utah national park

Utah National Parks Road Trip Tips & Guide

This is my complete guide on how to visit some of Utah’s must visit National Parks in just six days. Utah is really a beautiful state with tons to see and do (despite it being super spread out with little civilization besides Salt Lake City and the national parks.)

Delicate Arch (Day + Night Hike) | Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch (Day + Night Hike) | Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch
~1-2 hr Roundtrip, 3 mi Roundtrip, Intermediate

How to get there: Turn right off the main road onto Delicate Arch Road after 11.5 miles from the park entrance. park in Wolf Ranch parking lot on the left. You can also keep going straight to view the arch from the Upper and Lower Viewpoints.

Devil’s Garden, Double Arch, Windows | Arches National Park, UT

Devil’s Garden, Double Arch, Windows | Arches National Park, UT

Devil’s Garden
4.2 mi roundtrip, ~2–3 hr, Easy-Intermediate, Landscape, Partition, Double-O Arch

How to get there: Devil’s Garden is at the very end of Arches National Park which is a one way park and not a loop. It’s about 18 miles into the park. There are lots of parking spots, but also lots of people, so make sure you get there early. We arrived around 8AM and parking was no problem.

Queen’s Garden, Inspiration Point | Bryce Canyon, UT

Queen’s Garden, Inspiration Point | Bryce Canyon, UT

Queen’s Garden Trail, Navajo Loop
3 mi, ~2-3 hr, Easy-Intermediate, Sunrise to Sunset Point

How to get there: You can drive around Bryce but they also offer a complimentary shuttle. I would suggest parking at Sunset and starting the hike there. You can either walk to or take the shuttle to Sunrise Point, we walked since it was only 0.5 mi.

Emerald Pools, Riverside Walk | Zion National Park, UT

Emerald Pools, Riverside Walk | Zion National Park, UT

Emerald Pools
3 mi in-and-out, ~2 hr, Easy-Intermediate, Stop #5 Zion Lodge

How to get there: Park in Zion’s Visitor Center lot. Take the complimentary shuttle to The Lodge (5). Walk across the road and across the bridge to Lower Falls Trails.

Angel’s Landing, Scout Lookout | Zion National Park, UT

Angel’s Landing, Scout Lookout | Zion National Park, UT

Angel’s Landing (cont. from Scout’s Lookout)
0.5 mi, ~1 hr, Intermediate-Hard, Stop #6 The Grotto

How to get there: See directions for Scout’s Lookout. This hike is an additional 0.5 miles from Scout’s Lookout along a rocky ridge with chains.