Arches & Canyonlands RV Road Trip: Red Rock Utah at Its Best

Arches and Canyonlands share a 5-mile stretch of highway in Moab, Utah — but they couldn't feel more different. Arches is accessible, concentrated, and filled with the photogenic sandstone formations that define the Southwest in the popular imagination. Canyonlands is vast, remote, and humbling in a way that only 527 square miles of canyon wilderness can be. Together, they make the ultimate red rock RV road trip.

Arches National Park: What to Know for RVers

Arches is a relatively small park (73,000 acres) crammed with 2,000+ natural arches. The main park road is fully accessible to RVs of any size. Key logistics:

• Timed entry reservations: Required April through October for peak season entry. Book at recreation.gov well in advance. Without one, you may not get in at all during July–August.
• Devil's Garden Campground: The only campground in the park. 51 sites — fills instantly at the 6-month booking window. Sites up to 30 feet recommended; a few accommodate up to 40 feet but are tight. No hookups.
• RV parking at trailheads: Most Arches trailhead parking lots are small and tight. The Windows trailhead, Balanced Rock, and Delicate Arch lower lot all have limited pull-through space. Arrive early (before 8 AM) for easier parking in peak season.

Top Things to See in Arches

• Delicate Arch: The iconic arch that's on Utah's license plate. 3.2-mile round trip with 480 feet of elevation gain. Do it at sunrise or sunset — the light is extraordinary and crowds are lower. Midday in summer is exhausting and the light is flat.
• Landscape Arch: The longest natural arch in the world at 306 feet. An easy 1.6-mile round trip from the Devil's Garden trailhead. One of the park's most stunning views.
• Fiery Furnace: A labyrinthine maze of narrow sandstone canyons. Ranger-led walks are the recommended option (book ahead). The self-guided permit requires a pre-hike orientation.

Canyonlands National Park: What to Know for RVers

Canyonlands is divided into four districts. For RVers, Island in the Sky is the only practical option — it's accessible by paved road and has developed facilities.

• Island in the Sky: A massive mesa perched 1,000+ feet above the canyon floors. Paved roads access multiple overlooks with views that stretch 100+ miles. RVs of any size can access the main road.
• Willow Flat Campground: 12 first-come, first-served sites. No hookups. Sites fit rigs up to 28 feet only — not suited for large fifth wheels or Class A motorhomes. Sites are tight and not level. If you have a large rig, camp in Moab and day-trip in.
• The Needles and The Maze districts: Require high-clearance 4WD and are not accessible for standard RVs. Skip these unless you have an overland vehicle.

Base Camping in Moab

Most RVers visiting both parks stay in Moab (6 miles from Arches, 30 miles from Canyonlands Island in the Sky) and day-trip into each park. This is the practical approach for large rigs:

• Moab has multiple RV parks and campgrounds with full hookups — Moab KOA, Portal RV Resort, and Canyonlands Campground are all established options
• Staying in town also gives you access to Moab's excellent restaurants, gear shops, and evening entertainment that the parks don't have
• Plan 2 full days minimum per park; 3 days for Arches if you want to hike seriously

Combining the Parks: A 5-Day Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrive Moab, set up camp, evening in town
• Day 2: Arches — Delicate Arch hike at sunrise, Fiery Furnace walk in the morning, Windows area in the afternoon
• Day 3: Arches — Landscape Arch and Devil's Garden, evening sunset at Balanced Rock
• Day 4: Canyonlands Island in the Sky — Mesa Arch at sunrise, Grand View Point, White Rim overlook, Upheaval Dome
• Day 5: Dead Horse Point State Park (adjacent to Canyonlands, has full-hookup RV sites and spectacular canyon views), then depart

Related: Zion and Bryce Canyon RV guide  ·  Best Southwest RV routes

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