The National Parks of Utah: The Mighty 5
Utah is well known as one of the “must visit” states that national park enthusiasts need to travel to. Utah has five of the most iconic National Parks in the entire United States.
The five Utah National Parks are:
Arches National Park
Best Months: May, June, November & August
Hours: Open year-round, 24 hours a day
Entrance Fee: $30 per vehicle, valid for 7 days
Bryce Canyon National Park
Best Months: September, June, May & August
Hours: Open 24 hours a day all year
Entrance Fee: $35 per vehicle, valid for 7 days
Canyonlands National Park
Best Months: May, June, April & October
Hours: Open year-round, 24 hours a day
Entrance Fee: $30 per vehicle, valid for 7 days
Capitol Reef National Park
Best Months: June, May, January & February
Hours: Open year-round, 24 hours a day
Entrance Fee: $20 per vehicle, valid for 7 days
Zion National Park
Best Months: May, September, April & October
Hours: Open 365 days a year, however shuttle service is only running during daylight hours.
Entrance Fee: $35, Valid for 7 days
Visiting all Utah National Parks on One Road Trip
We created an epic road trip itinerary that visits each National Park in Utah. We call it our FULL UTAH trip.
This trip can be done in a minimum of 7 days, but the optimum amount is at least 10. This trip covers over 750 miles (at least 12 hours), and starts in Salt Lake City before finishing in Las Vegas.
Utah National Parks Map
| Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Canyonlands National Park | Moab, UT, 84532 |
| Capitol Reef National Park | Torrey, UT, 84775 |
| Zion National Park | Springdale, UT, 84767 |
| Arches National Park | Moab, UT, 84532 |
| Bryce Canyon National Park | Bryce, UT, 84764 |
Utah National Parks by Size
Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah, followed closely by Capitol Reef, then Zion. Bryce Canyon is the smallest of all Utah National Parks, coming in at less than half the size of Arches (the next smallest).
| Rank | Name | Acres | Square KM |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Canyonlands National Park | 337,598 | 1,367 |
| #2 | Capitol Reef National Park | 241,904 | 979 |
| #3 | Zion National Park | 147,237 | 596 |
| #4 | Arches National Park | 76,679 | 310 |
| #5 | Bryce Canyon National Park | 35,835 | 145 |
Other National Park Sites in Utah
Besides the Mighty Five, there are eight other official National Park Service sites located within the state.
It should be noted that some of these parks are amazing, even if they aren’t one of the big five. A few of them are actually listed in my National Park Alternatives article. Glen Canyon Recreation Area has a ton of great places like the Wahweap Overlook and Marble Canyon, which makes it a great stop on the way to or in the place of Zion National Park. Nearby Natural Bridges is a much smaller but less crowded version of Arches as well.
| Name | Designation | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Glen Canyon National Recreation Area | National Recreation Area | Page, 86040 |
| Golden Spike National Historic Site | National Historical Park | Corinne, 84307 |
| Timpanogos Cave National Monument | National Monument | American Fork, 84003 |
| Dinosaur National Monument | National Monument | Jensen, 84035 |
| Natural Bridges National Monument | National Monument | Lake Powell, 84533 |
| Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument | National Monument | Saint George, 84790 |
| Rainbow Bridge National Monument | National Monument | Lake Powell, 84533 |
| Hovenweep National Monument | National Monument | Cortez, 81321 |
| Cedar Breaks National Monument | National Monument | Brian Head, 84719 |
