Zion & Bryce Red Rock Classic

Bryce Canyon amphitheater hoodoos The hoodoos of Bryce Canyon's amphitheater. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

The classic southern Utah loop, but with free camping filling in the space between the two biggest names on the itinerary, so you're not stuck paying park-adjacent campground rates for the whole trip.

Quick Facts
Trip Length 4-5 days
Rig Suitability Most rigs; Gooseberry Mesa and Wire Mesa are not suited to big trailers
Overnight Stops 4
Regions Covered Zion & Southwest Utah, Bryce Canyon Area
Best Season Spring and fall
Road Conditions Mix of paved highway and graded dirt; some rough mesa access roads

Map

Map points are approximate waypoints meant to show the shape of the route. Use the individual spot write-ups linked below for precise access directions.

The route

Night 1 — Gooseberry Mesa About 14 miles from Zion's entrance, with sites tucked among junipers on the mesa rim and some of the best sunrise/sunset views near the park. Enter via the gentler Apple Valley approach if you're not in a high-clearance rig; the Smithsonian Butte Road side is rougher.

Daytime stop — Zion National Park

Zion Canyon carved by the Virgin River Zion Canyon and the North Fork Virgin River. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Spend a full day in the canyon. Camping directly in the park requires a reservation at a developed campground, which is why the boondocking sites on this loop sit just outside the park boundary instead.

Night 2 — Kolob Reservoir Road Over 8,000 feet between Cedar City and Zion, with roughly 40 numbered, drive-in dispersed sites ringing the reservoir. A genuinely cool break from the desert heat below, reachable from the Zion side via the fully paved Kolob Terrace Road out of Virgin.

Night 3 — Cedar Canyon Dispersed Corridor A few miles east of Cedar City on Highway 14, an easy basecamp if you want to add Cedar Breaks National Monument to the loop. Paved highway with graded dirt pull-offs, suitable for tents through most RVs.

Night 4 — Tom's Best Spring Road About 15 minutes from Bryce Canyon's entrance, shaded by ponderosa pine, with reviewers reporting success towing rigs up to 30 feet. Good cell signal (Verizon 4G reported) if you need to stay connected.

Daytime stop — Bryce Canyon National Park Finish the loop with a day among the hoodoos before heading home.

Good to know

  • Camping directly in either national park requires a reservation — every stop on this loop sits on public land just outside the boundaries instead.
  • Gooseberry Mesa and Wire Mesa are not the roads to bring a big trailer down. Cedar Canyon and Tom's Best Spring Road are the RV-friendly picks on this loop if you're towing something large.
  • This is peak-season country. Spring and fall see real crowds at both parks; arrive at dispersed sites with daylight to spare.

A week of national park driving is a lot more comfortable with a fridge and lights that don't depend on a hookup. See what an off-grid power system looks like