A Utah national parks road trip takes you through 5 parks carved out of the same red rock: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches. 1,400 miles of driving if you run the full loop. Hoodoos lit orange at sunrise, slot canyons narrow enough to press both palms against, a night sky so dark you see the Milky Way cast a shadow.
This is a 14-day RV itinerary anchored at 4 RJourney parks across southern Utah and northern Arizona: Cedar City RV Resort for Zion, Dixie Forest RV Resort and Bryce Canyon RV Resort for Bryce, and Roam Horseshoe Bend for Lake Powell and the Grand Circle. Two legs (Capitol Reef and Moab) need a non-RJourney overnight. We’ll tell you where and why.
The Route Overview
Full loop: Las Vegas, NV to Cedar City, UT to Panguitch, UT to Cannonville, UT to Torrey, UT to Moab, UT to Page, AZ, then back to Las Vegas.
Distance: About 1,400 miles round-trip from Las Vegas.
Drive time without stops: Roughly 28 hours. Spread across 14 days.
Recommended pace: 2 to 3 nights at each basecamp, 1 transit night in Torrey, 3 nights in Moab.
Direction: West to east. You build from Zion’s vertical walls to Bryce’s hoodoos to Capitol Reef’s orchards to Arches’ sandstone arches to Lake Powell’s open water. The country opens as you go.
When to go: Mid-April through mid-May, or mid-September through late October. Summer is brutal in Arches and Canyonlands (100°F+ by noon) and crowded everywhere. Winter closes most UT-12 scenic pull-offs and Bryce loops above 8,000 feet. For a month-by-month breakdown, see Best Time to Visit Utah National Parks.
RV Size and Access Notes
The Mighty 5 loop handles most rigs, but 3 stretches reward paying attention.
UT-12 Scenic Byway (Boulder Mountain to Escalante): 124 miles of two-lane road, some of it along a ridge called “The Hogback” with 1,000-foot drops on both sides and no shoulder. Beautiful drive, not a relaxing one for a 40-foot Class A with a toad. Stop at pullouts, go slow, and travel in the morning when winds are calmer.
Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (UT-9 through Zion): The tunnel through Zion has a strict size limit. Rigs over 11’4″ tall or 7’10” wide need a tunnel escort ( fee as of 2026, subject to change). Book the escort at the park entrance. Many RVers skip the tunnel entirely and approach Zion from Springdale (south entrance) only.
Moab approach from UT-128 along the Colorado River: Gorgeous, but narrow and winding. If you’re pulling a travel trailer, take US-191 S from I-70 instead. Less scenic, fewer white knuckles.
Cell service is spotty on UT-12, US-89 south of Kanab, and across Capitol Reef. Download maps offline before you leave Cedar City.
Stop 1: Cedar City RV Resort (Cedar City, UT)
Drive from Las Vegas: 175 miles, about 3 hours on I-15 N.
Cedar City sits at 5,800 feet, 60 miles north of St. George and 57 miles west of Zion’s east entrance. The RV resort has full hookup sites (30 and 50 amp) on concrete pads, a pool open May through September, and a clubhouse with laundry and a coin shower. Big rigs run the loop without drama.
This is the Mighty 5 basecamp most RV travelers miss. Cedar City gives you Zion without Springdale’s price tag or parking chaos, plus Cedar Breaks National Monument 30 minutes east and the Shakespeare Festival in town from June through October.
What to do from camp:
- Zion National Park, east entrance via UT-9: 1 hour each way. Park at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center (arrive before 9 AM in peak season) and ride the free shuttle through Zion Canyon. The tunnel is westbound, so if you’re day-tripping in your RV, park in Springdale and ride in.
- Kolob Canyons (north Zion): 25 minutes south on I-15 to exit 40. Separate entrance, far fewer crowds, same red rock. Paved 5-mile scenic drive and 2 good trails (Taylor Creek and Timber Creek Overlook).
- Cedar Breaks National Monument: 30 minutes east on UT-14. 10,000 feet of elevation, a natural amphitheater of red and orange rock, and wildflowers through August. Open Memorial Day to mid-October (snow closes the road).
- Brian Head: 45 minutes east for summer hiking and scenic chairlift rides.
- Frontier Homestead State Park Museum: 5 minutes from the resort. Pioneer history, worth 90 minutes on a rest day.
On-site: Laundry, pool, dog run, clubhouse with WiFi. The Cedar City Farmers Market (downtown) runs Saturdays July through October.
Check availability: Cedar City RV Resort. Front desk: (435) 767-0318.
How many nights: 3. Day 1 to recover from the Vegas drive, Day 2 for Zion, Day 3 for Cedar Breaks.
Stop 2: Dixie Forest RV Resort (Panguitch, UT)
Drive from Cedar City: 61 miles, about 1 hour 15 minutes via UT-14 E to US-89 N. The UT-14 stretch climbs to 10,400 feet at Cedar Mountain and has 7% grades. Go slow, use lower gears on the descent.
Panguitch is a small ranch town at 6,650 feet on US-89, 26 miles west of Bryce Canyon National Park’s entrance. Dixie Forest RV Resort has full hookups on wide, level sites with a mix of pull-through and back-in. The property is small (under 50 sites), which means it fills up on holiday weekends but stays quiet most nights. Current review rating is 4.79 stars with positive themes around staff and quiet.
This is the better basecamp if you want Bryce from the west, want a slower-paced town, or want Cedar Breaks and Red Canyon without the UT-14 climb every day.
What to do from camp:
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Sunset Point and Bryce Point: 30 minutes east on UT-12. Arrive before 8 AM for the 1.3-mile Navajo Loop from Sunset Point to Wall Street (closed in winter) and Queens Garden. This is the hoodoo-among-hoodoos experience.
- Red Canyon (Dixie National Forest): 10 minutes east on UT-12. Free parking, red-rock arches over the road, quiet trails. The Arches Trail is 0.8 miles and easy.
- Panguitch Historic District: Red brick buildings from the 1880s, Cowboy’s Smokehouse Café, and the Big Fish Family Restaurant (trout). Easy walking.
- Bryce Canyon Rim Trail: 5.5 miles one-way along the canyon edge. Shuttle back from Bryce Point (free park shuttle runs April through October).
On-site: Full hookups, laundry, dog-friendly. Staff handles early arrivals if you call ahead.
Check availability: Dixie Forest RV Resort. Front desk: (435) 772-9633.
How many nights: 2. Day 4 transit and Cedar Breaks south approach (via UT-143 if you missed it from Cedar City), Day 5 deep into Bryce.
Stop 3: Bryce Canyon RV Resort (Cannonville, UT)
Drive from Panguitch: 24 miles, about 35 minutes via US-89 S to UT-12 E.
Cannonville is 12 miles east of Bryce, on the edge of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The RV resort has 100+ full hookup sites on crushed-rock pads with wide spacing, pull-through and back-in, 30 and 50 amp. Current review count is 289 with a 4.25 average on Google. The park closes midday Monday through Saturday (9-11 AM and 1-5 PM) and is closed Sundays, so plan arrivals accordingly.
Staying at Cannonville puts you closer to Bryce’s eastern approaches, Kodachrome Basin State Park, and UT-12’s scenic east stretch toward Capitol Reef. If you’re the kind of traveler who wants to be up before sunrise at Bryce Point, this is your anchor.
What to do from camp:
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Sunrise: 15 minutes to the entrance. Bryce Point sunrise runs from the rim. Arrive 30 minutes before first light. Bring a jacket year-round (the rim is 8,300 feet).
- Bryce Canyon Stargazing: Bryce is a certified International Dark Sky Park. Rangers run astronomy programs from spring through fall. On a moonless summer night, you see around 7,500 stars with the naked eye.
- Kodachrome Basin State Park: 10 minutes from camp. Red sandstone spires, a 3-mile panoramic trail, and a short spur to Shakespeare Arch. Admission is per vehicle (as of 2026).
- Willis Creek Slot Canyon: 30 minutes southeast on Cottonwood Canyon Road (gravel, fine for tow vehicles in dry weather). 4-mile out-and-back through a narrow slot. Less traffic than Zion’s Narrows.
- Grand Staircase-Escalante Visitor Center (Cannonville): 2 minutes from camp. Permits, maps, and backcountry advice for the monument.
On-site: Full hookups, laundry, propane on-site. Office hours are compressed, so call ahead for after-hours check-in. (435) 523-4109.
Check availability: Bryce Canyon RV Resort.
How many nights: 2. Day 6 sunrise and Kodachrome, Day 7 for Willis Creek or a second Bryce hike.
The Capitol Reef and Moab Legs: Where We Can’t House You
Here’s the honest part. RJourney doesn’t operate a park within an hour of Capitol Reef National Park or within an hour of Moab. Between Cannonville and Page, you need non-RJourney overnights for 4 nights.
Capitol Reef (1 night in Torrey, UT):
Drive from Cannonville: UT-12 E over Boulder Mountain to Torrey. 124 miles, about 3 hours with stops. This is the Hogback stretch mentioned above. Plan it for mid-morning when winds are calmest.
Torrey has 2 solid RV options: Thousand Lakes RV Park (full hookups, walkable to restaurants) and Wonderland RV Park (similar amenities). Both book up for April through October weekends 4 to 6 months out. Capitol Reef’s Fruita Campground inside the park has 71 sites with water and toilets but no hookups, first-come first-served in off-season, reservation required in peak. Your slide-out clearance matters there.
What to do in 1 day: Drive the 8-mile Scenic Drive, walk the Hickman Bridge Trail (1.8 miles round-trip, bridge the size of a football field), and pick fruit from the Fruita orchards if you’re there between June and October.
Moab (3 nights):
Drive from Torrey: UT-24 E to I-70 E to US-191 S. 146 miles, about 2 hours 45 minutes. Mostly open desert driving.
Moab is the RV crowd’s love-hate town. The RV parks (Archview, Portal, Canyonlands Campground, Sun Outdoors Moab Downtown) fill up 6 to 12 months in advance for peak season (April-May, September-October). If you didn’t book in January, your best bets are:
- Dead Horse Point State Park Campground: 32 miles from Arches. 21 sites with 30-amp electric, no water. Book at reserveamerica.com as soon as the 6-month window opens.
- Sand Flats Recreation Area: BLM-managed, first-come first-served, no hookups, no water. Rigs under 30 feet only on most loops. Rough access roads.
- Green River State Park: 52 miles north, quieter, easier to book, adds 50 minutes to your Arches and Canyonlands drives.
Arches lifted the timed-entry reservation requirement for 2026. You can drive up any hour during operating hours with a valid entrance pass ($30/vehicle, 7 days). The new bottleneck is parking-lot capacity closures, which can run 3 to 5 hours at Delicate Arch, the Windows, and Devils Garden. Plan to arrive before 8 AM or after 4 PM, May through October. Devils Garden Campground and Fiery Furnace permits still require reservations on Recreation.gov. The full playbook is in our companion article: Arches National Park Timed Entry: The RVer’s Survival Guide (2026 Update).
What to do in 3 days: Day 1 for Arches (Delicate Arch, Devils Garden, Fiery Furnace if you scored a permit). Day 2 for Canyonlands’ Island in the Sky district (Grand View Point, Mesa Arch at sunrise). Day 3 for the Needles district (longer drive, fewer crowds, better backcountry hiking).
If all of this feels like too much logistics, consider cutting Moab from this itinerary. The 4 RJourney anchors plus Capitol Reef give you a legitimate Mighty 3 + Grand Circle trip that’s easier to book and still covers 1,050 miles of red rock.
Stop 4: Roam Horseshoe Bend (Page, AZ)
Drive from Moab: 284 miles, about 4 hours 45 minutes via US-191 S to UT-95 W to UT-276 S (Halls Crossing ferry) or the longer route via US-191 S to US-160 E. Ferry option saves an hour and passes Lake Powell’s north arm but runs seasonally. Check Utah State Parks for ferry schedule and availability.
Page is the Grand Circle’s southern hinge. Roam Horseshoe Bend (formerly The Canyons) is at 1099 Coppermine Rd, 10 minutes south of the Horseshoe Bend Overlook trailhead and 5 minutes from the Antelope Canyon tour staging area. Full hookups, big-rig-friendly, close to the Navajo Generating Station site.
The town itself is small (7,000 residents) but has outsized tourist infrastructure: dozens of tour operators, a solid Walmart for RV restock, and a hospital. Lake Powell is 2 miles north.
What to do from camp:
- Horseshoe Bend Overlook: 10 minutes south on US-89. Park at the official city lot (fee), hike 0.75 miles to the viewpoint. Go at sunrise to beat tour buses; midday crowds are intense.
- Antelope Canyon (Upper or Lower): 5 minutes from camp. Navajo tribal land, guided tours only, book 4 to 6 weeks ahead for peak season. Upper Antelope has the light beams (midday in summer); Lower Antelope has ladders and fewer people.
- Glen Canyon Dam and Carl Hayden Visitor Center: 5 minutes north. Free self-guided tours of the visitor center, paid bridge tours of the dam interior.
- Lake Powell kayak or boat rentals: Wahweap Marina, 10 minutes north. Half-day rentals run to . Even 2 hours on the water changes the trip.
- Grand Canyon North Rim: 2 hours 30 minutes west via US-89 S to US-89A. Open May 15 to October 15. Colder, quieter, and higher than the South Rim.
- The Chains (free shore access on Lake Powell): 10 minutes from camp. Free parking, swimming, kayak launch. Locals know; most tourists don’t.
On-site: Full hookups, pull-through sites, big-rig access. Assistant GM Georgiana Tsinnijinnie knows the area tour operators by first name. (928) 660-4035.
Check availability: Roam Horseshoe Bend.
How many nights: 3. Day 12 for Horseshoe Bend Overlook and Antelope Canyon, Day 13 for Lake Powell, Day 14 for Grand Canyon North Rim or a rest day before the Vegas drive.
Getting Back to Las Vegas
Drive from Page to Las Vegas: 275 miles, about 4 hours 30 minutes via US-89 S to I-15 S. The route passes Vermilion Cliffs and drops through the Virgin River Gorge, one of the most expensive stretches of interstate ever built (per mile).
Alternative: If you haven’t hit your Zion ceiling, add a half-day return visit on your way back through St. George. Total drive time increases by about 2 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need for a Mighty 5 RV road trip?
14 days covers all 5 parks at a realistic pace with 2 to 3 nights per basecamp. You can compress to 10 days by cutting Moab or Capitol Reef, or expand to 21 days by adding Grand Canyon South Rim, Monument Valley, or the Navajo Nation’s eastern side trips. Under 10 days means drive-through sightseeing only.
Can you do the Mighty 5 in an RV?
Yes, with 2 caveats. Zion’s Mt. Carmel tunnel requires an escort fee for rigs over 11’4″ tall (most Class A and many Class C). Arches dropped timed entry for 2026, but parking-lot closures of 3 to 5 hours during peak season are common at Delicate Arch and the Windows. See our 2026 Arches survival guide for the full breakdown. Otherwise, all 5 parks are accessible in any rig.
What’s the best order to visit Utah’s Mighty 5?
West to east, starting from Las Vegas: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Arches. This builds from vertical slot canyons to hoodoo amphitheaters to desert orchards to arch country. If you’re starting from Denver, reverse the order (east to west, Arches first).
When is the best time of year for this road trip?
Mid-April through mid-May, and mid-September through late October. Summer temperatures at Arches and Canyonlands regularly exceed 100°F. Winter closes UT-12 pullouts, most Bryce loops above 8,000 feet, and Grand Canyon North Rim (October 15 through May 15).
Are timed-entry reservations required in Utah’s national parks?
Arches dropped the timed-entry reservation requirement for 2026, though rangers can still close trailhead access roads for 3 to 5 hours when parking lots fill up. Devils Garden Campground and Fiery Furnace permits still require Recreation.gov reservations. Zion requires permits for Angels Landing year-round and has a shuttle-only system for Zion Canyon from March through November. Bryce, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands don’t require timed entry, though Bryce has shuttle restrictions in peak season. For Arches specifics, see our 2026 timed entry survival guide.
Making the Utah National Parks Road Trip Yours
The Mighty 5 isn’t a checklist. It’s 5 distinct parks with enough depth that a first visit only touches the surface. If you have more than 14 days, add the Grand Circle pieces RJourney anchors well: Horseshoe Bend for the Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell side, Cedar City for a weekend Shakespeare Festival detour in summer.
Two reads that pair with this itinerary: Tips for Planning a Road Trip to Utah’s Mighty 5 covers the rigs, permits, and booking logistics we didn’t get into here. Best Time to Visit Utah National Parks breaks down the month-by-month weather and crowd patterns.
When you’re ready to lock in dates, start with Cedar City. The park’s availability shifts fast through spring and fall.
Stay Boundless.
