Leave Salt Lake City in the morning and the mountains fall behind you somewhere past Soldier Summit. By the time US-191 drops toward Moab, the rock has turned the colour of rust, and the entrance to Arches is right there on the highway, a few miles before town.
Salt Lake City (SLC) is the natural fly-in base for Moab, the town between Arches and Canyonlands. You get a big airport with plenty of RV depots and a straightforward drive south.
Quick answer
- Best for: 5–9 day trips focused on Arches and both main districts of Canyonlands (Island in the Sky and The Needles). Easy to extend to Capitol Reef.
- Drive SLC → Moab: about 230 miles, 3.5–4 hours [A].
- Realistic all-in cost, 7 days, 2 people: about $1,400–4,500 by campervan or $1,900–5,600 by Class C for US residents [A], the cost table below rounded outward to the nearest $100.
- Watch out for: timed-entry reservations at Arches in some seasons, and summer heat. Check nps.gov/arch for current entry rules for your dates.
- Flying in from abroad? Licence, age, deposit and a ready-to-book checklist, then check whether you can pick up the day you land.
- Also going to Yellowstone? Salt Lake City is a base for that trip too: Yellowstone & Grand Teton from Salt Lake City or Bozeman →
Sample 7-day route
Route at a glance · schematic, not for navigation; positions approximate [A]. ☾ N1 = night 1.
- Day 1: Salt Lake City (SLC): pick up the RV, night in the Salt Lake area
- Day 2: SLC → Price → Green River → Moab
- Days 3–5: Base in Moab or Devils Garden: Arches, Island in the Sky, The Needles as day trips
- Day 6: Moab → Green River → Hanksville → Capitol Reef (optional), night at Fruita or Green River
- Day 7: Back to SLC via Salina and I-15, return the RV
| Day | Leg | Approx. drive [A] | Overnight idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Land at SLC, pick up RV, groceries | – | RV park in the Salt Lake area |
| 2 | SLC → Moab | ~230 mi / 3.5–4 h | Moab RV park or BLM campground along the Colorado River |
| 3 | Arches (Windows, Delicate Arch) | short | Devils Garden campground (reserve far ahead) or Moab |
| 4 | Canyonlands, Island in the Sky | ~35 mi each way | Same base |
| 5 | Canyonlands, The Needles | ~75 mi each way | Needles campground or Moab |
| 6 | Moab → Capitol Reef (optional) or back toward SLC | ~145 mi to Capitol Reef | Fruita campground or Green River |
| 7 | Return to SLC, return RV, fly out | ~220 mi | – |
Want it night by night? See the 7-day Arches & Canyonlands itinerary, day by day, with campground windows and drive times. When campsites open: Recreation.gov guide.
When to go? Heat, snow, road and campground seasons, month by month: best time for Arches & Canyonlands.
What it really costs (7 days, 2 people)
| Item | Campervan | Class C |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle rental (base rate) | $700–$1,800 | $1,100–$2,500 |
| Mileage (~700–800 mi) | $0–$310 | $0–$310 |
| Fuel | $160–$380 | $270–$510 |
| Campgrounds (6 nights) | $170–$560 | $170–$560 |
| Park entry (US residents) | $60–$80 | $60–$80 |
| Kits, prep, cleaning, generator | $50–$370 | $50–$370 |
| Insurance / protection | $175–$280 | $210–$350 |
| Taxes and service fees | $50–$520 | $80–$720 |
| Airport ↔ depot transfer (both ways) | $40–$120 | $40–$120 |
| Total, US residents | $1,405–$4,420 | $1,980–$5,520 |
| Park entry, visitors from outside the US | +$0 | +$0 |
| Total, visitors from outside the US | $1,405–$4,420 | $1,980–$5,520 |
Same lines and totals as the full cost page; the cost page explains what drives each line and lists the sources. Lines marked [A] there are our estimates.
Fleet or marketplace from SLC?
SLC has both fleet depots and many peer-to-peer listings. For a round trip, marketplace vehicles are often cheaper per night; for one-way trips (for example SLC → Denver) fleet depots are usually the only practical option. Full breakdown: Marketplace vs. fleet.
Before you get quotes
See the full 7-day cost breakdownEvery line: rental, miles, fuel, campgrounds, fees
Campsites: what to book, and when it opens
Arches has a single campground and the Needles only one bookable loop, so these nights decide the trip. Book them on the morning they open, then the RV for exactly those dates.
| Campground | How to book | Window opens | Max RV length | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devils Garden (Arches) | Recreation.gov | 6 months, 10 am ET; until 4 days ahead | Up to 40 ft at some sites, 30 ft or less at others | Reservation only Mar 1 – Oct 31, "usually full every night"; first-come Nov–Feb; no hookups or dump station; max 7 nights a month |
| The Needles, Loop B (Canyonlands) | Recreation.gov | 6 months | 28 ft | Mid-March to mid-November; no cell coverage; no dump station |
| Needles Loop A / Willow Flat (Island in the Sky) | First-come only | — | 28 ft (Needles) / per site [A] | Willow Flat: 12 sites, no water. Arrive early in spring and fall |
| Fruita (Capitol Reef) | Recreation.gov, reservation only all year | 6 months | Per site (NPS dimension sheet) [A] | Typically full mid-March to October; cancelled sites bookable even same day; 14-night limit Mar–Nov |
| BLM land around Moab | Developed BLM campgrounds or legal dispersed sites | Varies | Varies | Many areas near Moab are closed to dispersed camping; portable toilet required where it is allowed |
How the windows work: release times, a date calculator, the 15-minute cart, cancellation alerts and BLM back-ups are in our Recreation.gov guide.
Sources, checked 2026-10-28: NPS Arches camping · Devils Garden · Devils Garden site 007 · Needles · NPS Fruita · BLM Moab visitor guide (PDF). Rules change each season; confirm on the campground page before you pay. [A] = our estimate.
Practical tips
- Heat: June–August afternoons in Moab are very hot. Plan hikes early; an RV with a working generator and A/C matters here [A].
- Unpaved roads: most rental contracts ban driving on unpaved roads. Many Moab scenic roads are dirt. Read your contract.
- Water and dump stations: fill up and dump in Moab; services inside the parks are limited.
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