Our Utah itinerary — Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon National park

Utah is a state with some of the most spectacular scenery in the United States. With the otherworldly landscapes of the the “Mighty 5”, it is a must-visit for any nature lover. This summer, I visited three of the National Parks in Utah — Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon. It was a 5 day trip around the Memorial Day (May 25–29, 2023) from Seattle.

Here is our itinerary for a 5-day relaxed trip to Utah:

Day 1:

1. We took an early morning flight from Seattle to Salt Lake City. Picked the rental car, loaded up on food, water, protein bars and snacks from a Costco store in the city. Had lunch at a restaurant in Salt Lake City and drove to Moab, which is the gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
2. On our way, we checked timed entry tickets at 6pm sharp for entry into Arches the next day.
3. Since, it was still daylight when we reached, we drove through Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs and did a short hike at Poison spider trail.
4. And then, checked in to our hotel in Moab and had dinner in the town. Since, we booked our trip late, we could not find a reasonably priced Airbnb in Moab. Our hotel was nice, but Airbnb would have been even better for our group of eight.

Day 2:

1. Had breakfast in the hotel and headed to Arches National park based on the time on our entry tickets.
2. Drove through the National Park and take in the views of the red rocks, natural arches and canyons. There are mesmerizing views throughout the drive, so, we stopped at a couple of places on the way — Devil’s garden, Double O Arch (people recommend hiking here for views along the way), Balanced Rock, Windows arch (people recommend to go here at sunrise), Landscape Arch, Skyline Arch, Fiery furnace viewpoint.
3. Came back to Moab for lunch and took some rest at our hotel as it got hot in the afternoon.
4. Picked dinner from the town and drove back to Arches National park again in the evening to view the sunset from Delicate Arch. It was a 3 miles hike, with gorgeous views on the top. Spent some time there, had dinner after the hike.
5. Then we went back to Panorama Point to to view the beautiful night sky and then drove back to the hotel. There are a couple of activities which you can do in Moab — white water rafting in Columbia river in Moab, mountain biking, ATV tours. We did not get to do these.

Day 3:

1. Had breakfast in the hotel and started the day with driving to the Potash Ponds. Note that the Google Maps location we reached to was not accurate, the actual ponds are further ahead of that location.
2. We then headed to Canyonlands National park, which is divided into five districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, The Horseshoe canyon and the rivers. There are plenty of hiking trails and viewpoints throughout the National park. We started with the Island in the Sky, which has panoramic views of canyons and mesas, drove through the National Park and stopped at a couple of viewpoints including Grand view point, Mesa arch (people recommend to go here before the sunrise), Green River overlook point, Shafer Canyon, White Rim Overlook.
3. There is another route from Moab to Canyonlands which goes through lower rim in Canyonlands — recommended for even better views. We did not take this route though.
4. Then we drove to Meander Overlook in Dead Horse Point State Park for sunset. There are other viewpoints too in the state park like Dead Horse point, where we did not go.
5. Drove to and checked in to our Airbnb in Alton, close to Bryce National park.

Day 4:

1. We had a laid back morning as the Airbnb was so good, with the beautiful surroundings. Had breakfast in the Airbnb and then started for the Bryce National park.
2. Due to the long weekend crowd, there was a shortage of parking, so we were asked to return from the entrance to either wait for sometime or to take the National park shuttle service. There was a huge line for the shuttle as well, so we waited for a while and then drove back to the National park after around half an hour.
3. Stopped at a couple of viewpoints — Sunset point, Inspiration point, to see the unique rock formations called hoodoos and did a small and steep hike at Navajo Loop trail.
4. Wanted to do a hike in The Wave in Coyote Buttes North, but could not get a lottery for that.

Day 5:

1. Had a relaxing morning in the Airbnb, had breakfast and checked out of the Airbnb.
2. Drove back to Salt Lake city, had lunch, returned the rental car and headed to the airport. If you have time, you can visit Temple Square and Utah State Capitol in the Salt Lake City.

Here are some additional tips for planning your Utah road trip:

1. In the summer months, Utah is very hot during the afternoon. So, plan your trip such that you start early in the day.
2. Summer months are crowded as well, so having a timed entry ticket saves a lot of time. Also, carry America The Beautiful National park pass, to avoid lines at the ticketing windows.
3. Be sure to book your accommodations in advance, so that you can find reasonable accommodation closer to the national parks.
4. Rent a car with four-wheel drive if you plan on doing any hiking or exploring off the beaten path.
5. Bring plenty of water and snacks, as there are not many places to stop and buy food in the national parks.
6. We started our trip 2 days before the long weekend and that helped us avoid the holiday crowd at most places.
   
   I hope this helps you plan your Utah road trip!