Incredible outdoor adventures, six national parks and ancient ruins combine to make this a trip of a lifetime. 

Start in Salt Lake City where you may be surprised by the craft brewing scene and how easy it is to get around this city framed by the Great Salt Lake and Wasatch mountains. 

Head south to Moab, home to Canyonlands and Arches national parks. From there stop in the Four Corners area towns of Blanding, Bluff and Monticello where ancient ruins, pioneer history and rafting await. 

Then point your wheels toward Grand Canyon National Park where you can choose to visit the popular South Rim and/or the less-visited North Rim. 

Cool off in Page, Ariz., by exploring Lake Powell by kayak, motor boat or stand-up paddleboard. Don't miss the 710-foot-high Glen Canyon Dam that created Lake Powell. 

Then explore the historic town of Kanab, home to artists, ranchers and hundreds of film shoots. It's an easy drive to nearby Bryce, Zion and Capitol Reef national parks where spectacular red sandstone hoodoos, spires, canyons and slickrock await. What follows are some of the best things to do and see along the way.

TIP: Utah, California and the Navajo nation observe daylight saving time, while Arizona does not.

Map

Start: Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City Fix
So you think you know Salt Lake City? We bet you don't know about it's thriving beer scene and five more surprises.

Basecamp in Moab for Arches and Canyonlands National Parks

Moab is the gateway to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, as well as Dead Horse Point State Park, and the cool waters of the Colorado River.

Moab's Top 7 Things to Do

With so many things to do in Moab, choose among our favorite seven things to do with family including a boat tour with Canyonlands by Night & Day, seeing life-sized dinosaurs at Moab Giants, and five more.

GyPSy Guide Arches and Canyonlands Driving Tour App
Feel like you're touring with a local in your car. The Gypsy Guide app uses your phone or tablet’s location to play commentary about attractions as you drive. Learn more at gypsyguide.com/tour/arches-canyonlands-national-parks/

Four Corners Region

Monticello's Canyon Country Discovery Center
If you could take the entire sensory experience of the Four Corners region and squeeze it into a building, it would look like the state-of-the-art Canyon Country Discovery Center. The center also offers outdoor trips in the Colorado Plateau including Bears Ears National Monument.

Blanding's Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum
Get a true sense of the ancient peoples who inhabited ancient ruins in the four corners region of Utah. Read more about Edge of Cedars and 6 other Utah State Parks.

3 Things to Do in Bluff.
This small outpost is home to incredible family-friendly river trips, a great museum and one of the most-photographed attractions in the Southwest.

Grand Canyon National Park - South Rim

Open 365 days a year, the South Rim offers plenty of activities, restaurants and, of course, gorgeous views. Read more on our Grand Canyon website.

Page, Tuba City and Lake Powell

Living it Up at Lake Powell and Page
Lake Powell is so large it can be difficult to know how to navigate it to make the most of your time. Here are the top four things to do. 

More: Set off on an outdoor adventure on a houseboat on Lake Powell with the comforts of home at hand and explore 2,000 miles of shoreline with incredible scenery at your own pace. Read more on our Grand Canyon website.

Experience Hopi and Moenkopi Legacy Inn
People have been living in Old Oraibi for nearly 1,000 years. Tour this ancient village as well as other significant Hopi sites, and conveniently stay at the Moenkopi Legacy Inn. Read more on our Grand Canyon website.

Fab Kanab

Kanab offers easy access to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  

Kanab's Fab Four Things to Do
Avoid the crowds, enjoy fantastic food and discover the hidden gems along the way to three of the Southwest’s most popular national parks.

More: Most travelers have heard of “The Wave” but are unaware of the surrounding canyons that are just as jaw-dropping such as White Pocket. Read more.

Zion National Park

Inside this national park, massive canyon walls reach toward the sky. As visitors drive through Zion National Park, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the size and vertical orientation of the canyon walls that are all around you. 

Beyond Zion in Springdale and St. George
Zion National Park's beauty does not end at the park boundary. Here are six ways to experience the area and escape the park’s crowds. 

Bryce Canyon National Park

Maximize your experience at Bryce Canyon National Park by driving to Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration and Bryce viewpoints. These are all spectacular overlooks of the park’s red hoodoos shooting up against evergreen forests in the background.

Best Scenic Route in Utah's Bryce Canyon Country
These little towns along Hwy. 12 make for a unique vacation.

The Closest Hotel to Bryce Canyon is Ruby's Inn
Ruby's Inn and Adventures is at the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park. Stay at two hotels, an RV park, tipis, cabins, or the campground. Go on a Bryce Canyon adventure on a bike, ATV, horse or airplane. Give back to Bryce with Ruby's Inn Dollar Check-Off Program

Capitol Reef National Park

A diversity of landscape like no other in Utah, Capitol Reef National Park and surrounding area has red rock formations, arches, plateaus, meadows, forests, lush green valleys and astounding deserts.

End: Salt Lake City, Utah