The Grand Circle Road Trip - Grand Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Zion and more!

Hoodoos of Bryce Canyon by US-Parks

The Grand Circle Road Trip

One of the best road trips in the US! This will take around 10+ days depending on how many days you decide to stay in each park.

Mileage: Approximately 1187 miles

Main Points of Interest on The Grand Circle Road Trip

Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Arches National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Monument Valley Tribal Park
Grand Canyon

Suggested Start and End point for the Grand Circle Road Trip

Las Vegas, Nevada

Start the Grand Circle Road Trip

Your trip starts in Las Vegas, Nevada. You might want to stay here for a night to experience Las Vegas or you may prefer to just jump straight into your car and hit the road!

Erosion in Zion by US-Parks

Zion National Park

We start our journey by heading to Zion National Park through St George, Utah. St George can be a great place to stop for those who might have started their road trip late or you can keep going to Springdale, Utah. Enjoy a beautiful drive from Springdale into Zion National Park. Zion offers everything from breathtaking Narrows to the beautiful Emerald Pools. Zion is quickly becoming a very popular park for many outdoor enthusiasts. This park is a wilderness preserved, full of the unexpected. It includes what might be the world's largest arch - Kolob Arch, spanning 310 feet. A great way to start off one of the most spectacular road trips in the US.

Bryce Canyon National Park

After you have finished up your visit to Zion National Park we continue our road trip to Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce is most famous for its' spectacular collection of "hoodoos". These colorful formations awe millions of visitors yearly from all around the world. If you get have some time, find yourself a nice viewpoint during sunrise and sunset to capture some of the most beautiful photographic scenes in the world. If you plan to stay in Bryce Canyon National Park during your road trip, Bryce Canyon Lodge is a wonderful place to stay. However, if you are not able to get reservations inside the park, consider staying in the town of Bryce or Ruby's Inn.

Capitol Reef National Park

Moving on from Bryce Canyon National Park, we continue our road trip on to Capitol Reef National Park located northeast of Bryce. Capitol Reef is most commonly known for the Waterpocket Fold which is a 100 mile long "wrinkle" in the earth's crust. The beautiful drive to Capitol Reef from Bryce Canyon follows along route 12 and you might also want to consider visiting Kodachrome Park and Grand Escalante depending on time available. Route 12 is easily one of the most beautiful roads in the US offering some of the most spectacular scenery. Torrey, Utah is a great place to stay near Capitol Reef.

Elephant Arch by US-Parks

Arches National Park

Once your visit is completed in Capitol Reef National Park, we head off to a favorite of the US-Parks.com team. Arches National Park offers a wealth of beauty and extraordinary arches. From Delicate Arch to an 18 mile scenic drive, Arches National Park has more than enough scenery to awe any park visitor. Although this park can be experienced in one day, you could easily spend 2-3 days exploring the park and many of the hikes. During your stay, there is no lodging available inside Arches so you might want to consider the town of Moab, Utah. It is located conveniently to Arches National Park and can supply the necessities such as food, gas, etc.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is a destination full of spires, buttes, arches, rivers and most spectacular of all, vast canyons. Canyonlands has three different areas, the Maze, Needles and Island in the Sky Districts. Island in the Sky offers spectacular vistas while the Maze offers the wilderness at its best. The Needles is a startling landscape of sculptured rock spires, arches, canyons, grabens, and potholes. There is no lodging inside Canyonlands National Park so depending on which part of the park you plan to visit, you might want to consider Moab, Utah for the northern section or Monticello, Utah for the southern section of Canyonlands.

Monument Valley Tribal Park

Monument Valley Tribal Park is one of the most famous sights in America. Our next destination along the Grand Circle Road Trip is Monument Valley Tribal Park. This park is famous for many backdrops to western movies, TV shows and more. This park amazes its' visitors with huge towers of red sandstone and the beautiful wilderness that surrounds it. Towns to consider staying in this area can get more limited but one place to consider staying would be Kayenta, Arizona.

Grand Canyon Overlook by US-Parks

Grand Canyon National Park

Our last primary destination on this road trip is the Grand Canyon National Park. The Grand Canyon National Park, a World Heritage Site, encompasses 1,218,375 acres and lies on the Colorado Plateau in northwestern Arizona. It is 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point and 15 miles at its widest. When visiting the Grand Canyon you might consider the towns of Grand Canyon or Williams, Arizona for the South Rim. If you have extra time, you might consider visiting the North Rim as well.

End the Grand Circle Road Trip

Our last day is spent heading back to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Interested in a shorter version of this road trip? We have the 1 Week Grand Circle Road Trip which excludes Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. For more details, see the 1 Week Grand Circle Road Trip.

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