Most of this week is spent around one town: four nights near Moab, with Arches and Canyonlands as day trips. That keeps campsite costs low (Devils Garden is $25 a night, The Needles $20) and the miles modest. As on every route, the rental is the line to watch.
What does a 7-day fly-in RV trip from Salt Lake City to Moab, Arches and Canyonlands really cost for two people — once mileage, fuel, campgrounds, fees and the airport transfer are in? Below: every line, for a campervan and a Class C, with a check date and a source.
Quick answer
- Campervan, 7 days, 2 people: about $1,400–$4,500 all-in for US residents, $1,400–$4,500 if you live outside the US [A].
- Class C, 7 days, 2 people: about $1,900–$5,600 (US residents) or $1,900–$5,600 (visitors from outside the US) [A]. Ranges are the table totals rounded outward to the nearest $100. US and non-US figures are the same here because Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef do not charge the $100 non-resident fee.
- Biggest swing factor: the season and where you sleep in Moab: park sites at $20–25 a night vs. private RV parks with hookups [A]. In July–August the heat pushes you toward hookups and A/C.
- Not in these totals: flights, food and activities. Groceries for two, cooking mostly in the RV, add roughly $245–$490 [A — our estimate, not checked against a source].
- Prices checked: 2026-10-27.
Cost table (7 days, 2 people)
Low = off-peak, cheapest reasonable choices. High = peak season with every fee — most trips land in between. Ranges are for the whole trip, not per night.
| Item | Campervan | Class C | What drives it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle rental (base rate) | $700–$1,800 | $1,100–$2,500 | ≈ $100–260 a night for a campervan, $160–360 for a Class C [A]. Benchmarks: Outdoorsy $100–175 / $150–250 a night; Go RV US average March 2026 $252 / $225; RVshare: peak season 30–50% higher. Fleet example: 7-night minimum |
| Mileage (~700–800 mi) | $0–$310 | $0–$310 | $0 if unlimited miles are included (common on marketplace listings); a fleet example charges $0.39 a mile, so ~800 mi ≈ $310. Its unlimited package is $845 for up to 21 days — only worth it on long routes [A] |
| Fuel | $160–$380 | $270–$510 | Campervan 15–20 mpg, Class C 8–12 mpg [A] × route miles × AAA averages on this route checked 2026-10-27: Utah average $4.66 regular, $6.53 diesel; we add 10% at the high end for remote stations [A] |
| Campgrounds (6 nights) | $170–$560 | $170–$560 | Low: 1 night at an SLC-area RV park (~$50 [A]) plus park sites — Devils Garden $25, Needles $20, Fruita (Capitol Reef) $25 (Recreation.gov). High: private Moab RV parks with hookups at ~$80–95 a night [A] |
| Park entry (US residents) | $60–$80 | $60–$80 | Arches and Canyonlands charge $30 a vehicle each; Capitol Reef adds $20 if you go. The $80 pass only pays off with a third park |
| Kits, prep, cleaning, generator | $50–$370 | $50–$370 | Low: a marketplace listing with kits included plus a cleaning fee [A]. High: fleet example — $50 prep, $125 vehicle kit, 2 × $75 personal kits, generator $8/night × 6 |
| Insurance / protection | $175–$280 | $210–$350 | RVshare's own budgeting guide: about $25–40 a day for a campervan, $30–50 for a Class C. Fleet rates usually include basic cover; upgrades cost extra [A] |
| Taxes and service fees | $50–$520 | $80–$720 | Low: Salt Lake City rental tax 7.25% on the base rate (fleet fee sheet; 16.75% for some smaller-vehicle bookings). High: 16.75% plus a 10–12% marketplace service fee (Outdoorsy: 10%) [A] |
| Airport ↔ depot transfer (both ways) | $40–$120 | $40–$120 | Taxi or rideshare between SLC airport and the depot, both ways [A — not checked] |
| Total, US residents | $1,405–$4,420 | $1,980–$5,520 | Sum of the lines above [A] |
| Park entry, visitors from outside the US | +$0 | +$0 | None of these parks charges the $100 non-resident fee — pay per park. The $250 Non-Resident Annual Pass only pays off if you also visit, say, Zion or Yellowstone within 12 months |
| Total, visitors from outside the US | $1,405–$4,420 | $1,980–$5,520 | Sum including the non-resident park cost [A] |
| Line | Campervan | Class C |
|---|---|---|
| Rental | $700–$1,800 | $1,100–$2,500 |
| Miles | $0–$310 | $0–$310 |
| Fuel | $160–$380 | $270–$510 |
| Campgrounds | $170–$560 | $170–$560 |
| Park entry | $60–$80 | $60–$80 |
| Kits & fees | $50–$370 | $50–$370 |
| Insurance | $175–$280 | $210–$350 |
| Taxes | $50–$520 | $80–$720 |
| Transfers | $40–$120 | $40–$120 |
Rental, insurance and fee lines are benchmarks from published price guides and a fleet fee sheet, not a live quote for your dates. Get two or three real quotes before you book [A].
Different trip length, group size, season or one-way? Plug your own numbers into the trip cost calculator. It uses the lines above.
One-way instead of a loop?
Fleet one-way fees run $350–750 depending on route (Cruise America 2026 terms). The chart we checked lists Salt Lake City → Denver and Salt Lake City → Las Vegas at $500 each [A — confirm for your dates]. Marketplace vehicles are almost always round trip.
Unpaved roads: most rental contracts ban driving on unpaved roads, and many Moab scenic roads are dirt. Breaking that rule can void your cover — a cost no table can capture.
What's included — and what isn't
Included in the totals above
- Vehicle base rate, mileage, fuel, 6 campground nights, park entry, kits/prep/generator, insurance or protection, taxes and service fees, and the transfer between the airport and the depot.
Not included
- Flights, food and groceries (see the quick answer), activities and tours, hotel nights before pickup or after drop-off, refundable security deposits, one-way fees (see below), and late-return or damage charges.
Season notes
Month by month, with temperatures and road seasons: best time to go.
- Spring and autumn (March–May, September–October): Moab's busiest and priciest time; book Devils Garden early. Arches dropped timed-entry reservations for 2026, but Devils Garden Campground and Fiery Furnace hikes still need reservations; check the rules for 2027 before you go.
- Summer (June–August): very hot afternoons. Hookups for A/C push you toward private RV parks — the high end of the campground line [A].
- Winter (November–February): cheapest rentals, cold nights and occasional snow; some services in the parks are reduced [A — check nps.gov/arch and nps.gov/cany].
Sources and how we checked
All figures checked 2026-10-27. Prices change; confirm with the provider before you book.
- NPS — Entrance passes (America the Beautiful: $80 US residents, $250 non-residents; $100 non-resident fee at 11 parks) — www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- NPS — Nonresident fees FAQ — www.nps.gov/aboutus/nonresident-fees.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- NPS Arches — Fees ($30 private vehicle) — www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/fees.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- NPS Canyonlands — Fees ($30 private vehicle) — www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/fees.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- NPS Capitol Reef — Fees ($20 private vehicle) — www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/fees.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- NPS Arches — news release Feb 18, 2026: no timed-entry reservations in 2026 — www.nps.gov/arch/learn/news/news02182026.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- Recreation.gov campground listings (per-site nightly prices: Watchman $35/$45 electric, Zion South $35, Bryce North/Sunset $30, Mather $30, Colter Bay $59/$89, Colter Bay RV Park $122–127, Gros Ventre $59/$89, Mammoth $25, Devils Garden $25, Needles $20, Fruita $25, Timber Creek/Aspenglen/Glacier Basin $35) — www.recreation.gov (checked 2026-10-27)
- AAA state gas price averages (regular and diesel), checked 2026-10-27 — gasprices.aaa.com (checked 2026-10-27)
- Go RV Rentals 2026 RV Rental Price Index via RV PRO (US average March 2026: Class C $225/night, Class B campervan $252/night) — rv-pro.com/news/go-rv-rentals-releases-2026-rv-rental-price-index (checked 2026-10-27)
- Outdoorsy — RV rental costs broken down (Class B $100–175/night, Class C $150–250/night) — www.outdoorsy.com/blog/rv-rental-costs-broken-down-nightly-rates-fees-and-what-to-budget (checked 2026-10-27)
- RVshare — RV rental prices by type (updated Aug 19, 2026; peak season 30–50% more; insurance $25–40/day Class B, $30–50/day Class C) — rvshare.com/blog/rv-rental-prices (checked 2026-10-27)
- Outdoorsy Help Center — fees (guest service fee 10% of booking total) — support.outdoorsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/37981867822747-What-fees-should-I-be-aware-of (checked 2026-10-27)
- Cruise America 2026 summer terms via agent page usandcanadatravel.com (miles $0.39 each or 500-mile pack $155; prep fee $50; vehicle kit $125; personal kit $75/person; generator $8/night; 7-night minimum; local taxes by depot) — www.usandcanadatravel.com/motorhome_hire/cruise_america/rv_rentals_rates_4.shtml (checked 2026-10-27)
- Cruise America one-way chart Nov 2025–Oct 2026 via agent page motorhomeandrvhire.com — motorhomeandrvhire.com/camper_rent/cruise_america/one_way_chart.shtml (checked 2026-10-27)
- Private RV park rates and airport transfer costs: our estimates [A], not checked against a specific source.
← Back to the full route guide: Salt Lake City → Arches & Canyonlands
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