Grand Circle Loop
- Full route: Las Vegas → Zion National Park → Bryce Canyon National Park → Scenic Byway 12 → Capitol Reef National Park → Goblin Valley → Moab → Arches National Park → Canyonlands National Park → Mesa Verde National Park → Monument Valley → Page → Grand Canyon National Park → Las Vegas - The 8 parks are: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon — but to keep the loop sane in exactly 14 days, I swapped the Petrified Forest day into the broader east/south arc only if you’re willing to make Day 13 much longer. My recommended 14-day version above keeps the pacing better; if Petrified Forest is non-negotiable, cut one Page night and route Monument Valley → Petrified Forest → Grand Canyon
- Reserve anything capacity-controlled early: Zion hikes requiring permits, Arches timed entry if active for your dates, Mesa Verde cliff dwelling tours, and Antelope Canyon tours
Vegas to Zion red rock arrival
09:00 Depart: Pick up the car in Las Vegas and ease out of the city early; once the skyline drops away, the desert starts doing that wide-open Southwest thing immediately.
09:00 Depart
Pick up the car in Las Vegas and ease out of the city early; once the skyline drops away, the desert starts doing that wide-open Southwest thing immediately.
12:30 Zion National Park South Entrance
Roll into Springdale, get your bearings, and spend the afternoon inside Zion Canyon if shuttles are running. I’d keep this first day gentle: the Riverside Walk, a stop at Court of the Patriarchs, and maybe the Pa’rus Trail near sunset. The canyon walls feel unreal when the light starts warming up.
17:00 Canyon Junction Bridge area
End the day near the Virgin River viewpoint zone, where the Watchman glows if the weather plays along. Don’t overpack the first evening — Zion rewards slow looking.
Zion big-wall day
Start early from Springdale and head straight into the park; the morning shade makes Zion feel calmer and softer.
08:00 Depart
Start early from Springdale and head straight into the park; the morning shade makes Zion feel calmer and softer.
08:30 The Grotto Trailhead
If you have the right permit and conditions, this is your Angels Landing launch point; otherwise, hike West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout and stop there. You still get the huge canyon drama without needing to step onto the chained section.
13:30 Zion Lodge / Emerald Pools Trailhead
Grab a breather, then wander toward Lower or Middle Emerald Pools. The trail has that classic Zion mix: hanging gardens, red rock, and cottonwoods tucked against cliffs.
16:30 Canyon Overlook Trailhead
Drive the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway and finish with Canyon Overlook if parking and weather cooperate. It’s short, punchy, and gives you that “how is this road carved through here?” view over the canyon.
Tonight stay
Springdale — second night here keeps Zion relaxed instead of turning it into a drive-by.
Zion to Bryce hoodoos
Day 3｜Zion to Bryce hoodoos (140km, 2h drive)
09:00 Depart
Leave Springdale via the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway, taking it slow through the tunnels and switchbacks before the land opens into high plateau country.
11:30 Red Canyon Arch
Make a quick leg-stretcher in Red Canyon before Bryce. The rock here is the same glowing orange family as Bryce, but it feels more roadside and casual.
13:30 Bryce Canyon National Park
Head for the amphitheater overlooks — Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point — then drop a little way onto the Navajo Loop / Queen’s Garden area if trails are open. Bryce is one of those places where even a short walk below the rim changes everything.
17:00 Bryce Point
Finish with the wide evening view from Bryce Point. The hoodoos look almost fake in low light, like a sandstone city someone forgot to finish carving.
Bryce sunrise and Scenic Byway 12
07:30 Depart: If you’re up for it, start with sunrise near the rim, then point the car east toward one of the prettiest driving days of the whole loop.
07:30 Depart
07:30 Depart: If you’re up for it, start with sunrise near the rim, then point the car east toward one of the prettiest driving days of the whole loop.
08:00 Sunset Point / Navajo Loop area
Spend the morning actually walking among the hoodoos instead of only viewing them from above. The switchbacks, orange fins, and little windows in the rock are the reason Bryce sticks in your head.
12:30 Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
Break up the drive around Escalante with a short walk and a picnic-style lunch. It’s a nice reset between the intensity of Bryce and the empty-road beauty ahead.
16:30 Head of the Rocks Overlook
Pull over on Scenic Byway 12 as the road rolls across slickrock and canyon country. This is a “don’t rush the drive” day — the route itself is the attraction.
Tonight stay
Tonight stay: Torrey — it puts you right outside Capitol Reef and keeps tomorrow easy.
Capitol Reef orchards and canyons
Roll into Capitol Reef from Torrey after breakfast; this park is quieter than Zion or Arches, which makes the morning feel like you found a secret.
08:30 Depart
Roll into Capitol Reef from Torrey after breakfast; this park is quieter than Zion or Arches, which makes the morning feel like you found a secret.
09:00 Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
Drive the paved scenic route and stop often. You get cliffs, domes, old orchards, and that strange Waterpocket Fold landscape where the earth looks bent.
12:30 Gifford Homestead
Wander the Fruita area and, if the season lines up, grab pie or something baked from the homestead shop. Even without that, the orchards against red cliffs are lovely.
15:30 Grand Wash Trailhead
Walk into Grand Wash for a mellow canyon experience — tall walls, gravel underfoot, and none of the technical slot-canyon fuss. Start by mid-afternoon so you’re not racing daylight.
Tonight stay
Torrey — small-town quiet, big skies, and a short hop back to your room after Capitol Reef.
Goblin Valley to Moab
Day 6｜Goblin Valley to Moab (260km, 3h 30m drive)
08:30 Depart
Leave Torrey and head northeast, letting the road stretch out through lonely desert country.
10:30 Goblin Valley State Park
Walk among the weird mushroom-shaped hoodoos; it feels playful after the grand scale of the national parks. This is a great place to just wander without needing a big plan.
14:30 Dead Horse Point State Park
Before dropping into Moab, stop for the Colorado River overlook. The bend below looks like a mini Grand Canyon, and it’s an easy “wow” without a long hike.
17:00 Moab
Arrive, check in, and keep the evening simple. Moab has the best food-and-supplies scene you’ll have for a few days, so this is your laundry, grocery, and early-dinner reset.
Arches sandstone playground
## Day 7｜Arches sandstone playground (70km, 1h 30m drive)
08:00 Depart
Get into Arches early; the heat and parking both get less friendly as the day goes on.
08:30 Devils Garden Trailhead
Walk to Landscape Arch, and continue farther only if the group feels good. The fins and narrow passages make this part of Arches feel like a natural maze.
13:00 Windows Section
Spend early afternoon around North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch. It’s compact, photogenic, and perfect when you want big views without a punishing hike.
17:00 Delicate Arch Viewpoint / Wolfe Ranch area
End near the Delicate Arch side of the park. If you hike to the arch itself, start early enough for daylight and carry more water than you think — the rock holds heat.
Canyonlands Island in the Sky
Head north of Moab, then up onto the Island in the Sky mesa; today is less about one rock formation and more about huge space.
08:30 Depart
Head north of Moab, then up onto the Island in the Sky mesa; today is less about one rock formation and more about huge space.
09:30 Mesa Arch
See the famous frame over the canyon, but don’t make it only a photo stop. Walk slowly, look through and around it, and notice how the drop keeps going farther than your brain expects.
12:30 Grand View Point Overlook
Follow the mesa road to the end and walk part of the rim trail. The layered canyon views here feel endless, especially when clouds move shadows across the benches below.
16:30 Green River Overlook
Finish with a calmer, west-facing view. It’s a good golden-hour-ish stop before returning to town.
Moab to Mesa Verde
Moab to Mesa Verde (225km, 3h drive)
08:30 Depart
Leave Moab and drive toward Colorado; the landscape slowly shifts from slickrock desert into mesa and canyon country.
11:30 Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum
Stop in Dolores to add context before Mesa Verde. Seeing the pottery, tools, and regional history first makes the cliff dwellings feel less like scenery and more like lived places.
14:00 Mesa Verde National Park
Spend the afternoon on the Mesa Top Loop and overlooks. If ranger-led cliff dwelling tours are available for your date, book ahead rather than winging it — the best experiences here are often capacity-controlled.
17:30 Park Point Overlook
End high, with long views over the mesa country. It’s a quiet finish after a history-heavy afternoon.
Mesa Verde to Monument Valley
08:30 Depart: Keep the morning unhurried; this is a transition day from ancestral Puebloan sites into the classic butte-and-desert skyline of Navajo Nation.
08:30 Depart
Keep the morning unhurried; this is a transition day from ancestral Puebloan sites into the classic butte-and-desert skyline of Navajo Nation.
10:00 Cliff Palace / Chapin Mesa area
If you secured a tour, this is the morning to do it; if not, use the overlooks and museum areas to keep the visit meaningful. The scale of the architecture tucked into the alcoves is still powerful even from viewpoints.
13:30 Four Corners Monument
It’s touristy, yes, but it’s also a quick, fun stop on this route. Stretch your legs, browse the vendor area if open, and don’t spend the whole afternoon here.
17:00 Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
Arrive as the buttes start catching late light. Even from the visitor center area, the view is cinematic in the best possible way.
Monument Valley to Page
Monument Valley to Page (200km, 2h 30m drive)
08:30 Depart
Wake up slowly with the buttes outside; this is one of the best mornings of the trip to not rush.
09:00 Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Scenic Drive
If road conditions allow and you’re comfortable on the loop road, take it slowly; otherwise, consider a guided local tour. Either way, you’re moving through a landscape that feels enormous and intimate at the same time.
13:30 Navajo National Monument
Stop for a quieter look at protected cliff dwelling country. It’s a peaceful counterpoint to Monument Valley and breaks the drive nicely.
17:00 Horseshoe Bend
Arrive in Page and finish at the Colorado River overlook. The walk is straightforward, but the rim is exposed, so don’t get casual near the edge.
Page canyon and lake day
08:30 Depart: Keep the car local today; after so many big-drive days, Page is a nice place to slow down.
08:30 Depart
Keep the car local today; after so many big-drive days, Page is a nice place to slow down.
09:00 Antelope Canyon area
Book a legal guided tour if you want to enter Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon; you can’t just wander in solo. Inside, it’s all ribbons of sandstone, narrow light, and that hushed feeling people chase here.
13:30 Glen Canyon Dam Overlook
Take the short walk to look down toward the Colorado River corridor. It’s a good contrast after the tight slot canyon — suddenly everything opens back up.
16:30 Wahweap Overlook
End with Lake Powell views. The water, desert, and cliffs make the evening feel completely different from the morning’s enclosed canyon walls.
Page to Grand Canyon South Rim
Day 13｜Page to Grand Canyon South Rim (220km, 3h drive)
08:30 Depart
Leave Page and head south toward the Grand Canyon, with the road slowly climbing toward pine forest and rim country.
10:30 Cameron Trading Post
Break the drive here for coffee, snacks, and a look around. It’s practical and atmospheric, and it keeps you from arriving at the canyon hungry and cranky.
13:00 Desert View Watchtower
Enter Grand Canyon from the east and make this your first real rim moment. The canyon opens wide here, and the Colorado River is easier to spot than at many South Rim viewpoints.
16:30 Grand Canyon Village / Mather Point
Settle into the main South Rim area and take an easy rim walk. Don’t try to “finish” the Grand Canyon today — just let the scale mess with your depth perception.
Grand Canyon finale to Vegas
Start with one last canyon morning before the long return toward Nevada.
07:30 Depart
Start with one last canyon morning before the long return toward Nevada.
Yavapai Point and Geology Museum
This is a great final Grand Canyon stop because the view is huge and the geology context helps all those layers make sense. Spend a little time staring, not just photographing.
11:30 Williams
Roll down from the rim and stop in Williams for lunch and a Route 66 breather. It’s a nice mental shift from national park quiet back toward road-trip civilization.
17:00 Las Vegas
Return the car or settle in for one last night depending on your flight plan. After two weeks of cliffs, canyons, mesas, and desert roads, Vegas will feel almost absurd — in a fun way.
- Road reminder: always check the official park condition pages the night before big park days, especially Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, and Mesa Verde