No bucket list road-trip is complete without a road-trip through Utah. This 1 week adventure will take you to some of the most amazing National Parks in Utah followed by an epic backpacking trip.
Utah is absolutely blessed with natural beauty. When we took this road trip ourselves it was our first time in Utah and we were WOWed.
Stunning natural wonders await you on this journey. Colorful stone landscapes, canyons, arches, hoodoos, slot canyons, forests of spruce and pine and some of darkest night skies in America. Utah contains one of the greatest concentrations of spectacular geological features in the world.
This one week road trip will give you a good perspective of Utah’s natural wonders and will have you planning a second endeavor in no time.
This guide will cover two National Parks and one National Monument in Utah.
This post is a road map to a Utah Road Trip-A One Week Adventure.
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Road Trip Through Utah
1st Stop Day 1-3
Zion National Park:
First stop, Zion National Park, located in southern Utah near the city of Springdale, not far from Las Vegas.
Zion National Park is famous for it’s glorious red rock mountains, sweeping vistas and hikes like The Narrows, Angel’s Landing and The Subway Trail.
On day one plan out your hikes for the following days, stock up on snacks and get your pack ready for the following days adventure.
Entrance Fee: $35 per vehicle, valid for 7 days
Best Time to Visit Zion National Park:
Spring and Fall
Where to Stay in Zion National Park:
Watchmen Campground, South Campground, Zion Canyon Campground and RV Resort, Zion Wright Family Ranch and Lava Point Campground.
I recommend spending 2 full days exploring the park.
THINGS TO DO AT ZION NATIONAL PARK
- Hike The Narrows- Up to 16 miles
Permit needed for top-down 16 mile trips. No permit required for bottom-up hiking. Upstream travel is not allowed beyond Big Spring.
I recommend starting at the Temple of Sinawava (shuttle stop #9) and hiking the 9.4 mile roundtrip journey to Big Spring. There is no one viewpoint in The Narrows, so if you decide to journey a mile, two miles or even less, it will still be truly magical.
You’ll need some good waterproof shoes or boots and a hiking pole for this hike, as you will spend most of your time wading and walking through the river.
TIP: Check for weather, water levels, and flash flood potential before attempting. This hike is in the river and subject to dangerous flash floods.
- Hike Angel’s Landing – 5.4 mile out-and-back. Permit needed.
- The Subway Trail Hike- 9.1 mile out-and-back. Permit Needed.
- Observation Point via East Mesa Trail- 7 mile out-and-back
- Canyon Overlook- 1 mile out-and-back
- Enjoy sunset at Watchmen from Canyon Junction or Lava Point
TIP: The Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is closed to private vehicles during the shuttle season. The shuttle changes yearly depending on the season. Typically shuttle season runs:
- Daily from March through November.
- On weekends in February and March.
- For the holiday season near the end of December.
No ticket, permit, or reservation needed to ride the park shuttle.
2nd stop Day 4-5
Bryce Canyon National Park:
Wake up early and make your way over to Bryce Canyon National Park. This drive will take you roughly 2 hours with no stops, but considering you will be driving along the Scenic Byway 12 it will take you closer to 2.5-3hrs.
Welcome to Hoodoo Heaven, the largest collection of Hoodoos on earth. With pink cliffs and endless vistas, Bryce Canyon National Park is a must visit destination.
Arriving sometime in the evening make your way into Bryce Canyon National Park and enjoy one of the best sunsets you’ll ever have the pleasure of witnessing, I recommend Inspiration Point.
Entrance Fee: $35 per vehicle, valid for 7 days
Best Time to Visit Bryce Canyon National Park:
Spring and Fall
Where to Stay in Bryce Canyon National Park:
North Campground, Sunset Campground, Red Canyon Campground, Ruby’s Inn RV Park & Campground and Ravens Nest Utah.
I recommend spending 1 full day exploring the park.
THINGS TO DO AT BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK
- Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Loop Trail- 3.1 mile loop
- Peekaboo Loop Trail- 5.2 mile loop
- Fairyland Loop Trail- 7.8 mile loop
- Sunset Point to Sunrise Point Trail- 1.1 mile out-and back
- Bryce Point Trail with views of Bryce Amphitheater- 0.2 mile out-and-back
- Sunset at Inspiration Point
TIP: Save money and purchase an Annual Parks Pass. With these two visit alone, the pass has pretty much paid for the $80 America The Beautiful Annual Pass cost.
Last Stop Day 6-9
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument:
Today you will head to the town of Escalante. This drive will take you approximately one hour.
Make a quick stop at Mossy Cave Trail a short 0.8 out-and-back hike that offers an easy stroll through hoodoos, a waterfall and a mossy cave.
We spent one night in the town of Escalante before starting our backpacking trip early the next morning.
Where to Stay in Escalante:
Canyons of Escalante RV Park, Escalante Cabins & RV Park, Calf Creek Campground and Deer Creek Campground.
Backpacking Coyote Gulch via Hurricane Wash
If you’re new to backpacking or looking for your first backpacking adventure, I highly recommend Coyote Gulch via Hurricane Wash.
Coyote Gulch is located in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, which happens to be the largest national monument in the country.
This 2 night 3 day adventure is perfect for first timers as permits are easily obtained, there is minimal elevation gain throughout the hike, easy access to water and tons of amazing sites to see. Plus you only have to set up camp once since sites are seen on day 2 as a day trip.
Best Time to Visit Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument:
Spring and Fall
Hiking Duration: Approx. 28-32 miles, depending how far you want to go to set up camp.
Top Sites to See: Jacob Hamblin Arch, Coyote Natural Bridge, Cliff Arch & Cliff Arch Falls and Steven’s Arch.
Permit Required for all overnight stays and can be obtained free of charge at the trail start or at Escalante Interagency Visitor Center.
This Backpacking journey is an incredible one. Coyote Gulch is nestled within the Escalante Canyon. Venturing through red hills, slot canyons, gulches, lush green tress, spectacular rock formations, waterfalls, a natural bridge, arches, including the 4th largest arch in the world, Stevens Arch at 160-feet tall and spanning 225 feet, this hike is truly an outdoor adventurer’s paradise.
How to Get to Coyote Gulch:
Dive the 33 miles down a dirt road called Hole in the Rock Road, a parking lot will be easily visible from the road. The trailhead is located across the road from the parking lot.
4WD is not necessary unless you are starting your hike after a good rain fall. Then I would recommend a 4WD due to muddy terrain.
Water in the Gulch:
Make sure to pack a filtration system, with a perennial stream and spring water, you will have no difficulty finding water throughout most of the hike. I recommend having at least 2 liters of water before starting the trail on day 1, as the first couple miles have no access to water.
Where to Set Up Camp in the Gulch:
All sites are first-come, first-serve. Best campsites are located right before, at or after Jacob Hamblin Arch. It’s best practice to camp at sites that have been used before, it’s pretty easy to tell where other campers have camped. This avoids disrupting even more of the Gulches sensitive environment.
NOTE: Human waste solids are to be removed from the Gulch. Meaning you will need a WAG bag or Biffy Bag for your hike. A ranger will check if you are carrying a WAG Bag or Biffy Bag before allowing you to start on the trail.
Don’t know what to pack for your backpacking trip? We’ve got you covered.
TIP: Check for weather, water levels, and flash flood potential before attempting this hike.
Leave No Trace Principles
If you love to be outdoors whether it’s hiking, backpacking, kayaking or camping please follow these guidelines. Leave No Trace Principles helps minimize our impact and aids in preserving our earth as much as possible. If you would like additional information please read this article The 7 Principles.
The 7 Principles:
- Plan Ahead & Prepare
- Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Others
Take Nothing but Pictures; Leave Nothing but Footprints
Don’t Forget to Pack:
- Water Filtration System
- Waterproof Shoes/Boots/ or Sandals
- Travel Towel
- Bug Spray/Repellent for Gear
- Critter Proof Bag for Food
- Wag Bag/Biffy Bag
And remember if you pack it in, you pack it out!
If you need a shower like we so disparately needed before making the drive home head over to Canyons of Escalante RV Park were you can pay for a hot and glorious shower. Right next door is Georgie’s Outdoor Mexican Cafe. The perfect duo for a comfortable ride home.
That concludes this post a Utah Road Trip-A One Week Adventure.
BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE:
- A Complete Backpacking Guide For Beginners
- Havasupai Falls Backpacking Guide: Everything You Need to Know
- Oregon Road Trip Itinerary From Northern California
Travel Resources
Here you can find all the travel site links that we personally use and recommend.
CAMPSITES/CAMPGROUNDS We like to use a couple apps for last minute campsite bookings. Our favorites are HipCamp, The Dyrt and Campendium.
ACCOMMODATION: We find the best deals with BOOKING.COM. The more you book the better the perks like free breakfast with your stay, room upgrades and even higher discounted room rates.
CAR RENTALS: We have always used RentalCars.com and find them to have the best deals, customer service and selection of locations.
FLIGHTS: Our go to for looking up flights is SKYSCANNER, but we try to always book directly with the airline.
TOURS/EXCURSIONS: GET YOUR GUIDE and VIATOR are two very reputable sites with easy and hassle free bookings.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: It’s so important to travel with insurance and for this we use SafetyWing. We are currently using them for our 1 year trip.
TRANSPORTATION: For all our bus, ferry and train transfer needs in Asia we use 12go.asia.
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