You can drive an electric car through all five of Utah's national parks. Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands are reachable with careful planning, and most of the route is easy. One stretch is not. Between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef, Scenic Byway 12 crosses remote country with no fast charging and a high mountain pass. This guide shows where to charge, how to cross that stretch, and where to sleep in Torrey so you wake up with a full battery.
Most travel articles about the Mighty 5 focus on trails and viewpoints. Electric car drivers need a different kind of plan, one built around charger locations, elevation, temperature and what happens when a small rural charger is broken. That is what this guide covers, leg by leg, with real charger names, reported speeds and prices, and the habits that keep a trip on schedule.
Last researched: October 2026. Chargers open, close and break often, especially in small rural towns. Check PlugShare check-ins and your charging app before each leg.
The whole loop is doable in an EV, and the only hard part is the Scenic Byway 12 crossing from Bryce Canyon to Torrey.
Leave Bryce Canyon City with a full battery, expect no fast charging until you reach Green River or I-70, and book a Torrey room or RV site with a charger.
Drive west to east, download offline maps in Panguitch or Cedar City, and recheck every charger the morning you plan to use it.
- Quick Route Verdict
- Route Map for the Utah Mighty 5 by EV
- Mighty 5 EV Charging Cheat Sheet
- Charger by Charger Reference Table
- Best Direction to Drive the Loop
- Leg 1: Las Vegas or St. George to Zion
- Leg 2: Zion to Bryce Canyon
- Leg 3: The Crux, Scenic Byway 12 and Boulder Mountain
- Leg 4: Capitol Reef and the Torrey Overnight Plan
- Leg 5: Torrey to Moab for Arches and Canyonlands
- Five Southern Utah EV Rules Worth Knowing Before You Go
- Weather, Heat and Altitude
- Renting an Electric Car for the Mighty 5
- Where to Stay With EV Charging on the Mighty 5 Loop
- What EV Charging Costs on This Route
- Apps and Gear Checklist
- Sample 8 Day Charging Plan
- Emergency Plan if a Charger Fails
- More EV Road Trip Guides
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Tips
Quick Route Verdict
The Mighty 5 loop is very doable in an EV with one planning bottleneck, which is the crossing from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef. Everything else has fast charging within a reasonable distance. Plan the trip around that one crossing and the rest falls into place.
Give yourself time. A week to ten days lets you absorb a slow charging night in Torrey without cutting hikes short, and it gives you a spare day if weather closes a pass or a charger is down. Keep a healthy reserve whenever you leave a place that has fast charging, since the next one may be farther than it looks on a map.
Route Map for the Utah Mighty 5 by EV
The diagram below shows the loop in driving order from west to east, with the one stretch that has no fast charging marked clearly.
Mighty 5 EV Charging Cheat Sheet
| Park | Gateway | Fast charging | Overnight or slow charging |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zion | Springdale | Available in nearby towns along the approach, confirm exact sites on PlugShare. St. George and Cedar City are the usual fast charging stops before the park. | Two charging options inside the park, plus hotel and RV park charging in Springdale |
| Bryce Canyon | Bryce Canyon City | Tesla Supercharger in the Bryce Canyon City area, confirm stall count and location before you go. A newer Supercharger at Ruby's Inn is reported. | Lodging chargers near the park entrance, including Tesla destination chargers at Ruby's Inn |
| Capitol Reef | Torrey | None in Torrey or inside the park | Rimrock Inn and Skyview Hotel Tesla destination chargers, Broken Spur Inn, RV park sites with outlets |
| Arches | Moab | Superchargers and an Electrify America station in Moab | Hotel destination chargers in Moab |
| Canyonlands | Moab | Use the Moab hubs | No charging inside the park |
The table is a starting point and not a live status board. Always confirm the exact address, connector type and current status before you rely on a station.
Charger by Charger Reference Table
This second table lists the specific stations and lodging chargers reported along the route, with the speeds and prices drivers have documented. All entries were last checked in October 2026, and prices change, so treat them as a guide for budgeting and not as a promise.
| Location | Charger type | Reported speed and price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zion Canyon Visitor Center | Two J1772 Level 2 ports | Access code costs $5 and lasts three days | Buy the code at the Zion Forever Project bookstore. The same code works at Kolob Canyons |
| Springdale hotels | Level 2 | Varies by property | Cable Mountain Lodge, Flanigan's Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Driftwood Lodge have all been listed with charging. Many are for guests |
| St. George and Cedar City | Fast charging | Varies by network | The standard fast charging stops before Zion and Bryce |
| Ruby's Inn, Bryce Canyon City | Tesla Supercharger and Tesla destination chargers | Check the Tesla app for current stalls and price | Reported as a newer Supercharger. Destination plugs have long been popular |
| Rimrock Inn, Torrey | Four Tesla destination chargers | About 9 to 10 kW and about $0.56 per kWh | Scan a QR code and use the Tesla app to start |
| Broken Spur Inn, 955 UT-24, Torrey | Level 2 | One listing shows about $0.50 per kWh plus a daytime parking fee | Guests have reported a move from free charging to paid, so confirm the current rate when booking |
| Skyview Hotel, Torrey | Four Tesla destination chargers | Not confirmed | Reported by drivers, confirm before relying on it |
| Casitas at Capitol Reef, Torrey | Level 2 | Not confirmed | Listed on booking sites with an EV charging point, confirm the connector |
| Wonderland, Sand Creek and Thousand Lakes RV parks, Torrey | NEMA 14-50 campsite outlets | Depends on your cord and the breaker | Reserve ahead and bring a cord that fits an RV outlet |
| Richfield | Tesla Supercharger | Small site, reported with four stalls | Expect waits if a stall is out of service |
| Ivie Creek rest area, I-70 exit 86 | Electrify America network, owned by Rocky Mountain Power | Up to 350 kW | Set up your account and payment method before you leave a strong signal |
| Green River, 1845 E Main Street | Rivian Adventure Network, 10 CCS and 6 NACS stalls | Up to 300 kW, about $0.47 per kWh, tap to pay | Open to all EVs, open 24 hours, trailer friendly |
| Moab, Lions Park | Electrify America network | Up to 350 kW | Also look for Tesla Superchargers in town |
Prices and stall counts above come from driver reports, network listings and lodging pages. Verify each station in your charging app on the morning you plan to use it.
Best Direction to Drive the Loop
Drive west to east if you can. Starting at Zion and finishing in Moab puts the stronger fast charging network at the beginning of the trip, which builds confidence before the hardest leg. After Capitol Reef, you exit toward Green River and I-70 and then reach Moab.
If you are coming from Moab or Green River toward Torrey, leave fully charged. There is no fast charging near Torrey, so you arrive relying on the battery you brought and on overnight charging at your lodging.
There is another reason west to east works well. The long climb into Bryce Canyon happens while you still have strong charging behind you, and the final stretch ends in a town with several fast charging options. Drivers who go the other way must handle the Scenic Byway 12 crossing at the end of a long day on a battery that has already been tested by desert miles, which leaves less margin for error.
Leg 1: Las Vegas or St. George to Zion
This is the easiest leg. Fast charging is available along the approach, and Zion has two charging options inside the park. Springdale also has hotels and RV parks that offer charging. Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is closed to private vehicles for most of the year, so you will use the shuttle inside the canyon, which means your car sits parked while you explore. Start the day with a full battery and arrive with plenty left for the climb out of the canyon toward Bryce.
Decide early where you will sleep, because that decides how you charge. St. George and Cedar City are the usual fast charging stops on the way in, and drivers who plan from Las Vegas often top up in St. George before turning toward the park. Zion's immediate area has no DC fast charging, so the plan is to arrive with a healthy battery, use Level 2 charging overnight, and leave with a full pack. Level 2 charging is slow but it matches how this stop works, because you will be parked for many hours anyway.
The charging inside the park is unusual and worth understanding before you arrive. The Zion Canyon Visitor Center has two J1772 Level 2 stations, and they are not run through a phone app. You buy a charging code for $5 at the Zion Forever Project bookstore inside the visitor center, and the code is good for three days. The same code also works at the chargers at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center. Because the code comes from the bookstore, buy it during opening hours, ideally the moment you arrive, and not at the end of the day. A cord with a J1772 plug is all a non-Tesla driver needs, while Tesla drivers need a J1772 adapter.
Zion Lodge also offers charging, though it is intended for hotel guests. In Springdale, several properties have been listed with Level 2 charging, including Cable Mountain Lodge, Flanigan's Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Driftwood Lodge, and many hotels, RV parks and restaurants in southern Utah allow charging only for paying guests. Ask for a room with a charger at booking and confirm the connector type. If you are coming to Zion from the east side, the best opportunity for charging is in Kanab, about thirty minutes from the park's east entrance.
Finally, think about direction. If you ever drive the loop east to west, you will descend from the Zion area highway through the tunnel and switchbacks into Springdale. Long descents like that give your regenerative braking a lot of work, which returns some range and spares the brake pads. It is a pleasant surprise for EV drivers, but it is no reason to skip the overnight charge in Springdale.
Leg 2: Zion to Bryce Canyon
Expect a climb. Bryce Canyon sits above 8,000 feet, and cold mornings at that elevation can reduce your starting range, even outside winter. Charge at the Bryce Canyon City Supercharger area before you leave for Scenic Byway 12 and treat that stop as the most important charge of the entire trip.
The drive from Zion to Bryce runs along the Zion area highway, then US-89 and onto UT-12 for the final approach. It is a gradual gain in elevation, so your estimated range will drop faster than the miles you drive. Do not worry if your car reports a larger energy use than expected. Compare your arrival state of charge with your plan and use a route planner that accounts for elevation, which will give a much more honest number than the dashboard average.
Bryce Canyon City is the best-served stop between Zion and Moab in terms of charging variety. Ruby's Inn has long offered Tesla destination chargers, which many Tesla drivers have used as their anchor for the crossing, and a newer Supercharger at Ruby's Inn has been reported, which makes this one of the most EV friendly national park gateways in Utah. Confirm the stall count and current status in the Tesla app before you commit to a plan that depends on it. In nearby Tropic, charging has been reported at Bryce Canyon Inn, which gives you another option if Ruby's Inn is busy.
Cold is the real story at Bryce. The park sits at roughly 8,000 to 9,100 feet, and overnight temperatures can fall near or below freezing even in late spring and early fall, when Zion feels warm. A battery that has sat in the cold all night delivers less range at the start of the morning, and cabin heating adds to the load. The fix is to time your charge so that it finishes just before you leave. When the car is plugged in and warming, it can heat the battery from the wall instead of from your reserves, so you start the day with more usable range. If your car has scheduled departure or preconditioning, use it.
Plan your day at the park around the car. The park has a shuttle system, so you can park at your lodging, ride the shuttle to the main viewpoints and leave the car plugged in. That makes a night or two at Bryce Canyon City a good way to arrive on Scenic Byway 12 with a full battery and a rested driver. Make the last charge of the day the one that matters, and leave the lodge the next morning with the battery as full as you can get it.
Leg 3: The Crux, Scenic Byway 12 and Boulder Mountain
Scenic Byway 12 runs about 123 miles from US-89 near Panguitch to Torrey. The portion from Escalante to Torrey is about 64 miles. Travelers who have done the drive in EVs report no Supercharger between Bryce Canyon City and Torrey and no DC fast charger of any brand all the way to Green River.
The terrain adds to the challenge. The road descends to Escalante, crosses The Hogback ridge with drop-offs on both sides, and then climbs over Boulder Mountain, which reaches about 9,600 feet, before dropping into Torrey. The climb costs extra energy, and the long descent returns some of it through regenerative braking.
For a real number to anchor your planning, one driver on a Tesla forum ran an A Better Routeplanner simulation for a Model 3 Long Range from Bryce Canyon City to Green River on UT-12 and UT-24. It used about 70 percent of the battery, assuming no wind or bad weather. Your car, speed, load and weather will change that figure, so run your own simulation.
Practical rules for this leg:
- Leave Bryce Canyon City with a full or nearly full battery.
- Do not count on a charger in Escalante or Boulder. Slow chargers in tiny towns can be broken or hard to activate.
- Drive at a steady moderate speed and avoid unnecessary heating or cooling on the climb.
- Download offline maps before you leave. Cell coverage drops between Escalante and Boulder.
- Keep a mobile charging cord with you as a backup for outlets at lodging.
It helps to understand how the energy plays out so that you do not panic halfway up. The profile of this road is a down, up, down shape. You leave Bryce at high elevation, drop toward Escalante at roughly 5,800 feet, then begin a long sustained climb through Boulder and over the summit near 9,600 feet. On the climb, the car uses far more energy per mile than on flat highway, and the dashboard range estimate can fall quickly. That fall looks alarming, but it is mostly a reflection of the grade and not a sign that the battery is failing. The key is the state of charge you have when you crest the summit, not the range number on the screen on the way up.
The reward comes after the pass. From the summit the road descends continuously toward Torrey, and regenerative braking puts a meaningful amount of energy back into the pack with almost no pedal work. Many drivers arrive in Torrey with a higher percentage than the climb suggested they would, which is why a simulated or logged trip matters more than guesswork. If you can, drive the first part with a small safety margin, check your state of charge at the summit, and then relax into the descent.
Coverage is thin on this road. Reports describe cell service dropping completely between Escalante and Boulder, so charger apps will not load when you need them. Download offline maps and offline charger data in Panguitch or Cedar City while you still have a signal. Fuel is not the concern for an EV, but the fuel stops along the byway still matter for services, so note where Escalante and Torrey sit relative to each other.
Treat the small towns on this road as sightseeing stops, not rescue points. Level 2 plugs in places like Escalante or Boulder may appear on PlugShare, and a lodge in Boulder has been reported to offer charging, but rural plugs depend on shaky internet, breakers and a card or app activation that may not work without cell service. Never start the byway assuming you can add twenty percent in Escalante if you run low. If you stop in Escalante for a meal, plug in as a bonus, but never plan the crossing around it.
Leg 4: Capitol Reef and the Torrey Overnight Plan
There is no charging inside Capitol Reef National Park, and Torrey has no DC fast charger. Treat Torrey as an overnight charging stop, not a quick top-off. Book lodging with verified plugs and confirm before you arrive.
Options reported by recent drivers:
- Rimrock Inn: four Tesla destination chargers. Recent check-ins report about 9 to 10 kW and roughly 56 cents per kWh. One driver measured about 25 miles of range added per hour. You start charging by scanning a QR code that opens the Tesla app, so set up the app before you arrive.
- Skyview Hotel: reported to have four Tesla destination chargers.
- Broken Spur Inn: Level 2 charging on site at 955 UT-24. Older reviews describe free Tesla charging, and newer reports describe a paid system, with one listing showing about 50 cents per kWh plus a parking fee in the daytime. Confirm the current rate.
- Campgrounds and RV parks: Torrey's other charging options are mostly at campgrounds. Wonderland RV Park is one example, and Sand Creek RV Park and Thousand Lakes RV Park have also been listed with NEMA 14-50 outlets. Reserve ahead and bring a cord that fits an RV outlet.
- Slower hotel options: Some Torrey lodging offers only a standard 120V outlet or a 5 kW charger. That can still work overnight, but it adds far less range than the Tesla destination chargers, so ask the front desk what they actually have.
- Public ChargePoint: One public ChargePoint in Torrey needs a J1772 adapter for Teslas, and you should set up the ChargePoint app before you arrive.
- Hanksville: One Hanksville RV park has cabins with 14-50 plugs for a full overnight charge, which is a useful backup east of Torrey.
Many hotels, RV parks and restaurants in southern Utah allow charging only for paying guests, so book a room or site instead of counting on walking up to a plug.
Non-Tesla drivers should bring a J1772 adapter or cord that matches the connector at the lodging. At slow speeds, an overnight session of eight to ten hours is what makes the stop work, so arrive in the evening and plug in right away.
If you cannot charge overnight in Torrey, you will need to detour north to Richfield or east to Green River for a fast charge. Richfield has a small Tesla Supercharger, and a review described it as only four stalls with one out of order, so expect possible waits.
A second fast option sits north of Capitol Reef. The Ivie Creek rest area on I-70, at exit 86, hosts a fast charging station that Rocky Mountain Power built and that runs on the Electrify America network, with speeds up to 350 kW. It serves drivers who connect to the Torrey area by UT-72 and UT-24, so check the distance from your lodging in a routing app. Because rest areas can have weak signal, create your Electrify America account and add a payment method before you leave a strong signal, and keep a card handy in case the app will not load.
Do not plan to camp in the park and plug in. Fruita Campground is the only developed campground in Capitol Reef, and its regular sites have no electrical hookups at all. The few sites that have electricity are accessible sites set aside for required medical devices only. Do not run a cord to restroom outlets or other park utilities. If you want to camp, book a private RV park in Torrey with a proper 50 amp pedestal and charge from there.
When you use an RV pedestal, protect the breaker. Many park pedestals are older, and a car that draws full current for hours can trip a shared breaker in the middle of the night, leaving you with an empty battery in the morning. Reduce your car's charging current in its screen to a lower setting, for example from the maximum on a 50 amp circuit to a more modest level, and check the car before you fall asleep to confirm it has started charging. A slightly slower session that finishes is better than a fast one that fails.
Also plan the day in the park around your battery. Capitol Reef's scenic drive and nearby trailheads are short drives, so a night of charging in Torrey gives you more range than you will need for a full day. Pack lunch, plan the afternoon, and arrive back at your lodging early enough to plug in again before dinner if you are leaving the next morning on a long drive.
Leg 5: Torrey to Moab for Arches and Canyonlands
After Capitol Reef, drive toward Hanksville and Green River and then on to Moab. Cell coverage is spotty across Capitol Reef, so keep your offline maps. Moab is the easiest charging hub on the loop, with Superchargers and an Electrify America station. Arches and Canyonlands have no charging inside the parks, so charge in Moab before you enter and use the town as your base.
The first part of this leg is the long, empty drive east on UT-24 across the badlands through Caineville and Hanksville to Green River. There is no fast charging along that route until Green River, so leave Torrey with a full battery, which your overnight charge should deliver. The terrain is flat and open, and it can produce strong headwinds. A headwind raises your effective air speed, which increases energy use sharply at highway speeds. If wind is forecast, slow down to a moderate cruising speed, keep the climate load low, and consider the fast charger at the Ivie Creek rest area on I-70 as an alternative to stretching the margin.
Green River is the reliable fast charging hub of this leg. The Rivian Adventure Network station at 1845 East Main Street is the largest site in the network, with sixteen stalls, ten CCS and six NACS, at up to 300 kW. It is listed as open to all electric vehicles, runs around the clock, and accepts tap to pay, so you do not need the Rivian app. Reported pricing is around 47 cents per kWh, with idle fees if you stay plugged in after your session ends. Drivers praise the trailer friendly pull-through stalls, and the main drawback is the lack of on-site restrooms and food, though nearby lodging and restaurants cover that.
Moab has more than one fast option. An Electrify America station at Lions Park, owned by Rocky Mountain Power, offers speeds up to 350 kW, and drivers also report Tesla Superchargers in town. Many Moab hotels have destination chargers, which is useful for overnight stays. Moab is also the best place to prepare for the national parks, since you should arrive at each with a high state of charge and leave with a reserve.
Arches is easier on the battery than most visitors expect. The park has no chargers, but the driving is at low speed with frequent stops and rolling terrain, which is the kind of driving where an EV is efficient. Charge to a comfortable level in Moab before you go in, and you will be fine for a full day of viewpoints and short hikes. Canyonlands is different. The Island in the Sky district is a longer drive that climbs onto a mesa, and the return to Moab includes a long stretch of rolling terrain, so start with a strong charge and do not let the battery sink low before the drive home.
When you are parked at remote trailheads, remember that a parked EV is not completely idle. Camera surveillance modes and cabin overheat protection can draw energy while you hike for hours in the desert heat. Switch off the features you do not need before you leave the car, so that you return to the battery level you expected.
Five Southern Utah EV Rules Worth Knowing Before You Go
- Buy the Zion code at the bookstore. The visitor center Level 2 chargers use a $5 access code that lasts three days and works at both Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyons.
- Set up your charging app before Ivie Creek. Create your Electrify America account and payment method in advance, because rest areas can have poor coverage.
- Dial the amps down at RV parks. A lower charging current protects a shared breaker and helps you wake up to a full battery.
- Trust the descent after Boulder Mountain. The climb burns a lot of energy, but regenerative braking returns some of it on the way down to Torrey.
- Finish charging right before you leave Bryce. Charging that ends just before departure warms the battery from the wall and gives you more range on a cold morning.
Weather, Heat and Altitude
Range changes with the season. Cold mornings at Bryce Canyon and on Boulder Mountain reduce range, so precondition your battery while plugged in if your car supports it. Summer heat in the lower desert areas means heavy air conditioning use, which also reduces range. Winter snow can make the high sections of Scenic Byway 12 difficult, so check road conditions before you go.
Heat affects charging as well as driving. Moab and the desert corridors can reach very high temperatures in summer, and a hot battery plugged into a fast charger in direct sun may charge more slowly while the car works to cool itself. Plan fast charging in Moab and Green River for the early morning or after sunset when you can, and park in shade or under cover if the site offers it. A cooler battery usually accepts power faster than a hot one, which can shorten your stop noticeably.
Wind is the third factor. Open desert basins, especially around Hanksville and Green River, can produce sustained headwinds. Because energy use climbs quickly with speed, slowing from highway speed to a more moderate pace in a strong headwind can save a lot of battery. Add a buffer to any leg when a wind advisory is posted, and choose the fast charger as your fallback when conditions look bad.
Renting an Electric Car for the Mighty 5
You do not need to own an EV to do this trip. Many travelers fly into Las Vegas or Salt Lake City and rent an electric car. Renting adds a few questions you should settle before you pick up the keys.
- Ask which connector the car uses, CCS or NACS, and whether the rental includes the adapters you need for Superchargers and for Level 2 stops.
- Ask whether the car includes a charging cable that can plug into an RV outlet. You may want a 14-50 option for Torrey.
- Check the charging and refueling policy, including whether the company charges a fee if the car is returned with a lower battery than you picked it up with.
- Confirm that your rental allows the roads you plan to drive, including the paved Scenic Byway 12.
- Check your insurance and roadside coverage for remote areas, since a tow from a rural highway can be slow and costly.
Pick up the car with a full battery whenever possible, and ask the agent to show you how to open the charge port and start a session before you leave the lot. Inspect the charging cable that comes with the car and take photos of the condition of the car at pickup.
Where to Stay With EV Charging on the Mighty 5 Loop
Lodging that has chargers is the backbone of a successful EV trip here, because slow overnight charging is how most of this route works. The Torrey night is the most important, but Springdale, Bryce Canyon City and Moab all benefit from a room with a plug.
- Springdale: choose a hotel with Level 2 charging so that you can use the park shuttle all day without thinking about the battery.
- Bryce Canyon City: Ruby's Inn has been the best known place to charge, with Tesla destination chargers and a newer Supercharger reported.
- Torrey: Rimrock Inn, Skyview Hotel, Broken Spur Inn and Casitas at Capitol Reef have been listed with charging, along with RV parks that offer 14-50 outlets.
- Moab: many hotels have destination chargers, and fast charging is available in town.
When you book, call to confirm the number of chargers, the connector type, the price per kWh and whether the charger is for guests only. Ask whether the charger is likely to be taken by another guest on the night you arrive and whether you can reserve a spot. That one phone call can save a long evening in a parking lot.
What EV Charging Costs on This Route
Costs vary, but the reported numbers give a useful picture. The Zion visitor center chargers cost a flat $5 for a three day code. Rimrock Inn in Torrey has been reported at about $0.56 per kWh. One listing for Broken Spur Inn shows about $0.50 per kWh plus a daytime parking fee. The Rivian Adventure Network site in Green River is reported at about $0.47 per kWh.
As a simple example, a car that needs 60 kWh to fill overnight in Torrey would cost about $33.60 at $0.56 per kWh and about $30 at $0.50 per kWh, before any parking or idle fees. A 60 kWh session at the Green River rate of $0.47 would cost about $28.20. These figures are illustrations of the math, so use your own battery size and the current price shown in the app. A budget of a few charging sessions at these rates across a week of driving is much less than most people expect, and it is often cheaper than fuel for a similar gas car on the same route.
Apps and Gear Checklist
- A Better Routeplanner for elevation-adjusted range estimates.
- PlugShare for recent check-ins on small rural chargers, which tell you whether a station actually works.
- Offline maps, plus offline PlugShare and ABRP data, downloaded in Panguitch or Cedar City while you still have a signal. Coverage drops between Escalante and Boulder and is spotty across Capitol Reef.
- A NACS to CCS adapter if you drive a non-Tesla and plan to use Superchargers that are open to your car.
- A J1772 adapter if you drive a Tesla and plan to use non-Tesla destination chargers.
- A mobile charging cord with a plug that fits RV outlets.
- A cord or adapter suited to 30 amp RV outlets. Smaller RV parks often have 30 amp pedestals, which supply a lower voltage than the 14-50 outlet, so a standard 240V cord may not work and the speed will be slow.
Sample 8 Day Charging Plan
- Day 1: Las Vegas to St. George, fast charge, then continue to Springdale and charge overnight at your hotel.
- Day 2: Zion. Buy the $5 code at the bookstore, plug in at the visitor center or your hotel, and ride the shuttle.
- Day 3: Zion to Bryce Canyon City. Fast charge at Ruby's Inn and stay the night with a full battery.
- Day 4: Bryce Canyon sunrise and the park shuttle, charge to full in the evening.
- Day 5: Cross Scenic Byway 12 to Torrey with a full battery. Plug in at your lodging the moment you arrive.
- Day 6: Capitol Reef, then a second night in Torrey if you need a full recharge.
- Day 7: Torrey to Green River by way of Hanksville. Fast charge at the Rivian Adventure Network site, then continue to Moab.
- Day 8: Arches and Canyonlands from Moab, with a fast charge in the morning or evening.
Emergency Plan if a Charger Fails
- Check PlugShare for the most recent check-in before committing to any small station.
- Keep a backup option for every leg, such as a second hotel with charging or an RV park outlet.
- If you are short on range in the gap, slow down, turn off climate use where safe, and head for the nearest town with any outlet.
- Know your roadside assistance coverage before you leave, since towing in remote areas can take time.
Write down your plan B for each night. For Torrey, that might be the RV park outlet, for Bryce it might be the Supercharger at Ruby's Inn, and for the drive east it might be the fast chargers at Green River or Ivie Creek. When you know your fallback before you need it, a broken charger becomes an inconvenience and not a crisis.
More EV Road Trip Guides
If you are planning other long electric car drives, these guides cover two more of the great scenic routes. Read the Icefields Parkway EV charging guide for a high mountain route with long gaps between chargers, and the EV charging map for the Pacific Coast Highway for a coastal drive with many more stops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you drive an electric car through Utah's Mighty 5 parks?
Yes. The loop is doable with planning. The only truly difficult stretch is Scenic Byway 12 between Bryce Canyon and Torrey, where there is no fast charging.
Is there fast charging in Torrey or Capitol Reef?
No. Plan on slow overnight charging at lodging in Torrey and bring a full battery into town.
Which direction is easier for an EV, west to east or east to west?
West to east is easier. It puts stronger fast charging at the start and lets you leave through Green River and I-70.
Do Arches and Canyonlands have charging inside the park?
No. Charge in Moab, which has Superchargers and an Electrify America station.
How do you use the EV chargers at Zion National Park?
Buy a charging code for $5 at the Zion Forever Project bookstore inside the visitor center. The code is good for three days and works at both the Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyons chargers.
Can you plug in at Fruita Campground in Capitol Reef?
No. Regular sites have no electrical hookups, and the few sites with electricity are accessible sites reserved for required medical devices. Book a private RV park or a lodge in Torrey instead.
Can non-Rivian electric cars use the Rivian chargers in Green River?
Yes. The Green River site is listed as open to all electric vehicles, with CCS and NACS stalls and tap to pay. Check the current status before you rely on it.
What should I do if I do not have an adapter for the charger at my hotel?
Call the lodging before arrival to confirm the connector type, and carry a J1772 adapter or a mobile cord as a backup.
Final Tips
Build the whole trip around the Torrey night. Book lodging with charging first, then plan the other stops around it. Charge fully in Bryce Canyon City, cross Scenic Byway 12 at a steady pace, plug in as soon as you reach Torrey, and you will find the rest of the Mighty 5 loop easy. Recheck charger status a day before each leg, since the small rural stations are the ones most likely to change.
0 Comments