My Favorites
1. Zion National Park

Mount Carmel Highway Overlook
2. Arches National Park & Moab

Delicate Arch
3. Bryce Canyon National Park

Navajo Loop Hoodoos
4. Canyonlands National Park

Island In The Sky
5. Glen Canyon & Grand Staircase-Escalante

Buckskin Gulch
Other Considerations
Salt Lake City

Olympic Park
Salt Lake City is most notable for its Morman population and as a result, the town is super friendly. It’s also a big college town with a young vibe. The city itself is clean with several museums around. Nearby you will find excellent skiing.
Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef
The last of the mighty five parks in Utah, Capitol Reef is mostly a drive through park. There are areas for picnicking and remnants of Native American history. You can easily drive through in an afternoon with a couple places to hop out and walk around. It’s a good overnight stop if continuing farther south (or north) into Utah. There is limited camping available, but you can stay on public land at Mile Marker 73. For directions, ask at the visitor center. Public land is free, but there are no amenities (i.e. water, bathrooms). There will likely be other folks around in RVs or tents.
Monument Valley

Monument Valley
There is no doubt you’ve seen gorgeous pictures of this vast landscape and incredible rock formations. Great drive. There are some tours up to the rocks from the local native americans, a KOA for campers, but otherwise not much else other than driving through and taking cool pictures.
Bonneville Salt Flats

Bonneville Salt Flats
Just across the Nevada border, these salt flats used to be a raceway for setting speed records. From the road it looks like a blanket of snow. Neat stop along your route to Salt Lake City.
St. George

Gunlock State Park
About an hour southwest of Zion National Park, is a nice stop if you’re on your way towards Las Vegas or California. The town has plenty of amenities, food options, gas, and nearby nature. Gunlock State Park is quite lovely and the George Discovery Museum has some incredible dinosaur fossil discoveries.