Come see red rock arches, dramatic river canyons and pink sandstone cliffs at the best national parks in Utah.

It’s impossible to pick the absolute best Utah national park with all the breathtaking landscapes of rust colored rock formations, soaring canyon walls, and high desert mesas filling the southern half of the state.

In addition to what's known as the Utah Mighty 5 national parks, the Beehive State has a dozen or so national monuments, recreation areas and historical parks managed by the National Park Service. And there’s a reason to fall in love with every one of the best Utah national parks — the bucket list hikes of Zion, the sunrises at Bryce Canyon, the backcountry drives in Canyonlands.

Since we all have different tastes and adventurous spirits, instead of recommending the best national park in Utah for your first trip, I’m breaking down the high and low points of each so you can find your favorite. This list of the Utah big 5 national parks is in order by popularity based on visitation data from the NPS.

Scroll to the end for tour and itinerary ideas for visiting national parks in Utah.

Map of the Best Utah National Parks

These are the best national parks in Utah to see canyons, arches, sandstone buttes and more! We’ve ranked the Utah national parks from the most to least visited.

The map below of Utah’s national parks shows the Mighty Five parks in orange and other NPS managed sites in turquoise. Click on the box in the upper right corner to open a Google Map that you can save to plan your adventure.

Zion National Park

Zion is the most visited national park in the state, clocking in over 5 million visitors last year. The famous Angel’s Landing trail here is so popular that hikers now need a permit to climb to the top.

The Zion landscape is formed by the Virgin River cutting through a canyon with soaring pink and orange cliffs. Visitors can drive in from the east on the historic Zion-Mount Carmel Highway to wind down switchbacks and through tunnels to the bottom, or approach from the southwest at the lower elevation.

While there are hikes and backcountry adventures in a wide area of the park, most people head straight for Zion Canyon, where you have to ride the free park shuttle to access Floor of the Valley Road for a dozen or so trails. As you go further down the route, the canyon narrows until the pavement eventually ends and the river begins.

Pros for Zion National Park

Zion is one of the best national parks in Utah for adventurous hikes like the Angel’s Landing climb up a narrow ridge with drop offs on each side and The Narrows trail in the river with towering canyon walls overhead. The park also has well developed facilities at a few key points on the canyon road and a free shuttle system.

Cons for Zion National Park

The biggest downside here is the crowds, which mean traffic, busy trails, long lines to ride the shuttle, full parking lots, and high prices for accommodations and parking in the neighboring town of Springdale. You also now need a permit to hike the Angel’s Landing trail here (distributed through a lotto system). To avoid some of this, you can visit in the winter off season or spend more time in less busy sections of the park like the Kolob Canyons or the East Rim.

Zion National Park Annual Visitors

5,039,835

Best Time to Visit Zion National Park

Most people visit from March to November, so winter visits will be less crowded and cheaper, though you won’t be able to hike some of the bucket list trails. Avoid holidays, weekends and summer if possible.

Top Activities at Zion National Park

Hiking The Narrows (up to 9.4 miles), Angel’s Landing (5.4 miles) and Canyon Overlook (1 mile) trails is one of the best ways to see the Zion scenery. You also don’t want to miss a drive on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. Please note: the Angel’s Landing hike requires a permit obtained through a lottery system.

These are the best things to do in Zion National Park in a day.

Where to Stay Near Zion National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is the second most popular of the Utah national parks, with more than 2.1 million annual visitors. It’s only about 2 hours from Zion National Park, so the two pair together well for a Bryce and Zion road trip.

The canyon basin in Bryce is full of orange hoodoos, tall rock spire and stack formations. Some more distinguishable ones are named for what they resemble — Queen Victoria, Thor’s Hammer, Three Sisters.

The best views are easy to access from a handful of lookouts, including Inspiration Point, Bryce Point, Sunrise Point and Sunset Point. These overlooks are all within 3 miles of each other along a rim trail and free park shuttle route, so Bryce Canyon is our winner for the best Utah national park for a quick visit.

Of course, if you can stay for half a day or longer, there are some incredible hiking trails that lead down into the canyon where you can walk amongst the hoodoos.

Pros for Bryce Canyon National Park

Aside from the stunning rock scenery here, the biggest pro of Bryce Canyon is the cooler temps in summer (it has the lowest average daytime highs of the Utah parks). It’s also one of the easiest parks to see on a short visit. There is a free shuttle system and restroom facilities available at most of the main overlooks.

Cons for Bryce Canyon National Park

Like many of the best Utah national parks, the popular viewpoints and their parking lots are often crowded and sometimes full at prime times. There is a free shuttle from a large lot outside the park to the four main overlooks, but the lines get long during peak visitation.

Annual Visitors at Bryce Canyon National Park

2,104,600

Best Time to Visit Bryce Canyon National Park

If you just come for the views, winter can be a magical time to see the orange canyon basin filled with snow while avoiding summer crowds. Just be aware that some roads and trails close when there is ice and snow. Spring and fall are a little less busy than summer and great for hiking into the canyon.

Top Activities at Bryce Canyon National Park

Aside from visiting the overlooks, hiking on the Rim Trail or into Bryce Canyon is one of the best things to do here. Popular short day hikes include the Navajo Loop Trail (1.3 miles), Queen’s Garden Trail (1.8 miles) and the Navajo and Queen’s Garden Loop (2.9 miles). More adventurous hikers can hop on the difficult Peekaboo Loop (5.5 miles) or Figure 8 Combo (6.4 miles) that includes all the hikes above.

This is the best way to spend a day at Bryce Canyon.

Where to Stay Near Bryce Canyon National Park

Arches National Park

With more than 2,000 sandstone arches in shades of burnt orange and rusty red, Arches National Park is one of the best national parks in Utah to photograph. Located just outside the town of Moab on the eastern side of the state, the park pairs nicely with neighboring Canyonlands National Park for a combo trip.

You can get up close to several of the park’s impressive spans on easy and moderate trails, so this is our favorite Utah national park for family-friendly hikes.

Pros for Arches National Park

Arches is one of the best Utah national parks for short and family-friendly trails, photography and ease of access on a quick visit.

The crowded park requires a timed entry reservation to visit between April and October. Reservations are released three months in advance in monthly blocks. There is no park shuttle. The only flush toilets are at the visitor center and water is only available at the two ends of the park.

Annual Visitors at Arches National Park

1,806,865

Best Time to Visit Arches National Park

Summer is the busiest season but the park also hits capacity in spring and fall. It’s essential to arrive before 8 a.m. during any of those seasons. The weather is best for hiking in spring and fall as summer in the desert gets pretty hot.

Top Activities at Arches National Park

For easy hikes, head to The Windows (1 mile) for three arches on one trail, Double Arch (0.5 mile) for a two-in-one span, Sand Dune Arch (0.3 mile) to play in soft orange sand under an arch, and Landscape Arch (1.9 miles) to see one of the longest arches in the world.

One of the most popular trails in the park leads to the famous Delicate Arch, a 46-foot freestanding feature that has become a symbol for the state. Adventurous hikers tackle the difficult 3-mile trail that leads right up under it, but you can get a farther view from the Lower Viewpoint or Upper Viewpoint (0.5 mile).

Where to Stay Near Arches National Park

Capitol Reef National Park

The most remote and quiet feeling of the national parks in Utah, Capitol Reef is in the south-central part of the state surrounded by deserts, canyons and national monuments and recreation areas. It’s midway between Bryce Canyon and Arches, about two hours to each.

The varied landscape at Capitol Reef is a bit like a sampler of several other popular Utah destinations. Two popular hikes here lead to the Cassidy and Hickman Bridge arches. The Grand Wash trail cuts through a narrowing gorge. The rugged Cathedral Valley drive features colossal monoliths. And several challenging trails lead up to canyon and dome views.

Pros for Capitol Reef National Park

The park is more remote and less crowded than some of the other Utah big 5 national parks. The surrounding farms and orchards are also a unique and refreshing landscape in this area. The Scenic Drive is the only section of the park you have to pay to visit.

Cons for Capitol Reef National Park

There is a lack of facilities and resources outside of the small developed zone near the visitor center and a couple of trailhead pit toilets on the Scenic Drive. Several of the trails are down rocky, unpaved roads that can be rough on standard vehicles.

Annual Visitors at Capitol Reef National Park

1,405,353

Best Time to Visit Capitol Reef National Park

Avoid the end of summer monsoon season that can cause flash flooding in the narrow canyons. Spring has ideal temperatures for hiking and dryer conditions for driving the unpaved roads.

Top Activities at Capitol Reef National Park

More than a dozen trails here include Hickman Bridge (1.8 miles), Grand Wash (up to 4.4 miles), Capitol Gorge (2 miles), Cassidy Arch (3.4 miles), Sunset Point (0.8 miles) and Chimney Rock Loop (3.6 miles). The Cathedral Valley Loop drive is also a must if you have a high ground-clearance vehicle and a good 8 hours to spare.

Where to Stay Near Capitol Reef National Park

Canyonlands National Park

The least visited of the big 5 national parks in Utah, Canyonlands has four different sections to explore. A couple are very rugged and remote, but you can more easily check out the scenery from the Needles and Island in the Sky districts.

Just 30 miles from downtown Moab, Island in the Sky is the most popular area in Canyonlands, situated atop a mesa with views down toward canyon layers cut by the Colorado and Green rivers. 

Pros for Canyonlands National Park

This is the least-visited Utah national park and has a couple of super remote sections you can explore to truly escape the crowds. The popular Island in the Sky section is easy to navigate and has several easy and moderate hikes.

Cons for Canyonlands National Park

As the busiest section, Island in the Sky often has long lines at the entrance station during the high season and parking lots at popular trailheads fill up at peak times. The park only has pit toilets, even at the visitor center and drinking water is only available at the visitor center.

Annual Visitors at Canyonlands National Park

911,594

Best Time to Visit Canyonlands National Park

Spring and fall have the best hiking weather and are a little less crowded than summer, especially the shoulder months like April and November.

Top Activities in Canyonlands National Park

In the Island in the Sky district, you’ll want to check out Mesa Arch hike (0.5 miles), the Green River Overlook, the Shafer Canyon Overlook and Grand View Point and trail (2 miles). The Needles section has more than 60 miles of remote and adventurous treks.

Where to Stay Near Canyonlands National Park

Utah National Parks Tours 

These Utah national park tours highlight the best things to do in each location.

These Utah national park tours will introduce you to the stunning canyon landscapes of southern Utah. Experience thrilling helicopter rides, rafting, off-road adventures, and more.

Utah National Parks Itinerary and Road Trips

These itineraries will help you plan trips to different combos of the best national parks in Utah.

1 to 2 Day Arches and Canyonlands Itinerary

3 to 4 Day Zion and Bryce Canyon Itinerary

4 Day Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon Itinerary

7 to 9 Day Utah National Parks Road Trip

10 Day Utah and Arizona Road Trip

7 to 14 Day Colorado to Utah Road Trip