Utah Road Trip Itinerary – Part I

Back in 2020 when air travel was restricted due to you-know-what, Road Trips became the thing to do to and naturally, I had to sample the lifestyle. This post will give you a feel for Utah and how best to spend a few days there, taking in most or all of the 5 National Parks in Utah as well as dipping your toes (literally) in to Lake Powell over the Arizona border. I’m 2-parting this itinerary because there is so much to fit in and I don’t want to overwhelm you!

Salt Lake City

For this itinerary we are flying in to the Crossroads of the West, Salt Lake City to kick off the adventure. Pick up your rental car and it’s time to hit the road and the first stop is Antelope Island State Park, a 2800 acre plot of land featuring Wild Bison, working Ranches and Salt Flats. It’s about a 1hr drive from Downtown SLC. This was meant to be a little pit stop on the way to the bigger, more well known parks but I was pleasantly surprised to see how stunning this place is and ended up spending hours here. I’ll let the photos do the talking. Entrance fee to the park is $15 and it is $15 well spent.

After working up an appetite, I can recommend some little foodie places in and near the City that I really enjoyed. The first one is Normal Ice Cream. The flavor & topping combinations are to die for. To be enjoyed after a stroll through Downtown Salt Lake City before hopping back in the car. If you’re more of a donut person, Please go to Duck Donuts (located south of the city, along the road trip route) where you can customize your donuts as they are made FRESH in front of your eyes, heavenly!

Moab

Donut’s in hand, it’s time to tackle the 4 hour journey to next destination – Moab – the gateway town to Arches National Park & Canyonlands National Park which are conveniently located right next to one another. NGL, I think we stayed in a janky motel here but considering the amount of time you will spend outside, you don’t need anything too fancy for sleeping. The town itself is cute with lots of eateries & stores to stock up on food & outdoor supplies. You might be overwhelmed by the amount of Jeep Wranglers that hang out here, it’s the vehicle of choice here. There’s a plethora of outdoors activities to do here including hiking, biking, jeep tours and whitewater rafting so take your time here if you want to fit them all in.

Arches National Park

Where do I start with Arches National Park? You have to get here before the sun rises to fully experience the beauty of the Arches and landscapes here. It’s the type of park that you can drive through from viewpoint to viewpoint, as each one has a parking lot and most visitors are doing the same route. You can park up and take as much time as you need to explore the Arches and then move on to the next. If you’re looking for more of a hike, I recommend the Devil’s Garden Trail for a bit of a challenge and stunning views for days. You can do a hell of a lot in 1 day here but maybe if you’re lucky enough to snag a campground space in the park, you can enjoy 2-3 days.

Now, if you’re looking for some unusual & exciting accommodations in the beautiful Utah Countryside, listen up. If you haven’t heard of Hipcamp (The Airbnb of camping/glamping sites) then where have you been the past few years? If you haven’t used it before, you can use my code OLIVIAB29B3C0 to get $10 credit when you book your first trip! I booked the most fitting accommodation for the surroundings only 1 hour from Arches National Park. It’s called Juniper Yurt Escape and that’s exactly what it was. A rustic solar powered yurt completed with outdoor shower and friendly local pupper. Beware though, he did eat a pair of my underwear that I had washed and hung out to dry, in 1 swallow. There are endless camping/glamping options around Moab and surrounding areas so if you want the “authentic” experience while you’re there, I recommend doing some research and find the one for you.

Canyonlands National Park

While staying in Moab you couldn’t possible miss out on visiting Canyonlands National Park. Think Grand Canyon vibes but less busy (at least it was when I visited). There are 3 separate sections to the park, each with a different entrance – Island in the Sky, The Needles & The Maze. I don’t think you could do them all or even 2 in a day so since I only had 1 day, I chose the Island in the Sky portion. It was smoky due to fires in surrounding areas when I visited so it did hinder the views but it was still breathtaking. Like Arches, you can drive from viewpoint to viewpoint, picking up a few short hikes along the way. The park is rich in history with strong connections to many Native American tribes. As well as hiking, there is a vast off-roading area where you can take your 4WD and rack up some mileage deep within the canyons and enjoy the death defying cliffside roads (see below).

And so concludes part 1 of the Utah Road Trip Itinerary. You could plan your trip around just the contents of this post but there’s plenty more Utah goodness to come so stay tuned for part 2. Feel free to reach out to me in Instagram or via email if you have more specific questions.

Happy Road Tripping,

Olivia

Side Note Some areas in Utah, particularly around the National Parks are prone to flash flooding, please be careful and always check the weather forecast before proceeding. Bring plenty of water & snacks in case of emergencies. Phone coverage is poor to non-existent in these remote areas so don’t take unnecessary risks. Always check the National Park Service Website before visiting any park to see any restrictions, closures or required reservations.