The Mighty 5: Everything You Need to Know About Traveling to Utah’s National Parks
Have you been to any of the Mighty 5? The Mighty 5 consists of Utah’s most beautiful national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands. Utah is known for its diverse and adventurous landscape, making it the perfect place to visit if you are looking for a hiking road trip. I personally have been to 3 out of 5 of the national parks and I plan to go back to the last two. Utah impressed me with its desert fields and sky-scraping mountains. If you plan a Utah road trip, you will definitely want to know about the Mighty 5.
To get to Utah, it is best to fly into Salt Lake City’s international airport. It is just north of the national parks but is a big airport with a lot of flight options. From there, you can rent a car, bus, van, or whatever you decide to do and get started on your Utah National Parks road trip.
The Might Five
Arches National Park
Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
I am starting with my absolute favorite National Park in Utah. Even though it was a close call, Bryce Canyon has my heart. This beautiful park is definitely higher elevation than Arches and Canyonlands so be prepared for colder temperatures, even in the summer. Bryce Canyon is a perfect park for all ages and has many hiking options.
Entry Fee
Best Time to Visit
The weather in Bryce Canyon National Park has warmer weather from April to October. With warmer weather, however, comes more people visiting. The worst time to visit, technically, is the summer due to its warm weather and crowds of visitors. However, we went at the beginning of August and didn’t find it too crowded. We did hike early in the morning so I’m sure not many people were there yet. That means the best time to go would be spring or fall. From November to March it is possible for Bryce Canyon to get snowfall. The average snowfall is 95 inches. If you can embrace the cold, Bryce Canyon is even more beautiful with snow on it.
What it’s Known For
Bryce Canyon National Park is known for having the largest collection of Hoodoos in the whole world. Bryce Canyon is also known for its beautiful astronomical night sky! You can enjoy views at all times of the day. Bryce Canyon is also home to amphitheaters created by rock formations. Bryce Canyon is beautiful and encaptivating.
Popular Hikes
I would definitely suggest the Bryce Canyon Navajo Trail and the Queen’s Garden Trail. It is about 3.1 miles and relatively difficult due to its steep incline at the end. I would suggest doing this hike at sunrise because your starting point will be at the sunrise point, aka beautiful sunrise views! Then I would walk down Queen’s Garden Trail and connect to the Navajo trail on the incline up. This will give you the best views of the Bryce Amphitheater and incredible switchbacks to walk up on the Navajo Trail incline. When chatting with a worker at Bryce Canyon, he recommended the fairytale loop which is a longer 8-mile hike but through some of the park’s best rock formations.
Zion National Park
Zion National Park is a real-life Jurassic Park. It is the state’s highest elevated national park resting at 10,000 ft above sea level. Zion is home to many hiking options, captivating canyons, and the virgin river. It is also only about an hour and a half away from Bryce Canyon.
Entry Fee
All park visitors have to purchase a pass upon entering. A pass for a private vehicle is $35 and is valid for 7 days and you don’t need to make a reservation ahead of time.
Best Time to Visit
Zion National park is open year-round however it is most popular to visit from April to October, just like Bryce Canyon National Park. However, Zion is mostly busy unless it is wintertime… Maybe plan a winter trip if you hate crowds. I went in August of 2018 when “instagrammable” wasn’t a thing and it was still crowded, I can only imagine what it has become.
What It’s Known For
Zion National Park is known for being within an expansive canyon 2,000 feet deep. It is known for plenty of hiking trails including the most famous, The Narrows.
Popular Hikes
Many popular moderate hikes include Canyon Overlook Trail, Chinle Trail, and Emerald Pools Trail. The more strenuous hikes and ones that take up a full day include Angels Landing and the Narrows. Angels Landing is more suitable for those who aren’t afraid of heights. The Narrows is perfect for those wanting to see where the Virgin River runs beneath thousand-foot walls of sandstone. Both of these hikes are hard but very rewarding. For those looking for an even more epic and exhilarating hike, try the Orderville Canyon hike. This hike is 12.3 miles and a permit is required however it takes you right into the heart of Zion National Park.
Capitol Reef National Park
Capitol Reef National Park is located between Zion/Bryce Canyon and Arches/Canyonlands in south-central Utah. It is actually a hidden treasure as it is not as popular as the other four parks. This secret weapon is home to an array of landscapes including cliffs and canyons.
Entry Fee
The fee for entry is $10 per individual (without a car) or $20 for a non-commercial vehicle. The entry is valid for 7 days. Capitol Reef also participates in fee-free days just like Bryce Canyon.
Best Time to Visit
The temperatures at Capitol Reef get super hot in the summer so the best time to visit is during spring or fall. The temperatures in the winter can get below freezing and it is likely it will snow.
What It’s Known For
Capitol Reef is known for its cliffs, canyons, domes, bridges, and geological monocline. The geological monocline is a rock formation that creates a “wrinkle” in the earth. Capitol Reef is also known for its scenic drive which is 7.9 miles long and takes about an hour and a half.
Popular Hikes
The most popular hike is the Hickman Bridge Trail consisting of 1.7 miles of moderate difficulty. Other popular trails include the Cassidy Arch Trail, Grand Wash Trail, Chimney Rock Loop Trail, and Cohab Canyon trail.
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands, a two-hour drive from Capitol Reef and a 30-minute drive from Arches National Park, is Utah’s largest National Park. However, even with being the largest, it is another national park in Utah that is highly overlooked. It doesn’t receive as many visitors because it is so close to Arches National Park. If you do go, it will be absolutely worth it.
Entry Fee
Best Time to Visit
Canyonlands is open year-round with the most popular time to visit during the spring and fall months for an average temperature of 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. However, nightly temperatures do drop during these months.
What It’s Known For
Canyonlands is actually known for its biking terrain being some of the best in the state. It is also known for its arches, canyons, mesas, and buttes all formed by the Colorado River. Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah and has a scenic drive of 34 miles long. Many people come here for camping, stargazing, hiking, and even rock climbing.
Popular Hikes
The more popular hikes include Mesa Arch Trail, White Rim Overlook, Grand Viewpoint, Murphy Point, Whale Rock, Upheaval Dome Overlook, and Aztec Butte.
Arches National Park
Arches National Park is one of the more popular national parks in Utah and for good reason. It is home to over 2,000 natural stone arches. Personally, it was worth the visit.
Entry Fee
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit as far as temperature is April-May and September-October. Arches National Park is known for being the most crowded therefore the time you choose to go during the day is important as well. We went to Arches during August so it was a very hot and crowded time. However, we went at 6 am and hiked during sunrise and it was the most perfect hike. The weather wasn’t too hot and there weren’t as many crowds of people.
What It’s Known For
As stated above Arches National Park is known for its beautiful and wide range of Arches. It, in fact, has the densest natural stone arches in the world. Also included in the park are pinnacles, balanced rocks, fins, and many other rock-formed shapes. It is a sight to see!
Popular Hikes
The most popular hike that Arches National Park has to offer is the Delicate Arch Trail. This is the hike that we went on and is definitely a tough hike. The view at the end is worth it though, it includes the iconic and HUGE Delicate Arch. Other popular hikes include Landscape Arch, Devil’s Garden Loop Trail, Windows Loop, Turret Arch, and Double Arch Viewpoint.
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