American Southwest Road Trip

The Southwest of the United States is a vast landscape of coniferous forests, deep valleys and barren deserts. The states of Nevada, Utah and Arizona are sometimes overlooked, but are absolutely bursting with incredible outdoor adventure. Follow us as we take you on a road trip to our favorite destinations!

Nevada

Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada is a great start or end to any trip, but especially if you are taking a road trip around the American Southwestern states. Flights into Sin City are plentiful and economical, and Las Vegas has endless opportunities for fun to offer tourists. You can cruise down the strip at night in a limo, soar over Fremont Street on a zip line, or catch a world class show. Stay at one of the famous casino hotels, ride a rollercoaster at New York, New York, take a gondola ride at the Venetian, or watch the water show at Bellagio. With so many options, you’re sure to find something awesome to fit the needs of any travel companions. Just be sure not to over extend yourself too much because we have a big itinerary ahead of us! 

Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam is about an hour outside of Las Vegas, and really in the opposite direction of where we are heading, but I did want to mention it because of the historical significance. Perhaps if you are doing a loop and coming back to Las Vegas at the end of your trip, you can save this for the last stop on the way back, which would be more efficient. If you are not interested at all, go ahead and skip it. What makes the Hoover Dam significant is the impact it has made on America. It was built during the Great Depression, a time when American industry was just getting established. This created jobs, cheap electricity, and flood control for average American families and still continues to impact the region today. The dam created Lake Mead, which is the largest US reservoir, and produces enough electricity for over 8 million people. It is a feat of engineering and really worth appreciating. 

Utah

Zion National Park

Zion is located just over 2 hours from Las Vegas, in southern Utah. We absolutely love the state of Utah. If we ever moved from California, Utah would be the top of my list. It is teeming with adventurous things to do all year, from stellar skiing to beautiful hiking and mountain biking. Utah has gorgeous red clay rock formations, lush forests, and tons of water, so you can really get lost in the beauty there. Perhaps one of the most jaw-dropping places in southern Utah is Zion National Park. There are several campgrounds, hotels, and cabins situated at of the entrance of the park in Springdale. These accommodations do book up early so plan accordingly. Alternatively, you could stay in a town further out and do a day trip into Zion, but it is not recommended. If the Springdale and park accommodations are booked, I think Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort is the best alternative nearby. The report even has a great pool with a water slide. Only a small part of Zion is accessible by private car, but the free park bus system is well organized and gets you close to everything you want to see. 

Start your first day super early at the Zion National Park Visitor Center near Springdale. Hop on the first bus of the morning and take it all the way to the last stop, Riverside Walk Trailhead. This path will lead you to the famous Narrows, a winding slot canyon 16 miles long. Unless you are an extreme hiker with a permit you will not be doing the whole thing, just a portion of the lower section until you turn back. We recommend bringing water shoes in your dry pack, and a lunch, that way you aren’t walking in wet shoes the rest of the day. Stop for lunch on your own private stretch of sand and enjoy the cool water of the Virgin River on your toes. The Narrows may be the only hike you do this day, depending on how far you go, and that is fine. We travelled with kids so we didn’t make it too far before heading back through the National Park and stopping at other points of interest along the way. Some of our favorite stops were hiking up Weeping Rock, the Grotto, and the Emerald Pools. We also took some time to stop at the Zion National Park Lodge for ice cream and just to lounge in the grass for a rest. The other bonus of taking the National Park bus is the narrated tour that teaches you about the history and geological area you are looking at. 

On your second, or maybe third day, start heading east on Highway 9 driving through the Park towards Mount Carmel Junction. The Canyon Overlook Trail is a nice walk to stretch your legs and see Zion from one more vantage point before moving on. Once out of the park, head north on the 89 and then take the 14 west towards Navajo Lake. 

Navajo Lake and Cedar Breaks National Monument

Navajo Lake is just a short 2 hour drive from Zion National Park. This clear lake is the origin point for the Virgin River, which you just explored downstream. It is great for fishing and a relaxing lake day. There is also a super cool ice cave nearby, and a hike to the waterfall that flows from the lake to the Virgin, which is short and pretty neat. The other great thing about staying here one night is the nearby Cedar Breaks National Monument. Some people call this the “Baby Bryce Canyon” which you are seeing next, but both are worth a visit. I thought it was really cool you could see Bristlecone Pine trees here, some over 1500 years old. This is good for a quick stop, maybe half a day at most, for your planning purposes. 

 Bryce Canyon National Park 

Wake up and head back to the 89 north, until you hit the 12 east to Bryce Canyon, about 2 hours away. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think you can see all of Bryce Canyon in one day. There are also organized park busses here to take you around while offering a little history and tour, or you can just drive your car to some of the best view points and do a little hiking. It’s up to you. Either way, you can admire the stubby hoodoos carved by rain and wind, and hike in the valley floor with the odd shaped rocks towering around you. 

Capitol Reef National Park

This is a lesser known National Park, and if you are going to cut something out, this may be the first to go. It is 2 hours again from Bryce Canyon, and a halfway mark to our next stop (Arches National Park), so it makes a nice break in an otherwise pretty long drive. There are a couple of different routes to get there, both are similar and unremarkable. The best part about this park is getting to see a rare geological wrinkle in the earth, called a monocline. Waterpocket Fold stretches over 100 miles and was formed about 50 million years ago! It’s pretty neat. You could probably do this park in half a day and then move on to your accommodations for the night, somewhere along the 24 towards Arches. 

Arches National Park 

Arches is just 2 short hours’ drive from Capitol Reef National Park. It boasts over 2000 natural sandstone arches, the most of anywhere else in the world! The most popular photo stop is probably Delicate Arch Viewpoint, and there are several good hiking trails in the surmounting areas for all abilities. You can spend anywhere from half a day to three days in this park, depending on your interests. 

Canyonlands National Park 

Again, you may feel the need to cut this stop out, but it would be a shame as it is just 30 minutes from Arches. The great thing about this park is its incredible stargazing. Due to its elevation, great air quality, and low light pollution, you’ll feel like you are part of the stars as you stare out from this rugged landscape. I personally recommend spending half a day in Arches, and then finding accommodations in or near Canyonlands National Park for the night. This way you can take a stargazing tour and really soak up the adventure of it. 

Four Corners Monument  

Its a lovely drive through the very south west corner of Colorado, about 3 hours, to reach Four Corners Monument. This is the only place in the United States that you can stand in four states at once; Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. It’s kind of a tourist destination but it can be a cool thing to say you did. Kids and husbands really enjoy it! This stop might take you an hour, at most. 

Monument Valley

Its about another 90 minutes to get to Monument Valley from Four Corners, a little less if you are stopping for the night in nearby Kayenta. Beware, this is not the nicest town to stay the night, but unless things have changed recently there are not a lot of great overnight options near Monument Valley. Alternatively, you can go straight from Canyonlands to Monument Valley and skip the Four Corners Monument, which would save you a day and then you could overnight in Page to get a head start on your next stop.

Regardless of how you get there, we highly recommend seeing Monument Valley at sunrise, when the 1000 foot tall rock formations glow. Located on the Navajo Nation, the indigenous people are happy to share their views on meanings behind the sacred park. A tour can be a culturally impactful way to learn about the Native Americans in this area. 

Arizona

Horseshoe Bend

Base yourself in Page, Arizona for a couple of nights so you can see the surrounding items on this itinerary. Horseshoe Bend is less than 2 hours from Monument Valley, so depending on your timing you can do them both on the same day. Horseshoe Bend is just a viewpoint with a short, easy walk and a nice parking area, it’s a quick stop, perhaps an hour.

 Antelope Canyon

We love Antelope Canyon, but access can be tricky to visit depending on the recent rainfall. One year, we were able to stand up paddle board right from Antelope Marina around to the slot canyon, about a mile to the base of Antelope Canyon hike.  We hiked for less than a mile in this crazy sandstone slot canyon, although it went on for several more miles after that. Another year, the lake was so low we couldn’t access this area at all from the water, and would have been better off taking a tour down into the canyon from the top. This is a much more touristy option, but if you really want the experience it may be your only choice. Hopefully, you can take the water route, which is solitary and relaxing, and you can even stop to cliff jump, or take a nap if your mom is paddling for you. We recommend starting this adventure early in the morning as the area is known to get busy and hot. 

 Lake Powell and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

While you are in the area, you can take the time to admire Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. You can take a tour inside of the Glen Canyon Dam, which is really neat. You can also find a beach to swim, do some rock jumping, or grab some grub at Big John’s Texas BBQ. Lake Powell is pretty amazing, with over 1900 miles of shoreline and known for its recreational activities such as house boating. We write more about our houseboat adventures in our post “The Best of Lake Powell.”

 Grand Canyon National Park 

One of the most iconic landmarks in all of the United States sits just 3 hours south of Lake Powell. The Grand Canyon is truly remarkable. In all of our travels, we have yet to find a natural wonder that compares. You can spend many days here, or even do a day trip. Some people find a half day stop at a viewpoint such as Mather Point to be adequate. We think it best to stay the night near Bright Angel Trailhead. This way you can hike down into the canyon on Bright Angel Trail first thing in the morning, going as far as you like towards the bottom- just remember you’ll also have to climb back up! 

Going Home

From here you get to choose your own adventure. You can head south and stop in Flagstaff, Sedona, and/or Phoenix, which is just 3 hours drive, and make your way home from Phoenix. In this route, we highly recommend staying the night in Sedona because its a rad little hippy town and stunning. 

Or, head back to Las Vegas to complete the loop, which is about 5 hours in total, but you can overnight in Lake Havasu if you have one more night to spend. This way you could hit the Hoover Dam before the airport, if you didn’t do this stop on day 1. 

Your Southwest Road Trip is coming to an end. We hope you enjoyed our wonderful country, the luscious valleys and the pine capped mountains, the red rocks and the crystal clear waters. This itinerary is unique and vast, but there is still so much to discover in the region. We hope you take your time and chase the adventure!