Utah has an undeniable allure that hikers, photographers, and travelers can’t deny. And OOF, when you add 5 beautiful national parks to that mix— things get a whole lot better, don’t they? But are all of the parks worth visiting? We’re about to find out as we discuss the Utah National Parks ranked best to worst! Muahahaha!
Truthfully, each Utah National Park is unique; it’s why they’ve been coined “The Mighty 5.” And a Big 5 Utah National Parks road trip is DEFINITELY worthy of a spot on your bucket list. However, this kind of adventure isn’t feasible for everyone.
I have had about three passes through each UT park, so in this blog I will do my best to pull from my experience and rank each Utah National Park from “best” to “worst.” If you only have time to visit one of the Mighty 5 right now, hopefully, this blog will clarify which one to see first!
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🏜If you’re heading to some of the best Utah National Parks, I suggest booking a stay at Crystal Inn Hotel near Salt Lake and Scenic View Inn Moab!
Utah National Parks Ranking System
So how does one rank Utah National Parks anyways? It took some time, but I had to take in specific criteria to get the Utah National Parks ranked for you.
These criteria look like Utah National Park’s facilities, trails, scenery, photogenic-ness, transportation methods, and crowds. Then, I gave each park a score out of ten for each “category” and added our totals!
I want to preface this blog by saying that I do not dislike Utah National Parks.
However, if you had the opportunity only to visit one of the five parks, I want to make sure you have the information you need to pick the right one for you!
Now that we’ve set expectations and taken a look at our ranking system let’s dive into each UT park! To help you further decide what park is suitable for you, I’ve also included details on when to visit, how much time you need, camping, and things to do.
🌲Remember to grab your America the Beautiful pass!
#1 Zion National Park (Best Utah National Park)
Zion ranked the highest out of the Utah National Parks. However, where it shines the most is its trail options and scenery. It’s difficult to remember to blink as you drive through Zion! The views will leave you speechless and there is so much to do there.
SCORE: 41/50
Best Time to Visit
When planning your trip to Zion, shoot for late spring and early summer. Don’t expect to avoid the crowds, though. The upside to visiting in the summer is having access to all of the trails (they sometimes close them in late spring due to weather).
If you are visiting for the first time and want to do day hikes, 2 days in Zion is more than enough time!
However, if you’re in the mood for a more extended trip that includes backpacking, canyoneering, etc., spend about 4 to 5 days there. That’ll give you enough time to take a break in between hikes and other adventures! Bring sturdy hiking boots for your adventures.
Where to Stay
Springdale will be your best bet! Try these options:
Historic Cottage — OMG, this property gives me fairytale vibes. It’s located in Springdale and about a 2min drive from the park entrance. Great if you want to book a home away from home during your visit!
Zion Lodge — Zion Lodge is in the park and has literally everything you need, from a business center to a cafe, to ensure your stay is extra special!
Camping — Kolob Terrace Road and BLM Land along the 59 are both free camping options.
The Best Things to Do in Zion
For a better idea of things to do in Zion National Park, read my Zion National Park Guide!
- Angels Landing for sunrise
- Horseback riding
- UTV Tour & Slot Canyon Excursion
- Observation Point
- Zion Jeep Tour
- Canyon Overlook
- Pa’rus Trail + the River Access Trails
- The Watchman Trail
🥾Don’t have much time? You HAVE to do a slot canyon tour or a private hiking tour!
Cons About Zion
From experience, there’s only one major con to Zion National Park: Zion’s transportation system is the worst. To visit most trails, you must park at the Visitor Center and take a shuttle. If parking is full (which it usually is), then you will have to park outside of the park and pay upwards of $20!
The only other place to park in Zion is the small pull-outs located along the roads, which also fill up. So folks opt to rent bikes in Zion, but that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
Insider Tip: If you’re interested in reading more about when to visit Zion, head to my complete Zion National Park Guide!
#2 Arches National Park
Arches is a reasonably famous Utah National Park, and it’s easy to see why! Similar to Zion, there is a ton of hiking to do. However, what I will say Arches really has going for it is how photogenic it is!
Arches National Park sunrise and sunset spots glitter with a vibrant red. To capture its beauty, I recommend a Sony a6400 or a Sony a7RIII. You’ll need a 16-35mm lens too.
SCORE: 40/50
Best Time to Visit
Winter is a fantastic time to visit because Arches turns into the dreamiest place ever! The crowds during winter are also at a minimum. If winter is not your jam, aim for spring. In regards to how long to make your trip, two days in Moab or one day in Arches National Park is more than enough time to explore Arches!
You will be able to see a majority of the spots. However, if you want to see more of the Moab area and tack on some additional activities to your itinerary, go for about 4 days!
Where to Stay
Moab is the ideal place to stay during your visit!
Scenic View Inn — A budget-friendly hotel nestled in a Moab neighborhood that puts you exactly where you need to be to explore the parks!
Luxury Condo — Beautiful 2BR condo near the heart of Moab! Book a cozy stay in Moab where you’ll have a comfy home away from home.
Camping — There are various campgrounds you can choose to stay in including: Devils Garden Campground, Sand Flats Recreation Area, and Willow Springs Road.
The Best Things to Do in Arches
Lucky for you, Arches has a ton of great things to do! These are some of the more popular options:
- 4×4 Adventure
- Best of Moab Day Tour
- Delicate Arch for sunrise
- Windows Section
- Sand Dune Arch
🥾Don’t have much time? Take this Moab day tour and see it all!
Cons About Arches National Park
Like most popular places, the crowds are the worst part about Arches National Park.
If you do not arrive in the park early enough, you will experience long wait times to enter it, which takes away from adventure time! But at least you can go to the neighboring park, Canyonlands, during your visit.
Pro tip: Consider making time to see sunset and sunrise in Arches NP — it’s beautiful!
#3 Bryce National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is known for its massive hoodoo formations and orange color! The first time I visited this place, I was in such awe! What’s sure to surprise you about Bryce is how orange it is.
The rock formations in Bryce National Park are seriously insane and will leave you speechless. For some of the trails you’ll definitely want trekking poles.
SCORE: 36/50
Best Time to Visit
Late spring and early winter are the best times to visit Bryce National Park! Late spring is great because the trails begin to open, and you are less likely to experience massive crowds.
Winter is beautiful, though, because Bryce’s orange walls pop after a fresh dusting of snow. You can get away with spending one day in Bryce. Doing so will give you enough time to hike the ever so famous Navajo Trail and catch a decent sunset/ sunrise!
Where to Stay
Bryce Country Cabins — Stay in these charming cabins that are just outside the park!
Canyon View Home — 1BR home outside of Bryce NP that has a beautiful canyon view! Book this Vrbo to have a beautiful stay surrounded by nature.
Camping — If you want to camp near Bryce you can try Sunset Campground or BLM Land outside of the park.
The Best Things to do in Bryce National Park
If you’re considering exploring Bryce National Park, try these popular attractions:
- Sunset Point
- Sunrise Point
- Navajo Trail and Queen’s Garden
- Red Canyon (just outside Bryce National Park)
- Park Tour from Las Vegas
🥾Short on time? See multiple national parks with this inclusive tour!
Cons About Bryce National Park
I have always loved Bryce National Park for its unique orange hoodoo formations. However, if you’re exploring the park all day, everything begins to look the same.
I think this sounds kind of superficial, but it’s true! You can’t beat the beauty here, but most of the park does look similar.
Insider Tip: If you want to visit another national park, I recommend spending 2 days in Zion then driving an hour to Bryce— remember your America the Beautiful pass!
#4 Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is beautiful and surprisingly under explored. So if you’re looking for fewer crowds, visit this Utah National Park! Canyonlands ended up ranking lower than the rest of the parks because it is so spread out that the activities aren’t nearly as accessible as those in the other parks.
So if you’re not a climber, off-roader, or mountain biker, you may not enjoy this park as much. BUT, if you’re up for booking some tours when you go, you’ll have a hell of a time. Bring a hat and sunscreen!
SCORE: 36/50
Best Time to Visit
My absolute favorite time to visit Canyonlands National Park is in the winter. However, you can also visit Canyonlands in late spring or early summer for decent weather and lovely sunshine.
If you want to get a decent sunset and sunrise in Canyonlands, I think it’s appropriate to allocate one to two days to explore the park. You can also visit Dead Horse Point State Park, located right outside Canyonlands!
Where to Stay
Canyonlands National Park is in the Moab area, which means you can stay in the same properties you would for an Arches trip—and you can visit both parks!
Scenic View Inn — A budget-friendly hotel nestled in a Moab neighborhood that puts you exactly where you need to be to explore the parks!
Luxury Condo — Beautiful 2BR condo near the heart of Moab! Book a cozy stay in Moab where you’ll have a comfy home away from home.
Camping — There are various campgrounds you can choose to stay in including Willow Flats Campground, Sand Flats Recreation Area, and Willow Springs Road.
The Best Things to do in Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands is known for its beautiful vistas. You can also book some bucket list experiences here!
- Mesa Arch for sunrise
- Paddleboarding in Moab
- Green River Overlook
- Packrafting Utah’s Green River
🥾You can’t miss this! Book a 4WD tour along the bucket list White Rim Trail!
Cons About Canyonlands National Park
The park can be boring. I don’t mean to sound prude, but when you compare Canyonlands to a place like Zion, Canyonlands lacks easily accessible trails!
You’ll enjoy this park much more if you can do a unique experience like off-roading or packrafting.
Insider Tip: If you can, get a guide and packraft the Green River that runs through Canyonlands NP; I did this in 2019, and it was seriously one of the best experiences of my life.
#5 Capitol Reef National Park (Cutest Utah National Park)
Capitol Reef is probably the cutest National Park I have ever visited. The farm area is to die for. One of the main highlights of Capitol Reef is Cathedral Valley Road, which requires a high clearance vehicle.
In all honesty, I love this park! You really need one day in Capitol Reef, which will allow you to hit most of the highlights! However, it ranked lower than the others because there aren’t that many thrilling hiking trails or attractions compared to the other parks.
SCORE: 34/50
Best Time to Visit
The summer is the best time to visit the park! If you want some cooler weather, you can try for the spring, but you need to watch the weather report for rain since it can flood the roads. It would seriously suck to get stuck somewhere like Cathedral Valley Road!
If you decide to drive Cathedral Valley Road, I think you need to give yourself two days to explore that and the rest of the park! Otherwise, one day is perfect. When you visit, I suggest exploring the surrounding area, Hanksville, too.
Where to Stay
Your stay options near Capitol Reef are a bit limited but here is what I recommend:
Pet-Friendly Home — Adorable pet-friendly home with a view right outside the park!
Camping — For camping try the BLM land near Beas Lewis Flat Road or Fruita Campground.
The Best Things to do in Capitol Reef National Park
Ready to see what there is to do in Capitol Reef? Try these!
- Capitol Reef Scenic Byway
- Hickman Natural Bridge
- Cathedral Valley Road
- Sample baked goods made at Gifford House
Looking for something memorable to do? Book this Capitol Reef horseback ride!
Cons About Capitol Reef
If it rains in Capitol Reef National Park, you become extremely limited in your activities.
This is because most of the roads in the park are prone to flooding (like my favorite, Cathedral Valley Road), and no vehicle will be able to pass through.
Insider Tip: If you’re into off-roading, come to Capitol Reef— Cathedral Valley Road is sooooo beautiful and my favorite part of the entire park.
Tips for Visiting the Parks
If you’re going to be visiting and of the Utah National Parks ranked in this blog, keep the following tips in mind!
Go Early to Avoid Crowds
Utah National Parks are POPULAR. If you want to go to some of the top-rated ones, you’ll want to get there early! Sometimes the parks get so crowded that you’ll be navigating through swarms of people during your adventures. Go early to avoid crowds.
Save Money and Grab an Annual Pass
Use an America the Beautiful Pass to get into all these parks! The pass is $80 and will pay for itself if you visit all 5 UT parks (each has a $35 entry fee). Plus you can obviously use your pass to visit other National Parks.
Double Up
Luckily, visiting Utah’s Mighty 5 isn’t very difficult. While you can go to one park, you can easily hit a couple on a single trip! For example, Bryce and Zion are about an hour apart, while Arches and Canyonlands are next door neighbors.
Make a Trip Out of It
Remember, you can tack all of these parks or a couple to a larger Southwest road trip you might be planning. For example, Arches and Canyonlands are the perfect additions to an Arizona Utah road trip! You really can’t go wrong with exploring the Southwest!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Mighty 5 Utah Parks?
The Mighty 5 Utah parks are Arches, Zion, Canyonlands, Bryce, and Capitol Reef.
Which of the Mighty 5 is the best?
Zion is the best of the Utah National Parks because of its accessibility and various attractions.
Which is the most beautiful park in Utah?
Zion and Arches are the most beautiful parks in Utah, but each of the Mighty 5 has something unique and beautiful to offer!
How many days do you need to see the Mighty 5?
You can do a Utah National Parks road trip through the Mighty 5 in 8 days.
What to Pack for Your Trip
Heading to Utah National Parks soon? Make sure you have these and an America the Beautiful Pass!
How to Pick Which Ranked Utah National Park to Visit
Picking a park is a tough decision! It all comes down to what kind of activities you’re into and what sort of Southwest trip you think you’ll have. For example, if you’re a thrill seeker, you might be into Canyonlands. If you want to relax, Capitol Reef is perfect for you!
But, if you have time, I recommend checking out all of them. Each Utah National Park has its own unique attributes that I love.
I have a Utah National Parks road trip blog you can read next that highlights what visiting all 5 parks would look like!
Regardless of which UT National Park you choose to visit, I hope you have a fantastic trip! Happy exploring :).
Hey this was a great article/blog. I’m doing the night 5 in June and I was very curious for very real and truthful descriptions from someone who had done them all. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Thank you so much Kyl! I appreciate the feedback and I hope you enjoy your trip 🙂
Hi,
Great article! Definitely doing one of these trips. Was wondering which trail you had taken to see the sort of open cave in Zion. (Last of the Zion pictures).
This is great, thanks for sharing, planning on visiting these parks soon and this definitely takes out some of the guesswork ????
It’s funny how you also used those particular ranking categories for the national parks. I have seen another blogger, I think her name is renee roams (or something like that) use the exact same ranking scale for her national parks trip a couple of years back! She also used a 1-10 scale and ranked them out of 50 haha
Yes! I put a link to her blog under the “ranking example”. That’s where the idea came from! I think her ranking system is a bit more detailed, though.
Hi Dani, I am looking for more information on the BLM public land camping to save costs when my boyfriend and I visit the Utah NPs this May. How do you find them? Are there pins of the locations you can share that you’ve mentioned in this article? All of the information you have provided here has been super helpful as we plan our trip, thank you so much!
This Utah National Parks guide is incredibly helpful. You’ve really thought through everything you need to know before planning a trip. Thank you for this helpful resource. Saving this guide for later!
I am going to be driving from CT to CA this summer and your page was so helpful in planning my Utah camps! Thank you for the great tips