5 Reasons Why You Should Plan an RV Trip to Utah

Meet Our Guest Contributor: Janae McCormick

Janae is one-half of the adventure influencer couple Adventures with TuckNae. Janae and Tucker travel full-time in their Keystone Montana fifth wheel and share their adventures on Instagram.

Utah is an incredible state that is often overlooked when RVers plan their next destination. In this post, we’ll share our top five reasons why you should plan a trip to Utah.

From slot canyons and sandstone arches to hoodoos and waterfalls, Utah has an incredible amount of beauty to offer, so let’s jump right in!

1. Stunning National Parks

Utah’s incredible national parks are probably the best reason to plan an RV trip! Utah has five national parks, commonly referred to as “The Mighty 5.” We’ll give a quick rundown of each park.

Arches National Park

Home to the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world, Arches offers landscapes that feel almost otherworldly.

Delicate Arch is the star of the show and is the most famous arch in the park. Although the line to take a picture with the arch can get pretty long during peak season, it’s well worth the wait. The park’s roads and trails bring you up close to many other spectacular arch formations, like Landscape Arch and Double Arch, as well as my personal favorite, Windows Arch.

Hiking in Arches National Park can fit any level of adventure, and even the shorter trails, like Park Avenue and Balanced Rock, are a great way to experience the park’s dramatic scenery. If you’re up for a more challenging and immersive experience, The Fiery Furnace hike is a guided adventure through labyrinthine sandstone canyons.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Known for its incredible hoodoos (irregular rock columns that seem to glow in the right light) Bryce Canyon is incredible and a can’t-miss park! The best times to visit are sunrise and sunset when the orange and red rocks light up spectacularly. The Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden trails are popular for immersing yourself in these stunning rock formations. 

In winter, snow adds a dramatic contrast to the vivid rocks, and the park’s high altitude makes it a fantastic place for stargazing on clear nights. Bryce is smaller and more manageable on foot, so it’s easy to see the highlights in just a day or two.

Capitol Reef National Park

Often less crowded, Capitol Reef offers cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges alongside orchards where you can pick fresh fruit in season. 

The park’s Scenic Drive provides easy access to major landmarks, but venturing off the main road onto trails like the Hickman Bridge hike offers a close-up view of the park’s striking rock formations and historic markings. The Fruita area is a reminder of the past, with old settler’s buildings and a working orchard that’s still maintained by the National Park Service. For history buffs, the petroglyphs carved by the ancient Fremont Culture are fascinating and easily accessible.

💡Pro Tip: Don’t forget to stop by the Gifford Homestead for a delicious, freshly baked pie!

Canyonlands National Park

This massive park is divided into districts, each offering a different type of adventure. 

The Island in the Sky district is the most accessible, with panoramic overlooks along the paved scenic drive and short walks to stunning vistas, like Mesa Arch, a famous sunrise spot. For the more adventurous, the Needles district offers backcountry hikes through red rock landscapes and ancient rock art. The remote Maze district is only ideal for seasoned explorers looking for solitude and primitive camping. 

Canyonlands’ diverse landscapes are ideal for photography, hiking, and stargazing, especially under its dark, expansive skies. This park doesn’t receive as many annual visitors as some of the other Utah national parks, so it’s a great place to go if you want to escape the crowds and enjoy more solitude. 

2. Plenty of Outdoor Activities

Another thing that makes Utah a great destination for RVers is the wide variety of outdoor activities you can enjoy. 

Here are just a few of the activities you can experience in Utah: 

• Paragliding
• Zip lining
• Stargazing
• Snowshoeing
• Sky diving

No matter what your preferred level of adventure is, Utah truly does have something for everyone. 

Another great pro is that the things you can experience change year-round, so while you might enjoy canyoneering and whitewater rafting in the summer months, you can come back in the winter for some epic skiing or snowboarding. 

3. Unmatched Star Gazing

Utah is a stargazer’s paradise! With wide-open spaces and minimal light pollution, it’s one of the best spots in the U.S. to look up and get lost in the stars. The state takes its dark skies seriously and has several officially designated “Dark Sky Parks.” These places are perfect for laying out a blanket and star-watching.

In these Dark Sky communities, they really go the extra mile to keep the skies clear and the stars bright. Places like Natural Bridges National Monument were among the first to be recognized for their pitch-black nights. Then there’s Capitol Reef National Park and Canyonlands, where the Milky Way stretches across the sky so bright and close you’d swear you could reach out and touch it.

This commitment helps everyone from casual observers to hardcore astronomers enjoy the skies in all their natural glory. Whether you’re aiming a telescope at distant galaxies or just making wishes on shooting stars,

4. RV-Friendly Accommodations

Utah is super RV-friendly, making it easy for anyone rolling through in their home-on-wheels! You’ll find tons of places to park your RV, from national parks to comfy private resorts. Most spots are set up with the basics like hookups and dump stations, and they’re usually just a stone’s throw from some really cool outdoor activities.

In parks like Arches and Bryce Canyon, the campgrounds are built for RVs, so you can roll right up, plug in, and hit the trails in no time. These sites often have picnic areas and fire pits, which are perfect for cooking dinner under the stars.

If you’re looking for something more upscale, the private RV resorts around Utah are more your speed. They’ve often got pools, Wi-Fi, and even cable TV for those nights when you just want to kick back and relax. These parks are super accessible, usually right off the main roads, making them easy to get in and out of.

If you enjoy more adventurous camping, Utah also has an abundant amount of boondocking available where you can typically camp for free for up to 14 nights. 

Whether you want a quiet spot in the wilderness or a full-service park with all the perks, Utah really has plenty of options for you to choose from.

5. Abundant Photography Opportunities

If you’re an RVer with a passion for photography, then let me tell you, Utah is a dream destination for you! This state is basically a giant photo op with its stunning landscapes, from the surreal arches and towering cliffs to the sprawling canyons and star-studded skies. Every corner you turn offers a new, breathtaking scene perfect for filling up your camera roll.

In places like Monument Valley, you can capture those iconic red sandstone buttes that have starred in countless films. Over in Zion National Park, the play of light on the massive rock faces throughout the day provides endless opportunities to get that perfect shot. And don’t forget about the magical winter snowscapes in Goblin Valley State Park, where the white snow contrasts beautifully with the vivid orange hoodoos.

And the best part? With your RV, you’ve got all your gear right with you and a cozy place to head back to after a long day of shooting. You can chase the best light from sunrise to sunset without skipping a beat. 

Utah’s varied environments also mean you can shoot starry night skies, peaceful desert sunrises, and rugged mountain vistas all in one trip! It’s truly a photographer’s playground that keeps on giving, no matter how many times you visit.

So there you have it! I hope these five reasons have convinced you to plan an RV trip to Utah soon. What are you most looking forward to seeing? 

Happy adventuring!