The Mighty 5 National Parks
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Getting there
If flying to Utah, you have a few airport options depending on where you want to start –
- Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY) – Skywest and United Airlines offer flights
- Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) – Allegiant, American, and United Airlines offer flights
- Salt Lake City (SLC) – all major airlines offer flights
- St George Airport (SGU) – American, Delta, and United offer flights operated by SkyWest
- Las Vegas Airport (LAS) – all major airlines offer flights
This week-long itinerary included The Mighty 5 National Parks (Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and Zion), Dead Horse Point State Park, kayaking, horseback riding, and canyoneering.
Day 1
Travel day. Based on our route, we chose to fly into SLC and fly out of LAS – both on Southwest Airlines. We left on the last Saturday of August and returned on the first Friday of September (our favorite since we’ll come back and have Monday off for Labor Day).
When we landed at SLC, we rented a car through Hertz and drove 4 hours to our Vrbo in Moab. We stopped by the local grocery store to pick up fruit and snacks, ordered Thai for dinner, and went to bed to prepare for an early morning.
Day 2 - morning at Canyonlands
We woke up early and left the Airbnb at 5:15 AM to catch the sunrise in Canyonlands National Park. We chose a very short and easy trail (less than a mile) to do in the dark. Although we were early, we were not the first ones to arrive at Mesa Arch! If you want a front-row spot to set up a camera and tripod, get moving earlier than 5:15! I was able to weasel my way through the crowd and prop my GoPro up for a timelapse video. Then I walked around in other, less crowded areas. If you visit at the end of August like we did, the sun should be peaking through right around 7:00 AM.
Alltrails stats for Mesa Arch: Length – 0.7 mi; Elevation Gain – 88 ft; Route Type – Loop; Difficulty – Easy
After sunrise, we stayed in the park for a slightly longer hike around the Grand View Point – just under 2 miles out & back. We had the trail to ourselves and the views were beautiful! We all agreed that we would do this hike again.
Alltrails stats for Grand View Point: Length – 1.8 mi; Elevation Gain – 164 ft; Route Type – Out & back; Difficulty – Easy
Day 2 - afternoon in Moab
When we were done with the Grand View Point trail, we left Canyonlands and went to visit Dead Horse Point State Park. Although the views were pretty from the lookout point, the trails were unimpressive and I wish I had picked another trail in Canyonlands. Plus, my America the Beautiful Pass didn’t cover the entry fee so I paid $20 for a very quick trip. BUT I have seen pictures of this spot at sunset and it looks incredible. If you’re able to, save this spot for later in the day or spend more time at Canyonlands.
We left Dead Horse Point State Park and made our way back to Moab for lunch at Quesadilla Mobilla. Highly recommend! After our delicious lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon kayaking with Mild to Wild Rafting down the Colorado River. We booked the Moab Kayaking PM 1/2 Day Trip.
Day 3 - morning at Arches
We left our Airbnb at 5:15 AM and headed for Arches National Park. We planned to hike the Windows Loop trail for sunrise but when we arrived, we found out they closed the access road for just THAT DAY.
So we kept going and headed to the Delicate Arch trailhead, which we had planned on doing after Windows Loop. Remember that this can happen in any park, so have a backup hike ready!
Some parts of the hike were tricky in the dark but Delicate Arch was absolutely beautiful! After taking pictures at the arch, we found a little nook over to the left and watched the sun come up.
Alltrails stats for Delicate Arch: Length – 3.2 mi; Elevation Gain – 629 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Moderate
With extra time on our hands, since we couldn’t hike Windows Loop, we asked fellow hikers for recommendations and landed on Landscape Arch.
This trailhead is very popular, as many arches are easily accessible. We quickly learned that it is a tour bus favorite. But the farther you hike, the fewer people you’ll see. Even with the crowds at the beginning of the trailhead, it was well worth it! I honestly don’t think you could go wrong with any hike at Arches.
Alltrails stats for Landscape Arch: Length – 1.9 mi; Elevation Gain – 252 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Easy
Day 3 - afternoon at Capitol Reef
After our 2 great hikes, we made the 2.5-hour drive to Capitol Reef National Park.
When we entered the park, we stopped at the U-Pick orchards for peach and apple picking! It was so beautiful and the fruits were delicious! You pay $1 per pound – there is a scale and money box at the entrance (honor system). We had so much fun and could have stayed all afternoon.
After picking, we went to our Vrbo in Teasdale to drop our bags and order dinner to take back into the park. There is a section near the Gifford House that has picnic tables. We sat outside, enjoying dinner and the beautiful scenery – and also picked up pies and cinnamon rolls to-go from Gifford!
After eating dinner, we went to the Hickman Bridge trail. This 1.7-mile hike was gorgeous and a lot of fun! We had the trail to ourselves and only saw a handful of other hikers at the end.
Once back at the trailhead, we drove over to Sunset Point to eat our pies from Gifford Homestead.
Alltrails stats for Hickman Bridge: Length – 1.7 mi; Elevation Gain – 416 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Moderate
Alltrails stats for Sunset Point are a little off: Length – 2.5 mi; Elevation Gain – 275 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Easy; This is the case if you park at the end of the road and hike to Goosenecks & Sunset Point. But if you drive to the parking lot, it’s only about 0.3 mi to the viewpoint.
Day 4 - morning at Mystic Hot Springs
Our morning began in Teasdale, outside of Capitol Reef National Park. We woke up, packed, and left our Airbnb at 7:30 AM to head to Mystic Hot Springs for our private soak appointment. Along the way, we realized that we forgot to pack towels. Luckily, there was a Walmart close to the springs! This is a man-made area that is fed by a natural hot spring. I laughed when we arrived – it was the weirdest/coolest little spot and a great break from all of the hikes we had been doing. Bathrooms and changing rooms were available on site.
After our time slot was up, we drove 1.5 hours to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Day 4 - afternoon at Bryce Canyon
When we arrived, we parked and did the Navajo Loop and Queens Garden trail. It’s no wonder that this is one of the most popular hikes in the park – it was beautiful! We could not get enough of the amazing orange colors against the blue sky.
Alltrails stats for Navajo Loop and Queens Garden: Length – 3.1 mi; Elevation Gain – 649 ft; Route Type – Loop; Difficulty – Moderate
Later, we checked into Best Western PLUS Ruby’s Inn and had dinner at IDK Barbeque. Try to go early before they run out of mac & cheese!
Day 5 - morning at Bryce Canyon
The next morning was raining and 53° F. But we continued with plans and went horseback riding through the canyon! We booked the 8:00 AM 3-hour Peek-a-boo Loop ride through Canyon Trail Rides. Despite being overcast and raining, seeing the park on horseback was an amazing experience.
When we were done with our ride, we drove to the Visitor Center to change into dry clothes.
Day 5 - afternoon at Zion
After changing into dry clothes, we made the 1.5-hour drive to Zion National Park.
When we arrived at Zion, we drove to the Visitor Center to park (most trailheads in Zion are only accessible by shuttle bus). It was a Wednesday, so parking was easy. If you go on a weekend or during high season, its unlikely that you’ll find parking in the afternoon. Once on the shuttle, we rode to the Emerald Pools stop, which is right in front of the Zion Lodge. We hiked the lower, middle, and upper pools. This is a beautiful and very popular hike, so be patient on the narrow parts.
Alltrails stats for Emerald Pools: Length – 3 mi; Elevation Gain – 620 ft; Route Type – Loop; Difficulty – Moderate
After our hike, we checked into our Vrbo in Springdale and had dinner at Meme’s Cafe.
Day 6 - morning at Zion
Our next-day plans were up in the air due to the rain at Bryce Canyon. The rain created possible flash flooding conditions in Zion so The Narrows ended up being closed for the day, but we didn’t know that until we arrived and spoke to a Ranger. We opted for the Angel’s Landing hike that morning instead. A permit is required to hike Angel’s Landing. You can apply in the seasonal lottery or the day-before lottery.
Of all the videos you watch about Angel’s Landing, they mostly show the parts that are very narrow and have a chain built-in so that you have something to hold onto. But no one mentions the switchbacks to get to Scout Lookout before the chains begin! Getting from the viewpoint to the actual landing was easy after the 1,400 feet of elevation gain on the switchback part of the trail.
While out on the landing, watch out for the chipmunks! They are super cute and sweet but I kept worrying that I was going to trip on one.
Alltrails stats for Angels Landing: Length – 4.3 mi; Elevation Gain – 1,827 ft; Route Type – Out & Back; Difficulty – Hard
Day 6 - afternoon outside of Zion
After the hike, we left the park and had a late breakfast / early lunch at Deep Creek Coffee Company and then waited for our canyoneering guide to pick us up! We booked a private half-day tour through Rock Odysseys.
Canyoneering was so much fun and I would do it again. Our guide did all of the work, and we got to enjoy repelling down 40, 60, 80, and 100-foot rocks on a beautiful day. He recommended Bit & Spur for dinner and we were glad we followed that recommendation!
Day 7 - morning at Zion
The next morning, The Narrows trail was open! We left our Airbnb at 6:15 AM both mornings (the first shuttles start running at 6:00 AM). The Narrows is the last stop on the shuttle route. Once you arrive, there is a 1-mile walk to where you enter the water. After that, you can go as far as you’d like. The total length (Top Down) is 15.5 miles. We went about 2 miles in after the Riverwalk and turned around at that point, for a total of about 6 miles to and from the shuttle.
Depending on the time of year, you’ll need different gear. With warm temperatures, we were comfortable in shorts and long sleeves. There are several places right outside of the park entrance where you can rent waterproof boots, but we opted to wear our regular hiking shoes.
Alltrails stats for The Narrows (Top Down): Length – 16.1 mi; Elevation Gain – 2,076 ft; Route Type – Point to Point; Difficulty – Hard
Alltrails stats for The Narrows (Riverside Walk): Length – 1.9 mi; Elevation Gain – 193 ft; Route Type – Out & Back – Difficulty – Easy
Day 7 - afternoon of travel
After our hike, we changed out of our wet shoes and stopped by Deep Creek Coffee Company again for late breakfast / early lunch.
We said goodbye to Zion and made our way to LAS for our flight home to TPA that night.
