, 12 – Yellowstone, D13 and D14 – Long drive back to Vegas, maybe break it up in SLC.

Roads – 89, 163 Monument Valley, 191, 6, 89 through Afton, 191 again through Yellowstone, then 20 and I-15 back to Vegas.

Hope this helps but let us know if you need any more info and have the best trip!

Hi! Could you please share your itinirerary from google maps? It isn’t loading anymore! Thanks!

Hi Agnes, thanks for getting in touch and sorry to hear you can’t load the map. Just checked and I can load all maps on both mobile and desktop on my end. I’ll shoot you an email to see if we can get the map working for you!

Thank you so much! It works for me now. We are planning to do the mighty 5 and do a big counter clockwise loop, and was wondering what you think the best order/road is. We are planning to start from the Grand Canyon and to finish with Zion and drive back to LA from there.

Perfect, glad it’s working. Sure, from Grand Canyon, drive to Page, AZ and do Horseshoe Bend / Antelope Canyon, then onto Monument Valley. Head up to Moab for Arches and Canyonlands, from Moab take UT-24 down into Capitol Reef, then drive the stunning UT-12 through Escalante to Bryce Canyon (don’t miss this one). Down US-89 to Zion / Springdale and maybe end with a night in Vegas?!! Have a great trip!

Omg Utah is now definatley on my bucket list to visit now.

That’s what we like to hear! Utah is an awesome US road trip destination Graham!

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How to Plan an Incredible Utah National Parks Road Trip

If you’re here, that means you’re probably in the early-ish stages of planning an Utah National Parks road trip. We have good news – you’re in the right place! In the guide below, you’ll find pretty much everything you need to plan a bucket list-worthy trip to all five of Utah’s National Parks.

We’ll begin with some important logistics, like where to start and end your Utah national parks itinerary and how many days to spend in Utah, and then get into the best stops, things to do and see, sunrise and sunset spots, hikes, places to stay, and more. 

Over the last three years, we’ve been to 18 national parks. And multiple Utah national parks make it into our top five list of America’s national parks (though we haven’t visited them all…yet).

We’ve now been twice in the past few years – fall and spring – and have updated the guide below with some of our latest discoveries. 

We absolutely love Utah, and think you will too. I, Matt, have been to Utah four or five times at this point, including two trips in the past few years. The diversity of landscapes in southern Utah – which is home to the “Mighty Five” national parks – is pretty mind boggling. 

You’ll find natural arches in, well, Arches National Park. Unique rock formations called hoodoos in Bryce Canyon. The vast and surprisingly lush canyon in Zion National Park. And there’s so much more – it would take a lifetime of exploring to see everything that Utah has to offer. 

If those incredible landscapes sound like something you want to experience, you’re in the right place. In this Utah national parks road trip itinerary, we’re going to cover – in detail – how to plan an amazing road trip through Utah. 

We love Utah, and think you will too. 

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post, like hotel links, are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we make a little bit of money if you click through and book. That being said, we would never recommend something to you that we don’t stand behind 100%.

How Many Days Do You Need for a Utah National Parks Road Trip?

We think that you need a full 10 days to do the complete Mighty Five circuit . Less time means a lot of driving and not a lot of time dedicated to each park. With 7 days, you’d essentially only have one day for each. Which we don’t think is enough time. 

Some parks have more to see than others and are worth spending two to three days in to have the best experience.  

We’ve written this guide for someone with 10 days , which I think is the perfect amount of time to see all five national parks in Utah, and have an extra day to spend on the other things that make Utah special.

What if You Only Have 5-7 Days in Utah?

If you have a week or less in Utah, we’d strongly urge you to focus on EITHER Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, OR Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef. 

When you include driving time, which totals around 10 hours or so over the course of the itinerary, 5-7 days BARELY gives you a day in each park if you were to do all five. 

Focusing your time on only a few of them will give you a little more time in each park, rather than spending less than one day in each. The key benefit of this approach is that you’ll be able to spend more time in the early morning and late afternoon, which is when the crowds are thinnest at these parks. 

Where to Start and End Your Utah Road Trip Itinerary

There are two options for getting to Utah – driving in from nearby, or flying in, renting a car, and driving. 

The two best starting points for this road trip are Las Vegas and Salt Lake City . Denver is a distant third. It’s still doable, but involves more driving.

If you don’t live nearby, like in Salt Lake City or Denver, you’ll need to fly to one of the gateways to Utah, rent a car, and drive to your first destination. 

The two easiest airports to fly into would be Salt Lake City and Las Vegas . 

From Salt Lake City, it’s going to take around four hours to drive to the start and end points on this road trip itinerary (Zion and Moab). 

From Las Vegas, it’s going to be just two and a half hours to Zion, but six and a half hours to Moab. 

The best way to do this road trip if you want to avoid long days of driving is to fly into Salt Lake City and out of Las Vegas , which is how we’ve organized the itinerary below. 

You could absolutely do it the other way around, but doing it this direction front loads the longer drive from Salt Lake City to Moab, versus having to do that drive at the end of your trip when your enthusiasm is waning and you only have your return flight to look forward to. 

You can also fly in and out of the same airport, it’ll just involve a few hours of extra driving on one end of the trip. 

Important Note : You need to check with the rental car company to make sure that it’s okay to pick up in one spot and drop off in another. You might have to pay a one way fee, but we think it’s worth it to avoid wasting a day of your vacation driving. See below in the rental car section to see what the tradeoff is between picking up / returning to the same place, and doing a one way rental.

You could fly into Denver and out of Vegas if you wanted to add on a few days exploring Colorado. It’s going to be five and a half hours of driving between Denver and Moab, but there’s plenty of things to do and see along the way. 

Good to Know : Book the earliest flight you can into Salt Lake City, and the latest flight out of Las Vegas to give yourself as much time as possible to explore. 

Tips for Your Road Trip Through Utah

Before we get to the full itinerary, a few general tips about planning a road trip through Utah. 

National Park Entrance Fees

It costs $30 per vehicle to enter each national park (good for 7 days), and you can either pay online in advance (be aware that you must print it out and bring it with you), or at one of the park’s visitor centers. 

If you are planning on visiting three or more national parks in the next 12 months, we’d highly recommend an America the Beautiful Pass , which covers entry to all national parks, national forest trailheads, national monuments, and more for 12 months. 

It costs $80, which means it pays off with three national park visits (or some combination of national parks, forests, and monuments). 

On this trip, you’re going to be visiting several national parks, which means it’s probably worth buying an America the Beautiful Pass before your trip. 

Crowds in the Utah National Parks

If you’re visiting the Utah national parks in the summer (or a weekend in the spring or fall), you’re going to experience crowds. 

There are a couple of things we’d say about crowds and how to avoid them as much as possible. 

First, get an early start, and plan on staying out late . Peak time is from about 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, which makes the hours from 7:00 am to 10:00 am and 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm some of the best times to be out and about in the park. Plus, the rising/setting sun means the light will be better for pictures!

If You Want to Camp, Book Your Site Well in Advance

Camping inside the national parks is super competitive . For reservable sites, people book months and months in advance, and when there are first-come-first-served sites, they are snatched up immediately in peak season. 

The good news? There are tons of camping options outside of the parks that are affordable and accessible, and you’ll find some recommendations in the where to stay section for each park.

This is a Good Route to Test Out Van Life

If you’re not into sleeping in a tent, consider an RV or Campervan rental . It’s a good way to save money on accommodations by staying at campgrounds or RV Parks instead of hotels. For what it’s worth, we did this entire trip living in a Honda Odyssey. 

Think of it as a middle ground between camping and staying in hotels and vacation rentals. 

Escape Campervans is a good choice, and they have options for the exact route (Salt Lake City to Vegas) that the itinerary below has you on.

Book Your Accommodations Well in Advance

If you’re planning on staying in hotels and lodges, book several months in advance between May and October . That’s peak season, and things fill up FAST. 

Even outside of those months, you’ll still find that some places are full a few months in advance. You’ll find some hotel recommendations in each section to help you find the best place to base yourself to make the most of your time in each park. 

The Perfect 10 Day Utah National Parks Road Trip Itinerary

Now, on to the itinerary itself! 

Below, you’ll find a detailed day-by-day itinerary for a 10 day Utah national parks road trip based on our personal experience over the course of multiple trips. We’ll give you our favorite stops, the best hikes, places to stay, and more. 

Grab a cup of coffee and strap in – this is a long one, but it has literally everything we could think of to help you plan an amazing adventure.

Here’s an overview of that road trip, plus a map to help you visualize the route.

Here is the 10 day Utah national parks road trip itinerary that you’ll find – in detail – below: 

• Day 1 : Arrive in Salt Lake City, Drive to Moab
• Day 2 : Arches National Park
• Day 3 : Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky)
• Day 4 : Around Moab + Drive to Capitol Reef
• Day 5 : Capitol Reef National Park + Drive to Bryce
• Day 6 : Bryce Canyon National Park
• Day 7 : Bryce Canyon National Park + Drive to Zion National Park
• Day 8 : Zion National Park
• Day 9 : Zion National Park
• Day 10 : Zion National Park + Fly Home from Vegas

If you have a full two weeks in Utah , you’ll be able to get a little bit off the beaten path, exploring places like Kolob Canyons in Zion National Park and the Needles District in Canyonlands National Park that most visitors never even realize exist.

Below the full itinerary, you’ll find our suggestions for extending the 10 day trip. 

With 7 days , rather than trying to fit in the entire Mighty Five Circuit, we’d opt for spending 7 days exploring EITHER Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reef OR Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef.

Days 1 & 2: Arches National Park

On your first day, you’ll spend most of the day in transit between Salt Lake City and Moab, which is the jumping off point for this itinerary. 

We spent five full days in Moab , and loved just about every minute of it – minus the hour-long wait to get into Arches National Park to check into our campsite. A good reminder to make sure to enter the parks early (before 9:00 am at the latest!) to avoid long lines and crowds. 

We didn’t realize it before arriving, but there are an astounding number of things to do in Moab .

Between exploring the two national parks that are a stone’s throw away – Arches and Canyonlands – to hikes outside the parks, and more adventurous activities like whitewater rafting and 4WD-ing, there’s plenty to keep you busy even if you had a full week JUST in Moab.

What to Do in Arches National Park

Here are our favorite things to do in Arches National Park. 

Sunset at Delicate Arch

On your first day, you’ll be driving from the airport and you’re probably going to be arriving mid-afternoon depending on what time your flight was (try and get the earliest flight possible!). 

Check into your accommodations for the next few days and head up to Arches National Park for that sweet, sweet golden hour light and sunset at Delicate Arch . 

It’s a 3 mile hike (round trip) that was a little harder than we thought it would be, but that didn’t stop literally a hundred people – ages 5 to 65 – from doing it.

It will probably be crowded if you’re there anytime between April and the end of October, but it’s worth it. You’ll climb up a section of rock, so you’ll want to wear your hiking shoes with plenty of grip. 

There’s one short section of the trail right before you get to the arch that’s narrow with a steep drop off, so keep an eye on your kids. 

If you do that hike at sunset, make sure to bring a headlamp for the way down. It gets dark FAST, and the last thing you want is to be hiking down the slab of rock in the dark. 

The Windows and Double Arch

Start your day off your second day with an early morning at the Windows and Double Arch, which are quite possibly our favorite set of arches in the park. And they’re so close together that you can easily see all of them (there’s four arches here in total) in about an hour or so. 

The Windows are two huge rock formations that are on the southeast side of the parking lot. There’s a nice trail that connects the North and South windows, along with nearby Turret Arch.

Make sure to walk through the North Arch and look back through the window to get a nicely framed picture of Turret Arch. 

Double Arch is on the opposite side of the parking lot, and it’s the tallest arch in the park. There are two separate (huge) arches that you’ll be looking up at.

You can climb around inside the arch and marvel at the two arches sharing the same base structure. It’s about a quarter of a mile from the parking lot on a flat, sandy trail. 

Hike the Devils Garden Trail

The Devils Garden Trail is a must-do hike in Arches National Park . The best part about this hike? You can customize it based on your experience and fitness level. 

If you do the entire loop, including the fun primitive trail on the way back, it’s going to be just under seven miles, with 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Along the way, you’ll see seven different arches, and you’ll do some light scrambling and trail finding on the primitive trail, which we thought was a lot of fun. 

You’ll want solid hiking shoes or hiking boots (Alysha loves her Columbia Newton Ridge boots , an excellent first hiking boot) with good traction for the scrambling sections, which have you making some steep climbs on rock that necessitate good footing. It’s nothing too crazy though if you’re an experienced hiker. 

If you’re not up for 7 miles in the desert, do the 2 mile hike to Landscape Arch or the 4 mile (ish) hike to Landscape, Navajo, and Partition Arches , which takes you a bit further than most of the hikers go. 

Whatever you choose, it’s going to be hot. Drink plenty of water, eat plenty of snacks, and wear sun protection. Sun exposure is no joke, particularly in the summer. 

Broken Arch and Skyline Arch

Stop for a quick picnic lunch near the Devils Garden trail (there’s a picnic area just south of the campground and trailhead), then do the short hikes out to Broken Arch and Skyline Arch. 

You can park in Devils Garden Campground ( here ) to start the hike out to Broken Arch . 

It’s a cool hike, which is why it’s on this list duh, and you’ll pass through a couple of cool canyons on the way back from Broken Arch. It’s about 1.8 miles round trip, and is basically flat. This is a good sunset hike too if you’re staying at Devils Garden Campground since you can leave from camp without driving anywhere. 

Skyline Arch is also worth seeing. You get there via a pull off just south of the campground, and it’s a short, easy hike out there. 

Where to Stay in Moab near Arches National Park (and Canyonlands)

You’re going to stay in Moab for the first three nights of this itinerary. You should try to stay in one place for all three nights UNLESS you’re camping, in which case we’d try to find a site in Arches for the first night. 

Pssst ! Make sure to read our guide to the best places to stay in Moab to find the perfect home base for exploring this incredible area.

Hotels in Moab

We were planning on staying in a hotel in Moab for a night to shower and take a break from the weeks of sleeping in our van, but later decided to stay at a campground for an extra night instead. 

There were exactly three places on our list of hotels that we wanted to stay in. 

• The first is Moab Springs Ranch , which has a range of rooms from bungalows to more lodge-style rooms, and has a great coffee shop onsite (Horsethief Coffee). Unfortunately, they were sold out for our dates (book early, people!), but we would have chosen to stay there given the opportunity.
• The second, which is a place we booked then later canceled, is the Expedition Lodge . It’s in a great location along the main drag in Moab, and it looks nice. It’s motel style, which was what we were looking for during the summer of 2020, and it has some nice retro touches like the mint green mini fridges in the rooms. They also have some unique room configurations, like two queen bunk beds, which are nice for a traveling family (nobody likes sleeping on the cot on a hotel room floor). Oh, and there’s a pool, which is always a bonus.
• The last option was Moab Under Canvas , which is less a hotel, more glamping, but still fits here. This is your chance to stay under the stars while still maintaining some semblance of the comforts of a hotel. It looks incredible.

Camping In and Around Moab

If you’re looking to camp, you’ve actually got a fair number of options both inside Arches and Canyonlands, and just outside the national parks. 

• Inside Arches, there’s only one campground – Devils Garden . It’s reservable in advance ( learn more here ), and it’s a really nice campground. We stayed there for three nights, and it’s a great base for exploring Arches for a couple of reasons. First, it’s at the trailhead for Devils Garden, so you can get an early start to beat the crowds and heat (staying outside the park means a 45 minute drive to the trailhead). Second, being inside the park means you’ll avoid the crazy lines at the entrance to the park. We waited an hour to get in one day because we had to leave the park to get ice for our cooler.
• Inside Canyonlands , you have only one option in the Island in the Sky District (which is the part of the park you want) – Willow Flat Campground . It’s first-come-first-served, and only has 12 sites. Unless you show up early AND get lucky, you’re probably out of luck. You could also camp at Dead Horse Point State Park , which is close to the entrance of Canyonlands, and is worth a visit in its own right, particularly for a spectacular sunset over the canyons. 

Outside the park, there are a surprising number of campgrounds on BLM land that are all first-come-first-served. There are two major areas where you’ll find them. 

• The first group are along Highway 128 northeast of Moab on the Colorado River, and they are competitive and you’ll need to show up relatively early for the first few campgrounds. They’re in an incredible location along the river and deep inside a gorgeous red rock canyon. Goose Island, Grandstaff, and Big Bend are the nicest based on our drive through the canyon.
• The other area is along Highway 279 northwest of Moab – check out Gold Bar Campground , which is near the trailhead for Corona Arch. 

Day 3: Canyonlands National Park

On your third day in Moab, head out to Canyonlands National Park , which is a very different experience than Arches. 

While Arches is about feeling small standing under the towering rock formations littered around the park, Canyonlands is about feeling miniscule while looking out over the deep fissures in the earth created over thousands (millions?) of years of tectonic plate action. 

There are three sections of Canyonlands: Island in the Sky (closest to Moab, most accessible), the Needles District, and the Maze (technically I think there’s a fourth called the Rivers, but I’m not quite sure about that one).

With just one day, you should focus on Island in the Sky , which is the most accessible part of the park coming from Moab. However, if you have more time, a trip down to the Needles District is worth your time. 

What Not to Miss in Canyonlands National Park

Here are some that we enjoyed in the Island in the Sky part of Canyonlands National Park. 

Early Morning at Mesa Arch

Start your morning at Mesa Arch just after sunrise. It’s a really short hike out to a low arch, through which you get a nice glimpse of the vastness of Canyonlands. 

Why just after sunrise, you ask? Because at sunrise, there will be hundreds – yes, hundreds – of photographers vying for the best position to take that picture-perfect shot of the natural bridge with the sunstar on the bottom. I bet you’ve seen it before – it looks like this: 

I took that around sunrise at Mesa Arch, where we’d arrived an hour before sunrise and still didn’t get a spot. Instead of jostling for position, we took a seat on a rock overlooking the arch and watched the sun rise, then I ventured down when the crowds started to thin. 

Here’s the behind the scenes view of the sea of photographers that you don’t see in the pictures on Instagram. 

The point is that going after sunrise is a much more pleasant experience. 

Hiking in Canyonlands

After experiencing Mesa Arch, head out on a hike in Canyonlands’ Island in the Sky District. 

Here are three options for various levels of hiking experience and fitness. If you’re up for it, you could totally do a couple of the shorter ones together as part of a little circuit along Canyonlands’ main thoroughfare. 

Aztec Butte (1.7 miles / 250 ft. elevation gain): This is a cool hike that has two distinct parts that form a “Y” shape. First, take the right fork to climb to a nice viewpoint over Canyonlands. Then on the way back, take the left fork and check out the ancestral Puebloan structures, which are pretty cool. DON’T TOUCH THE STRUCTURES – leave them be. 

White Rim Overlook (2 miles / 200 ft. elevation gain): A short and sweet hike to an incredible overlook that really illustrates the scale of Canyonlands. It’s a short, well-marked hike out to a little “peninsula” (for lack of a better word – there’s no water, but it’s a peninsula shaped part of the canyon rim). Follow the rock piles, known as cairns. 

The Gooseberry Trail (5 miles / 1,500 ft. elevation gain): This hike is no joke. You basically climb straight down the wall of the canyon to get to the lower plateau, which takes you to a nice overlook of the canyon forged by the mighty Colorado River. Just remember, the first part of the hike is a descent…which means what goes down must come back up. Try to get an early start so that you’re not out there in the heat of the day. 

Grand View Point Overlook

Next, head out to Grand View Point , which is another short stroll along the rim of the canyon that we DEFINITELY think you should do, no matter what. It’s mostly flat, with a little bit of up and down, but the end viewpoint is going to be well worth the small effort to get there. 

The Scenic Drive

Grand View Point is at the end of the road, which means you can make the drive back towards the visitor center a scenic drive by stopping at all the viewpoints along the way. 

The first stop, if you didn’t already tackle it, is the White Rim Overlook . We loved this short hike, and it’s worth mentioning again. 

Make sure to also stop at the Buck Canyon Overlook and, our favorite viewpoint on the drive, the Shafer Canyon Overlook , which has amazing views of the canyon, and of the steep switchbacks of Shafer Canyon Road, which descend from the rim down to the plateau via tight switchbacks that I would be too terrified to drive myself. 

It’s also worth venturing out on the road that leads to Upheaval Dome, aptly named Upheaval Dome Road . 

The turnoff is a little ways south of Shafer Canyon Overlook. Willow Flat Campground, the main campground in this part of Canyonlands, is out there, but stay on Upheaval Dome Road to get to Upheaval Dome, Whale Rock, and Aztec Butte – three great short hikes just off the road. 

Day 4: Exploring Around Moab

Spend the morning and afternoon around Moab, exploring what we think are two of the best hikes in the area – neither of which are inside a national park – and then make your way over to Capitol Reef National Park. 

Things Not to Miss Around Moab

Here are some things we really enjoyed near Moab (that aren’t within national park boundaries).

Corona Arch

We did the hike out to Corona Arch at sunrise, and sat on a rock watching the light creep down, illuminating the arch about an hour after sunrise. Because of the rock walls here, we actually think the best time to be here is just after sunrise. 

It’s only 2.5 miles long (round trip), but there are some sections of scrambling along slickrock, and a ladder that you have to climb. As long as you’re prepared with sturdy footwear, you should be fine, but you should know what you’re getting into before you leave the parking lot. 

The arch itself is enormous, and is one of the more impressive arches we saw in Moab, including the ones in Arches (Delicate Arch and Double Arch might be the only two ahead of it). 

The trailhead is along highway 279, just a twenty minute drive northwest of Moab.  

Just down the road from Corona Arch is another amazing hike that most people probably skip since it’s not inside one of the nearby national parks – and that’s Jeep Arch .

You’ll park in the small dirt parking lot along the road. We were there mid-morning after our hike to Corona Arch, and we were only the second car in the parking area. 

This hike is a bit longer at 3.6 miles (1,000 ft. of elevation gain), and it is COMPLETELY exposed. No shade to speak of, except right at the base of the arch. 

You’ll start by hiking up through the water pipe, which we didn’t realize on our way out and ended up hiking up to the railroad tracks, crossing the tracks, and then scrambling down the other side. Only to look through the other end of the pipe and say “ah, that’s the way you’re supposed to go.”

From there, you’ll follow a trail that is somewhat well marked by cairns across the rocky landscape, surrounded by the towering red rock walls of the canyon. It’s a loop, and after doing it both directions, we really don’t think it makes a huge difference which direction you go. 

We will say that the arch will sneak up on you. We were very worried that we were going the wrong way because the map showed the arch just ahead of us, and we couldn’t quite see it yet.

It’s carved into the towering canyon wall, and if you squint, it looks a little bit like a jeep, hence the name (Matt’s not convinced). 

Sunset at Dead Horse Point State Park

After a day of exploring Moab, head out to nearby Dead Horse Point State Park for sunset. Dead Horse Point is on the way back to Moab, which makes it a perfect last stop of the day before retiring to your hotel or campground for the night. 

You’ll need to pay the entrance fee, since it is a Utah State Park and is not covered by your America the Beautiful Pass. It’s $20 a vehicle as of 2021 – double check the up-to-date fees here . 

If you’re up for it and have some extra time before sunset, it’s worth doing one of the short hikes along the west rim. Our pick would be to park at the main parking lot and hike out to the Rim Overlook, and back along the rim to the parking lot, with a short detour to the Shafer Canyon and Meander overlooks along the way.

It’s about 2.5 miles there and back, and it’s flat. 

After that, pick your spot, plop down, and watch the sunset over the canyon. 

Day 5: Capitol Reef National Park

Be honest – before you started researching for this trip, had you ever heard of Capitol Reef National Park?

We hadn’t either. 

But I understand why. Sandwiched between Arches and Canyonlands to the east, and Bryce and Zion to the west, it is the runt of the litter. Not that it isn’t a great stop and well worth your time, it’s just that the rest of the national parks in Utah are spectacular. 

The most unique part of Capitol Reef in my book is the amount of green you’ll see. Coming from Moab, it’s pretty surprising to drive around a corner with red rocks towering above you and see… an orchard? Several orchards, actually.

And you can freely walk through them and eat the fruit in the late summer too! You have to pay if you want to take it to eat later though. 

What Not to Miss in Capitol Reef National Park

Here are some things not to miss in Capitol Reef National Park. 

Capitol Reef Scenic Drive

Stop at the visitor center to grab a map and a hiking guide, then it’s time to tackle the 10 mile scenic drive out to Capitol Gorge . 

Take your time on the drive – it’s a gorgeous road through the red rock formations that are Capitol Reef’s specialty. 

Eventually, you’ll arrive at the end of the paved road, where there’s a small parking lot and picnic area. If you continue on the dirt road, you’ll end up at the trailhead for Capitol Gorge , which is the beginning of a short one mile stroll through the towering canyon along the original path into the Fruita Valley. 

Be careful with weather in the summer – afternoon thunderstorms and rain showers can cause flash floods, and you definitely don’t want to be stuck in the gorge during a flash flood. 

Head back the way you came, making a right onto the dirt road that will take you to the Grand Wash Trailhead. 

Cassidy Arch

Head to the Grand Wash trailhead, which includes a short drive on a well-maintained dirt road, to hike to Cassidy Arch . 

In high season, you might have to wait a few minutes to get a parking space, since the lot is small and the dirt road makes it hard if not impossible to park on the side of the road. The wait will be worth it – you’ll climb the wall of the valley to an arch that you can actually walk on! 

It’s a steep climb up some stairs for the first bit of the trail, but it mellows out as you wind between the cairns (those are the little rock piles that mark a lot of the trails) up to the arch.

It’s a pretty stunning hike, as you’ll get views of the surrounding valley and beyond as you make the ascent. All in all, it’s a three mile hike with 660 feet of elevation gain. 

You should know that it will be hot in the afternoon, so bring tons of water, snacks, sunscreen, and a hat for sun protection. 

Hike Hickman Bridge + Rim Overlook Trail

We really enjoyed the hike to Hickman Bridge , which is another natural bridge (which is similar to an arch, but slightly different). It’s a short one mile hike up, and it’s another spot where the trail actually takes you up and through the arch, which is pretty cool. 

From the Hickman Bridge, it’s another 2 miles to the Rim Overlook , which is an incredible hike that takes you to a high point on the canyon walls and looks over the entire valley. It was one of our favorite spots not only in Capitol Reef, but on our entire Utah road trip. Well worth the effort. 

All-in, if you go all the way up to the Rim Overlook, it’s going to be between 5 and 6 miles, with a moderate elevation gain of about 1,000 feet. 

Fruita and the Barn

Post-hike, head to Fruita and hit the Gifford House for a fresh baked fruit pie as a reward for finishing the morning hike. They don’t have gluten free options, so we ended up skipping the actual pies, but the historic Gifford House is worth a stop regardless. 

It’s a good representation of the original Mormon Settlement in Fruita Valley, though it has definitely been updated and renovated since it was built in 1908. Grab a mini pie and take it out to the picnic area outside. 

Don’t miss walking up the road towards the campsite to get a picture of the Fruita Barn with the red rocks in the background – I love the contrast between the dry red rock canyon, and the lush field (with horses, if you’re lucky) where the barn stands. Super unique. 

Sunset Point for… Sunset

A little over an hour before sunset, head out to Sunset Point / the Goosenecks for the second most breathtaking panorama in the park (don’t worry, you’ll tackle the best viewpoint tomorrow morning). 

The Goosenecks are an okay view of the river winding through the valley below, and they’re basically at the parking lot. 

But the star of the show is Sunset Point , which has a view across the Fruita Valley with all sorts of interesting terrain as far as the eye can see.

It’s spectacular about a half hour before sunset, when the golden light brings out all the different colors in the surrounding landscape, particularly the red in the canyon walls. Here are a few pictures for you from our trip, if you’re not convinced. 

Where to Stay at Capitol Reef National Park

There are really not many options near Capitol Reef – you can either camp inside the park, or stay in the nearby town of Torrey, Utah. 

Camping in Capitol Reef

The best option, by far, is Fruita Campground , which is the only place to stay inside the park that you can reserve in advance. It’s a super nice campground, set in between red rocks and orchards.

We were discussing whether it was the nicest campground we’d stayed in on our four month road trip, and it’s definitely in the top five. Check availability here .

You could also stay at Cathedral Valley Campground , which is near the Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon, but it’s a journey to get there and it’s super remote with no amenities.

That being said, it’s free, so there’s that. Make sure you have a 4WD, high clearance vehicle or you’re going to have a bad time.

Hotels near Capitol Reef

You’ll have to head to nearby Torrey to find a place to stay that isn’t camping. It’s only about a 15 minute drive to the park entrance, so it’s a perfect stopover before heading onwards to your next stop, Bryce Canyon National Park.

As far as hotels and resorts go, the leaders of the pack are Capitol Reef Resort – which is also the closest place to stay near the park (and their two bedroom cottages have a kitchen) – and Red Sands Hotel .

Vacation Rentals near Capitol Reef

If you want a vacation rental with more space and access to a kitchen, there are a couple of good options around Torrey . 

For couples, we like this cozy house .  

For families and groups who need a bit more space, look at this modern two bedroom flat .

Days 6 & 7: Bryce Canyon National Park

We spent two and a half days in Bryce Canyon, and I didn’t quite realize just how compact this national park is. Unlike places like Yellowstone and Yosemite, where you can literally drive for hours and still not leave the park, there’s essentially one 19 mile road that makes up the entirety of Bryce Canyon National Park. 

Bryce Canyon really isn’t that big, so we think that a day and a half is enough to see the highlights.

For that reason, if you’re time constrained and only have ten days, I’d only spend one day in Bryce Canyon National Park , plus a portion of the next morning before driving to Zion.

If you’ve got more than 10 days, this is the first place I’d add time (an extra day would be perfect). 

One thing you should know for Bryce that I didn’t know before my trip: the best light for photos is in the morning . 

In the afternoon, the sun is on the opposite side of the canyon from most of the interesting stuff, which leads to long shadows that really mess with your pictures because of the extremes of light and dark in the photo. 

In the morning, the sun lights up the hoodoos and other formations, making them that much more spectacular.

The Best Things to Do in Bryce Canyon National Park

Here are five things not to miss in Bryce Canyon National Park. 

Sunrise at … Sunrise Point

Start your time in Bryce Canyon with sunrise at Sunrise Point . This is a popular spot, so get there early. 

You’ll have views of the hoodoos to your right, which is the direction you want to be facing, and the horizon on the left, which is where the sun will come up.

Again, it bears repeating, make sure to watch the rising sun light up the hoodoos – most people will be looking at the horizon to watch the sunrise, which would be a mistake!

As the sun comes up, it brings out all the different hues of the hoodoos, making for some spectacular photos.

Sunset Point and Thor’s Hammer

Next, walk along the rim to Sunset Point , which is another good viewpoint to see the hoodoos from a slightly different angle.

Hike down a little ways to get a good view of Thor’s Hammer , a unique rock formation that looks like the Marvel hero’s signature hammer.

Hike the “Figure 8” Loop

After you’ve taken ALL the photos, you should embark on our favorite hike in Bryce Canyon – the Queen’s Garden / Navajo / Peek-a-boo Loop, which we’ll call the “Figure 8” loop because it sounds cooler and is less of a mouthful. 

It’s a six mile hike with 1,500 feet of elevation gain. You’ll start at Sunset Point and end along the rim near Sunrise Point. 

Make sure you’re fueled up with coffee and breakfast before heading out. To really take in the beauty and scale of Bryce Canyon, you HAVE to get below the rim. This hike takes you through canyons, between hoodoos, and to viewpoints with sweeping views of the magnificence of this park. 

You’ll start by descending Wall Street – a set of (very photogenic) steep switchbacks that take you down, down, down into the canyon. Try to get started early, because this spot gets very, very congested. 

You’ll wander through the canyon for a bit before you reach a junction – veer right to tackle the peek-a-boo loop, ending back at the exact point you veered right. From there, you’ll climb back up to the rim of the canyon via the Queens Garden trail, which is not an easy hike, especially if it’s hot, but it’s totally doable for most people. 

After the hike, take a break from being in the sun and eat some lunch to refuel, either a picnic lunch, or at the Bryce Canyon Lodge are your best options. 

The Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive

One thing you definitely shouldn’t miss in Bryce Canyon is the scenic drive along the 19-mile road that runs from one end of the park to the other. It’s a good afternoon activity, and it will only take you about an hour or so. 

Make sure to check out Natural Bridge and Bryce Point , our two favorite stops, and stop at any viewpoints along the way that catch your eye.

You’ll want to start this drive at least two hours before sunset, before the sun drops behind the canyon wall and takes all the color out of the hoodoos for the night.

Where to Stay Near Bryce Canyon National Park

There’s exactly one place to stay in the park (plus two campgrounds – scroll down to read about those) – the Bryce Canyon Lodge . The location is great, but it’s going to be expensive and it’s a little dated. That being said, it’s a solid choice if you want to stay in the park and aren’t on board for camping. 

Staying Outside the Park

If you’re looking for more options, you’ll need to look outside the park to the towns of Bryce and Tropic . 

The best place to stay to be close to the park is in the town of Bryce . It’s as close as it gets to the entrance of the park, and you’ve got a few options. Unfortunately, the selection isn’t great. 

The Best Western Plus Canyon Grand is, by far, the best place to stay. I know what you’re thinking – “really Matt? Best Western? That doesn’t seem like you.” I hear you, believe me. I had the same reaction. But this is a NICE Best Western.  

Tropic, Utah is another place you could stay, and it’s about 15-20 minutes outside the park entrance, which means it’s about 30 minutes from Sunrise Point, which is where you’ll start the next morning. Generally, Tropic is going to be the cheaper option between the two, but also the less convenient option. 

Camping in and Around Bryce Canyon

There are two campgrounds inside the park. 

Sunset Campground is the bigger of the two campgrounds inside the park. You’ll need to book well in advance, or be prepared to check the availability daily for a cancellation, which is how we ended up getting a spot for a night.

The location is great, right across from Sunset Point, which will mean you can walk over and skip dealing with the parking nightmare that is that parking lot in the morning. Oh yeah, and the bathrooms are heated, which I’ve never encountered before at a campground. 

North Campground is basically right on the rim of the amphitheater, which also means that you will be able to leave the car at camp and walk to the two best hikes in the Bryce Canyon National Park (more on that in a second). There are 99 sites, and for 2023 (May through October) you’ll need to reserve in advance. 

The best option for camping (and RV sites) outside the park is Ruby’s RV Park and Campground , which is where we stayed for the rest of our time in Bryce Canyon because we couldn’t get a reservation in the park. 

Days 8 – 10: Zion National Park

Zion is the park I’ve spent the most time in on road trips growing up, and finally we made it back in the spring to marvel at both the canyon itself, and the ingenuity that went into constructing the Mt. Carmel – Zion tunnel, and the trail up to Angels Landing. 

Both were built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps , and are amazing feats of engineering, especially when you consider they were made almost a century ago. 

Zion is one of the best national parks in the country, let alone Utah, so you’re ending your trip on a high note. 

There’s tons to do and see, and two days in Zion is not nearly enough time to see all there is to see, but you can get a great taste of the park that will leave you hungry to return and spend more time exploring the canyons, rivers, and hanging gardens that make Zion a special place.

The best thing to do in Zion National Park, by far, is hiking. And there are two iconic hikes in the park that you should tackle – one on each day. 

They are the Narrows and Angels Landing – you’ll do Angels Landing on Day 1, then the equally-iconic Narrows of the Virgin River on Day 2. In between, there are some great shorter hikes to tackle. 

A note here for RVs and trailers: if your vehicle is higher than 11’ 4” or wider than 7’ 10”, you’ll have to pay a $15 “escort fee” to pass through the Zion-Mt Carmel tunnel (which you’ll have to do to get into the park from the east) which basically means that a ranger will stop traffic in the tunnel and make it one-way so that you can pass through to avoid accidents. More information can be found here .

The Best Things to Do in Zion National Park

Here are some of our favorite things to do in Zion National Park. 

Hike Angels Landing

Get an early start on your first day in Zion to make your way out to Angels Landing (shuttle stop is the Grotto ). It is, along with the Narrows, one of the best and most unique hikes in Utah if not the entire western United States.

It’s only 5.4 miles long, but it’s a steady climb of over 1,500 feet, which is going to feel like A LOT at this elevation and temperature. Seriously, the trail starts flat for about a quarter of a mile, but then it starts climbing steadily for the rest of the hike up to Angels Landing. 

You need to pack plenty of water (more than two liters per person), sunscreen, and a hat. If you’re afraid of heights, the tail end of this hike is going to test your willpower. You’ll need to do some scrambling and climbing with the help of chains, but the sweeping views at the top will make it all worth it. 

However, you should know that we stopped before the serious part of the chains started. There are essentially two sections of chains – one that traverses the side of a ridge, and another that makes the ascent to the summit. We did the first section, and turned around before the second section. 

It had rained the day before, which created a fine sand that coated every rock surface on the hike. We weren’t super comfortable with our footing as we were traversing the first set of chains, and the unbearable crowds didn’t help with the anxiety. Know that it is perfectly okay to stop and turn around if you’re not feeling comfortable. We did, and we regret absolutely nothing. 

I mean it when I say to start early. It gets hot in Zion, and the last thing you want is to be stuck at one of the sections with chains waiting for a slow group to go up or down while you, quite literally, roast in the desert sun. 

It’s going to take you most of the morning and part of the afternoon to do this hike. Afterwards, head to the Zion Lodge to eat lunch – either a pre-packed picnic, or a meal at the lodge’s cafe – and relax before tackling some other short hikes in the afternoon. 

Note : in 2023, you need an advance reservation to hike to Angels Landing. It’s meant to control crowds, which we experienced and literally said to each other on the way down “they should really permit this hike.”

Sunset at the Watchman

This was one of our favorite hikes in Zion, though we did it at sunrise, when the light wasn’t at its best thanks to the towering rock wall behind you that blocks the sun from lighting up the Watchman. 

That’s why we have it here, at sunset instead.

It leaves from the visitor center, and climbs pretty gently to a mesa that is directly across the valley from the Watchman, one of the most famous rock formations in the park. It’s a good spot to pack a picnic and a couple of beers after a long day of exploring. 

Hike The Narrows

Today, hop on the shuttle early and head up the canyon to the Temple of Sinawava stop to do the ten mile hike (roundtrip) to the Narrows. 

This hike is through a canyon and river, which means it is CRUCIAL that you check with the rangers about conditions and flash flood warnings before you start the hike . In the spring, heavy water flow from snow runoff might mean that this trail is closed. 

Seriously, flash floods in canyons are no joke. Stop by the visitors center to make sure you’re good to go. 

Don’t let that scare you – the hike through the Narrows is the #1 Zion experience that I think you should have on your trip.

The hike follows the Riverside Walk for the first bit, then continues on when that trail ends. You’ll pass through narrow canyons, deal with knee-high water, and do some bouldering en route to Big Springs, where the hike ends and you’ll turn around to head back the way you came.

It’s going to take you five to six hours, maybe more. To make it as smooth as possible, bring plenty of water, tons of snacks, proper footwear (not flip flops – either hiking sandals like Chacos , or real hiking shoes), a dry bag , and a pair of trekking poles for stability.

After that, recharge for a second and catch your breath. Maybe take a nap. It has been a whirlwind of a couple of days!

East Zion Scenic Drive

The eastern side of Zion National Park is one of the more unique landscapes in the country. Checkerboard Mesa, in particular, is pretty impressive. It’s a huge, textured cone-like formation that has checkerboard textures all over its surface.

The drive through the eastern side of the park, from the East Entrance to the tunnel, is spectacular. You should do it in the late afternoon if you can, so that you’re well-positioned to do the Canyon Overlook Trail at sunset. 

The Canyon Overlook Trail

Parking for this one is a bit of a pain due to all the people vying for a very limited number of spots. You’ll need to park along the road and walk to the trailhead. 

The hike itself is short, but a little steep, and takes you up to a spectacular view out over the canyon. Below, you’ll see the road switchbacking its way up to the tunnel, and the iconic, impressive rock formations of Zion Canyon across the valley below. 

Last light on the canyon from the setting sun is amazing, and it’s worth hanging out up here for a bit until after sunset. 

Where to Stay near Zion National Park

Unlike a place like Capitol Reef, where it’s hard to find a place to stay that’s close to the park, Zion has some great options nearby in Springdale, Utah . 

Whether you’re looking for a campground or you want a comfortable hotel, there are plenty of great places to stay near Zion.  

Inside the park, your options are splurging on a lodge room or private cabin at the iconic Zion Lodge , or snagging a campground at either Watchman Campground (we stayed here and it’s great) or South Campground .

Both are walkable to the visitor center, which is where you’ll need to catch the shuttle if you’re here between March and November. 

In Springdale , which is immediately outside the entrance to the park, you’ve got a wide range of options, from budget to bougie. Here are some picks based on what you’re looking for. 

• On a budget : I have stayed at the Holiday Inn Express , and it’s nicer than most Holiday Inns, and there’s a shuttle that will take you to the park entrance right outside the front door. The Best Western is another option, and it’s slightly closer to the park  entrance.
• Mid-Range : I love the cottages at the Red Rock Inn Cottages , and that’s where we would have stayed if we weren’t camping. Flanigan’s Inn is an eco-friendly hotel with nice rooms, a beautiful property, and a great onsite restaurant. The Desert Pearl Inn is a good choice if you need a kitchen (and the rooms all have nice patios overlooking the pool).
• Best of the Best : The Cable Mountain Lodge is the best place to stay near Zion thanks to its location RIGHT OUTSIDE the park entrance. It’s a nice boutique hotel, so it’s not the cheapest, but it’s worth every penny for the location alone. In the same complex, there’s a small grocery store, a coffee shop, a brewery, and an outfitter that rents bikes and gear for the Narrows if you need it. 

You could also stay in a vacation rental in Springdale , which there are plenty of. That’ll give you more space to spread out and relax, which is particularly helpful if you’re traveling with a group. Nobody wants to cram four people in a small hotel room with two queen beds. 

For a once-in-a-lifetime glamping experience, stay at Zion Under Canvas . It’s a little further out – 45 minutes from the South Entrance – but it’ll make up for the distant location with the superb facilities.

They have a range of options – from simple “safari tents” that are basically a bed with a shared bathroom (they’re single-occupancy and nice, though) to “Stargazer” (private bathroom and deck!) and Suites. Some even come with a separate kids tent – perfect for families.

Psst ! We have a whole guide dedicated to helping you find the perfect place to stay at Zion National Park – you can read it here . 

What to Do with More Time in Utah

Here are three things to add to your Utah itinerary if you are lucky enough to have some extra time. 

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Time required : 1 full day

Before heading to Bryce, it’s well worth a stop in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument , home of some of the best slot canyons in Utah that don’t require a permit lottery to access.

The best way to do it is to tackle one or two of the hikes (if you’re ambitious) on the way to Bryce Canyon, staying overnight either in nearby Boulder, Utah, or completing the hikes and heading into Bryce at the end of the day. 

There are at least three hikes that are worth your time in this area, and which ones you choose basically depends on your ability to navigate a long dirt road with some questionable spots for passenger vehicles and your willingness to navigate tight spots in slot canyons. 

The road to get to the trailhead for Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Canyons is a 26-mile long dirt road called “Hole-in-the-Rock Road”. It’s passable in a passenger vehicle, but you’ll need to take it slow and it’s going to take you about an hour. I’d recommend a 4WD, high clearance vehicle to get to the second two hikes on the list. 

We skipped them all because Homer, our Honda Odyssey, was sick of unpaved roads after some misadventures in the Pacific Northwest. 

Here are those three hikes, with a short description of each. 

• Lower Calf Creek Falls (6 miles roundtrip): This is right along Scenic Byway 12, which means you don’t have to survive a dirt road to get to the trailhead. It’s a lovely hike through a surprisingly green canyon to a 126 foot waterfall, Lower Calf Creek Falls, which is in a grotto-like setting. Bring a swimsuit on a warm summer day to take a dip in the pool underneath the falls.
• Zebra Slot Canyon : This trail is not always accessible, since the entry point fills with water after storms. But if it hasn’t rained in a while, it’s a worthy five mile trip. I haven’t personally done it, but I’ve seen plenty of pictures on Instagram of the wave-like textures in the Zebra slot.
• Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons : This hike includes a 15 foot climb on rock walls, and a 20 foot descent with assistance from a rope, along with some very tight spots (12-18 inches wide) through a slot canyon. We didn’t make it here because the 26 mile long dirt road scared us and our minivan off, but I’ve heard from family members and friends who have done it that it’s amazing. The reward is two of the best slot canyons in Utah, which means it’s a busy trail. Be careful in slot canyons if there’s an incoming rainstorm – flash flooding is no joke.

If you’re looking for an awesome overnight backpacking trip, look no further than the 11.5 mile journey to Coyote Gulch . It has quite a bit of elevation gain, which makes it a little much for a day hike. But the destination is pretty epic. Permit information here . 

If you’re not up for the 26 mile drive on a dirt road, do the hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls on the drive from Capitol Reef, then head to Bryce Canyon National Park that night. 

Add a Detour into Arizona

Time required : 3-4 days

If you’ve got two weeks and you’re looking for a great addition to your Utah road trip adventure, a mini Arizona road trip would be a great option. 

Zion is just two hours away from Page, Arizona, which is home to two amazing natural wonders – Horseshoe Bend (you’ve probably seen it on Instagram) and Antelope Canyon . 

Horseshoe Bend is a giant picture-perfect bend in the Colorado River that makes for an amazing sunset location, while Antelope Canyon is one of the most picturesque slot canyons in the Southwest, but is only accessible by guided tour (check out this company , which is Navajo-owned). 

On the way to Page, make a stop at Paria Canyon to hike to Buckskin Gulch. The Wave is also here, in Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, but you’ll need to apply in advance to get a permit to hike it. More information here .

After Page, continue on to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and spend two days at the Grand Canyon in constant awe over the natural beauty and scale on display. Make sure to drive Desert View Road at sunset , hike the South Kaibab Trail , and catch sunset at Hopi Point along Hermit Road while you’re there.

From the Grand Canyon, it’s a four hour drive west to Las Vegas. You’ll pass by Hoover Dam along the way, which is worth a stop for the sheer scale of the dam. 

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Sitting just north of Zion (an hour and a half drive) is Cedar Breaks National Monument. It’s even higher than Bryce Canyon at 10,000 feet above sea level, which means the ecosystem is very different from most of the places you’ve seen so far in Utah. It’s most similar to Bryce Canyon, with its orange-tinted rocks and ponderosa pine forests. 

It’s also shaped kind of like Bryce, forming an amphitheater, but unlike Bryce you can’t hike below the rim because it’s steep and dangerous. As a result, there aren’t a whole lot of long hikes here, so a half day is probably enough time. 

Similar to Bryce, morning is the best time to be here for the light since the sun sets behind the canyon and mid-afternoon it’s shrouded in darkness. While you’re there, make sure to hike both  the South Rim Trail and the Alpine Pond Trail . Both are short and relatively easy. 

How to Plan a Shorter Utah National Parks Itinerary

If you have less time in Utah, like we mentioned above, rather than trying to fit in the entire Mighty Five Circuit, we’d opt for spending 7 days exploring EITHER Zion and Bryce OR Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef.

The first itinerary might look something like this (you’ll want to fly in and out of Las Vegas for this one).  

• Day 1 : Arrive in Las Vegas, drive to Zion
• Day 2 : Zion National Park
• Day 3 : Zion National Park
• Day 4 : Bryce Canyon National Park
• Day 5 : Bryce Canyon National Park
• Day 6 : Day trip to Grand Staircase-Escalante (Calf Creek Falls)
• Day 7 : Drive Back to Las Vegas

If you’re more interested in spending your time in and around Moab (which is where you’ll find Arches and Canyonlands), here’s what it might look like. 

• Day 1 : Arrive in Salt Lake City / Moab
• Day 3 : Arches National Park
• Day 4 : Canyonlands National Park
• Day 5 : Around Moab
• Day 6 : Capitol Reef National Park
• Day 7 : Drive Back to Salt Lake City / Moab

The Best Time to Visit the Utah National Parks

In general, we think fall and spring are the most pleasant times to be in Utah (we were there in October and April, and it was lovely). 

Visiting in the Fall and Spring (March – May / September – October)

Fall and spring in southern Utah, which is where the national parks are, are fairly similar. We’ve been in both October and April over the past year, and both were very pleasant times to be there. However, the weather is certainly more unpredictable than the summer – it was 80 degrees and sunny one day, and then snowed the next day on our trip in April. 

On our road trip to the Mighty Five in the fall (October), we found temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s during the day, and between 50 and 60 degrees at night. This varies by park – Bryce Canyon is at 8,000 feet above sea level, and is much cooler than Arches and Canyonlands, for example. 

The parks are still busy, so you’ll need to reserve things early – it’s actually still considered high season.

Visiting in the Summer (June – August)

Summer is crowded and blazing hot. In the United States, a lot of families plan summer vacations because that’s when the kids are out of school. The result? Parks are packed, camping reservations are few and far between, and good luck getting a parking spot at the most popular trailheads in the park. 

Usually, the weather is the most predictable in the summer, where it’s often warmer and drier than other times of year. There’s also going to be afternoon thunderstorms, which are a phenomenon that we’ve run into multiple times in the southwest and in Colorado. 

Summer isn’t the best time to visit Utah’s Mighty Five national parks. You’ll find unbearable temperatures in the heat of the day, often reaching over 100 degrees, which basically means you can’t do much during the middle of the day. You’ll need to plan on being out early in the morning and late in the afternoon and drink plenty of water. 

That being said, I’ve been on two separate versions of a Utah road trip in the summer growing up, and I’m still here. It’s doable, but not preferable. 

Visiting in the Winter (November – February)

In the winter , the parks are basically empty, but it’s going to be freezing cold. You might even get a little bit of snow, which is a particularly beautiful way to see the Mighty Five in Utah. Pack a warm jacket (we basically wore this jacket every night on our road trip) and some long underwear and you’ll be fine. 

It’ll be in the 30’s and 40’s during the day, and drop below freezing at night. You might even get treated to a nice dusting of snow covering the parks, which is stunning. If you’re planning on visiting in the winter, I’d avoid camping (although we’ve camped in Yellowstone when it was below 20 degrees before) and plan on staying in hotels and vacation rentals along the way. 

The best part? You won’t have to brave the crowds – you’ll have the major sights virtually all to yourself. The worst part? Some roads and hikes might be closed due to snow and ice, so you might miss out on an experience or two. 

Matt is the founder and main writer behind Wheatless Wanderlust, which he started back in 2018 as a way to share his gluten free travel guides with his fellow Celiac travelers.

Since then, Matt and his wife Alysha have visited 18 national parks, spent three months in Europe and six weeks in Colombia, and have explored every corner of the Pacific Northwest, which is where Matt grew up.

He writes super detailed guides to the places they visit, bringing together personal experience and historical context to help YOU plan an amazing trip.

This has been by far the most imformative review I have ever had the pleasure of reading on any vacation. Awesome, Thank you so much for the detailed description and personal tips. This is helping us plan for our trip next summer, I’m taking some of your advice and hope for a great trip with out teenage boys. Thanks again

Hey Paul, thanks for the kind words! Glad you found it helpful – we plan (and pay for) all of our own trips, so we do our best to include all of those important tidbits that come from personal experience on a route. You’re going to have an amazing trip next summer. Cheers!

Hello Matt and Alysha – this site is amazing and full of info. My hubby and I and another couple are thinking of visiting Utah from Wisconsin. Our plan is to drive from home so no flying. We are all retired. If we visit in April are hotel/motel reservations still necessary? My thoughts are traveling ‘on the fly’ so to speak and when we are tired we stop and get a hotel room. Possible? Thanks.

Hey Pam! April is actually high season for the Utah parks, so yes you will probably want to reserve in advance. With the huge rise in number of visitors at national parks over the past couple of years, it’s really tough to do it “on the fly” these days between hotel reservations and park entrance permits (those haven’t quite hit the Utah parks yet, but I imagine they’re coming at some point!). Enjoy!

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Tour of Southern Utah

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Commitment Deposit: Private Room

Commitment deposit: shared room, race website.

Additional race information can be found at http://www.PlanetUltra.com .

Description

An incredible seven day adventure! 60-100 miles per day, from point to point in breathtaking Southern Utah. Take in the amazing sites of Zion, Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks, Grand-Staircase Escalante and Cedar Breaks National Monuments, and more! Each route is a challenging adventure with awe-inspiring scenery. 7 days of riding; 8 nights hotel accommodations.

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Utah Backcountry Discovery Route Tour

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September 9-16, 2023

The Utah Backcountry Discovery Route (UTBDR) is an incredible ride across the Utah landscape. The route begins just south of Mexican Hat, UT on the border of Arizona and runs north to the Idaho border at Bear Lake State Park. The UTBDR route has to be one of the most varied terrain rides of all of the BDR routes. From tall high elevation Apsen-pined trails in the north, to the red rock of central Utah in the Moab area, to the high desert sand riding of southern Utah – you will get to ride it all on this tour! Our UTBDR tour is an 7-day adventure on this awesome route, come join us for all kinds of fun as we traverse the wildly different backcountry landscape of Utah.

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FALL TOUR OF ST. GEORGE

OCTOBER 26, 2024 | ST. GEORGE, UT

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VENUE: ST. GEORGE ADDRESS: Tabernacle between 200 west & 100 West

Every cyclist knows two things are necessary to truly experience the beauty of a region: your bike, and your friends. The Tour de Saint George is your opportunity to have a truly amazing experience on your bike, with your friends—while marveling at the beauty that is Southern Utah.

Choose a Distance: 35, 57, 80 and 100-mile ride options.

**EBIKE CATEGORY NOW AVAILABLE 

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In other areas of our country, October gets cold as the riding season wraps up. However, fall in our area is perfect for riding! When you ride the fall Tour de Saint George, you’ll be greeted by mild temperatures. Saint George comes alive with the whisper of rubber-on-road as cyclists wind through colorful streets and skirt the pastel waves of Utah’s southern desert. 35, 57, 80 and 100-mile ride options all have breathtaking scenery.

Event will be chipped timed   • The Tour is capped at 600 riders, so register now and lock in your spot. • Tour the scenic landscapes of Sand Hollow State Park & Snow Canyon State Park. • Enjoy fully stocked rest stops, a great lunch, and more, like great swag! • Enjoy warm spring riding temperatures in scenic Southern Utah • Choose a distance to challenge yourself: 35, 57, 80 or 100 miles. • Receive a custom Tour de St. George event medal with your registration. • You’ll get a custom Fall Tour T-Shirt your registration • Only 90 minutes North of Las Vegas • Just 4 hours south of Salt Lake City

COURSE MAPS

Distance: 35 miles | elevation gain: 1,419', distance: 57 miles | elevation gain: 2,747', distance: 80 miles | elevation gain: 4,478', distance: 100 miles | elevation gain: 6,810', registration, advance registration: ends 10/17 at 11pm.

Citizens (30-mile route): $85 + fees Mini Century (57-mile route): $95 + fees Metric Century (80-mile route): $105 + fees Century (100-mile route): $120 + fees

*EBike categories available for all routes.

*Shirt only guaranteed for riders signed up by 10/17.

Group rate discounts are available

Online Registration: Ends Thursday 10/26 at 6 am.

Citizens (30-mile route): $100 + fees  mini century (57-mile route): $110 + fees  metric century (80-mile route): $120 + fees  century (100-mile route): $135 + fees, packet pick up, thursday, october 24.

5:00-7:00 PM Red Rock Bicycle Co on the Corner of 100 S and Bluff St in St. George, UT

Friday, October 25

1:00-7:00 PM Red Rock Bicycle Co on the Corner of 100 S and Bluff St in St. George, UT

Saturday, October 26

6:30-7:30am

Race Start Line: Tabernacle between 200 west & 100 West

7:30-8:30 a.m. Rolling start 5 p.m.: Ride Support Finishes

Race Day Schedule

More information, race start location.

The Tour de St George starts and finishes in the heart of down town St George at the Town Square Park (50 S Main Street). Bring the whole family. There is literally something for everyone!

You can receive a discount on a rental house from our friends at www.myfreedomvacation.com , Book directly through the link or call at 435-688-1616. Use code: redrock2018

Stay right here at the park! Bring food to have a picnic! Bring Swimsuits for the kids! Within Town Square, you will find a splash pad, A carousel, the St George Children’s Museum, and the St George Library All without leaving the race venue!

Town Square Park 50 South Main Street St. George, UT 84770 phone: (435) 627-4530

Hours: daily 8am-6pm

A wonderful place to come alone and read a book or bring the family and play around. Have a nice picnic in the park on one of the picnic tables. Splash around in the splash pad and winding river. Take a stroll along the walking path. Experience the culture of the flag memorial along with the art of the bronze exhibit. It’s a beautiful and exciting place!

Merchandise

Each rider will receive a t-shirt and a medal.

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• Utah Itineraries

Cycling the Road to Mighty

3 Days   •   186 Miles

Experience professional-caliber cycling routes on the stunning roads of scenic Southern Utah.

Here are two full days of professional-caliber cycling routes on the stunning roads of scenic Southern Utah, followed by a warm-down ride in Capitol Reef Country. This Utah bike tour is the weekend warrior’s dream, with options to push yourself to your physical limits or shorter routes to keep it real. Though Utah may be best known for its mountain biking singletrack, there’s plenty of great road cycling to be had here. Travel with your fellow warriors or bring the family for a supported ride. Either way, there are plenty of incredible destinations — including a few national parks — along the routes to keep non-cyclists entertained, and you’ll certainly be glad for the support vehicle. The highlights of day one combine a grueling 4,000-foot climb to 10,000 feet for top-conditioned riders along with the spectacular scenery of Cedar Breaks National Monument and the payoff of an exhilarating descent back to town. Day two traverses Utah’s All-American Road Scenic Byway 12 , which bears a top national designation celebrating the route’s unparalleled beauty, which you’ll have extra time to enjoy on two wheels. An organic, farm-to-table meal at Hell’s Backbone Grill helps you replenish the calories around dinner time. The final day is a bonus. One doesn’t travel this far up Highway 12 and just skip Capitol Reef National Park. From your base camp in Torrey, you’ll fully explore the red rock wonderland of S.R. 24 en route to the Capitol Reef Scenic Drive. The itinerary is broken up into three shorter tours and the total mileage reflects the top end of the range of cycling miles, but each day has options to shorten it. There are additional driving miles between the starting points of each day. When all is said and done, you’ll trek across some of Southwestern Utah’s most iconic scenery — but you’ll have the humblebrag of saying you did it by bike.

Cedar City to Cedar City Loop

• Cedar City to Cedar City Cycling Loop
• Parowan Gap
• Cedar Breaks National Monument

Begin your ride in Cedar City . Choose the full 90-mile route with a legend-making ascent or the 60-mile option. From Cedar City, take Utah State Route 130 to W Gap Road down through Parown. For families and their shuttle vehicles, there's plenty to see and do along the route. The short hike of the Parowan Gap is rich in history, Brian Head Resort offers a wide array of summer activities, and Cedar Breaks presents one of the most spectacular and unexpected views in the region. From Duck Creek Village, take Utah 14 northwest and back to Cedar City.

Escalante to Boulder

• Cycling Scenic Byway 12
• Lower Calf Creek Falls
• Hell's Backbone Grill

Utah’s All-American Road Scenic Byway 12 is a wonder of human engineering in a landscape unlike anywhere else. It’s a privilege to tour it by car, but little can top the intimate experience of touring it by bicycle. Today’s route is a very manageable 27 miles from Escalante to Boulder, Utah, or an even better 54 miles round-trip. For non-cyclists accompanying you on the journey, the 6-mile, intermediate round-trip hike to Calf Creek Falls is one of the area’s best hikes, and everyone can rally afterwards in Boulder for farm-to-table dining at Hell’s Backbone Grill or Burr Trail Grill. Overnight at a hotel or lodge in Boulder or Torrey .

Tour of Capitol Reef National Park

• Gifford Homestead
• Torrey Dining Scene

We figure if you’ve come all this way — ridden all those miles — you can’t leave nearby Capitol Reef National Park for next time. The road from Torrey to Capitol Reef and the drive in the park (there's a fee at the entrance) combine for an ultra-scenic 40 miles when all is said and done. Since you won’t have burned out your legs on this ride, there are hiking options at the end of the park’s scenic drive or along S.R. 24. Save some energy for the return trip to Torrey’s higher elevation and enjoy a great meal in town.

Discover More

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10 Routes Chosen by Utah Cyclists

We reached out to cycling experts and enthusiasts — in some cases to people who literally wrote the book on cycling in Utah — to get a feel for some of Utah's best road cycling routes.

Cedar City to Cedar City 90-Mile Cycling Loop

Written By Visit Utah

3 minute read

The 90-mile Cedar City loop is one of Utah’s most challenging and scenic bike routes. Learn all about the route and plan your ride today!

Cycling Scenic Byway 12: Escalante to Boulder

Looking for scenic bike rides in Utah? Scenic Byway 12 has all the breathtaking views (and riding) you could ever hope for. Get the scoop and get ready.

Cycling Zion: Earning the Descent

Written By Rosie Serago

7 minute read

Watch Utah cyclist TJ Eisenhart climb Zion National Park’s Kolob Terrace Road. It’s a one-of-a-kind ride that transitions from red rock desert to green valley plateaus.

Well-prepared travel is responsible travel.

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Welcome to the utah national park tours.

Explore all of Utah’s majestic beauty! From the towering canyons of Zion to the precarious arches of Arches — see everything the national parks & monuments have to offer and more. Meander through Bryce’s mysterious hoodoos, marvel at the vastness of the Grand Staircase, and ogle the enormous formations of Monument Valley.

This self-guided tour of Utah National Parks bundle contains the full driving tours for:

Arches National Park Tour

Canyonlands tour, bryce canyon tour, capitol reef tour.

• Zion National Park Tour (East Entrance, Springdale Visitor Center)

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

• Grand Staircase Escalante Tour (Eastbound, Westbound)

Utah Goblin Valley State Park

Driving tour of la sal mountains.

• Salt Lake City Walking Tour (Bonus)

About the Bundle

Discover the gravity-defying wonder of Arches National Park! Find hidden life within the harsh, beautiful desert. Marvel at impossible rock formations and towering arches millions of years in the making, and learn how it all came to be. Along the way, listen to the riveting history of the tribes who lived here for thousands of years. Hear their legends of the trickster god who brought them to the desert and the portals through time that lie dormant throughout the park!

Venture into the staggering beauty of Canyonlands, home to the gorgeous red desert and more canyons than you can shake a stick at. Stand atop breathtaking vistas, hear the legend behind Dead Horse Park, and get a great look at the Colorado River. Then, hike the Aztec Butte trail to glimpse fragments of ancient history! Finally, catch an unforgettable sunset at Grand View Point, which earns its name.

Marvel at the towering hoodoos dot Bryce Canyon, which must be seen to be believed! Dive into the history and legends of the tribes who lived here, including the harrowing tale of giants who were turned to stone and became the hoodoos we see today. Visit groves of Earth’s oldest trees and hear the spooky story of the curse which afflicts anyone who chooses to study these ancient, gnarled plants too closely.

Step back in time at Capitol Reef as you tour the remnants of a preserved pioneer town. Explore striking contrasts as you move from a desert filled with colorful rocks to verdant orchards along the riverside. Then, visit the site of ancient petroglyphs archeologists are still deciphering to this day!

Zion National Park Tour

See why early Mormon pioneers thought Zion National Park was heaven on earth! Visit natural wonders like the Temple of Sinawava and the Weeping Rock. Learn the land’s history, from its formation to the first people who lived here and inscribed petroglyphs on the canyon walls. See emerald pools, staggering mountain peaks, and much, much more. This tour works by car, bike, or shuttle, so you can see the park however you want to!

Explore the movie industry’s and Navajo history’s “Wild West” as you drive through Monument Valley’s dramatic landscape. This self-guided audio tour along a 17-mile Navajo route allows you to enjoy the incredible panoramas while learning about Navajo culture, tribal history, and movie stardom.

Grand Staircase Escalante Tour (or as we call it Grand Stare-case)

Unearth hidden secrets at the Grand Staircase! Hidden within this towering staircase are clues to the land’s long history, and we’ll help you uncover it all. Learn about the dinosaur fossils people have found here including a T-Rex skeleton! Visit a petrified forest, sparkling waterfalls, and sweeping vistas. Plus, hear the legends of the tribes who lived here, including the tale of when Coyote tried to catch the sun.

Tour Utah’s captivating Goblin Valley State Park with this GPS-guided driving tour! This peculiar park is filled with countless strange rock formations that must be seen to be believed. Witness the many “goblins” from on high at Goblin Overlook or get up close and personal in the Goblin’s Lair. Visit towering formations like Molly’s Castle and Wild Horse Butte and find out how all these unusual sights came to be. Plus, see ancient art at the Temple Mountain Wash Pictograph Panel, featuring images painted centuries ago!

Embark on a self-guided driving tour through the mesmerizing landscape of the La Sal Mountains. Cruise alongside the Colorado River and admire towering formations of ancient red stone. Stand atop soaring overlooks. And walk alongside real life dinosaur tracks dating back millions of years! As you drive, you’ll have opportunities to stop at hiking trails, wild west filming locations, and much more. Plus, you’ll get to know the fascinating history of this unique land.

Salt Lake City Tour (BONUS)

Immerse yourself in Salt Lake City’s heritage with this self-guided walking tour. Discover the world-famous Temple Square and delve into the heart of the city as you learn about its founders and their difficult journey across America. Marvel at the Utah State Capitol’s stunning architecture as you revisit the dramatic struggles that led to Utah’s statehood. Get to know Brigham Young, the man behind the myth, as you admire the Salt Lake City Tabernacle and the awe-inspiring Salt Lake City Temple. Don’t just visit the city—discover the history beneath the surface!

Arches 2024 Update

Between April and October, you need to book your Timed Entry Ticket to enter Arches. Book your ticket here:  https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10088426

The ticket costs $2. Visitors entering the park in a vehicle between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. must have already purchased a Timed Entry Ticket from  Recreation.gov  before reaching the park.

One ticket is needed per vehicle. This fee is a  Recreation.gov  service charge, so it is not waived by any of the interagency passes.

Visit the article on the  Recreation.gov Help Center  for detailed information on purchasing a reservation. 

Arches Visitor Center Timings

Visitor Center Timings

Active Exception   Late Winter Hours   February 25–March 23

• Sunday   8:00 AM–4:00 PM
• Monday   8:00 AM–4:00 PM
• Tuesday   8:00 AM–4:00 PM
• Wednesday   8:00 AM–4:00 PM
• Thursday   8:00 AM–4:00 PM
• Friday   8:00 AM–4:00 PM
• Saturday   8:00 AM–4:00 PM

Zion 2024 Updates

Visit the link  here  for other popular hike permits, such as the  Subways  and the  Narrows .

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• American Southwest Bundle: Save 83% and get 30+ Tours. Explore the Southwest for just $84.99.
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‘American Idol’ reveals its top 20. Here’s how to vote for your favorite singer

“ American Idol ” is cutting down the competition — fast.

On Sunday night, the show revealed its top 20 singers and eliminated four aspiring “Idol” winners from the competition. Overnight voting from viewers will then determine who makes it to the top 14 the following night.

Here’s a breakdown of the top 20 round — and how to vote.

What happens during the ‘American Idol’ top 20 round?

During Sunday night’s episode, “Idol” revealed the top 20 singers. Each of the 20 remaining contestants performed a song of their choice in the hopes of continuing on in the competition.

Sunday’s episode also featured special performances from Lauren Spencer-Smith, Teddy Swims and Paul Russell.

Spencer-Smith reached the “American Idol” top 20 in Season 18, and released her debut album, “Mirror,” last year. Swims is known for his breakout hit last year, “Lose Control,” which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, per the entertainment site Gold Derby . And Russell is well known for his breakout single, “Little Boo Thang,” which started climbing Billboard charts last year. He is an opening act on Meghan Trainor’s 2024 Timeless tour .

The “American Idol” top 20 round aired April 14 from 7 to 10 p.m. MDT on ABC. The top 14 reveal will air the following night from 7 to 9 p.m. MDT.

Who was eliminated on ‘American Idol’?

“American Idol” revealed its top 20 Sunday night.

Per the entertainment site Heavy , the following four contestants were eliminated:

• Elleigh Marie Francom .
• Hailey Mia.
• Blake Proehl.

Who is in the ‘American Idol’ top 20?

The “Idol” contestants still in the competition are:

• Jordan Anthony.
• Jack Blocker.
• Odell Bunton Jr.
• McKenna Faith Breinholt.
• Abi Carter.
• Roman Collins.
• Jayna Elise.
• Julia Gagnon.
• Ajii Hafeez.
• Triston Harper.
• Jennifer Jeffries.
• Quintavious Johnson.
• Sam “Kayko” Kelly-Cohen.
• Mia Matthews.
• Will Moseley.
• Kennedy Reid.
• Kaibrienne Richins .
• Emmy Russell .
• Mackenzie Sol.

How to vote for ‘American Idol’ top 20

Voting for the top 20 round will determine who advances to the top 14 Monday night, the Deseret News previously reported. According to the “Idol” TV listing for Monday night, the 10 singers with the most votes from viewers will advance to the next round, while celebrity judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan pick the remaining four to round out the top 14.

The voting window for the top 20 round begins at the end of the East Coast broadcast of “American Idol” on April 14 and ends at 7 a.m. MDT on April 15, according to idolvote.abc.com .

There are three ways to vote on “American Idol”:

• Vote online at idolvote.abc.com (fans must create an account to vote).
• Vote via the “American Idol” app, which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play Store .
• Vote via text. During each “Idol” episode, a contestant will have a specific number that can be texted to “21523.”

Viewers can submit up to 10 votes per voting method per contestant, according to idolvote.abc.com .

Mason Andersen holds solo lead after Thursday at LECOM Suncoast Classic

Daily Wrap Up

Mason Andersen during the first round of the LECOM Suncoast Classic. (DeFelice/Getty Images)

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Things to Know

• Mason Andersen , No. 1 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, cards a 9-under 62 to take the first-round lead
• Patrick Cover and Cole Hammer sit one stroke off the lead at 8-under
• Six players are tied for fourth at 7-under, including Tampa, Florida resident Jackson Suber and Korn Ferry Tour winner Kevin Velo
• 15-year-old Miles Russell , the No. 1 ranked player in the Rolex AJGA Rankings, carded an opening round 3-under 71
• This is the sixth playing of the LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch, Florida

Mason Andersen (Leader/9-under)

• Opening round 9-under 62 marks the lowest opening round score of his career and second-lowest overall (61/R4, 2023 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open Benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics)
• Led all players with 11 birdies, rolling in six consecutive birdies from Nos. 4-9 before a par on the par-5 10th; carded four more consecutive birdies on Nos. 11-14, followed by his final birdie of the day on the par-4 18th; bogeys came on the par-4s first and 16th
• Earns his second 18-hole lead/co-lead in his 34th career start on the Tour (2023 Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, finished T10)
• Currently sits No. 1 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List
• His victory earned him a spot in the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon
• Owns two additional top-10 finishes this season along with his victory in Argentina (The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay/T7; Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard/T8)
• Missed the cut in his only other previous start at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in 2023
• Finished No. 36 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, earning fully exempt status for the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Season
• Turned professional in the summer of 2022 following five seasons at Arizona State University, where he twice earned medalist honors, garnered 2022 All-America Third Team recognition, earned a 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference First Team selection, and went 3-0 in match play as Arizona State finished runner-up at the 2022 NCAA Championships
• Currently resides in his hometown of Mesa, Arizona

Mason Andersen on improvements in his mental game this season… “Started working with a sports psychologist, started just having a little bit more belief in myself, not getting so up, you know, not getting so high, not having those expectations of you should birdie every hole and just doing the best I can with every shot kind of mindset.”

Kevin Velo on his opening round 7-under 64… “I feel like me and my caddie have a really good strategy going. The greens are really firm this week, which is a nice change from some of the courses we play later, so it's nice to think about the golf course a little more. We hit some really good wedge shots, but mainly just kept it in play. It was a clean card, putted it well when I needed to and made a couple.

Velo on how 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry helped him… “It was huge. We talked at final stage and it was a grind, but it kind of showed me that I could do it. I definitely doubted myself a little bit last year, which it can be hard, but once I finished up in Columbus dead last in the field, I was pretty motivated to get back on the horse and grind away. If I hadn't gone through that, I wouldn't have won in Colombia, I wouldn't be playing as good as I am right now. It's really important. I think Q School's the best tournament in all of golf, it's a huge opportunity to get through that and now we're playing great.

• The University of Texas Alum owns two top-10 finishes in seven starts this season (Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard/6th; 117th Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro/T10)
• Patrick Cover (T2/8-under), who finished T16 in this event last season, recorded his lowest round of the season with a bogey-free 8-under 63
• Tampa, Florida native Jackson Suber (T4/7-under), who held the 18-hole co-lead at the 2023 LECOM Suncoast Classic, carded an opening round bogey-free 7-under 64
• Kevin Velo (T4/7-under), who won the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard, posted a bogey-free 7-under 64; the fifth bogey-free round of his Korn Ferry Tour Career (last: 2023 Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank/R2)
• Ross Steelman (T4/7-under), who Finished third in the season opener at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay, turned in a 7-under 64 with eight birdies (Nos. 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 14, 17, 18) against one bogey (No. 1)
• Fresh off a win at the Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club, Steven Fisk (T10/6-under) follows up his victory in Savannah, Georiga with a 6-under 65, matching his low round of the season (2023 Club Car Championship at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club/R2)
• Johnson is making his second career Korn Ferry Tour start and first since the 2021 season (2020 Emerald Coast Classic at Sandestin/MC)
• Russell is the third-youngest player to tee it up in a Korn Ferry Tour event and is the fifth player under the age of 16 to compete on the Korn Ferry Tour, joining Michelle Wie West, Esteban Jaramillo, Greg Lavoie, and current Korn Ferry Tour member Carter Jenkins.
• The youngest player to make the cut in a Korn Ferry Tour event was Gipper Finau at 16 years, 20 days at the 2008 Utah Championship
• Roy’s best finish in the event was a T14 in 2021
• Eight players completed the first round bogey-free

Officials announce end of 2023-2024 Utah Ski Bus service

by Danielle MacKimm, KUTV

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The Utah Transit Authority's Ski Bus service will come to an end for the 2023-2024 season on Saturday, April 13.

Officials said the announcement pertains to all seven of UTA's partner resorts: Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, Solitude, Brighton, Snowbird, Alta, and Sundance.

During the 2023-2024 season, data gathered revealed that there was an 8% increase in passenger trips on Salt Lake County routes in March and a 4.3% overall gain from the 2022-2023 season.

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“Our resort partners, operators, and UTA ambassadors worked hard this year to make Ski Bus service a valuable resource to thousands of guests and reduce congestion in the canyon for other drivers,” said Andres Colman, regional general manager for UTA’s Salt Lake Service Unit. “These numbers will help us plan for increased riders next year and continue to improve wait times, route efficiency, and a positive experience.”

Authorities said that the plan to increase ridership during the 2024-2025 season will involve 95 additional Vanpool shuttles for employees of Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude to free up more Ski Bus seats for guests of the resorts.

Additional Ski Bus improvements that were implemented this year include honing in on peak service times, providing backup buses when needed and possible, and easing bus flow to and from the resorts.

“Ski Bus operators are some of our most experienced drivers who stay safe through challenging weather delays and difficult canyon driving. They love creating a positive experience for the riders enjoying the greatest snow on earth,” said Colman. “In addition, 52 UTA employees across the agency volunteered 1,350 hours as Ski Bus Ambassadors, helping riders navigate using the bus at route stops.”

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Kentucky roster after hiring Mark Pope: Who's in, out for Wildcats after John Calipari moves on to Arkansas

Tracking what uk's roster will look like in 2024-25 following calipari's departure.

With Kentucky star freshman Reed Sheppard declaring for the NBA Draft and Joey Hart transfering to Ball State on Thursday, new coach Mark Pope won't have much experience returning from last season on the 2024-25 roster.

Earlier this week, four-star guard Billy Richmond decommitted from the Wildcats' once-heralded recruiting class a few hours after four-star guard and former BYU signee Collin Chandler committed to the Wildcats and became the program's first commitment under Pope. The 6-foot-4 guard ranked as a top-40 prospect in the Class of 2022 before spending two years on a Mormon mission. This upcoming season will mark his freshman year.

Chandler's commitment comes after several members of UK's 2024 recruiting class re-opened their recruitments following the departure of coach John Calipari for Arkansas.  Travis Perry remain committed to UK, but four top-50 prospects formerly pledged to the Wildcats are now on track to play elsewhere next season.

Pope, who spent the past five seasons as BYU's coach, played at UK under Rick Pitino from 1994 to 1996 and was a key part of the program's 1996 national title run. With most of Kentucky's 2023-24 roster either out of eligibility, in the transfer portal or headed to the NBA Draft, his first order of business is building a roster for next season. 

CBS Sports is tracking the status of the Kentucky roster and recruiting class in real time. Here's where every current UK player and commit currently stand. 

Kentucky underclassmen

Jordan burks.

GP: 20 | GS: 0 | PPG: 1.9 | RPG: 1.6

Burks is a former three-star recruit from the 2023 recruiting cycle. He appeared in 20 games this season and scored a career-high 13 points in a win over Vanderbilt .

Brennan Canada

GP: 5 | GS: 0 | PPG: 0 | RPG: 0.4

Canada appeared in 25 total games over his five-year career with Kentucky. He made five appearances this season.

Kareem Watkins

GP: 6 | GS: 1 | PPG: 0 | RPG: 0.2

Watkins has appeared in 20 games over the last four seasons with Kentucky. He made six appearances this season.

Walker Horn

GP: 4 | GS: 0 | PPG: 0 | RPG: 0

Horn has made eight appearances over the last two seasons for Kentucky.

Grant Darbyshire

Darbyshire made four appearances for Kentucky this season.

Kentucky players not expected to return

Reed sheppard  (declared for nba draft).

GP:  33 |  GS:  5 |  PPG:  12.5 |  RPG:  4.1 

Sheppard was named CBS Sports Freshman of the Year after putting up one of the most efficient stat lines in the country. Sheppard made only five starts in 33 games but had an impact whenever he stepped onto the court. Sheppard finished the season shooting 53.6% from the floor, 51.1% on 3-pointers (on 4.4 attempts), and 83.1% from the charity stripe. Sheppard finished five steals shy (82) of breaking the single-season record set by Rajon Rondo during the 2004-05 season. On Thursday, Sheppard officially declared for the NBA Draf t.

Zvonimir Ivišić (Transferring to Arkansas)

GP:  15 |  GS:  0 |  PPG:  5.5 |  RPG:  3.3

While Ivišić didn't play a ton during his freshman season, he definitely made an impact when he played. Hours after he was ruled eligible by the NCAA on Jan. 20, Ivišić recorded 13 points, five rebounds, and a pair of assists in his collegiate debut.

Days after Ivišić entered the transfer portal, he announced he would follow Calipari and had committed to Arkansas .

Ugonna Onyenso  (Declared for NBA Draft)

GP:  24 |  GS:  14 |  PPG:  3.6 |  RPG:  4.8

The top shot-blocker on last season's Kentucky team averaged 18.6 minutes per night. Onyenso made 14 starts after playing less than seven minutes as a freshman the year before, but has  declared for the NBA Draft .

D.J. Wagner  (In transfer portal)

GP:  29 |  GS:  28 |  PPG:  9.9 |  RPG:  1.9

Within a few days after Calipari's departurem, his hiring at Arkansas and Pope's arriving at UK, Wagner entered the transfer portal .

Wagner ranked as the No. 6 player coming out of high school and was one of the prized recruits from his class. The Wagner family has deep ties to Calipari, as D.J.'s father, Dajuan Wagner, played for Calipari when he was the coach at  Memphis .

Rob Dillingham  (Declared for NBA Draft)

GP:  32 |  GS:  1 |  PPG:  15.2 |  RPG:  2.9 

The top-ranked player in CBS Sports' NBA Draft prospect rankings is turning pro. Dillingham was named SEC 6th Man of the Year after putting up big numbers in his first season at Kentucky. The 6-3 guard made only a single start but was one of Kentucky's best players the entire season. Dillingham is a crafty guard with a quick burst that can get to the rim whenever he pleases. Dillingham has received buzz over the last few months as a potential No. 1 overall pick. 

Aaron Bradshaw (Transferring to Ohio State)

GP: 26 | GS: 10 | PPG: 4.9 | RPG: 3.3

Bradshaw was the first player from Kentucky's top-ranked 2023 recruiting class to enter his name in the transfer portal. Bradshaw missed the start of the season due to injury and appeared for the first time on Dec. 2 against UNC Wilmington. Bradshaw was the No. 5 recruit coming out of high school. Bradshaw is expected to transfer to Ohio State, according to 247Sports . 

Adou Thiero (In transfer portal)

GP: 25 | GS: 19 | PPG: 7.2 | RPG: 5

Thiero entered his name into the transfer portal last month and is the No. 53 player available in David Cobb's transfer portal rankings. Thiero saw a larger role during his second season in Lexington, making 19 starts and 25 appearances while averaging career-highs in almost every statistical category.

Joey Hart (Transfering to Ball State)

GP: 7 | GS: 0 | PPG: 0.4 | RPG: 0

Hart will enter the transfer portal after playing sparingly as a freshman. The former three-star recruit committed to Kentucky out of high school over UCF , Ball State , Drake and Northwestern among others. Hart committed to Ball State on Thursday.

Justin Edwards (Declared for NBA Draft)

GP: 32 | GS: 30 | PPG: 8.8 | RPG: 3.4

Edwards was the first Kentucky player to declare for the draft and decided to turn pro days before Calipari left the program. The former highly-touted prospect showed flashes of his five-star billing throughout the season. Edwards projects as someone who will either get drafted late in the first round or early in the second round of this summer's draft. Edwards is a perfect swing for the fences prospect.

Antonio Reeves (Out of eligibility)

GP: 33 | GS: 33 | PPG: 20.2 | RPG: 4.2

The leading scorer on Kentucky last season is out of eligibility. Reeves transferred to Kentucky in 2022 after spending the first three seasons at Illinois State . Reeves never entered his name into the transfer portal last summer but reportedly took summer classes at Illinois State, where he began his career. He finished his college career with a career-high in points and rebounds.

Tre Mitchell (Out of eligibility)

GP: 27 | GS: 24 | PPG: 10.7 | RPG: 7.2

Like Reeves, Mitchell is out of eligibility. Mitchell transferred to Kentucky for his final college season after stops at UMass, Texas , and West Virginia . Mitchell provided a valuable veteran presence for a young roster and started 24 out of the 27 games he appeared in.

Kentucky's incoming recruiting class

Under Calipari, Kentucky finished with a top-five recruiting class every cycle since 247Sports started tracking team rankings in 2010. The Wildcats landed the No. 1 recruiting class in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2020, and 2023 under his watch. But in an era when age and experience rule the day in college basketball, relying so heavily on one-and-done prospects began to hurt Kentucky in recent seasons.

Here is a look at Kentucky's roster and incoming recruiting class with 247Sports rankings.

No. 33 Collin Chandler

Chandler is technically part of the 2022 recruiting class. But after spending two years on a Mormon mission, the Utah native will be a freshman in the 2024-25 season. The 6-4 guard ranked as a four-star prospect and was originally committed to BYU before requesting a release and becoming Pope's first commitment at Kentucky. 247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins described Chandler as "a competitive guard who always plays in attack mode."

No. 73 Travis Perry

Perry was Kentucky's lone signee from the Bluegrass State. He ranked as the No. 6 point guard in the 2024 cycle and committed to Kentucky over Alabama, Cincinnati, Ole Miss, and Western Kentucky . Perry is the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school boys' basketball history.

Class of 2024 recruits no longer committed

No. 8 jayden quaintance .

The highest-ranked signee from Kentucky's incoming recruiting class is unique because of his age. Quaintance won't turn 17 years old until July, making him ineligible for the 2025 NBA Draft.  NBA  rules state that a player must be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft, which opens the door for him to play two seasons in college. Quaintance committed to Kentucky over  Florida ,  Missouri , and  Ohio State . On Wednesday, Quaintance's father, Haminn, told 247Sports that his son would be requesting his release from his NIL to Kentucky. Haminn recently posted on social media that their family would be "riding with the big dog (Calipari) until the wheels fall off." Calipari will likely attempt to lure in Quaintance to come to Arkansas.

No. 20 Karter Knox

The brother of former Kentucky one-and-done Kevin Knox II was the most recent player to pledge their commitment to Calipari in this class. Knox committed to Kentucky on March 9 over Louisville , USF, and a return to Overtime Elite. He was the highest-ranked high school player on the board available after former Indiana signee Liam McNeeley requested a release from his NLI. Knox's brother, Kobe, is a current player at USF. With Knox reopening his recruitment, he is bound to have plenty of suitors for his services.

No. 22  Billy Richmond

Richmond committed to Kentucky on Dec. 21 over Alabama, LSU, and Memphis but decommitted on April 16 . The Richmond family has deep ties to Calipari. Richmond's father, who is also named Billy Richmond, played for Calipari at Memphis from 2002 to 2004. Richmond is considered an athletic lefty wing with the chance to make an immediate impact when he steps onto campus this fall.

No. 26 Boogie Fland

The McDonald's All-American is one of the best combo guards in the country and ranked only behind  Rutgers  signee Dylan Harper for the top player at the position. Fland committed to Kentucky over Alabama, UConn,  Indiana ,  Maryland ,  Michigan ,  North Carolina , and  St. John's . Fland was Kentucky's second commitment in the 2024 cycle, but asked for his release less than a week after Calipari was introduced at Arkansas.

No. 46 Somto Cyril 

The first commit of Kentucky's 2024 recruiting class picked the Wildcats over  Cincinnati , Florida,  Georgetown , Indiana,  Kansas , Memphis,  Oklahoma State ,  Ole Miss , and  Tennessee . Cyril ranks as the No. 10 center in his class. Cyril was granted his release from his NLI and de-committed from Kentucky on Wednesday.

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