Zion To Bryce Canyon: How To Road Trip From LA In 5 Epic Days

Planning a road trip to discover the mighty outdoors in Utah? Add Zion to Bryce Canyon — two of Utah’s most popular national parks — to your Southwest USA road trip.

In fact, Southern Utah is home to several national parks and monuments. Among them is the majestic Mighty 5 — Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Arches National Park. Each of these national parks are red rock wonderlands offering iconic sites, gorgeous sunrises, adventurous hiking trails among desert rocks, and unique sandstone structures with awe-inspiring vistas.

Being from Southern California, almost anytime of year is a great for a road trip. Spring, summer, fall and even winter, these parks are open for exploration. Just be sure to check the parks hours, and see what trails are open because some trails are closed for the winter.

We took this road trip during October/November to experience the hue tones of fall in California (which are sometimes non-existent) and Utah, and to celebrate our anniversary.

Here’s exactly how we road tripped from sunny Santa Barbara to the beautiful dusty red mountains of Utah in 5 days.

Feel free to jump ahead!

The drive from LA to Zion and Bryce Canyon

Distance: 428 miles

While we began our road trip from the artsy beach town of Santa Barbara, I’ll begin this guide to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park starting from Los Angeles. Here you’ll find a several airports, but the most convenient airports to fly into are:

• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Van Nuys Airport
• John Wayne Airport
• Burbank Airport
• Ontario International Airport

If you’re flying from out of state and want to spend some time visiting Southern California first, I suggest flying into LAX. From there it’s easy to visit the numerous beach cities (e.g. Santa Monica, Venice, etc.), explore the downtown area, or take a thrilling day trip to Universal Studios, Disneyland, or Six Flags.

However, if you’re not planning to visit LA, but still want to experience the road trip vibes, I recommend flying to Las Vegas airport. It will cut your driving time in half and you’ll still be able to experience the beautiful open road, road trip enthusiasts crave.

In addition, at all the airports there are car rental agency to book a rental –Enterprise, Alamo, Avis.

Also, I recommend using Skyscanner for booking cheap flights.

Interactive map of the route to Zion and Bryce Canyon

Don’t forget to pack travel snacks, essentials for quick meals in Airbnbs, and a bomb playlist for the drive!

First stop: Las Vegas

Distance from LA: 271 miles

The route from LA to Vegas typically takes about four and half hours. However, depending on traffic and how fast you’re driving the route could take a little more or less. While this route is heavily used by Californians and Nevadians alike, often times people drive straight through this bleak desert without a second thought to stop and admire the desolate landscape or stretch their legs. Which, I get! During summer, this part of the drive is extremely hot.

Here are some of our favorite stops along the route. There are ice parlors, quirky ranches, tasty diners, and exploring the desolate deserts rocky and fascinating terrain.

• EddieWorld. A stop for those wanting to stretch their legs inside a cool and ginormous store. Inside you’ll find clean bathrooms, aisles of salted nuts, chocolate covered ___ (you fill in the blank), refreshing ice-cream with tasty vegan options, and more.
• BottleTree Ranch. This quirky ranch is a sight to behold, and unlike any other ranch I’ve seen. Instead of real trees, wander throughout this ranch to find artistically decorated metal trees with old glass bottles, trinkets and other odds.
• Peggy Sue’s Diner. Here you’ll find traditional American food inside a classic 50s diner. After you eat, take a stroll in the beautiful outdoor garden and stretch those legs with some quick yoga stretches before hopping back into the car.
• Pioneer Saloon. It’s on the Nevada side, about 13 minutes off the freeway and is one of the oldest bars in the state. You’ll find delicious American food, drinks and fun company.

Here is a post with more suggestions to do along this route. If you’re on time crunch, consider packing a cooler with quick and easy lunch meals to eat in the car.

Second stop: Cedar City

Distance from Vegas: 172 miles

Since Evan and I were started our road trip from Santa Barbara, it took about six hours to reach Vegas. (From LA it takes about 5 hours without traffic.) Driving to Vegas is kind of Californian rite of passage so we stayed overnight, plus Evan had never been! We explored the city for a couple hours in the morning and then headed out right before lunch.

Next on our itinerary was Cedar City! The drive from Las Vegas to Cedar City takes about two and half to three hours. It’s a tranquil drive that encompasses passing by and through gorgeous red mountains. It’s the closest big city to Zion, so we stopped by here to grab snacks, food for cooking in our accommodation, and water.

Since we spent the morning in Vegas, we didn’t stop much along the route to Cedar City since we wanted to get to the parks. However we did stop to explore near Saint George. Just south of the Utah border, lies the national monument Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.

In fact, it’s in Arizona and offers stunning vistas of fascinating rock formations with colored swirls painted of orange and red variations.

Some other pit stops include:

• Valley of the Fire State Park. This is a nature preserve located near Lake Mead, Nevada. Here you’ll find grand fiery sandstone rock with unique formations formed by sand dunes.
• Saint George. This is a city in Utah, known for its outdoor recreation activities, and vast hiking trails. Some activities include: Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Sand Hollow State Park, Snow Canyon State Park.
• Mesquite. Here you’ll find various wildlife areas, national monument and cool geological rock formations — Whitney Pockets, Little Finland, Gold Butte National Monument.

Third stop: Brian Head, UT

Distance from Cedar City: 40 miles

After loading up the car with goodies from the super Walmart in Cedar City (honestly, it’s giant and probably one of the biggest Walmarts I’ve seen!) we headed to our first destination, Brian Head — a delightful town in Southern Utah known for its glorious off the beaten path hiking trails and ski resorts.

We stayed at Cedar Breaks Lodge. I highly recommend it for those wanting a cozy resort stay with high vaulted ceilings, fully equipped kitchen, and giant fireplace to keep you warm during the fall.

While skiing is popular in Brian Head, there are several other adventure attractions in this quaint ski town. There’s also Cedar Breaks National Monument and Navajo Point.

Things to do in Brian Head

• Cedar Breaks National Monument. A tiny national park with various hiking trails along the colorful red rocks and evergreen trees
• Skiing and snowboarding. Check in at one of the ski resorts to find out your skiing and snowboarding options.
• Navajo Point. A gorgeous lookout point overlooking the valley.
• Go on a sunset or sunrise hike to see some insane views and colors

Fourth stop: Bryce Canyon

Distance from Las Vegas: 260 miles

Next on the itinerary, day 3 and half of day 4, was a trip to Bryce Canyon National Park. While we previously stopped in Cedar City and Brian Head, you can easily omit these two if you’re short on time. Then, head straight from Las Vegas to Bryce Canyon National Park — home of the spectacular red hoodoos.

Located in Southeastern Utah, off the U-63 and Utah’s scenic byway 12, Bryce Canyon National Park is a geographical wonder that receives a surplus of visitors annually to gaze at it’s magnificent colors that contrast brightly against the vibrant blue sky. It’s unique reddish rock formation creates a series of giant amphitheaters with bizarre marbled spires called hoodoos, and various slot canyons.

Stay alert as you wander through the hoodoos, canyons, and fins, admiring the natural multi-colored mazes created by calcium-rich rocks for astonishing and lively hiking adventures. There’s Bryce Point Trail (0.2 miles round trip) offering a scenic lookout point and Peekaboo Loop Trail (5.2 miles round trip). Another trail is the Navajo Loop Trail (1.5 miles round trip) which quickly descends in the canyons, exploring the wildlife and natural wonders.

Extend this hike by combining Navajo Loop Trail and the Queens Garden Trail. It’s a breathtaking hike for hikers wanting to explore the tinted colored hoodoos up close. Rated as moderate, this trail is a 3.5 mile out and back loop with a steep decline into the canyon to wander through the amphitheater maze.

Otherwise start the Navajo Loop at Wall Street for a longer hike with gorgeous views excellent for photo opts in the park. If you’re visiting during summer, I highly recommend hiking early to avoid the crowds, or hiking during sunset to witness the extraordinary colors of the park.

Best hikes in Bryce Canyon

Here are some of our favorite hikes in Bryce Canyon and some we plan to take during our next visit.

• Sunset Point to Sunrise Point (1.1 miles round trip). Super easy hike with excellent lookout points.
• Fairyland Loop Trail (7.8 miles round trip and rated moderate). This is a exceptional hike into the natural amphitheater to view the beauty of the hoodoos. We hiked some of it, but not all since we were short on time.
• Rim Trail (10.7 miles round trip and rated moderate). This trail follows the cliffs of the canyon is, without descending into it. Hop on or off where ever you want for a smooth-ish hiking trail. We hiked from Bryce Point Trail to Sunset Point then back using the Rim Trail.
• Mossy Cave Turret Arch and Little Windows Trail (1.0 miles round trip and rated easy). This hike we plan to take during our next visit! It features a waterfall and it a popular hike in the park.

Fifth stop: Zion National Park

Distance from Bryce to Zion: about 80 miles

After our trip to Bryce, we immediately drove to its mighty neighbor, Zion National Park— Utah’s first national park. Covering over 146, 597 acres, this natural preserve is home to soaring cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and thrilling river walks immersing you amongst majestic sandstone rocks.

Zion offers camping, lodging at Zion lodge (e.g. cabins, motels, and suite rooms), climbing, horseback riding, biking and superb hiking trails. Park your car at the front gate, then enter the immaculate wilder park via the shuttle — aka the only way in. (This is different than Bryce Canyon, and Yosemite as you have the option to drive into the park.)

Attempt to stay dry while you hike through the water via The Narrows (1.9 miles round trip). Or hike the West Bank of the Virgin River (5.2 miles round trip) for an easy hike that starts near the Court of the Patriarchs.

Since we were relatively tired from our previous hikes we stuck to flatter trails in the canyon. Some other trails we hiked include the Grotto trail (1.2 miles round trip) and the Watchmen Trail (2 miles round trip), meandering through the serene foothills witnessing the vibrant fall colors brightly shine, the Virgin River and the magnificent Towers of the Virgin.

Here we spent about a day and a half venturing through the serene mountainous cliffs. While we loved our time here, a day and a half felt a tad short for us. I would highly recommend a minimum of 2 to 3 full days to explore as it’s bigger than Bryce Canyon.

Side note: Because we stopped in Brian Head, it made the most sense to visit Bryce Canyon first. However, feel free to switch it up, traveling from Zion to Bryce Canyon.

Best hikes in Zion National Park

Here are some of the hikes we enjoyed in Zion National Park, plus a few we plan to take in the future.

• Angels Landing (4.4 miles round trip and rated hard). Famous for being one the scariest, yet most beautiful hikes in the country, I’ve heard the views on this hike are insane. Since Evan and I were short on time and it was late October/early November, we skipped this but they’re number 1 our list for next time.
• The Narrows (1.9 miles round trip). This trail hikes through a beautiful gorge flowing with water surrounded by ginormous rock walls. (Side note: The water height does vary across the year and season.) The water was pretty cold during late October/early November so we decided to save it for our next national park visit.
• Weeping Rock Trail (0.3 miles round trip ). Along this super short trail you’ll find picturesque views and a waterfall.
• Lower Emerald Pool (1.2 miles round trip). Similar to Cathedral Lakes hike trails in Yosemite National Park, there are several pools to hike to in Zion. After exploring the lower pools, consider hiking to the Middle Emerald Pools (1.9 miles round trip) or continue hiking further to the Upper Emerald Pools (2.5 miles round trip).

Sixth stop: Heading back home

After spending a day and a half in Zion, we made the trip back home to Santa Barbara. This time we only stopped for gas, foods and bathroom breaks. It took about 8 hours and 30 minutes (including stops) to arrive snug at home in our beds.

How long do you recommend traveling for

We spent about one and half days in each park, so we had plenty of time to enjoy each. Although, I do wish we had an extra day in Zion National Park to hike The Narrows. Unfortunately, I was sick so we had to skip and hike easier trails. If you plan to follow our same route including Brian Head, we traveled for 5 and half days total.

However, a week would be plenty of time to experience both parks!

Have more than a week? Consider adding in some other stops along the way, or staying longer at Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. There are several national parks, and national state parks to explore on the route between LA to Zion. Here’s a couple more to add to an extended itinerary:

• Death Valley
• Grand Canyon
• Red Rock Canyon State Park
• Vermilion Cliffs National Monument

How far is Zion to Bryce Canyon or vice versa

Distance: 80 miles

The distance from Zion to Bryce, or Bryce to Zion is about 80 miles.

Driving from Zion to Bryce Canyon is very doable in one day. I wouldn’t recommend it, so you can soak up the beauty in each of the respective national parks, but it can be done if you’re on a time crunch! From gate to gate it takes about two hours since you are driving around turns and bends. However, the time varies and I’ve heard some people say it only took them one hour and a half.

How to get from Zion to Bryce Canyon

To get from Zion to Bryce Canyon, take the US-89 N and UT-12 E — stay on this route for about 73 miles. If you’re heading the opposite direction (like we did!), reverse the route. It should take about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours from gate to gate depending on traffic.

Things to know about the national parks

Before visiting Bryce Canyon or Zion National Park, here a couple logistics you should know about each park.

Entrance fees & special passes

To access either park there is an entrance fee. The fees for these passes depend on the type of vehicle your driving, and/or if you plan to camp, or enter via foot. Below are the options:

If you’re a national park enthusiast, I highly recommend buying the “America The Beautiful Annual Pass” as it’s the most economical (and you can visit the majestic Yosemite National Park on your next road trip without paying again).

If you a traveler with a disability, this pass is permanently free and more information can be found here.

Visitor center hours

The visitor centers are open everyday except on New Years Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Bryce Canyon visitor center hours:

• Labor Day to Memorial Day: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Memorial Day to Labor Day: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm

Zion National Park visitor center hours:

• Spring and Fall: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Summer: 8:00 am to 7:00 pm
• Winter: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Camping in the park

The price of each camping varies across campgrounds and national parks.

Zion National Park

Within Zion, there are three campgrounds — South, The Watchman, and The Lava Point Campground. Both South and The Watchman Campgrounds are found near Springdale, the South Entrance of Zion. While the Lava Point Campground in on Kolob Terrace Road, outside the Zion Canyon. It takes about an hour from the canyon to get there.

Tent camping costs about $20 per night per tent, and RVs are $30. Camping is first come, first served basis, but during the high season camping must be booked in advanced. The Watchman releases its campsite every 6 months, while South Campground releases it every 14 days.

Stay ready, and alert to grab a prime camp spot in the park, as it books up fast! Learn more about camping in Zion here.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon has two campgrounds — North and Sunset Campground. Only North Campground is open all year. Both campgrounds are a first come, first serve basis and cost about $20 per tent per night. Learn more about camping and backcountry camping permits here.

Shuttle services

All shuttle services are included in the price of your ticket.

In Bryce Canyon, the shuttle only runs during the summer season starting from May 15th until September 30th. The route takes you to several scenic lookout points, lodging and various other stops. You are also able to drive if you prefer it over the shuttle service.

Meanwhile in Zion National Park, you can only enter the park via the shuttle service. It stops along major points and scenic locations on its route, making it easy to hike all hiking trails. Pack your necessities — sun block, sun hat, light jacket, water, vegan lunch — leave the heavy things in your car or campsite, and valuables at home.

Have you road tripped to Bryce Canyon, or Zion National Park? What’s your favorite hiking trail?

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