Southern Utah's five national parks in one drive: Zion's slot canyon, Bryce's hoodoo amphitheatre, Scenic Byway 12 to Capitol Reef's orchards and the arches and mesas around Moab. Spring and autumn are ideal; summer is very hot and winter can close high roads.
Road trip route for your dates
5 days from Sat, Dec 5.
- Day 1 Las Vegas
- Day 2 Zion National ParkDrive from Las Vegas to Zion National Park (about 2.5 hours)
- Day 3 Bryce CanyonDrive from Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon (about 1.5 hours)
- Day 4 Capitol Reef via Scenic Byway 12Drive from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef via Scenic Byway 12 (about 2.5 hours)
- Day 5 Moab: Arches & CanyonlandsDrive from Capitol Reef via Scenic Byway 12 to Moab: Arches & Canyonlands (about 2.5 hours)
Good to know
- The America the Beautiful annual pass covers all five parks: $80 for US residents, $250 for non-residents, who otherwise pay an extra $100 each at Zion and Bryce Canyon.
- Arches dropped timed entry for 2026, but Fiery Furnace hikes still need a permit; Zion's scenic drive is shuttle-only from March to late November.
- Fly home from Salt Lake City (about four hours from Moab) instead of driving back to Las Vegas.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Walk past the Bellagio fountains, the Venetian canals and the Paris Eiffel Tower replica when the lights are on.
Free choreographed water show every 15-30 minutes in the evening, with a seasonal flower display inside.
Several resident productions, from the aquatic O to Mystere; book mid-week for lower prices.
Canopy of LED screens over an old-school casino strip, with zip lines and street performers.
Strip-mall Asian restaurants including Sichuan, Taiwanese and Japanese izakaya, popular with Vegas chefs.
Museum in a former federal courthouse on organized crime history, with a prohibition-era speakeasy in the basement.
Walk in the river between 1,000-foot walls; rent water shoes and a stick in Springdale.
Strenuous scramble with chain handrails (permit needed), or the longer Observation Point for views without the chains.
Easy to moderate hike to waterfalls and small pools, good for families.
Free shuttle through the canyon with stops at the Court of the Patriarchs and Weeping Rock.
Historic highway through a 1.1-mile tunnel to the slickrock plateau and Checkerboard Mesa.
Walkable town at the park gate with gear shops, breweries and rooftop patios.
Local brewery with a patio near the park entrance, built for the end of a long hike day.
Short exhibit on the Ancestral Puebloans and settlers who lived in the canyon.
Short, easy trail ending at a rock ledge with views over lower Zion Canyon.
Bowl of hoodoos best seen at sunrise; descend Navajo Loop and return via Queens Garden.
One of the darkest skies in the lower 48; rangers lead astronomy programs most summer evenings.
Easy trails among bright red hoodoos just before the park, with far fewer people.
Some of the darkest skies in North America; rangers set up telescopes on clear nights.
Learn how frost-wedging carved the hoodoos before you head down the trails.
A road along a knife-edge ridge with drops on both sides, one of America's great drives.
Pioneer orchards where you can pick fruit in season, and a homestead selling famous pies.
A climb to a huge arch named for Butch Cassidy, who hid out in these canyons.
Figures carved into the canyon wall by the Fremont people about a thousand years ago.
Sandy canyon trail to a 38-metre (126-foot) waterfall pouring into a green pool.
Utah's iconic arch, reached by a 3-mile round trip hike over slickrock; best at sunset.
Moderate hike past the longest natural span in the park and a series of fins and arches.
Short walks to massive arches near the road, easy for any age.
Photographer's favorite: sunrise glow under a cliffside arch, 40 minutes from Moab.
Gooseneck of the Colorado River 2,000 feet below a rim overlook.
Half-day calm-water float or whitewater at Fisher Towers; guided trips depart from town.
Legendary sandstone trails; rent bikes in town and pick a route for your skill level.
Rent a 4x4 or book a tour on 4WD roads with steep slickrock.
Local beers, burgers and patio dining on a lively strip of outfitters and cafes.
Indoor museum with a trail of real fossil tracks and a 3D theater, good for a hot or rainy day.
Small museum with fossils, uranium-boom history and Ancestral Puebloan artifacts; good in the midday heat.
International Dark Sky Park with clear Milky Way views; bring a blanket and red flashlight.