Utah Mighty 5 National Parks Lodging Tour | Top-Rated (2024)

Depart Salt Lake City for Canyonlands National Park & Dead Horse Point State Park

We’ll pick you up in Salt Lake City and begin our drive through the Wasatch mountains toward the incredible canyons of Southern Utah. The first National Park on the docket is Canyonlands. This remote and intriguing wilderness hosts high plateaus, buttes, and mesas carved out by life-giving rivers that now lie far below. We’ll witness it all in the district known as “Island in the Sky” where we’ll hike to outstanding viewpoints.

Next we’ll stop at Dead Horse Point State Park for an incredible overlook of the mighty Colorado River. This unique landscape has been featured in many movies and television shows such as “Thelma & Louise” and HBO’s recent series “Westworld”.

This evening we’ll arrive at our lodge in Moab and enjoy a group dinner.

Driving Time:4 Hours
Hiking:3+ miles | Minimal elevation gain
Accommodation: Hilton Moab, Red Cliffs Inn, or similar in Moab, Utah

Hiking in Arches National Park – Afternoon in Moab

After a fresh breakfast included at your lodge, get ready to explore the largest concentration of natural sandstone arches in the world. Arches National Park is home to over 2,000 of these formations which have been sculpted from the rock by the erosive forces of wind and water. We’ll see the Windows, Double Arch, and take a 3-mile round-trip trek to the infamous Delicate Arch.

“A weird, lovely, fantastic object out of nature like Delicate Arch has the curious ability to remind us—like rock and sunlight and wind and wilderness—that out there is a different world, older and greater and deeper by far than ours”– Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

We’ll stop at the visitor center in Arches before heading to Moab where you’ll have an opportunity to wander around this unique Southwest town for a couple of hours. We’ll then head back to the lodge to relax for the rest of the night.

Driving Time: Local
Hiking:3-5 miles | 700+ feet elevation gain
Accommodation: Hilton Moab, Red Cliffs Inn, or similar in Moab, Utah

Explore Goblin Valley & Capitol Reef National Park

This morning we have a 2 hour drive to the “alien-like” landscape of Goblin Valley State Park. This playground of rock is a guest favorite with it’s unique hoodoos—known locally as goblins—that are scattered over a former tidal plain. We’ll continue the scenic drive toward Capitol Reef National Park, named for white sandstone domes and rocky cliffs that form a barrier along a wrinkle in the surface of the Earth.

Capitol Reef National Park includes 241,904 acres of amazing red rock formations, cliffs, canyons and natural bridges. Due to the remote location, its the least visited of Utah’s National Parks, making it a rare treasure! This evening we’ll arrive to our lodge just outside of Capitol Reef National Park.

Driving Time: 3.5Hours
Hiking:2-3 miles | 400+ feet elevation gain
Accommodation: Red Sands Hotel or similar near Torrey, Utah

Witness the Hoodoos of Bryce Canyon & hike Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop

This morning after breakfast we’ll depart for Bryce Canyon National Park. Stand on the rim overlooking the Bryce Amphitheater and watch the sun slowly rise over sandstone spires, painting them orange. We’ll then venture into the basin getting up close to the otherworldly hoodoos on “The world’s best 3-mile hike”. This trail is rated as moderate and is a wonderful way to view a variety of geology, flora, & fauna.

Later in the day we’ll head to our lodge just outside of Zion National Park. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the property before we have an incredible dinner at one of our local favorite restaurants.

Driving Time: 3Hours
Hiking:3-4 miles | 600+ feet elevation gain
Accommodation: Driftwood Lodge or similar

Towering Sandstone Cliffs & Virgin River Oasis of Zion National Park – Return to Salt Lake City

Today we explore our 5^thNational Park in 5 days, Zion National Park! Known as “Mukuntuweap” by the Southern Paiute, red cliff walls tower 2000 feet above the lush canyon floor as the Virgin River winds peacefully through. Having once carved out the surrounding landscape, the river now nourishes serene cottonwood groves and golden meadows where deer and turkey forage.

After several hours of optional hiking and exploring, we depart from Zion National Park and begin our return 4.5-hour drive to Salt Lake City.

*Due to weather variability, we refer to the conditions provided by Mother Nature when deciding which hike will be preferred. Potential activities include: Upper Emerald Pools, Observation Point, The Narrows or similar.

Driving Time: 5 Hours
Hiking:3-6 miles | Minimal elevation gain