A Guide to the Grand Circle Road Trip

The grand circle road trip is one of the most iconic national park routes in the American Southwest. Starting and ending in Las Vegas, the loop connects desert canyons, alpine plateaus, river corridors, and some of the most recognizable landscapes in the country.

What makes the grand circle road trip special is not just the parks themselves, but how dramatically the scenery changes as you move between them. In a matter of days, you’ll travel from narrow canyon walls to open high desert, from cool forests to sun-baked sandstone.

This guide outlines a realistic grand circle road trip itinerary that connects many of the most iconic grand circle national parks across Utah and northern Arizona. It follows the route most travelers actually drive and reflects the pacing that works best for first-time visitors.

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Where This Itinerary Starts

This itinerary assumes a clockwise loop beginning in Las Vegas, the most common starting point due to flight availability and proximity to southern Utah.

If you’re starting elsewhere:

• If starting in Salt Lake City:
  Start with Days 7–8 at Capitol Reef National Park, then follow the itinerary in reverse. This allows you to ease into the trip with quieter parks before reaching higher-traffic areas.
• If starting in Phoenix:
  Begin with Days 10-11 at Monument Valley or Page, Arizona, then connect to Moab later in the trip. This route adds mileage but works well for Arizona-based travelers.

The order below reflects how most travelers experience the grand circle national park road trip most comfortably.

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What Is the Grand Circle Road Trip?

The grand circle road trip refers to a circular route through the Southwest that links multiple parks into one continuous drive. A typical national park grand circle itinerary includes national parks and monuments across Utah and northern Arizona, forming a loop that begins and ends in the same city.

While routes can vary slightly, most versions of the grand circle road trip follow a clockwise pattern to minimize backtracking and create a natural progression of scenery.

Days 1–2: Zion National Park

Las Vegas → Zion (2.5 hours)

Zion delivers immediate impact and sets expectations early in the trip.

Helpful planning insights:

• The main canyon requires shuttle access most of the year, which means arrival timing matters
  
  
• Parking fills early, especially spring through fall
  
  
• Many hikes are steeper than they appear on paper
  

Plan one major hike and one lighter day. Zion is visually overwhelming at first, and trying to do too much here often leads to burnout early in the grand circle trip itinerary.

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Days 3–4: Bryce Canyon National Park

Zion → Bryce Canyon (1-2 hours)

Bryce feels completely different from Zion despite the short drive.

What surprises most travelers:

• Elevation over 8,000 feet means cooler temperatures, even in summer
  
  
• The park is compact, but the hoodoos look different at every viewpoint
  
  
• Sunrise tends to be more dramatic than sunset
  

A below-the-rim hike gives essential perspective, but even short walks provide a strong sense of scale.

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Days 5–6: Capitol Reef National Park

Bryce Canyon → Capitol Reef via Scenic Highway 12 (2.5–3 hours)

This stretch marks one of the most scenic transitions of the entire grand circle road trip itinerary.

Why this section matters:

• Landscapes shift continuously rather than all at once
  
  
• Traffic thins significantly compared to Zion and Bryce
  
  
• The pace of the trip naturally slows
  

Capitol Reef is well suited for flexible exploration. Short hikes, scenic pull-offs, and the historic Fruita district make it easy to adjust plans based on energy levels and weather.

For many travelers, this becomes the midpoint of the grand circle national parks route and a welcome reset before continuing east.

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Days 7–9: Moab

Capitol Reef → Moab (2.5 hours)
(Arches & Canyonlands National Parks)

Moab is the most activity-dense portion of the grand circle national park road trip.

Helpful things to know:

• Arches is best early morning or late evening due to heat and congestion
  
  
• Canyonlands focuses more on expansive viewpoints than hiking
  
  
• Distances inside both parks are longer than they appear
  

Spreading visits across multiple days prevents fatigue and allows travelers to experience both parks without rushing.

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Day 10: Monument Valley

Moab → Monument Valley (2.5–3 hours)

Monument Valley introduces a sense of openness that feels completely different from the Utah parks.

Key things to keep in mind:

• The area sits on Navajo Nation land with its own rules and hours
  
  
• Guided tours allow access beyond the standard scenic loop
  
  
• Midday light flattens colors; early or late visits are best
  

This stop adds cultural depth to the national park grand circle route.

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Day 11: Page, Arizona

Monument Valley → Page (2 hours)

Page adds contrast after days of rock and desert terrain.

What travelers often underestimate:

• Antelope Canyon tours sell out weeks ahead
  
  
• Horseshoe Bend is best early morning or just before sunset
  
  
• Wind and sun exposure can be intense
  

This stop also helps balance longer driving days within the grand circle road trip.

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Days 12–13: Grand Canyon National Park

Page → Grand Canyon South Rim (2 hours)

The Grand Canyon serves as the emotional finale of most grand circle trip itineraries.

Helpful planning notes:

• Viewpoints are spread out and worth driving between
  
  
• Walking along the rim offers different perspectives than overlooks alone
  
  
• Sunrise and sunset feel dramatically different
  

Many travelers find the canyon more impactful after experiencing smaller parks earlier in the route.

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Day 14: Return to Las Vegas

Grand Canyon → Las Vegas (4–4.5 hours)

This final leg completes the loop and brings the grand circle road trip full circle.

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Why This Itinerary Works

This grand circle road trip itinerary works because it:

• follows a true clockwise loop
  
  
• balances busy parks with quieter ones
  
  
• places Capitol Reef near the midpoint for recovery
  
  
• avoids unnecessary backtracking
  
  
• saves the Grand Canyon for the final stretch
  

Rather than rushing park to park, this structure allows each landscape to feel distinct.

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Where to Stay Near Capitol Reef

If your grand circle national park road trip includes southern Utah, don’t skip the Capitol Reef region.

The Broken Spur Inn & Steakhouse in Torrey sits just minutes from the park entrance and offers a convenient midpoint between Bryce Canyon and Moab. Staying nearby allows travelers to slow the pace of their grand circle road trip, break up long driving days, and experience one of the most overlooked sections of the route.

Whether you follow this full grand circle trip itinerary or adapt parts of it to fit your schedule, this stretch of Utah often becomes one of the most memorable parts of the journey.

Thinking about doing the shorter Mighty 5 road trip? Check out our blog for helpful suggestions.