National Parks of the Grand Circle
Robert DeckerThe Ultimate Grand Circle National Parks Road Trip: 9 Parks + Great Basin
If there is one road trip every National Park lover should have on their list, the Grand Circle belongs near the top.
This extraordinary loop through the American Southwest connects some of the most recognizable landscapes in the country: Zion's towering canyon walls, Bryce Canyon's hoodoos, Capitol Reef's Waterpocket Fold, the arches and canyons around Moab, Mesa Verde's ancestral sites, Petrified Forest's colorful badlands, and—of course—the Grand Canyon.
And there really is no better way to experience it than from the open road.
You can enter the Grand Circle from several major cities, including Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Denver. For this itinerary, we're going to begin in Las Vegas and travel through nine National Parks before completing the loop.
If you have extra time, I'll also show you how to add Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada.
The Grand Circle Route
- Zion National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
Optional add-on: Great Basin National Park
You could race through this route in roughly 10 days, but I wouldn't recommend it. Two weeks is much better, and 18–21 days gives you enough time to hike, photograph, explore, and actually enjoy the parks instead of spending your entire trip watching the scenery through a windshield.
As a photographer, I generally like to spend at least two nights at a park whenever possible. That gives me time to explore and—just as importantly—a second chance if the weather doesn't cooperate.
1. Zion National Park, Utah
From Las Vegas, head northeast toward Springdale, Utah, the gateway to Zion National Park.
You'll know you've entered Zion country when the landscape suddenly begins rising around you in enormous walls of cream, pink, orange, and red sandstone.
Zion became a National Park in 1919 and today offers everything from easy riverside walks to strenuous canyon adventures.
One of my favorite experiences is hiking The Narrows, where the Virgin River itself becomes the trail between towering canyon walls. When water and weather conditions are favorable, it is a remarkable experience.
Don't Miss at Zion
- The Narrows
- Zion Canyon
- Emerald Pools
- Riverside Walk
- Canyon Overlook
- Zion–Mt. Carmel Highway
Before your trip, take a look at my complete guide to the best things to do in Zion National Park →
Two nights gives you a full day in Zion. Add another night if you're planning one of the longer hikes.
2. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
From Zion, continue northeast to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Bryce is home to the world's largest concentration of hoodoos—fantastically shaped pillars of rock produced by weathering, erosion, and repeated freezing and thawing.
Bryce Canyon is one of my favorite National Parks.
Get to the rim for sunset—but make the effort to get up for sunrise, too. The first light hitting the orange and pink hoodoos of the Bryce Amphitheater is extraordinary.
And don't just admire them from above. Hiking down into the amphitheater completely changes your sense of scale.
Don't Miss at Bryce Canyon
- Sunrise Point
- Sunset Point
- Bryce Point
- Navajo Loop
- Queen's Garden Trail
- Scenic Drive
You can also explore the amphitheater on horseback. Learn more in my guide to the best things to do at Bryce Canyon →
Bryce faces east, which is one reason sunrise can be so spectacular. Arrive before the sun clears the horizon and let the light come to you.
3. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
From Bryce Canyon, continue toward Capitol Reef National Park, one of the most underrated stops on the Grand Circle.
Capitol Reef protects part of the nearly 100-mile-long Waterpocket Fold, an enormous wrinkle in the Earth's crust filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, arches, and colorful desert rock.
At the heart of the park is the Fruita Historic District, where Mormon pioneers settled along the Fremont River and planted orchards of apples, pears, peaches, and other fruit.
You can make Capitol Reef a shorter stop on the way toward Moab, but I think it deserves at least one night if your schedule allows.
Nearby Torrey, Utah makes an excellent base.
See my guide to the best things to do at Capitol Reef →
4. Arches National Park, Utah
Next, head toward Moab, one of the great outdoor-adventure towns of the American West.
Moab gives you easy access to two very different National Parks—Arches and Canyonlands.
Start with Arches National Park.
The park protects more than 2,000 documented natural stone arches along with fins, pinnacles, balanced rocks, and enormous sandstone formations.
Delicate Arch may be the star, but don't stop there. Landscape Arch, Balanced Rock, Double Arch, Windows, and Park Avenue all deserve time.
Moab makes an ideal base for exploring the park, with plenty of lodging, restaurants, gear shops, and access to additional public lands.
Read more about Moab as your gateway to Arches →
And use my guide to the best things to do in Arches National Park →
5. Canyonlands National Park, Utah
While you're based in Moab, save at least one full day for Canyonlands National Park.
The Colorado and Green rivers divide Canyonlands into four distinct districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves.
For a first visit, Island in the Sky is the easiest district to explore from Moab and delivers some enormous views over the surrounding canyon country.
But Canyonlands rewards visitors who look beyond a single overlook. The districts are dramatically different, and reaching one from another generally means driving around the great canyons that separate them.
Learn more about Moab as your gateway to Canyonlands →
Then explore my guide to the best things to do in Canyonlands →
Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands make an extraordinary road trip all by themselves. But we're only about halfway through the Grand Circle.
6. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
From Moab, head east into Colorado toward Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
This park is dramatically different from Utah's red-rock country.
Here, the Gunnison River cuts through ancient rock in a canyon so deep, steep, and narrow that portions of the gorge receive very little direct sunlight.
Black Canyon began as a National Monument in 1933 and became a National Park in 1999.
For most visitors, the South Rim provides the easiest access to scenic overlooks, short trails, and some of the park's most dramatic views.
Use my updated guide to the best things to do at Black Canyon of the Gunnison →
7. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Continue south toward Mesa Verde National Park.
You have several scenic route possibilities, including drives through some of southwestern Colorado's spectacular mountain country.
Mesa Verde is unlike every park you've visited so far on this trip because the human story takes center stage.
Established in 1906, Mesa Verde protects thousands of archaeological sites associated with Ancestral Pueblo people who lived in this region for centuries.
The park is famous for its remarkable cliff dwellings, including Cliff Palace, as well as mesa-top villages and other archaeological sites.
Nearby Cortez, Colorado is an excellent base for exploring the park.
Then take a look at my guide to the best things to do at Mesa Verde →
Distances inside the park are greater than they may appear on a map, and the archaeological sites deserve more than a quick drive-by.
8. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
From Mesa Verde, head south and west toward Arizona and Petrified Forest National Park.
This park is often treated as a quick roadside stop.
That's a mistake.
Petrified Forest protects enormous concentrations of fossilized trees along with colorful badlands, petroglyphs, archaeological sites, historic Route 66 remnants, and surprisingly extensive wilderness.
The fossilized trees date to the Late Triassic Period, more than 200 million years ago.
A single main park road makes it possible to see many highlights in one day, but getting out of the car reveals a very different park.
There is no hotel lodging inside the park, and developed campground facilities are not available. The nearby town of Holbrook provides lodging and other services.
See my guide to the best things to do at Petrified Forest National Park →
9. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Now it's time for the grand finale.
Grand Canyon National Park is one of those rare places where all the photographs you've seen still don't prepare you for standing on the rim.
The canyon stretches for roughly 277 river miles, reaches up to 18 miles across, and in places is more than a mile deep.
The South Rim is the most accessible section for most Grand Circle travelers and offers countless overlooks, trails, historic sites, and opportunities to descend below the rim.
Don't Miss at the Grand Canyon
- Mather Point
- Desert View
- Grand Canyon Village
- Hermit Road
- South Kaibab Trail
- Bright Angel Trail
- Sunrise or sunset from the rim
You can experience the canyon by hiking, backpacking, cycling, mule trip, or river trip—or simply by slowing down and watching the light move across the walls.
Use my guide to the best things to do at the Grand Canyon South Rim →
Hiking down into the Grand Canyon is optional. Hiking back out isn't. Elevation, heat, distance, and lack of shade make below-the-rim hikes much more demanding than many first-time visitors expect.
Bonus Stop: Great Basin National Park, Nevada
If you have extra time, consider adding Great Basin National Park to the beginning or end of your trip near Zion.
It's definitely a detour—but that's also part of its appeal.
Great Basin protects a completely different western landscape: the 13,063-foot summit of Wheeler Peak, high-elevation forests, ancient bristlecone pines, alpine lakes, Lehman Caves, sagebrush valleys, and remarkably dark skies.
This is a park where solitude is part of the attraction.
Explore my guide to the best things to do in Great Basin →
How Many Days Do You Need for the Grand Circle?
A Practical Planning Guide
- 10 days: Fast-paced highlights trip with considerable driving
- 14 days: Much better balance of driving, hiking, and sightseeing
- 18–21 days: Ideal if you want two nights at many parks and time for photography
- 3+ weeks: Add Great Basin, longer hikes, rest days, and additional public lands along the route
If your goal is simply to say you've been to nine National Parks, you can move quickly.
If you want to experience them, slow down.
Where Should You Start the Grand Circle?
There isn't one correct starting point.
Good Gateway Cities
- Las Vegas: Excellent starting point for Zion and Great Basin
- Salt Lake City: Convenient for Utah's Mighty Five
- Phoenix: Useful for Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest
- Albuquerque: Good access to the southern/eastern side of the route
- Denver: Makes sense if you want to begin with Colorado's National Parks
Your best starting point will usually depend on airfare, rental-car prices, available vacation time, and which parks matter most to you.
Grand Circle Road Trip Tips
Before You Hit the Road
- Don't underestimate distances. The West is enormous.
- Build in extra time. Scenic stops have a way of multiplying.
- Reserve popular lodging early. Especially during spring, summer, and fall.
- Check park operations. Shuttle systems, road closures, permits, and reservation requirements can change.
- Carry water. Many sections of this route cross hot, remote desert country.
- Download maps. Cell service can disappear quickly.
- Fuel up before remote stretches. Don't assume the next town is close.
- Leave room for spontaneity. Some of the best places won't be on your original itinerary.
Don't schedule every sunrise, sunset, hike, and driving hour so tightly that you can't respond to good light, bad weather, wildlife, or an unexpected place you want to explore. Give yourself some breathing room.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Grand Circle
What National Parks are on the Grand Circle road trip?
A Grand Circle itinerary can vary, but this route connects Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde, Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon National Parks, with Great Basin as an optional extension.
How long does it take to drive the Grand Circle?
While the route can technically be covered quickly, two to three weeks provides a much better experience if you want to hike, photograph, and explore the parks rather than simply drive between them.
What is the best airport for the Grand Circle?
Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Albuquerque, and Denver can all work well depending on your itinerary and airfare.
Can you camp through the entire Grand Circle?
Camping is available in or near most of the parks, but campground availability, reservation rules, and seasonal operations vary considerably. Reserve popular campgrounds well ahead of time.
When is the best time for a Grand Circle road trip?
Spring and fall generally offer the best combination of comfortable desert temperatures and road access, although high-elevation parks can still experience snow. Summer provides maximum access but can bring extreme heat and large crowds.
Is Great Basin National Park part of the Grand Circle?
Great Basin is often treated as an optional extension rather than part of the core loop because its eastern Nevada location adds substantial driving. If you have the time, however, it makes an excellent addition near the Zion portion of the trip.
Explore the National Parks of the Grand Circle
The Grand Circle is exactly the kind of trip that inspired National Park Posters in the first place.
Every park is dramatically different, yet each becomes part of the same larger story of the American West.
Looking for Another Epic National Park Road Trip?
If you love the history of American road trips, take a look at my Park-to-Park Highway Series.
In August 1920, a group of National Park supporters set out on an extraordinary journey to promote America's fledgling National Park System—a roughly 5,000-mile, 76-day road trip connecting the parks that existed at the time.
It's one of my favorite pieces of National Park history.
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