We spent nine days chasing red rock through five national parks in Utah — Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands — camper-vanning our way across the state from Springdale all the way out to a HipCamp near La Sal. It was an ambitious itinerary, but Utah delivers on every mile.
Friday, June 5th — Tampa to Zion
We flew into Salt Lake City and picked up our camper van from Roadsurffer before hitting the road south toward Zion National Park. By the time we rolled into Zion Canyon Campground in Springdale, we were ready for dinner, so we grabbed a table at Kings Landing Bistro to kick things off right.
Saturday, June 6th — Zion Canyon Shuttle Area
This was our big hiking day inside the main canyon. We started with the Canyon Overlook Trail — only a mile, easy, but with some steep drop-offs, so we held hands the whole way. Worth it though, because the views at the end might be the best in the entire park. From there we tackled the Riverside Trail, which leads to the start of the Narrows and gets packed fast, so going early paid off. The paved section is accessible for everyone in the group, too. We squeezed in the short Weeping Rock Trail before finishing at the Emerald Pools, water shoes on, sitting at the edge of the lower pool (swimming wasn’t allowed, unfortunately).
Sunday, June 7th — Zion’s North Section
We couldn’t snag permits for Kanarra Falls, so we shifted focus north to the Kolob Canyons section — a gorgeous 5-mile scenic drive that feels like a completely different park. The Timber Creek Overlook Trail is only 1.1 miles but rewards you with 180-degree views of the canyon. To close out the day we drove over to Snow Canyon State Park and hiked the Santa Clara Volcano / Diamond Valley Cinder Cone — short but steep, and zero shade, so we made sure to bring plenty of water.
Monday, June 8th — Kanab
We packed up and moved camp to Ruby’s Inn RV Campground near Bryce Canyon, but not before spending the day exploring the Kanab area on the way. Checkerboard Mesa was an easy roadside photo stop right on Highway 9, no hiking required. From there we made our way to Belly of the Dragon near Mount Carmel Junction, followed by the Sand Caves and a stop at Coral Sand Dunes State Park.
Tuesday, June 9th — Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon might have been the highlight of the whole trip. We started early, before 8am, on the Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden Trail — a 2.9-mile loop we did counterclockwise so we’d hit the famous switchbacks (and the best photos) right at the start. This trail runs through Wall Street and connects both Sunrise and Sunset Points. From there we drove the Scenic Drive south, stopping at Natural Bridge, Agua Canyon, Rainbow Point, and the easy 1-mile Bristlecone Trail. Inspiration Point and Bryce Point were both quick stops with massive, no-hike-required views over the hoodoos, and we made sure to swing by the Information Center to stamp our National Parks passports before calling it a day.
Wednesday, June 10th — Escalante & Capitol Reef
We broke camp and pointed the van toward Elk Mountain, La Sal — a HipCamp run by James and Linda, tucked at the end of a dirt road off Lisbon Valley Road. Getting there took some careful navigation (deer crossings and all), but the drive itself, especially along the Hogsback, felt like driving through the sky. On the way we drove Scenic Highway 12 through Escalante, stopping at Head of Rocks for photos and the Anasazi State Park Museum, which turned out to be a nice break with restrooms and snacks and a fun walk-through of a primitive settlement replica for the kids. In Capitol Reef we caught the roadside petroglyphs and stopped by Fruita and the historic Gifford House.
Thursday, June 11th — Arches National Park
Arches was a full day of iconic stops. We hiked out to Delicate Arch (3.2 miles, moderate — worth every step) and hit Salt Valley Overlook, Sand Dune Arch, Skyline Arch Overlook, Panorama Point, and Park Avenue Viewpoint for photos along the way. Balanced Rock was a quick 0.3-mile stop, and then we spent time in the Windows Section, checking out Turret Arch, the South and North Windows, and Double Arch. Dinner was at Spitfire Smokehouse in Moab — exactly what we needed after a day on our feet. We wrapped the evening with a drive down the Potash Scenic Byway, including the Wall Street stretch, watching the canyon walls glow as the sun dropped.
Friday, June 12th — Canyonlands National Park
We grabbed breakfast to go from Doughbird in Moab and headed into Canyonlands before sunrise to catch Mesa Arch — arriving a full hour early to snag a front-row spot, and it did not disappoint. From there we explored the Island in the Sky district: Aztec Butte Granary, the first overlook at Upheaval Dome, Holeman Spring Canyon Overlook, and Green River Overlook, before driving the full scenic route south to Orange Cliffs Overlook, Grand View Point, and Buck Canyon Overlook.
Saturday, June 13th — Back to Salt Lake City
Last day on the road. We drove back to SLC with one final stop at Stansbury Island to look out over the Great Salt Lake, dropped off the camper van, and headed to the airport for our flight home to Tampa.
Nine days, five national parks, and more red rock than we knew what to do with. If you’re planning something similar, give yourself more time than you think you need — every one of these parks could easily eat a few days on its own. Already dreaming about the next one.