Zion to Arches National Park - Two Top Utah Destinations in One Trip!

When I capture memories for my photography clients in Zion, many of them tell me that they are also visiting Arches National Park on their trip. Even though Zion and Arches are on opposite sides of Utah, it’s a reasonable road trip to get from Zion to Arches National Park, so it’s fairly easy to combine these two amazing Utah destinations in one trip.

Take A Trip from Zion to Arches National Park

This guide will give you all the info for how to make it happen, including when to visit, how to get to Zion and Arches, where to stay near each park, driving from Zion to Arches National Park, entrance fees and logistics for each park, and the top things to do in both parks.

Here is a basic itinerary for a trip from Zion to Arches National Park:

Fly into Las Vegas and drive to Zion National Park (2.5 hr drive)
Spend a couple days hiking and exploring in Zion
Drive to Arches National Park (5 hr drive)
Spend a couple days hiking and exploring in Arches
Drive to Salt Lake City and fly home (3.5 hr drive)

Check out my Zion to Moab road trip guide for a longer road trip itinerary with a few more cool stops along the way!

Best Time of Year for Visiting Zion and Arches

While you can have a great visit to Zion and Arches at any time of the year, I would recommend April to mid November as the best time to visit these parks. The temps in the spring and fall are usually quite pleasant, though you could encounter rain or even snow early and late in the season. Summer is a very popular time to visit Zion and Arches, but keep in mind that this is the desert, and it can get extremely hot, especially mid-day.

How to Get to Zion and Arches National Parks

Zion National Park is in southwestern Utah, near the border of Arizona and Nevada. Arches National Park is near the town of Moab in eastern Utah, near the border of Colorado.

When you’re taking a road trip from Zion to Arches National Park, I recommend flying into a different airport than you fly out of so you don’t have to drive across Utah twice. Here are the airports closest to each of the parks.

Closest Airports to Zion National Park

The closest major airport to Zion National Park is Las Vegas International Airport which is about a 2.5 hour drive from the Springdale entrance to Zion. The Las Vegas airport offers the most flight options in the area, so while it isn’t technically the closest airport to Zion, it is typically the most convenient.

St. George Regional Airport is actually the closest airport to Zion, and it’s just an hour away. But the flights into St. George are very limited, only coming from Denver, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City (and seasonally from Dallas), so it’s not an option for most people.

Check out my guide to the closest airports to Zion for more details!

Closest Airports to Arches National Park

The closest major airport to Arches National Park is Salt Lake City International Airport which is about a 3.5 hour drive away. A couple smaller airports nearby are Canyonlands Field Airport (just 15 mins away) or Grand Junction Regional Airport (about an hour and a half away), but flight options are much more limited at those airports compared to Salt Lake City.

Driving from Zion to Arches National Park

If you just want to drive straight through from Zion to Arches National Park, the drive is around 5 hours via I-15 North and I-70 East. A more scenic drive through Zion along UT-9 and then north on US-89 past Byrce Canyon is about 5.5-6 hours. You can also make the drive into a Zion to Moab road trip across Utah with several awesome stops along the way.

Where to Stay Near Zion and Arches

Believe me, you won’t be lacking for options of places to stay near both Zion and Arches since these national parks are so popular. If you need help narrowing it down, here are my top recommendations for lodging near Zion and Arches.

For even more places to stay near Zion, check out my extensive list of Zion lodging here!

Where to Stay Near Zion National Park

Among all the places to stay near Zion, Zion Wildflower Resort ranks at the top of my list. Zion Wildflower is situated on a hill with stunning views of the surrounding mesas in the town of Virgin, UT, which is just 15 mins from the Springdale entrance to Zion.

And the stellar location is just part of its charm! Zion Wildflower is a glamping escape with lodging options ranging from charming bungalows to covered wagons to single-pole tents. All the amenities on the property including a pool and hot tub, firepits, outdoor games, movie nights, and more make staying here so much fun.

Find out more about why Zion Wildflower is such a great place to stay with kids here!

Where to Stay Near Arches National Park

On my last visit to Arches, I stayed at Field Station Moab, and it was fantastic! Field Station is meant to be a home base for adventurers, and it’s just a 10 minute drive from the entrance to Arches.

Field Station has a variety of rooms, including bunk bed rooms for bigger groups and even posts for van lifers to park. Plus, they have a cafe and a gear shop on-site, and you can book fun tour experiences through them, too.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Important Info for Visiting Zion and Arches

Both Zion and Arches National Parks require entry fees and have some other logistical considerations for visiting, especially during peak season. Here’s what you need to know to visit these national parks:

Standard Pass vs Annual National Parks Pass

A standard entrance pass to Zion National Park for one vehicle is $35 and the standard entrance fee for Arches National Park is $30. Both are valid for up to 7 days, but they do not transfer to other parks.

So if you plan to visit both Zion and Arches, it might be worth purchasing an annual National Parks pass. The America the Beautiful pass is $80 and gives you access to all national parks as well as many other areas (including national forests and BLM land). If you plan to visit any other national park during the next year (like perhaps visiting Bryce Canyon on the way from Zion to Arches National Park), the annual pass is a better deal.

Arches Timed Entry Reservations

During peak season from April 1 to October 31, timed entry reservations (along with the park entrance fee) are required to enter Arches National Park from 7am-4pm each day. You must reserve your timed entry ticket ahead of time either through recreation.gov or by calling the reservation line, and you can find all the info for Arches timed entry reservations here.

Local tip: I won’t lie, I’m not very good at planning in advance to get the timed entry tickets I want. So on my recent visit to Arches, we decided to wake up early because no timed entry reservation is needed if you get into the park before 7am. It was totally worth the early wake up to see the sunrise and avoid worrying about the timed entry.

Zion Shuttle Information

You do NOT need a timed entry ticket to visit Zion National Park. However, from March through November, you do need to use the free Zion Shuttle to access areas in the main canyon, since Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is closed when the shuttles are operating.

Check out my full guide to the Zion Shuttle here!

Top Things to Do in Zion National Park

Zion is truly an incredible place, and I would definitely recommend spending at least a few days exploring the park before you head to Arches. Here are some of my must-dos in Zion!

If you have limited time, check out some ways to make the most of one day in Zion here!

Hiking in Zion National Park

Zion is a hiker’s paradise, and you’ll find trails for all levels of hiking ability here. These are a few of the best hikes in Zion to choose from.

The Narrows

The Narrows is one of the most famous adventure hikes in Zion, and for good reason, because it's amazing! After you make your way up the Riverside Walk, you’ll step off the paved trail and start wading the Virgin River into the canyon. Soon, the walls close in, and you are surrounded by massive cliffs that will take your breath away.

Read my detailed guide to hiking The Narrows here!

Angels Landing

Angels Landing is an absolute bucket list hike in Zion! You start this hike along the Virgin River before beginning the steep switchbacks known as Walter’s Wiggles. When you reach Scout’s Lookout, you’ll enjoy some jaw-dropping views of the canyon from above before you ascend the iconic chains section with steep drop offs. The views from the summit are so freaking amazing, and you’ll feel a huge sense of accomplishment.

Check out my in-depth guide to hiking Angels Landing here!

Note: You don’t need a permit to hike the first portion of the trail up to Scout’s Lookout, but you do need a permit to hike the chains section to the summit of Angels Landing, which you can get through a seasonal or day-before lottery.

Watchman Trail

The Watchman Trail often gets overshadowed by the more famous hikes in Zion, but it shouldn't. This trail is truly gorgeous with epic Zion views and a prime perspective of the Watchman formation near the entrance to the park. It’s a moderate hike of around 3 miles with just under 500 feet of elevation gain, so it’s a fairly family-friendly adventure.

Find out more about hiking the Watchman Trail here!

Pa’Rus Trail

The Pa’Rus Trail is a perfect intro to Zion National Park! It’s an easy path that starts at the Visitor Center and takes you along the Virgin River to Canyon Junction (the shuttle stop that takes you into the canyon). Along the way, you’ll pass over several beautiful bridges that cross the Virgin River.

Learn more about biking the Pa’Rus Trail here!

Kolob Canyons Scenic Drive

Explore a different - and less crowded - side of Zion in Kolob Canyons! The best way to explore this separate section of the park is via Kolob Canyons Scenic Drive. The road winds through stunning scenery of beautiful box canyons and sandstone cliffs and offers access to amazing overlooks, lovely picnic areas, and trailheads for hiking.

Check out my full guide to Kolob Canyons Scenic Drive here!

Top Things to Do in Arches National Park

You can easily see a lot of Arches National Park in one day, but if you want to do some more hiking, you can savor a couple days here.

Scenic Drive Through Arches

The road that runs through Arches National Park is a beautiful scenic drive, and the many pull offs along the way make it convenient to simply stop whenever an arch strikes your fancy.

Since most of the arches don’t require much of a hike to get to, you can pack a whole plethora of the signature sandstone arches into an afternoon. Here is just a sampling of the many arches I saw driving through the park:

Landscape Arch - the largest arch in the world!
Pine Tree Arch - cool arch on a family-friendly trail
Sand Dune Arch - short trail you can extend to Broken Arch
Courthouse Towers - absolutely stunning viewpoint
North Window, South Window, & Turret Arch - just 1 mile hike to see all 3 arches

Hiking in Arches National Park

If you have more time to spend in Arches, here are some of the most popular hikes in the park.

Delicate Arch

This is the iconic arch that graces Utah license plates and represents the state. You can’t see Delicate Arch from the parking lot, but there are a couple viewpoints along the 3-mile round trip trail to the arch. It’s worth hiking the full trail to see Delicate Arch up close though!

Park Avenue

This easy trail starts from Courthouse Towers viewpoint for a two-mile round trip that gives you a closer perspective of a number of stunning formations including the Courthouse Towers, the Three Gossips, the Organ, and the Tower of Babel.

Double Arch

It’s just a short half-mile round trip hike down to Double Arch, but it’s a fun one since you can scramble around the base of this unique formation of two connected arches.

Devils Garden

You’ll find the amazing Devils Garden area at the very end of the road through Arches. This is a very popular area for hiking through the arches, spires, and fins of sandstone on a network of trails to choose from. A two-mile round trip hike will take you to the largest arch in the world, Landscape Arch.