Route Planning: Utah’s Mighty 5® with EVTO

How to use EVTO to plan a visit to Utah’s Mighty 5® national parks

The Big Picture

Five iconic national parks equal one epic bucket list adventure. This is how Utah’s Office of Tourism describes their Mighty 5® 10 day itenary of breathtaking national parks and another set of national monuments and unique state parks too. I have added a few more that I feel you would want to see too that are close by the main route.

In this tutorial we will describe how you can use your Tesla to visit all 12 locations without range anxiety. The journey will be a mixture of camping and lodging and will utilize a combination of superchargers, destination chargers and RV campgrounds as appropriate.

You of course can choose your own places to stay and as always, make sure you reserve your destinations well in advance. It is also advised that you ensure that the camping locations will understand that you will be charging an EV. See The Ultimate Journey Itinerary for more information about the itenary.

Note: If you want to duplicate this trip we are using a Tesla Model X 100D with the cabin control set to 75F and 100% of battery life. This trip should work for any Tesla and would probably work towing a camping trailer too.

Note: This tutorial assumes you have installed at least EVTO Version 3.3 and have a subscription active in order to utilize all of EVTO’s services and capabilities.

The Mighty 5 Ultimate Journey Route

Day 1: Our journey starts in Salt Lake City

Plan on arriving the day before to Salt Lake City, UT and enjoy the local attractions and rest up. This adventure will take a minimum of 10 days although you can certainly extend the trip by staying more than one day at each of the destinations. This trip will be a mixture of camping and staying at lodges. The first four nights of camping is more primitive (Arches NP) and have no showers. If this is an issue you will be traveling through Moab daily and you can stop and take a shower there. You can substitute this site for any location in the Moab, UT area if you prefer a less “natural” environment.

Our first day will pretty much be a direct drive from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park, near Moab, UT.  This will include supercharging along the way and a planned “top off” charge at the Moab supercharger before arriving at our first campsite.

  1. In EVTO, select Plan a Trip from the Main menu.
  2. Origin: type salt lake. From the list of results, select Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
  3. Destination: type devils garden From the list of results, select Devils Garden Campground, Arches Entrance Rd, Moab, UT, USA.
  4. Since we’re planning a multi-day road trip, and we don’t know if we’ll ever come back, leave Plan as a round trip unchecked.
  5. Waypoint Charger Selection: Manual. We’ll let EVTO automatically select the optimal charging points after we’ve laid in our overnight stops.
  6. Touch Calculate.

Our first day route. No chargers have been selected.

For the first four days we are going to stay in the Moab area and visit the sites and adventure in two national parks: Arches and Canyonlands. Lucky for us Tesla has placed a supercharger in the town of Moab which is close by.  We suggest you get supplies in Moab and charge as you need to between park visits.

For our first day we will want to arrive at our campsite with a near full charge (80%) so we have plenty of power to see all of the sites within Arches National Park and not have to stop and charge on the way out in the morning. Plus we can use the time while the car charges in Moab getting supplies.

Our base camp for these four nights will be the Devils Garden Campground in Arches National Park.  What a place to wake up to every morning.

  1. Select the red checkered destination pushpin on the map. The Devils Garden Campground waypoint inspector will display.
  2. Now select the pencil icon in the waypoint inspector. The Edit Waypoint dialog will display.
  3. Slide the Minimum Arrival SoC slider to 80%.
  4. Touch Save.

We have now told EVTO we want to arrive at our first night campground with 80% remaining SoC in the battery. This will allow us to visit all of the sites in Arches and Canyonland National Parks on our second day. We will have EVTO set the charger stops later.

Dead Horse State Park
Photo property of Utah’s Office of Tourism

Day 2: Arches National Park to Canyonlands National Park

This will be an action packed and very full day. We are going to take in a lot of Arches National Park we did not see yesterday and also take a drive over to Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse State Park. You can decide which of these features you want to spend the most time at and in what order too. But for now let’s let EVTO plan the energy consumption for us.

This will be an out and back trip so our destination will be our starting point and we will add waypoints to our route for our stops.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Segment from the menu.
  2. Destination: type devils garden. From the list of results, select Devils Garden Campground, Arches Entrance Rd, Moab, UT, USA.
  3. Time: enter 11:00. This will give us time to see some additional sites in Arches.
  4. Waypoint Charger Selection: Manual. Again we’ll let EVTO automatically select the optimal charging points after we’ve laid in our overnight stops.
  5. Touch Calculate.

Let’s reward ourselves with dinner in Moab while the car is charging tonight. We will again do our “trick” with maximizing the destination arrival SoC.

  1. Select the red checkered destination pushpin on the map. The Devils Garden Campground waypoint inspector will display.
  2. Now select the pencil icon in the waypoint inspector. The Edit Waypoint dialog will display.
  3. Slide the Minimum Arrival SoC slider to 80%.
  4. Touch Save.

Now when we return to the campground this night the car will be at 80% remaining SoC in the battery. This will allow us to skip a long charge cycle the next day as we work our way south.

But not to get ahead of ourselves we need to tell EVTO where we will be heading today.  We will see some of the sights in Arches National Park and then head over to both Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse State Park.  We just need to tell EVTO so it can plan our energy consumption and determine how long to charge in Moab while we have dinner.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type dead horse. From the list of results, select Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah 313, Moab, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 1:00. We will give us an hour at this stop to hike and look at the vistas.
  4. Touch Save.

After our stop at Dead Horse State Park we will spend the rest of the afternoon at Canyonlands National Park. For planning purposes we will just enter the farthest waypoint and allow four hours in the park. You can stop and visit wherever you wish.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type grand view point. From the list of results, select Grand View Point Overlook, Moab, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 3:00. We will give us three hours in the park.
  4. Touch Save.

Now let’s let EVTO fill in the chargers for these two days so you can see when we will be at Moab and make dinner reservations.

  1. Select Refresh Auto Chargers from the menu. After a few moments EVTO will calculate all of your first two days energy requirements and fill in the supercharger stops, including two stops in Moab.

You can have dinner in Moab while the car is charging and not have to cook and clean at the campsite tonight.

Day 2 – Arches NP, Canyonlands NP and Dead Horse SP

Day 3: Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway and La Sal Mountain Loop Road

Tesla’s are so much fun to drive today will we spend much of the day touring in the car and take a short hike.  You can also use today to spend more time in Arches National Park if you want.

Again this will be an out and back trip so our destination will be our starting point and we will add waypoints to our route for our stops.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Segment from the menu.
  2. Destination: type devils garden. From the list of results, select Devils Garden Campground, Arches Entrance Rd, Moab, UT, USA.
  3. Waypoint Charger Selection: Manual. We’re going to go manual for awhile.
  4. Touch Calculate.

Now let’s lay in the waypoints for our loop trip. Our first stop will be a 4 mile hike to Morning Glory Natural Bridge. At 243 feet long, it’s the sixth longest natural rock span in the United States. The average person can complete the hike in about four hours.

Morning Glory Natural Bridge
Photo property of Utah’s Office of Tourism

To access the Morning Glory Bridge we will take the Negro Bill Canyon trail just east of Moab on highway 128.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type negro bill. From the list of results, select Negro Bill Canyon Trail Head, Utah 128, Moab, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 4:00. This is the average time a family takes on this fairly easy hike.
  4. Touch Save.

Our journey will continue by traveling the La Sal Mountain Loop Road. We will need to place a few other waypoints along the loop road to ensure that EVTO makes the entire loop rather than just trying to get us back to the campground as quick as possible.

The most famous landmark in Castle Valley is the Castleton Tower. This 400-ft sandstone tower which rests on a 1,000 ft cone of looser rock, rises high above Castle Valley.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type castleton tower. From the list of results, select Castleton Tower Climber’s Camp SW of tower, La Sal Loop Road, Moab, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 0:15. Enough time to take a picture.
  4. Touch Save.

And this add one more stop along the route.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type pioneer cabin ii. From the list of results, select Pioneer Cabin II, Moab, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 0:30. Enough time to look around.
  4. Touch Save.

We now have the complete loop trip defined with a return back to our campground in the late afternoon. Please stop at the Moab supercharger on the return to recharge the car if you are not planning on being in Moab the next day to charge.

Day 3 – La Sal Mountain Loop Road

DAY 4: River Rafting/Jet Boating the Colorado River and Hummer Ride at Sand Flats Recreation Area

Today you can choose from a number of adventures or just kick back at the campsite.  We’ll just utilize the energy we charged at before, but if you do go out, make sure you supercharge in Moab to leave the campsite on day 5 with a near full charge.

Plan your adventure for today at the Discover Moab website.

Monument Valley
Photo property of Utah’s Office of Tourism

Day 5: Moab to Monument Valley

Today will be a bit of a let down from the last few days “scenic overload” as we travel across Utah’s Colorado Plateau and high deserts down US 191, but will finish with a bang at Monument Valley. We will be spending the night at the Monument Valley KOA where we can camp and charge the car. Be sure to ask for one of the powered sites.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Segment from the menu.
  2. Destination: type monument valley koa. From the list of results, select Monument Valley KOA, U.S. 163, Oljato-Monument Valley, UT, USA.
  3. Charger Type: NEMA 14-50 9.6 kW.
  4. Waypoint Charger Selection: Manual.
  5. Touch Calculate.

We now need to reserve enough energy for both our arrival and local travel around Monument Valley as well as get us to our next destination on Day 6. To do this we will inform EVTO how we would like to arrive at this destination.

  1. Select the red checkered destination pushpin on the map. The Monument Valley KOA waypoint inspector will display.
  2. Now select the pencil icon in the waypoint inspector. The Edit Waypoint dialog will display.
  3. Slide the Charge To slider to 100% if you have less than a 90 kWh battery.
  4. Slide the Minimum Arrival SoC slider to 50%.
  5. Touch Save.

Note the charging time will depend on if you obtain one of their 30 or 50 amp sites and how much of that 50% SoC you utilize touring around Monument Valley.

Edit Waypoint Dialog for Monument Valley Destination

Don’t worry about charging on this leg yet. When we are all done with our destinations, EVTO will add the Moab and Blanding superchargers to this route.

We want to stop at one more spot on this segment, Newspaper Rock.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type newspaper rock state. From the list of results, select Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument, Utah 211, Monticello, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 0:30. This will give you enough time to look over the petroglyphs.
  4. Touch Save.

Natural Bridges National Monument
Photo property of NPS

DAY 6: Natural Bridges National Monument to Goblin Valley State Park

Today we have a moderate drive ahead of us but plenty of places to stop, sight see and perhaps take a few short walks if you are so inclined. Lots of beautiful scenery along the route as is typical for this area of Utah.

We will be traveling from Monument Valley to Hanksville, UT with stops in Natural Bridges National Monument and Goblin Valley State Park along the way. And we promise you a great steak dinner at the end of the day just a few feet from your campsite.  It is recommended that you leave Monument Valley before sunrise. The view at sunrise will be worth it.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Segment from the menu.
  2. Destination: type dukes slick. From the list of results, select Duke’s Slickrock Campground & RV Park, Hanksville, UT, USA.
  3. Time: 06:00 AM
  4. Charger Type: NEMA 14-50 9.6 kW.
  5. Waypoint Charger Selection: Manual.
  6. Touch Calculate.

There is no need to modify the destination Minimum Arrival SoC for this destination because it is a charging stop. EVTO will set the Charge To level automatically to your default SoC.

Now let’s add our two stops for this segment. The first will be a scenic overlook in Natural Bridges, a small deviation off of our route.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type kachina bridge. From the list of results, select Kachina Bridge Overlook, Lake Powell, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 2:00. There are a number of places to stop on this loop road.
  4. Touch Save.

Our next stop will actually be past our destination for the night so we will end up back tracking a bit.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type goblin. From the list of results, select Goblin Valley State Park, Goblin Valley Road, Green River, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 2:00. There are a number of hikes you may want to take here.
  4. Touch Save.

After our trip to Goblin Valley it is time to go to our campsite at Duke’s. I promised you a steak dinner and Duke’s Slickrock Grill is the place.

Capitol Reef National Park
Photo property of NPS

DAY 7: Capitol Reef National Park

Today we will explore Capitol Reef National Park. The central geologic feature, the Waterpocket Fold, is a bulging uplift of rainbow-hued sandstone “reefs” and canyons. Several easy hiking trails and a 25-mile scenic drive are found in this area.

Tonight we have a special treat for you. We are not camping (although you can if you want to). We will be staying at the Broken Spur Inn and Steakhouse (does it sound like a theme is running here?). In addition they have a Tesla HPWC for our use.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Segment from the menu.
  2. Change the Destination Charger Filter to Destination Chargers.
  3. Destination: type broken spur. From the list of results, select 955 E State Rte 24, Torrey, Utah.
  4. Verify the Charger Type: Tesla WC 8.32 kW.
  5. Waypoint Charger Selection: Manual.
  6. Touch Calculate.

The car will charge overnight to your default SoC. Of course you will want to make sure with the inn that you will have exclusive use of the charger or make sure everyone shares accordingly.

The Scenic Drive starts at the park Visitor Center and provides access to Grand Wash Road, Capitol Gorge Road, Pleasant Creek Road, and South Draw Road. The Scenic Drive is a 7.9 mile (12.7 km) paved road with dirt spur roads into Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge that, weather permitting, are accessible to all passenger vehicles and RV’s up to 27 feet in length. The Scenic Drive is not a loop, so you must return on the same road.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type capitol gorge road. From the list of results, select Capitol Gorge Rd, Torrey, UT 84775.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 4:00. This will give you enough time to get out and stretch your legs and stop at the visitor center too.
  4. Touch Save.

Note: This location will actually take you just past where you want to stop. Turn around at the end of Scenic Drive at the restrooms.

Scenic Byway 12-All American Road
Photo property of Utah’s Office of Tourism

DAY 8: Scenic Byway 12-All American Road

Another great Tesla drive through some of the most beautiful country you will ever see. This 116 mile drive has some great views, places to explore and hike if you have the time and inclination. Have your camera at the ready.

There is also an optional side trip to Kodachrome Basin State Park if you have the energy and time. It’s well worth it.

We will finish the day at Ruby’s Inn Campground where we will be able to charge our car.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Segment from the menu.
  2. Destination: type rubys inn. From the list of results, select Ruby’s Inn RV Park & Campground, Utah 63, Bryce Canyon, UT, USA.
  3. Charger Type: NEMA 14-50 9.6 kW.
  4. Waypoint Charger Selection: Manual.
  5. Touch Calculate.

Of course again you will want to verify that charging an EV is available.

To ensure we take highway 12 and also to get to Kodachrome Basin lets add this waypoint.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type kodachrome basin. From the list of results, select Kodachrome Basin State Park, Cannonville, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 1:00. This will give you enough time to get out and stretch your legs and stop at the visitor center too.
  4. Touch Save.

Bryce Canyon National Park
Photo property of NPS

DAY 9: Bryce Canyon National Park

You have seen the Disney version, now see the real thing. This place is the real thing. Bryce Canyon National Park is a series of natural amphitheaters sunk into pink cliffs and filled with delicate red rock “hoodoos.” The most brilliant hues of the park come alive with the rising and setting of the sun.

There are great scenic overlooks including one down into Kodachrome Basin area. But the best parts are all of the hiking trails you can take amongst the colorful “hoodoos”. Also you can leave your car parked at the campground and take the shuttle bus to all the popular spots.  But if you insist on taking the Tesla, the scenic loop is 38 miles long and is really an out and back.

Zion National Park
Photo property of NPS

DAY 10: Bryce Canyon National Park to Zion National Park

OK. We are going out with a bang. The grand finale so to speak. Zion National Park is emerging as one of the most popular destinations in the Americas, especially for people who like to get out and adventure. Zion was Utah’s first national park and reminds many of a sandstone Yosemite, although they are nothing like each other geologically, but both just as specatuclar as each other.

The driving distance is only 73 miles from Bryce Canyon to the west entrance of Zion National Park. I am also including an optional side trip to Cedar Breaks National Monument that you can take.  It’s also spectacular in its own right. The side trip only adds a few hours and about 50 miles so it’s very doable.

And because this is our last night, we are going to splurge a bit. We will be staying at the Cable Mountain Lodge right outside of the parks western entrance. And yes, they have Tesla destination chargers.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Segment from the menu.
  2. Change the Destination Charger Filter to Destination Chargers.
  3. Destination: type cable. From the list of results, select 147 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, Utah.
  4. Verify the Charger Type: Tesla WC 8.32 kW.
  5. Waypoint Charger Selection: Manual.
  6. Touch Calculate.

For our side trip via Cedar Breaks National Monument we will add that as a waypoint.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type cedar breaks. From the list of results, select Cedar Breaks National Monument Visitor Center, Utah 148, Brian Head, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 1:00. This will give you enough time to get out and stretch your legs and stop at the visitor center too.
  4. Touch Save.

Carmel Canyon Entrance to Zion National Park

Since Capitol Reef is closer to the interstate EVTO will naturally want to take it to Zion National Park and we would be missing some of best features to see, so let’s fix this and get a great lunch at the same time. We will travel to Orderville back across State Route 16 and then back onto US 89 to the Forscher German Bakery & Restaurant.

  1. In EVTO, select Add Waypoint from the menu. The Add Waypoint dialog will display.
  2. Enter location: type forscher. From the list of results, select Forscher German Bakery & Restaurant, East State Street, Orderville, UT, USA.
  3. Slide the Minimum Stop Time slider to 1:00. That should give us enough time for a leisurely lunch.
  4. Touch Save.

Now we are ready to formally drive into Zion National Park from the east side. A very dramatic entrance via car so have your camera at the ready, if it has not worn out by now.

Note: Over-sized vehicles are subject to restrictions and a fee charged for escort through a mountain tunnel.

Trip Summary

Wrap-up

Well as was stated at the beginning, this trip is an incredible journey and even more interesting in a Tesla. It was a mixture of camping and lodging in order to “reset” both ourselves and the cars periodically and we visited some of the most stunning landscapes in the world.

You will put more than 1250 miles on the odometer, consume over 365 kWhs of power and drive over 26 hours during the 10 day trip, all of it fun because you are in your Tesla. After leaving Zion National Park you can head back up the interstate to return to Salt Lake City or head down towards Las Vegas.

Loading the Tutorial Trip

You may see the final results of this tutorial within EVTO by importing this trip. Follow these instructions:

  1. Go to Settings and verify or change the region to North America
  2. Go to My Cars and verify or set the features for the car you will use on this trip. Note we built the trip with a MX100D.
  3. Go to Current Trips and select the Import menu item
  4. Enter the trip ID of la2pumb6ss9ertqppop5ji and the PIN as 1234.
  5. You will be warned that if you want to share the trip you will have to make a copy first.
  6. Select the newly loaded trip and it will open in the Plans panel
  7. Select Edit Trip from the menu and change the date to a date you would be interested in taking the trip.
  8. Select Save.

Got an idea for a tutorial? Let us know!