How many national parks are in Utah?

5: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Arches National Park, Capitol Reef National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Utah also has 12 other National Park Service sites, such as California National Historic Trail and Cedar Breaks National Monument.

What is the most visited national park in Utah?

Zion National Park, with 4,984,525 recreation visits in 2025, #2 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in Utah was Canyonlands (796,057).

What is the newest national park in Utah?

Capitol Reef National Park, established on December 18, 1971. The oldest is Zion National Park (1919).

Do national parks in Utah charge an entrance fee?

Headline entrance fees run $20 per vehicle to $35 per vehicle. From 2026, Bryce Canyon and Zion also charge nonresidents a $100 per-person fee (ages 16+). An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.

What is the closest national park to Salt Lake City?

Capitol Reef National Park, about 176 miles from Salt Lake City in a straight line, roughly 4 h 10 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Salt Lake City is Utah's largest city.

Utah · 5 national parks · 12 other NPS sites

National parks in Utah

Last verified October 1, 2026Sources ↓

Utah has 5 national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands. 12 more National Park Service sites round out the map, from California National Historic Trail to Timpanogos Cave National Monument.

Numbered by 2025 visits. ★ Salt Lake City, Utah's largest city.

At a glance

Utah, by the numbers

National parks in Utah at a glance
National parks	5: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands
Other NPS sites	12 see nps.gov
Most visited park, 2025	Zion 4,984,525 visits (#2 of 63)
Entrance fees	$20 per vehicle to $35 per vehicle
Newest national park	Capitol Reef, December 18, 1971
Oldest national park	Zion, 1919
Nearest to Salt Lake City	Capitol Reef 176 mi straight-line, ≈ 4 h 10 min drive (est.)

5 national parks

Utah's 5 national parks

Busiest first, by 2025 recreation visits.

Photo: NPS Photo / Shane Carte
Est. 1919
Zion National Park
2025 visits
4,984,525
Entrance
$35 / vehicle
Busiest month
June
Quiet month
November
“Follow the paths where people have walked for thousands of……” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo / Peter Densmore
Est. 1928
Bryce Canyon National Park
2025 visits
1,967,367
Entrance
$35 / vehicle
Busiest month
June
Quiet month
April
“Hoodoos (irregular columns of rock) exist on every continent…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo
Est. 1971
Arches National Park
2025 visits
1,511,740
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Busiest month
May
Quiet month
March
“The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches…” (NPS)
Photo: NPS Photo
Est. 1971
Capitol Reef National Park
2025 visits
1,388,476
Entrance
$20 / vehicle
Busiest month
May
Quiet month
November
“Located in south-central Utah in the heart of red rock……” (NPS)
Photo: NPS/Rhodes Smartt
Est. 1964
Canyonlands National Park
2025 visits
796,057
Entrance
$30 / vehicle
Busiest month
May
Quiet month
August
“Canyonlands is a wilderness of canyons, buttes…” (NPS)

From Salt Lake City

The closest national parks to Salt Lake City

Measured from Salt Lake City, Utah's largest city (218,428 people, Census 2025 estimate). Straight-line miles; drive times are our rough estimate.

Nearest national parks to Salt Lake City
Park	Straight line	Drive (estimate)
Capitol Reef National ParkUT	176 mi	≈ 4 h 10 min
Great Basin National ParkNV	177 mi	≈ 4 h 10 min
Arches National ParkUT	189 mi	≈ 4 h 30 min
Canyonlands National ParkUT	206 mi	≈ 4 h 50 min

National parks near Salt Lake City →

12 other NPS sites

Beyond the national parks

Monuments, historic sites, trails and more: every other place the National Park Service lists for Utah, grouped by type. Links go to nps.gov.

6 National Monument · 4 National Historic Trail · 1 National Historical Park · …Show all 12

National Monument · 6

National Historic Trail · 4

California National Historic TrailCA · CO · ID · KS · MO · NE · NV · OR · UT · WY
Mormon Pioneer National Historic TrailIL · IA · NE · UT · WY
Old Spanish National Historic TrailAZ · CA · CO · NV · NM · UT
Pony Express National Historic TrailCA · CO · KS · MO · NE · NV · UT · WY

National Historical Park · 1

Golden Spike National Historical Park

National Recreation Area · 1

Glen Canyon National Recreation AreaAZ · UT

From the NPS Data API; the same list as Utah's page on nps.gov. Trails and other multi-state sites appear under each state they cross.

FAQ

Utah, answered

How many national parks are in Utah?: 5: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Arches National Park, Capitol Reef National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Utah also has 12 other National Park Service sites, such as California National Historic Trail and Cedar Breaks National Monument.
What is the most visited national park in Utah?: Zion National Park, with 4,984,525 recreation visits in 2025, #2 of the 63 national parks. The least visited in Utah was Canyonlands (796,057).
What is the newest national park in Utah?: Capitol Reef National Park, established on December 18, 1971. The oldest is Zion National Park (1919).
Do national parks in Utah charge an entrance fee?: Headline entrance fees run $20 per vehicle to $35 per vehicle. From 2026, Bryce Canyon and Zion also charge nonresidents a $100 per-person fee (ages 16+). An America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees.
What is the closest national park to Salt Lake City?: Capitol Reef National Park, about 176 miles from Salt Lake City in a straight line, roughly 4 h 10 min by road on our estimate (straight-line miles × 1.3 at 55 mph, not a route). Salt Lake City is Utah's largest city.

Sources · 5

1.Utah: parks and places (nps.gov) · National Park Service
2.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
3.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
4.City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025 · U.S. Census Bureau
5.2025 Gazetteer Files: Places · U.S. Census Bureau

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