Utah’s Mighty 5, and a $100 Gate Fee
Visit Utah's 10-day loop links five national parks. A 2026 non-resident surcharge changes the maths for Canadians, so build the annual pass into every quote.
Five national parks, one state and a route of about 1,040 miles. Visit Utah, the state tourism office, sells the Mighty 5 (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches) as the definitive American road trip. For Canadians in 2026 there is one new line item to plan around before anything else: a $100-per-person gate surcharge at two of the five.
The fee that changes the maths
Since January 2026, the National Park Service has charged non-residents a $100 per person surcharge, on top of the regular entrance fee, at 11 of its busiest parks. Zion and Bryce Canyon are on the list, NewsNation reported. The alternative is the America the Beautiful annual pass, which now costs international visitors $250 (US residents pay $80). According to the same report, a non-resident in the vehicle can buy the pass instead of each person paying the surcharge.
For a couple doing the full loop, the pass is the obvious buy: two surcharges at Zion alone would come to $200 before entry fees. At about 70 US cents to the loonie in early October 2026, $250 is roughly C$356. Buy it once and keep it on the dashboard.
The route
Visit Utah‘s Mighty 5: Ultimate Journey runs 10 days and about 1,040 miles, from Moab in the east to Zion in the southwest. In outline:
- Days 1 to 4, Moab: Arches (the scenic drive, Delicate Arch, the ranger-led Fiery Furnace), Canyonlands‘ Island in the Sky (Mesa Arch, Grand View Point), Dead Horse Point State Park, and a day for Colorado River white water or off-road tours.
- Days 5 and 6, the detour: south to Monument Valley for a night (the itinerary names Goulding’s Lodge), then a Jeep tour, the Moki Dugway, Natural Bridges National Monument and Goblin Valley State Park.
- Day 7, Capitol Reef: Hickman Bridge, the Gifford Homestead and the scenic drive, with an overnight in Torrey. Backcountry roads need a high-clearance vehicle, the state notes.
- Day 8, Scenic Byway 12: Lower Calf Creek Falls, Escalante Petrified Forest and Kodachrome Basin state parks.
- Day 9, Bryce Canyon: the Queens Garden to Navajo loop through the hoodoos, then dark skies after sunset. Bryce Canyon Lodge is the only lodging inside the park.
- Day 10, Zion: the Zion–Mt. Carmel drive in, then Angels Landing or The Narrows. Park at the visitor centre and ride the shuttle through the canyon.
Short on time? Visit Utah’s seven-day Salt Lake to the Mighty 5 version (774 miles) starts with a day in Salt Lake City, drives south through the old mining town of Helper and Green River to Moab, then works west through Capitol Reef and Bryce to Zion, skipping the Monument Valley loop.
Getting there from Canada
Two gateways work, and they set the direction of the loop.
- Salt Lake City for the Moab-first route. Delta flies Vancouver–Salt Lake City nonstop, about 2.5 hours, with up to two flights a day according to schedule data from FlightsFrom. WestJet added seasonal Edmonton–Salt Lake City service in 2025, running through the end of the summer schedule in late October. Moab is about 3.5 hours’ drive from Salt Lake City, Visit Utah says.
- Las Vegas for a Zion-first route, then fly home from Salt Lake City. Las Vegas has nonstop service from several Canadian cities. Budget a one-way car rental drop fee.
Rent the car at the airport, not in Moab or Springdale, where supply is thin.
When to go
Visit Utah does not name a single best season, and the parks are open year-round. Spring and autumn are the usual sweet spots for hiking, with summer bringing heat at the lower parks and peak crowds. Winter is quieter and works for photographers: Bryce’s hoodoos under snow are a classic frame; check road and trail conditions before setting out. Check each park’s National Park Service page for current reservation and timed-entry systems before booking; these have changed year to year.
What it costs
- Park access: $250 for the non-resident annual pass, which replaces the surcharge and per-park entry fees.
- Lodging: book Moab, Torrey, Bryce and Springdale together, early. These are small towns with limited inventory, and Bryce Canyon Lodge, as the only in-park lodging, sells out first.
- Tours worth paying for: a guided Jeep tour in Monument Valley, a white-water day on the Colorado, and a ranger-led Fiery Furnace walk in Arches, all of which Visit Utah’s itinerary recommends.
The surprising bit
The Mighty 5 is as good after dark as it is by day. Visit Utah promotes Bryce Canyon for its dark skies, and the state’s itinerary builds stargazing into the Bryce night. Schedule at least one evening with no driving, and walk out to the rim after sunset.
Sources
- Visit Utah, The Mighty 5: Ultimate Journey
- Visit Utah, Salt Lake to the Mighty 5
- NewsNation, NPS non-resident fees 2026
- FlightsFrom, Vancouver–Salt Lake City nonstops
- ABC4, WestJet Edmonton–Salt Lake City
- Pound Sterling Live, CAD/USD 2026
Where to stay near Bryce Canyon
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Alicia Loveday is Managing Editor at Not An Atlas, writing from Calgary, Alberta, amid a little creative chaos: a laptop, an iced coffee and about a hundred ideas she hasn't had time to bring to life yet. She became a mom young and spent her twenties raising two kids, so she was 30 before she saw the ocean for the first time, in Aruba. Gliding through that clear Caribbean water on a Seabob felt like freedom, and she's been making up for lost time ever since. She always takes the window seat (she waited 30 years for the view), never travels without the feather pillow she's had since childhood (they're a package deal), and sizes up a new place with a local cocktail and some serious people-watching. She covers fashion, culture, creativity and the people who shape the places we visit. Friends say creative, fearless and unapologetic. Her mum says stubborn, and she'd be right. Next stop: Japan.
