The 6 Best Parks on The Grand Circle Road Trip

Under three hours from Vegas, Zion National Park is the first stop on your Grand Circle road trip itinerary, where steep red-rock cliffs tower over mossy waterfalls and emerald pools in Utah’s first national park. Two of the best hikes on Earth are found right here: The Narrows and Angel’s Landing.

Canyon walls 1,000 feet high and 30 feet apart trap the north fork of the Virgin River, giving The Narrows its name. If you’d prefer to stay dry, see The Narrows from a paved path—or dive in and hike along the canyon floor, wading through the Virgin River. Be sure to check water levels before you go, as rainfall and snowmelt can mean the difference between the occasional knee-high water or wading through chest-deep pools.

Angel’s Landing is five miles and 21 switchbacks up, where you’ll climb 1,500 feet to breathtaking views. Bring lots of water and prepare to hold onto the rails—in the final stretch of your climb the path narrows to only a few feet wide with sheer drops on either side. But the view is well worth your nerves. In nearby Springdale, dinner at King’s Landing Bistro (and one of their Zion whiskey sours) is how you should celebrate conquering those cliffs.

If you’re visiting from December to February, the 57-mile Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is open to vehicles. The road is a fantastic series of twists and turns to save for a chilly, sunny day.

Only around 90 minutes from Zion, pop out of the car at Sunrise Point, one of the first stops on the 38-mile Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive. Walk 50 steps, and the world drops off into a scene of geological rock carnage 800 feet below you. Welcome to Bryce Canyon, land of mystical hoodoos and crystal-clear night skies.

From nearby Sunset Point, hike down into the amphitheater—the technical name for the canyon—via the Navajo Loop Trail. It’s a too-quick 1.3 miles; if time allots, tack on the Queen’s Garden Trail to double your time at the bottom of this majestic, rocky wonderland.

Capitol Reef may be a hodge-podge of rocky domes, narrow canyons, and fragile arches and bridges, but it’s defined by one feature: the Waterpocket Fold. A nearly 100-mile warp in the Earth’s crust juts through the park, exposing the inner workings of the past 270 million years.

The 3.4-mile round trip through Cohab Canyon is a walk through both geologic history—fins, narrow slots, and towering walls highlight the trek—and a unique chapter in human history: According to the National Park Service, Mormon pioneers, in order to evade the “cohab hunts” enforcing laws against bigamy, hid their wives here. You’ll find the trailhead 1.2 miles down the 7.9-mile Capitol Reef Scenic Drive.

On the canyon floor near the visitor center, orchards date back to the original pioneer community of Fruita. Depending on when you go, some may be open to picking—or just grab a fruit pie fresh from the Gifford Homestead and picnic on the grass.

Two hours farther west, the elements have been busy carving out otherworldly formations. Stunning highlights of the Arches National Park’s namesake feature can be seen in the Windows section: North Window, Double Arch, and Turret Arch are the big names here, and each is reached via an easy walk along a dusty red trail.

Most Arches bucket lists also prioritize the three-mile, open-sun trek to the iconic Delicate Arch. The historic Wolfe Ranch sits at the trailhead, a presumptuous name for a one-room cabin dating back to the late 1800s.

The 36-mile (round-trip) Arches National Park scenic drive winds through a maze of impossible formations, too: Balanced Rock, the Courthouse Towers and the Fiery Furnace Viewpoint are each just steps from the road.

Thirty minutes from Arches, Canyonlands is the perfect summary of the Grand Circle road trip. Each of the park’s four districts is full of arches, hoodoos and red-rock canyons, but no roads cross from one to the other. Island in the Sky is by far the most accessible district—hike to Grand View Point, one of the best Island in the Sky hikes, for a panoramic introduction to the entire park.

For more rugged Canyonlands National Park hikes, head to the backcountry of the Needles District (make sure you have four-wheel drive). Here you’ll find the Chesler Park Loop, a strenuous 10.4-mile round-trip journey through bizarre rock formations, wildflower meadows and slot canyons just barely wide enough for your shoulders.

Grand Canyon National Park’s 100th birthday is in 2019—but the great gorge it oversees has been one of the world’s most spectacular for much longer. The Colorado River cuts and winds through 277 miles of the world-famous mile-deep canyon. You can admire the canyon’s majesty from the South Rim year-round; the North Rim is open May to October.

Make your first stop Mather Point, in the Grand Canyon Village, to nab one of the best Grand Canyon views. Wander the historic district—home to the old Santa Fe Railroad depot—before hitting the Rim Trail, an impossibly scenic 13-mile path from the Village area to Hermit’s Rest. Shuttle stops line the rim, so you’re never far from a good stopping point.

You can get to the canyon floor via mule (book far in advance), or get right on the water on a guided rafting trip. The northeastern section of the canyon is calmer—don’t let inexperience stop you from seeing this magnificent UNESCO site from both above and below.