Mesa Arch is a short walk from the road, and at sunrise its underside glows orange while the canyon below is still in shadow (that's the photo above). By lunch you can be at Grand View Point; by evening, back near Moab, with the generator off and the first stars out. This trip is a week of days like that.
Below is the day-by-day version of our Salt Lake City → Arches & Canyonlands route guide: seven days, six nights, one RV or campervan picked up and returned in Salt Lake City. You base yourself in Moab for four nights, see Arches and both road-accessible districts of Canyonlands, and come back via Capitol Reef. Rules that can stop you, such as campground windows, permits and length limits, come from the National Park Service and Recreation.gov, with the date we checked them. Anything we estimated is marked [A].
Quick answer
- Who it's for: first-timers flying into Salt Lake City (SLC) with a week, a campervan or a small-to-mid Class C, and two to four people.
- Shape: 1 night Salt Lake City → 4 nights Moab or Devils Garden → 1 night Capitol Reef → fly out on day 7.
- Driving: roughly 750–850 miles in total [A]. Two long days: SLC → Moab and Capitol Reef → SLC, about 3.5–4 hours each [A].
- Book in this order: Devils Garden (Arches) and Fruita (Capitol Reef) first. Both open 6 months ahead on Recreation.gov and fill in season [S1][S7]. Then the RV.
- No timed entry at Arches in 2026. You still need the entrance fee, and Fiery Furnace hikes still need a permit [S3][S4].
- Bring water and dump in Moab. Devils Garden has no hookups and no dump station; Island in the Sky has no water at the campground [S1][S6].
- Rules checked: 2026-10-27. How Recreation.gov windows and lotteries work: Recreation.gov guide.
- When to go: month-by-month ratings, temperatures and seasons.
Route map
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
The 7 days at a glance
| Day | Plan | Drive | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Land at SLC, pick up the RV, stock up | Airport → depot → RV park, <1 h [A] | Salt Lake area RV park [A] |
| 2 | SLC → Price → Green River → Moab; sunset at the Windows (Arches) | ~230 mi / 3.5–4 h [A] | Moab RV park [A] |
| 3 | Arches: Delicate Arch early, then Devils Garden | ~40–50 mi round trip [A] | Devils Garden Campground or Moab |
| 4 | Canyonlands, Island in the Sky: Mesa Arch, Grand View Point; Dead Horse Point on the way back | ~35 mi each way (hub estimate [A]) | Moab or Devils Garden |
| 5 | Canyonlands, The Needles: Newspaper Rock, Cave Spring, Pothole Point | ~75 mi each way [A] | Moab, or Needles Campground (Loop B) |
| 6 | Moab → Green River → Hanksville → Capitol Reef; Fruita orchards, Scenic Drive | ~145 mi / 2.5–3 h [A] | Fruita Campground, Capitol Reef |
| 7 | Capitol Reef → Salina → I-15 → SLC; return the RV, fly out | ~220 mi / 3.5–4 h [A] | – |
Distances and drive times are our estimates for an RV at legal speeds without long stops [A], consistent with the route guide. Add 20–30% for photo stops, fuel and road works.
Before you book the RV: checklist
Every opening date for this route, in your time zone: What do I book when? →
Every campground on this route, with booking windows and RV length limits: campsite table for Arches, Canyonlands & Capitol Reef.
- Book Devils Garden Campground (Arches) for nights 3–5 if you can. It's the only campground in Arches, reservable for nights March 1–October 31, from 10 am ET six months ahead and no later than 4 days ahead. NPS says it is "usually full every night" in season. November–February it is first-come, first-served [S1].
- Book Fruita Campground (Capitol Reef) for night 6. Reservation only, all year, 6 months ahead, $25 a night. It's "typically fully booked" mid-March to October. There's a free dump station and water fill for campers [S7].
- Optional: The Needles, Loop B for night 5, if you'd rather sleep there than drive back to Moab. Loop B opens 6 months ahead, mid-March to mid-November. Sites take a maximum combined length of 28 ft, and there are no hookups and no dump station [S6].
- Check your RV length against each site. At Devils Garden, length limits differ from site to site (for example 40 ft at accessible site 007, 30 ft at RV site 042), so read the site listing before you book [S2]. If you are over 28 ft, skip The Needles campground [S6].
- Book Moab and Salt Lake RV park nights to fill the gaps. Private Moab parks with hookups run about $80–95 a night [A — see the cost page].
- Fiery Furnace (optional): a self-guided permit 7 to 2 days ahead on Recreation.gov, $10 per person, groups of up to six, no children under 5. Everyone must watch an orientation video at the visitor center the day before or the morning of [S4].
- Read your rental contract on dirt roads. Most ban unpaved roads, which rules out the White Rim Road and Shafer Trail in a rental RV [A]. Those roads also need a day-use permit [S5].
What you do not need to book: entry to Arches in 2026 (no timed entry; vehicles may be turned away from busy areas at peak times) [S3], entry to Canyonlands (no timed entry) [S5], and Willow Flat at Island in the Sky, which can't be reserved [S6].
Day by day
Day 1 — Land in Salt Lake City, pick up the RV
Fly into SLC and do the walk-through slowly: photos of every scratch, tank levels, generator and A/C test. Do one big grocery and water run in the Salt Lake area. Moab has supermarkets, but prices are higher and nothing inside the parks sells food [A]. Sleep near the depot so day 2 starts early.
Sleep: Salt Lake area RV park with full hookups [A — suggestion; we have not checked individual parks].
Day 2 — Salt Lake City → Moab (~230 mi)
Take I-15 south and US-6 over Soldier Summit to Price, then I-70 east from Green River and US-191 south toward Moab [A]. The Arches entrance is on US-191, 4.5 miles before Moab [S2]. If you arrive with energy, drive the park road to the Windows Section for sunset; it's an easy loop to big arches [A]. Fill water and dump tanks in Moab before you head into the parks [A].
Sleep: Moab RV park [A].
Day 3 — Arches: Delicate Arch and Devils Garden
Start early: parking at the popular trailheads fills, and NPS may temporarily restrict access to busy areas [S3]. Hike to Delicate Arch, a steep 3-mile round trip [S2], then drive 18 miles from the entrance to Devils Garden [S2] for Landscape Arch. If you booked Fiery Furnace, today or tomorrow morning is the time. In summer, hike before 10 am; afternoons in Moab are very hot [A].
Sleep: Devils Garden Campground (no hookups; generators 8–10 am and 4–8 pm) [S1][S2], or Moab.
Day 4 — Canyonlands: Island in the Sky
Mesa Arch at sunrise is the classic shot (the photo at the top of this page). Then drive the paved scenic road to Grand View Point and the Green River Overlook [A]. There is no timed entry at Canyonlands [S5]. Drinking water is available outside the Island in the Sky visitor center spring through fall, but not at the campground [S6]. On the way back, Dead Horse Point State Park sits right next to the road (separate state-park fee) [A].
Sleep: Moab or Devils Garden. Willow Flat (12 sites, $15, first-come, no water) works only for small rigs that arrive early [S6][A].
Day 5 — Canyonlands: The Needles
Drive 40 miles south of Moab on US-191, then about 35 miles west on UT-211, the only paved road in and out of The Needles [S6]. Stop at Newspaper Rock on the way [A]. In the district, short walks such as Cave Spring and Pothole Point show the landscape without a long hike [A]. There is no cell coverage in The Needles [S6]. Leave before dark if you're driving back: there are no lights on park roads [S6].
Sleep: The Needles Campground, Loop B (reserved; max 28 ft) [S6], or back in Moab.
Day 6 — Moab → Capitol Reef (~145 mi)
Take US-191 north and I-70 west to Green River, then UT-24 south via Hanksville into Capitol Reef [A]. Arrive for an afternoon in Fruita: historic orchards, petroglyph panels along UT-24, and the paved part of the Scenic Drive [A]. Check in at Fruita from 3 pm; use its dump station and water fill [S7].
Sleep: Fruita Campground. If it's full, there's dispersed camping on public land around the park; NPS asks you to use it when Fruita is full [S7].
Day 7 — Capitol Reef → Salt Lake City, fly home
Take UT-24 west to I-70, then US-50 to Salina and I-15 north to Salt Lake City [A]. Plan 3.5–4 hours [A]. Dump, refuel to the level in your contract, sweep out, and return on time. Leave at least 3 hours between the RV return and your flight, or add a last night in Salt Lake if your flight is early [A].
Alternatives and the buffer day
- Only 6 days? Drop The Needles (day 5). It is the longest day trip from Moab [A].
- 8 days? Add a second night at Capitol Reef and hike in Capitol Gorge or Grand Wash [A].
- Driving a large Class C? The route works; skip The Needles campground (28 ft max) and Willow Flat, and check each Devils Garden site's length [S2][S6]. See Class C vs. campervan.
- Winter (November–February): Devils Garden is first-come, first-served; nights are cold, and Moab is quiet [S1][A].
- One-way to Denver? Possible with fleet depots, but expect a one-way fee. See airport pickup & one-way fees and the Denver → Rocky Mountain guide.
What it costs
Prices live on one page: What 7 days really cost: Salt Lake City → Arches & Canyonlands. In short, park campground fees on this plan are $25 at Devils Garden, $20 at The Needles and $25 at Fruita (Recreation.gov, checked 2026-10-27). Rental, fuel and fees are broken down there with sources. Want your own number? Use the trip cost calculator.
Sources and how we checked
All sources opened 2026-10-27. Rules and schedules change; check each park's current-conditions page before you drive. [A] marks our own estimates or suggestions. Distances and drive times are [A] unless a source is given.
- [S1] NPS Arches — Camping (Devils Garden: reservable for nights Mar 1–Oct 31, 10 am ET six months ahead, latest 4 days ahead; usually full; Nov–Feb first-come) — www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/camping.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- [S2] Recreation.gov — Devils Garden Campground (18 miles from the entrance, entrance 4.5 miles from Moab; no hookups or dump station; generator hours; Delicate Arch 3 mi round trip; site listings with length limits, e.g. site 007 and site 042) — www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234059 · site 007 · site 042 (checked 2026-10-27)
- [S3] NPS — Arches lifts entry reservation requirement for 2026 (Feb 18, 2026; congestion measures; Fiery Furnace and Devils Garden still need reservations) — www.nps.gov/arch/learn/news/news02182026.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- [S4] NPS Arches — Fiery Furnace Permits (2–7 days ahead, $10 per person, 6 max, no children under 5, orientation at visitor center) — www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/fiery-furnace-permit.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- [S5] NPS Canyonlands — Permits & Reservations (no timed entry; day-use permits for White Rim Road and other 4WD roads) — www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/permitsandreservations.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- [S6] Recreation.gov — Needles Campground (Loop B 6 months, mid-March–mid-November; Loop A first-come; 28 ft; no hookups or dump; no cell coverage; US-191 40 mi + UT-211 ~35 mi; no road lights) and Island in the Sky (Willow Flat) Campground (12 sites, first-come, $15, no water; water at visitor center spring–fall) — Needles · Willow Flat (checked 2026-10-27)
- [S7] NPS Capitol Reef — Fruita Campground (reservation only, 6 months ahead, $25; full mid-March–October; check-in 3 pm; dump and water fill; dispersed camping when full) — www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/fruitacampground.htm (checked 2026-10-27)
- Not from an official source [A]: all drive times and mileages (consistent with our route guide), road choices, RV park suggestions, hike suggestions other than Delicate Arch, heat advice, and the alternatives.
Before you get quotes
See the full cost breakdownRental, miles, fuel, campgrounds, park passes and fees, with sources
← Back to the route guide: Salt Lake City → Arches & Canyonlands
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