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

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.  For those with a little less time but are interested in this trip might want to consider our shortened version of the Grand Circle.  See the 1 Week Grand Circle Road Trip here.

Mileage: Approximately 1187 miles.

Main Points of Interest: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Monument Valley Tribal Park and the Grand Canyon.

Suggested Start and End for this Road Trip: Las Vegas, Nevada

What to Expect Along this Road Trip

Start Your 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!

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.

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

What Should I bring on my Road Trip?

Depending on what time of year you are planning on taking the Grand Circle Road Trip, you might want to consider some of these items:

Summer Travel:

Shirts :: Performance Short Sleeve
Shorts
Pants: Soft Shell Pants :: Trek Travel Pants
Hats
Soft Shell Jackets (Temperatures will vary day and night in these areas.  Be prepared with layers!|
Shoes: Hiking Footwear

Winter Travel:

Shoes: Hiking Footwear
Shirts: Fleece :: Performance Long Sleeve
Pants: Fleece Pants :: Insulated Pants :: Rain Pants
Gloves and Mittens
Jackets: Fleece :: Insulated Jackets :: Down Jackets

Spring and Fall temperatures will also vary so using any combo with the summer and winter ideas would be useful.  In these areas always plan for layers to keep up with the temperature changes.

Road Trip Details