Utah's Mighty Five: Family Road Trip (7–10 Days)
Five parks, easy hikes & short drives, built for families.
All five Utah national parks designed for families, easy canyon hikes, dramatic views, and short drives between parks.
Excellent itinerary planner! Detail oriented with thoughtful tips for my family’s trip.
23 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Every stop is a real pin, in order.
Zion · Bryce · Capitol Reef · Canyonlands · Arches · Utah
5 of the stops on these 6 days.
Plan and book your 6 days in Utah Mighty 5, one step at a time
How 6 days in Utah Mighty 5 split up
Utah's five national parks, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches, sit within 300 miles of each other and can be visited in a logical loop. Visiting all five with kids requires choosing the right hikes (there are plenty of easy ones) and timing your arrival at each park to avoid midday heat. Spring (March–May) and fall (September–October) are ideal.
Day 1: Las Vegas arrival & drive to Zion
3 stops · Day one
Day 2: Zion National Park
4 stops · Days two & three
Day 3: Bryce Canyon National Park
4 stops
Day 4: Bryce Canyon National Park
4 stops · Day four
Day 5: Capitol Reef National Park
4 stops · Day five
Day 6: Canyonlands: Island in the Sky
4 stops · Day six
Las Vegas arrival & drive to Zion
Fly into Las Vegas (2.5 hours from Zion) or Salt Lake City (4.5 hours from Zion). Drive through the Virgin River Gorge on I-15, a taste of canyon country before you even arrive. Pull off at any overlook.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Drive from~2.5 hr to Zion · Virgin River Gorge · DriveFly into Las Vegas (2.5 hours from Zion) or Salt Lake City (4.5 hours from Zion). Drive through the Virgin River Gorge on I-15, a taste of canyon country before you even arrive, and pull off at any overlook.
- Springdale Riverwalk
Walk the Virgin River · kids play in the water · ViewpointArrive in Springdale and walk the Riverwalk along the Virgin River, where kids can play in the water. Pick up groceries before you head into the park, because restaurants inside Zion are expensive.
Downclouding / CC BY-SA 4.0Stay in SpringdaleJust outside the park entrance · lodgeStay in Springdale, just outside the Zion entrance. You can walk to the park shuttle, and groceries here are far cheaper than restaurants inside the park.
Zion National Park
Zion is the most visited of the five parks, and it deserves it. The shuttle system eliminates traffic, making it surprisingly easy to navigate with kids.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Riverside Walk
2 mi RT · paved · strollers OK · HikeThe Riverside Walk is 2 miles round trip, completely paved, through the Zion Narrows to the Virgin River's edge. Wheelchairs and strollers manage it, and kids wade in the river at the end.
Canyon Overlook Trail1 mi RT · 163 ft · best morning hike · HikeThe Canyon Overlook Trail is 1 mile round trip with 163 feet of gain to a stunning Zion Canyon panorama. There are some drop-offs, so hold hands with younger kids. It is the best morning hike in the park.
Emerald Pools Lower Trail1.2 mi · hanging-garden waterfalls · HikeThe Emerald Pools Lower Trail is 1.2 miles to hanging-garden waterfalls, with dripping cliff walls and a clear pool below. It is perfect for young kids.
- Second night in Springdale
Stay put for two Zion days · lodgeStay a second night in Springdale so you have two full days in Zion. On Day 3, older kids love the bottom-up Narrows (easy version), rent dry suits from Zion Adventure Company and wade upriver as far as you want.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Sunrise Point rim walk
1 mi · flat · hoodoo views · ViewpointBryce isn't really a canyon, it's a series of natural amphitheaters filled with hoodoos, spires of red and orange limestone. Start with the flat 1-mile Sunrise Point rim walk with hoodoo views, easy with any age kids.
Queens Garden Trail1.8 mi one-way · 320 ft descent · HikeThe Queens Garden Trail is 1.8 miles one-way (take the shuttle back) and descends 320 feet into the hoodoo forest. Older kids love scrambling through the formations. It is the best trail in the park.
Navajo Loop via Thor's Hammer1.3 mi · 521 ft · Wall Street slot · HikeThe Navajo Loop via Thor's Hammer is 1.3 miles with a 521-foot descent through Wall Street's slot canyon. The stairs going down are steep but doable for kids 6 and up.
Stay in Bryce Canyon CityBest Western Ruby's Inn · lodgeStay in Bryce Canyon City just outside the park, or at the Best Western Ruby's Inn. Bryce has some of the darkest skies in America, with free ranger stargazing talks in summer, kids often see the Milky Way for the first time here.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce isn't really a canyon, it's a series of natural amphitheaters filled with hoodoos, spires of red and orange limestone. The best family hike is down into the canyon floor.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Fruita Orchards
Pick & eat fruit free June–October · ViewpointCapitol Reef is the least-visited of the five parks and arguably the most serene. The NPS-maintained Fruita heritage orchards (cherry, peach, apple, pear) let you pick and eat fruit free in season (June–October). Kids go wild for this.
Grand Wash4.4 mi RT · almost flat · no permit · HikeGrand Wash is 4.4 miles round trip through a canyon slot, almost flat and requiring no permit. The narrows section in the middle is genuinely dramatic.
Capitol Gorge Trail2 mi · the Pioneer Register · HikeThe Capitol Gorge Trail is 2 miles to the "Pioneer Register," signatures carved into the canyon walls by 19th-century settlers. It is history the kids can touch.
Tony Webster from Minn / CC BY-SA 2.0Stay in Torrey, UTQuiet town · big sky views · lodgeStay in Torrey, UT, good restaurants, a quiet town with big sky views. Stop at the Gifford Farmhouse for fresh pies and a cold drink, genuinely delicious after a morning hike.
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef is the least-visited of the five parks and arguably the most serene. The Fruita Historic District has a working orchard where you can pick fruit in season.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Grand View Point Overlook0.1 mi · most expansive view · ViewpointIsland in the Sky is a 6,000-foot mesa with 1,000-foot cliffs dropping to the canyon floor. Grand View Point Overlook is 0.1 miles from parking, the most expansive view in the park, canyon layers to the horizon. Best at sunrise or sunset.
- Mesa Arch
0.5 mi loop · cliff-edge arch · HikeMesa Arch is a 0.5-mile loop to a fragile sandstone arch perched at the edge of a cliff. The sun rises through the arch in the morning, popular for photos but genuinely spectacular.
Upheaval Dome0.8 mi · crater rim · HikeUpheaval Dome is 0.8 miles to the crater rim. Scientists still debate whether it is a meteor impact or a salt dome, so the kids get to weigh in.
Stay in Moab, UT35 min from the park · best dining · lodgeStay in Moab, UT, 35 minutes from Island in the Sky. It has the best dining and family lodging in the area, and it is your base for both Canyonlands and Arches.
Canyonlands: Island in the Sky
Island in the Sky is a 6,000-foot mesa with 1,000-foot cliffs dropping to the canyon floor. The views are vertigo-inducing and completely accessible from the car.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Windows Section
1 mi loop · walk-through arches · HikeArches has more natural arches than anywhere else on earth (over 2,000). The Windows Section is a 1-mile loop through North and South Windows, two massive arches you can walk through. Turret Arch views are stunning in the afternoon light. It is the best family hike in the park.
Balanced Rock0.3 mi flat loop · 3,577-ton rock · ViewpointBalanced Rock is a 0.3-mile flat loop around the iconic 3,577-ton balancing rock. Kids always ask "why doesn't it fall?"
Delicate Arch3 mi RT · 480 ft · the symbol of Utah · HikeDelicate Arch is 3 miles round trip with 480 feet of gain, the symbol of Utah. It is doable for kids 8 and up. Morning or evening only in summer, since sun exposure on the slickrock is serious. Arches also requires advance timed entry April–October; book on recreation.gov, released 3 months ahead.
Famartin / CC BY-SA 3.0Second night in MoabBase for Arches & Canyonlands · lodgeStay a second night in Moab to round out Arches. Book the Fiery Furnace ranger-guided walk through a maze of sandstone fins months ahead on recreation.gov; kids 6 and up handle it fine.
Book the 5 nights
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the calling. We check every booking site, put your points and card perks against the cash price, and email you this plan back with the best room we can find for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Utah Mighty 5
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Specific to Utah Mighty 5
What we actually learned in the Mighty Five.
Buy the America the Beautiful pass
The $80 annual pass covers all 5 parks (vs $175 if bought separately, or $35 per vehicle each park). Buy it at the first entrance, it is a huge saving on a Mighty Five trip.
Avoid July–August
Canyon floors hit 105°F. If you must go in summer, hike before 9am and after 5pm. Spring (March–May) and fall (September–October) are ideal.
Arches timed entry sells out fast
Arches requires advance timed entry April–October. Reservations release 3 months ahead on recreation.gov and sell out within minutes of release, so set a reminder.
Ride the Zion shuttle
Private vehicles are banned on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive in season. The shuttle is free and efficient, and it makes the park surprisingly easy to navigate with kids.
Sunscreen, often
Red rock reflects UV. Reapply every 90 minutes on canyon hikes, and carry plenty of water for the kids.
Book gateway lodging early
Springdale (Zion), Bryce Canyon City, Torrey (Capitol Reef), and Moab (Arches & Canyonlands) fill fast in spring and fall. Reserve early, especially for weekends.
Everything you'll actually want to know.
Everything you'll actually want to know before a Utah Mighty 5 trip.
Seven days is the minimum and 10 days is ideal. That gives you two nights at Zion plus a day each at Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands (Island in the Sky), and Arches, with short drives between parks and time to dodge the midday heat.
We'll find the cheapest way to do this trip.
Tell us your dates and we price the plan you just built: every booking site, the hotels direct, and your own points and card perks against the cash price. You get it back by email with a link for each night and what it saved you.
- It is free. The hotel pays us, not you. You pay their normal price.
- Nothing is charged and nothing is held. You decide at the end, or you walk away.
- Beds near trailheads are the part that runs out. Everything else can wait.
The figures below are estimates from local nightly rates, so you know the ballpark before you ask. The real number comes back once we have checked what is free.
- 5 nights, sites held for you
- Any permits secured before you fly
- Gear rented locally and waiting at the site
- The route pinned to your phone before you leave
- Everything in Camped
- Rooms booked for every night, one base where the route allows
- Dinner reservations on the nights that need them
- A rain-day plan written before you go
- Everything in Glamped, plus a local guide for the trip
- Airport pickup and every drive handled
- All the gear rented and waiting, so you pack clothes and nothing else
- Weather turns and they rewrite the day while you are still at breakfast
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Builds every custom itinerary herself and leads guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests. Based in Seattle.
You might also love these
More itineraries and hiking guides across the parks.
Las Vegas to Zion National Park
The classic drive from the Strip to Zion, with the best hikes, shuttle tips, and where to base in Springdale.
Bryce Canyon Itinerary
The hoodoo amphitheaters, the Queens Garden descent, and the darkest skies in America.
Capitol Reef Itinerary
The Fruita orchards, the Grand Wash narrows, and the quietest of the Mighty Five.
What adventurers say about us.
All reviews are from verified guests. ★★★★★ 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
"We did this as a couple's trip and it was perfect. Yulia adapted everything to us, our pace, our interests, our photo obsession. The mountain views were unreal."
"Phenomenal experience. Yulia has deep local knowledge and a real passion for the outdoors. She went out of her way to show us the hidden gems tourists never see. Will remember this forever."
"I've done a few guided hikes and this was by far the best. Yulia is warm, funny, and genuinely expert. The trail she chose had the most insane wildflower bloom, we got so lucky."
Fees, reservation windows, shuttle dates and trail closures are planning estimates. Confirm hours, road status and any reservations with the land manager before you go.
What other travelers are saying
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One tap. It goes straight to Yulia and Margarita.
You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.
The best hikes in America run on lotteries that open once a year and sell out in minutes. Every trail runs on its own calendar. Pick the ones you want and we do the watching.
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How it works
- An email the morning each window opens, never the day after.
- A 14-day heads-up so you can line up your group and dates.
- Win odds and a ranked backup plan for every trail you pick.
Didn't win? We keep watching. We check recreation.gov every day for The Enchantments, Half Dome and Angels Landing, and email you the moment a sold-out date frees up. Cancellations are the second chance most people never hear about.
Excellent itinerary planner! Detail oriented with thoughtful tips for my family's trip.