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The Best 1-Week Eastern Utah Road Trip Itinerary

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There are A LOT of options you could choose for planning a Utah road trip itinerary…

Some people like to hit all 5 national parks, which is certainly doable and worthwhile. But there are other things to do in Utah besides national parks (including the less crowded but equally beautiful state parks!).

My sister visited Utah and did a week-long road trip through the western part of the state (and into Arizona). So when we went with her for her second trip to Utah, we explored more of the eastern side.

I have crafted a one week itinerary based on our own trip, that I think is the perfect eastern Utah road trip! It covers three national parks, some state parks, a big city and small towns, so this trip has something for everyone!

What’s in this Article:

Eastern Utah Road Trip Route

Map created with Wanderlog, a road trip planner app on iOS and Android

The above map shows the route you will take on your eastern Utah road trip. The trip begins and ends in Salt Lake City.

Here is the basic itinerary of the trip:

  • Fly into Salt Lake City
  • Drive 30 min. to Park City for the night.
  • Drive 4 hrs. to Moab for 2-3 nights.
  • Explore Arches National Park.
  • Explore Canyonlands National Park.
  • Drive 2 1/2 hours to Torrey, and explore Capitol Reef NP.
  • Drive 3 hrs. 15 min. back to SLC. Visit the Great Salt Lake.
  • Fly home from Salt Lake City.
  • Pro Tip: Because this itinerary stops at 3 national parks, you might want to buy an America the Beautiful Pass. That way you can enter any national park in the US for one year from the date of purchase.
  • The entry fees for Arches & Canyonlands are $30, and Capitol Reef is $20, so you will not save any money with the pass (it’s the same price). But you can then visit other national parks for free for a year.

Alternative Options

You don’t have to follow this itinerary exactly. Feel free to modify it to meet your needs.

You could add another day in Salt Lake City. You could only spend 2 nights in Moab, and drive to Torrey after spending the morning in Canyonlands. Or you could cut out Capitol Reef National Park entirely, and add more small towns and/or state parks (we did not visit Capitol Reef on our trip, but if you want to see as many national parks as possible, it is easy to add it in).

You could also just day trip to Park City instead of spending the night. This will actually save a little driving time the next day, despite Park City being to the east of Salt Lake (because of the mountains). However, I think spending a night in a hot tub looking out on the mountains is the best use of your time!

Day 1: Arrive in Salt Lake City

olympic-torch-in-downtown-salt-lake-city

Salt Lake City is a fun city to visit! It’s not too big, and not too small. There are a lot of unique attractions in the city and nearby areas.

And don’t even get me started on the food (actually, you should very much get me started on the food!). We have several local friends who live in the city, and they were able to recommend some great options!

Read Next: The Complete Guide to Visit SLC

Things to Do in Salt Lake City

There are not too many things planned for day 1 of the road trip, as this is the arrival day. Depending on what time you arrive, you might have several hours to explore, or… you might have your flights pushed back, then delayed an hour on the tarmac, then finally arrive at 1 am!

Hopefully your flight into Salt Lake City International Airport arrives early in the day. But if not, you can always add more days in the city, if you want to.

Here are some things to do on your arrival day:

Places to Eat in SLC

There are some really good restaurants in Salt Lake City! My local friend told me it was an up and coming foodie destination.

Here are some recommendations:

Where to Stay in Salt Lake City

We were lucky enough to have local friends to stay with in Salt Lake City. These are some of the hotels that were recommended for our conference, as well as a few others downtown. These are all within easy walking distance of the best things to do in downtown Salt Lake City. Some are pricier, while others are more budget friendly:

Day 2: Park City

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Park City is a 30 minute drive from Salt Lake City. You could easily stay in Salt Lake City for 2 nights, and just day trip to Park City instead of staying overnight. However, I think it’s the perfect place for a relaxing evening in an outdoor hot tub with a view of snow covered mountains, so my personal preference is to spend the night in Park City.

  • Good to Know: The road to Park City is through the mountains, and is very windy. It has been known to give people motion sickness, so if that is something you are prone to, you might want to ride up front, or take some Dramamine.
  • Alternative Option: If you’re not into cute small towns that look like a Hallmark movie, and are itching to get out into nature, you can skip this day and head straight to Moab.
Park City Guide

Things to Do in Park City

Downtown Park City is super cute and walkable, but it’s also worthwhile to visit the ski resorts (even if you’re not skiing), and the museums and views at Utah Olympic Park.

Places to Eat in Park City

We ate at Don Gallo and got drinks from the coffee shop bookstore known as Atticus Coffee & Tea Company (I love coffee shops in bookstores!). The food was delicious, but there are plenty of great options to choose from! We just walked around Main Street until we found somewhere that looked (and smelled) good.

Where to Stay in Park City

We only visited Park City as a day trip, but I strongly considered booking a room here with a hot tub. It looked so magical to have your own private hot tub with a beautiful mountain view. Or, you could even stay at movie filming locations, like the Deer Valley ski resort!

Day 3: Drive to Moab

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Now it’s time to get out on the open road of Utah and head to some of the national parks!

Since we’re doing an eastern Utah road trip, this itinerary hits up Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef. If you want to visit Bryce Canyon and Zion (as well as the Grand Canyon!), check out this western Utah/Arizona road trip itinerary.

It’s a 4 hr. drive from Park City to Moab, Utah, where we will stay for the next three nights. Moab is a cute tourist town just past the entrance to Arches National Park.

  • Pro Tip: Be sure to fill up on gas (and use the restroom) in Provo. Once you hit Highway 6 there are not many places to stop.
  • There is an occasional rest area, and several small towns, like Helper and Price.

Things to Do in Moab

Moab is a tourist town, so there are lots of things to do. However, some things are only open seasonally (typically May-November), so be sure to check opening times.

Here are some ideas of things you can do in/near Moab today:

You could also go ahead and get a start on exploring Arches or Canyonlands today if you want to. Both are an easy drive from Moab.

Places to Eat in Moab

When we visited, we booked a rental with a kitchen, so we bought food at the grocery store to cook ourselves. We also brought lunches into the parks with us, so it’s a good idea to at least stop by the store for some lunch meat or trail snacks.

Here are some suggestions of places to eat in Moab (but there are plenty more options!):

Where to Stay in Moab

We visited in the winter, so we opted for an apartment rental with a full kitchen and a garage for our rental car. We also had multiple bedrooms, since we were splitting it with my sister’s family.

If you’re coming in summer, you might want a place with a pool (there are some really good ones!). Although remember that prices will be highest in the summertime.

Here are some suggestions of places to stay in Moab:

Day 4: Arches National Park

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This is my favorite day of the trip! I absolutely loved exploring Arches National Park!

It’s just a 15 min. drive from Moab to the entrance and visitor center for Arches National Park. Try to get there early in the day to beat the crowds, especially if you are coming during the busy summer season!

  • Pro Tip: Pack a lunch so you don’t have to waste time leaving and reentering the park. Plus, it’s a beautiful spot for a picnic!
  • Good to Know: You need a timed entry ticket if you are visiting Arches between April 1-July 6, and Aug. 28-Oct. 31.
Arches National Park Guide

Things to Do in Arches National Park

There are a lot of beautiful places to see in this compact park. It is easy to see all the highlights in one day! Some sites you don’t even have to get out of the car to view. There are short and easy trails, and more challenging hikes, so there is truly something for everyone.

Here are the most popular viewpoint/trails in Arches National Park:

  • Delicate Arch
  • Balanced Rock
  • Double Arch
  • Windows
  • Devil’s Garden
  • Landscape Arch
delicate-arch-in-arches-national-park

Day 5: Canyonlands National Park

canyonlands-national-park-grand-view-point-overlook

Canyonlands National Park is also right near Moab, though it’s a 40 min. drive to reach the visitor center. This park is a lot bigger than Arches, and like Arches it also has accessible viewpoints, easy trails, as well as more challenging hiking trails.

Although it’s a bigger park, it is less popular than Arches. The facilities aren’t quite as nice, but it will be less crowded. I personally preferred Arches National Park over Canyonlands, but my sister and brother-in-law preferred Canyonlands, so it just depends on your personality.

  • Alternative Option: For this itinerary, I have you spending a full day at Canyonlands, and driving to Capitol Reef tomorrow. If you want, you can spend the morning/early afternoon in Canyonlands, and then drive to Capitol Reef tonight.
  • For our trip, we spent the morning in Canyonlands, and then drove back to Salt Lake City that afternoon.

Things to Do in Canyonlands National Park

Like I said above, Canyonlands National Park has easy to reach viewpoints, as well as longer hiking trails. We only did the Grand Viewpoint and the short Mesa Arch Trail on our quick visit. The Mesa Arch is the most popular viewpoint in the park.

Remember to pack a lunch, as there is no food service in the park.

Here are some of the best viewpoints/hiking trails:

  • Mesa Arch
  • Grand View Point Overlook
  • Murphy Point Overlook
  • White Rim Overlook
  • Green River Overlook
  • Buck Canyon Overlook
  • Upheaval Dome
  • Aztec Butte

Day 6: Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef is the one Utah national park that neither my sister nor I have visited. For our road trip, we just did Arches and Canyonlands, and then headed back to Salt Lake City for a conference we were attending.

Like I’ve said, feel free to modify this itinerary to suit your needs. But if it’s national parks you’re looking to visit (and you don’t have a fantasy convention to get back to…), then it’s super easy to add a day in Capitol Reef National Park.

It’s about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Moab to Capitol Reef National Park.

For the evening, you can stay in the small town of Torrey, right on the edge of the park.

  • Alternative Option: If you’re short on time, you can drive to Torrey the day before, after exploring Canyonlands. You can then drive back to SLC tonight, after exploring Capitol Reef.
  • Or if you want more time in Capitol Reef, drive to Torrey the day before, but spend this whole day in Capitol Reef National Park, and return to Salt Lake City tomorrow, as planned.

Things to Do in Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef is a large park, with plenty of things to see and do. There are hiking trails, scenic drives, petroglyphs, a historic village, and pies at the Gifford House (seriously, everybody is raving about the pies!).

The best things to see are along Highway 24, the scenic drive that cuts right through the heart of the park.

Here are some of the most popular things to do in Capitol Reef:

  • Capitol Reef Scenic Drive (HWY 24)
  • Panorama Point
  • Goosenecks Overlook
  • Sunset Point
  • Hickman Bridge Trail
  • Cassidy Arch Trail
  • Historic Fruita and the Gifford Homestead
  • Star gazing

Places to Eat in Torrey

There are a lot of good options for eating out in Torrey. You won’t find much food in the park itself, but do remember to get yourself some pie at the Gifford House!

Where to Stay in Torrey

There are a lot of options for places to stay in Torrey, including fancy resorts, budget options, and even a covered wagon!

Here are a few ideas:

Day 7: Back to Salt Lake City

city-creek-center-mall-salt-lake-city

It’s a 3 hr. and 15 min. drive back to Salt Lake City from Torrey, so you will have plenty of time for more exploring in the afternoon!

My suggestion for today is to visit the Great Salt Lake! There are a couple of state parks near the city that are perfect for seeing the lake. Or you could also just book a tour from the city.

If you need more ideas of things to do in Salt Lake City, be sure to reference Day 1 of this Utah road trip itinerary (also for restaurants and hotels). Or check out my full guide to visiting Salt Lake City.

Utah Road Trip Day 8: Fly Home

an-airplane-flying-into-a-sunrise

If you fly Saturday-Saturday (or Sunday-Sunday), you can do this road trip with only a week of vacation days. If you have less time, there are lots of alternative options for how to shorten this itinerary listed under each day!

But if you followed the itinerary as is, today is the day you fly home from Salt Lake City!

  • Bonus: You can stop at Fresh Donuts & Deli for donuts on the way to the airport, like we did!

More Things to Do in Utah

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Bryce Canyon National Park

If you have more time in Utah, here are a few ideas of things you can add onto your road trip:

There are also a lot of other national parks outside of Utah that are within an easy driving distance:

Best Time of Year for a Utah Road Trip

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There really is no bad time to go on a Utah road trip! My sister took her first road trip in the summer, and we did ours in winter (which was great!).

There are upsides and downsides to any time of year.

  • Winter: Winter is perfect for visiting Park City and the national parks. It is peak ski season, the snow-capped mountains are gorgeous, usually the sun is shining, and the crowds are low (except at the ski resorts…). Sometimes the inversion sets in over SLC, but usually you avoid this out in the parks.
  • Spring: Spring is the in-between season. Some things are open, some things aren’t. It is honestly probably the least busiest time overall to visit Utah. The weather may or may not be nice.
  • Summer: Summer is the most popular! Families on vacation, hikers, and bikers all flock to Utah and Salt Lake City. The weather will be great (but maybe too hot…?) and everything will be open (except, you know, the Utah ice castles…).
  • Fall: Utah is also a great fall destination. It’s not as well known for foliage as the north east, but you can still see some great leaf peeping in places. Plus, the weather should still be good, and the summer crowds will have thinned out a bit.
walking-in-arches-national-park

I hope you find this eastern Utah road trip itinerary helpful for planning your trip. There are so many great things to do in Utah!

Any more questions?

If you have any questions, or your own suggestions, feel free to email me or comment below!

Planning a Utah road trip?

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I’m Julia!

Avid traveler, penguin lover and fairytale believer. I’m here to help you plan your wanderings so that you know (almost) exactly what to expect when you arrive at your dream destination.

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