Explore the Utah National Parks – Salt Lake City, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Las Vegas
All distances and times are indicative and do not include stops.
Total mileage; 750 miles one way
Total drive time; 13 hours 15 minutes
How long do I need? This trip really needs two weeks to spend enough time at each Park to feel you have explored a little, especially if you are into hiking / mountain biking / photography / art etc. If you just skipped through the highlights of each Park you could probably do it in 10 days without feeling too rushed.
This is an incredible trip taking in some truly amazing scenery in the Utah National Parks, with their beautiful canyons and amazing rock formations and ending in the neon brashness of sin city, Las Vegas.
The Windows, Arches National Park, Utah
Fly into Salt Lake City and check out the Historic Temple Square and the briny Great Salt Lake. Then head to Moab to visit Arches National Park with its incredible natural stone arches and seemingly impossible rock balancing acts as well as Canyonlands National Park where you can see the Green and the Colorado Rivers meet 3000 feet below from the Grand View Point. This is mountain biker heaven and hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts come every year to take on the slick-rock but kayakers, hikers, river rafters, golfers and off road drivers are all well catered for.
If you can tear yourself away, head out of Moab to Capitol Reef National Park to enjoy the amazing rock colours and formations, then head along scenic byway 12. This is an incredible drive, through alpine forest and with amazing views through Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. The trip is worth it just for this bit of road but even better you end up at Bryce Canyon National Park. The view from the rim of the deeply coloured hoodoos, rock spires and pinnacles is wonderful, and walking among them on the Canyon floor has another worldly feel.
View into Zion Canyon
From Bryce continue on to Zion National Park which contains an incredible 2,500 feet deep canyon created by the Virgin River. There are beautiful red rock canyons which are fabulous to explore as well as waterfalls to look at and the river to play in. The scenic drive through the Park is amazing.
From Zion head out for as long as your wallet will stand it in Las Vegas. I always enjoy a (small) dose of Vegas. The built environment has to be seen to be believed, there is great shopping, there are some fabulous restaurants and there is all manner of entertainment including those famous casinos as well as plenty of theatre.
For more information on what to see and do in Las Vegas, check out our city guide.
Point to note about Vegas
Smoking is still allowed inside casinos in Vegas. The ventilation systems are excellent so it is a long way from a smoke filled fug, but if you really dislike cigarette smoke you may want to keep clear of the casinos. The other public areas are smoke free and not every hotel has a casino so this is easier to do than you might think, unless of course you want to gamble……
Getting there…
To find the best deals on your flights and accommodation, we recommend 1Plus2Travel. They are a great search website and search all the online consolidators so you don’t have to!
Otherwise, we like Skyscanner for a good listing of all the operators running flights.
We recommend Holiday Autos or Easycar for car hire. Check out our car hire info for ways to save money. You may want to cover your excess and increase your liability cover with a policy like that from Worldwide Insure or Insurance4carhire.com.
Where to Stay…
If you fancy a splurge in Salt Lake City, you can’t go wrong with the The Grand America Hotel. The rooms are huge and very lux, the pool is great and there is running pretty much everything you could ask for. If you are after something a little less expensive, we really like the well located Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City. The beds are really comfy, the rooms are nice and there is complimentary wine in the lobby in the evenings. Finally, if you are travelling with a family, take a look at the Homewood Suites Downtown. All the rooms come with full kitchen and a separate bedroom and sitting area which makes for an easier life for smaller guests. There is also an indoor pool.
Our pick of the hotels in Moab, is the Sorrel River Ranch Resort. It is a short drive out of town, but has a decent onsite restaurant. It is in the most amazing setting with great views and the river running past. The sun shining off the red rock at sunset is a wonderful site. The rooms are a good size with kitchenettes. There is a coin operated laundry which is handy and a small pool and hot tub.
The best place to stay for Bryce Canyon is the snappily named Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel. It is right by the entrance to the park so is fabulous in terms of locations. The rooms are a decent size, there is an onsite restaurant and bar, an indoor pool and free Wi-Fi.
Zion National Park is right next to a community with plenty of accommodation choices – Springdale, Utah. The free Park Service shuttle bus runs into Springdale which is really handy. Once you have parked your car you can ignore it for the duration of your stay, unless you want to explore outside the valley. For more info on the shuttle see the NPS website. We have stayed at the Majestic View Lodge and the Driftwood Lodge. Both hotels have fabulous views, an outdoor pool, free Wi-Fi and are on the shuttle bus route.
Las Vegas has so much hotel choice that it can be quite bewildering picking your way through it all. I prefer to be within walking distance of the Strip as that is primarily where I want to hang out at night. This is where most of the big casino hotels are, the big attractions at the hotels like the water features at the Bellagio, the swanky shops and the majority of the theatre. Not to mention the people watching. You can however, save a lot of money by staying slightly off the Strip. If you stay in a non-casino hotel this also has the advantage of being completely non smoking. One word of warning. If you decide to stay off the Strip be really careful to look at a map and make sure your hotel is not miles away from anywhere. the properties are huge and distances very deceiving. A block in Vegas can be a really long way…….
For a top value, just off Strip stay, The Signature at MGM Grand is a great option. Each suite is massive with a separate sitting area, free Wi-Fi and either a kitchenette or full kitchen. Some have balconies. There are three outdoor pools with a really nice outdoor sitting area. The same suites are also managed by a company called Luxury Suites International, so if you see Luxury Suites International At The Signature, this is the same place.
Also just off the Strip, I like the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. By Vegas standards it is a small hotel and I really like not having to walk through a Casino (or stand in one) to check in. The rooms are massive with separate sitting areas and kitchenettes. The pool area is lovely, you can eat in the poolside restaurant and also have drinks there. Very civilised.
If you want to stay in more of a traditional Vegas style hotel, complete with massive casino and shopping complex, my pick would probably be Wynn Las Vegas. The pool area is lovely and the floor to ceiling windows give great views of either the Strip or the golf course.