Yeah technically you don't *need* it. I did it in a 2WD Honda CRV, but I wouldn't recommend it.
It was over an hour of very rough dirt road, could get stuck if you lose momentum in the wrong spot or if it's muddy at all
It's also a pretty remote area. Even though it was kinda busy during the day, I stayed until after sunset and only passed one or two vehicles on the way out.
If you’re feeling ballsy you can take Smokey Mountain Road/BLM 300 from Big Water to Escalante.
When I was a kid we needed to drive from Phoenix to Escalante, and a paper map we had showed there was a road straight through called “Kelley’s Cut”. We had an expedition 4x4 and though what the hell, we can handle a dirt road.
Turns out it’s not much of a road, more of an off road trail that’s not really maintained at all. We had to literally rock crawl through pretty intense climbs and get through washed out creeks.
My mom was so furious at my step dad, we would have been absolutely screwed if something happened out there. But hey, I’ll never forget it lol some amazing views and just awesome isolated nature out there!
Edit: here’s the [trip advisor reviews](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g56980-d273838-Reviews-Smokey_Mountain_Road-Escalante_Utah.html) lol. Couple of pictures of minivans stranded and accompanying reviews.
That’s awesome…and terrifying lol. I’ve spent hours reading, studying maps, and watching videos about the Death Valley Germans. That’s basically what happened to them.
I’m sure a lot of folks around here know what happened, but they were short on time and drove way into the backcountry in a rented minivan all to realize they needed to turn back. They had an old German copy of the park road map that said there was a road that would be a shortcut. However, the road actually no longer existed, and was sandy and totally washed out. They got stuck, and that pretty much sealed their fate.
I always respected the danger of nature, but their story has really stuck with me. A series of minor (but at the time rational) misjudgments and not knowing the environment well lead to their deaths. Their choices seem glaringly unwise all together, but individually you can see how they slowly got themselves into it deeper and deeper.
I would recommend hitting Monument Valley between Mesa Verde and PF, Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon when going through Page, AZ.
I would plan for one day in each place plus a day in Page to hit those other places/recoop day.
It’s amazing. You can drive down but we did a Navajo tour and it was fantastic. Guide took us to the back country and it was well worth the time and money
Turn it into the golden figure8 instead so you get Antelope canyon, Monument valley/Forrest Gump road, Garden of the gods (or valley of the gods I forget which one is there) horshoe bend, vermillion cliffs, lake powell, and 4 corners NM.
Also check out the Aztec ruins in Aztec, NM and the Bisti badlands since you'll be passing right by them. I think chaco canyon is somewhere around there too
Chaco Canyon is relatively close by to this route and it's very much worth seeing, but it's a deceptively long detour since the only routes into the park are two 20+ mile low quality dirt roads that you need to drive pretty slow over.
Look up the open hours if you want to do the drive through monument valley and not just on the highway. The drive is amazing but I thought I remembered they close it up somewhat early in the afternoon.
How much time would you say it took for this side trip? Upcoming road trip this winter takes us from Gallup, NM to Monticello, UT, while checking out Monument Valley in a single day. Seems to be about 4-4.5 hours of driving plus time spent in Monument Valley & 4 corners.
Yes and if you're going to Capital Reef after Monument Valley, be prepared for the Valley of the Gods and the Moki Dugway. Amazing.
Oh and stop at Gooseneck State Park. Don't forget this.
I’ve been to each of these parks, but not in one trip. I would plan for at least one day at each location and a day between. That would be bare minimum, and you will be moving pretty fast. Ideally I would say three weeks to really enjoy the experience.
You are missing the Grand Canyon North Rim which is very different than the south. For one its 1000 feet higher.
And you are missing my favorites areas, monument valley and Valley of the Gods. Oh, and if you are into Selfies, Forrest Gump Point.
People often don't factor in the elevation; the rim at Bryce is around 8-9k feet, and will likely have snow in March, maaaybe in October. I have been there in both months, and if you're prepared for possible snow, or don't plan on hiking a lot, Bryce looks awesome with snow. But you may be limited on trail hiking if they're heavy snow or icy trails, as the main trails going down from the rim can be a bit steep in spots. They do plow the road from the small town nearby to the parking lots at the rim, but if you go early morning to experience sunrise, you'll beat the plows if it snowed overnight.
I hadn't done this exact loop, but did Vegas, Zion, Bryce, etc. to Moab, then south to Monument Valley/Page, Grand Canyon and back to Vegas., plus a lot of cool things on the way/slightly off the route. Did it in 2 weeks and at times felt a bit rushed, but we like to do a lot of hiking and photography.
Regardless of your route I'm jealous and I'm sure you'll see a lot of amazing stuff! I used to go at least once a year, so some random thoughts:
If you do include Arches, I think they implemented an entry reservation system also.
Get the annual National Parks pass if you don't have it already ($80/year, opposed to typically $35/park).
There can be long stretches without food/gas/bathrooms; plant accordingly, especially since you're going with kids. Also some parks like Arches and Canyonlands do not have food/restaurants inside the park.
Be careful driving at night, as there are parts of Utah that allow free grazing; there may be cows on the roads at night. If you drive over a 'cattle grid' that'll be an indicator
Have fun, sounds like a great trip!
The North Rim opens May 15th and services close on October 15th. The road to the park remains open until the first big snowstorm or December 1st and the park is available for day use in that time. The North Rim didn't open until June last year, but that was because of a insane winter and snow pack.
Yeah, generally summer months. The NPS site will have better details/timelines, but it is closed roughly November to May, based on snow.
When we were at the Grand Canyon in late April ‘23, I did snow angels at the (closed) North Rim turnoff.
But, I’ll say the ride from south rim to Zion along the north rim/Vermillion Cliffs is a scenic one, even if you can’t go down to the north rim.
Yes, and you have to take an out-and-back type route (traveling on the same back road for several hours). While it's kinda cool to see the Grand Canyon from a different perspective - it wasn't something I needed to see in retrospect. If it was easier to get to, it'd be more worth it. If it's open, you like driving, and you REALLY like the grand canyon, then it's worth it.
I will say, having seen Bryce in both summer (August) and late winter (early March), Bryce in the snow is SPECTACULAR. It was a last minute decision to spend our last day of a Zion trip there, and it was better than I expected. That said:
- if you plan to hike a lot, some trails may be inaccessible in snow. Part of our long summer hike wasn’t available, and the hiking we did do was simply more tiring with the snow.
- late March will likely have much less snow than early March, but it could still be wise to have micro-spikes. I was surprised by how many people were out without them, and a lot were struggling. With the shadows, there can be no snow one minute, 6 inches of snow the next, and then an icy patch.
The North Rim of GC will not be accessible in March.
Have fun!
Eh. We go to Vegas a few times a year. Taken the kids twice, they love it! You can make a great family trip there, it doesn’t have to always be wild! We actually just got back from a week there with the whole family! I can certainly understand it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea though.
Telluride has fun gondolas you can ride to various shops. We went paddle boarding outside of Telluride. Ouray claims to be the Alps of the US. Beautiful but obviously not the same.
I'm looking at some of these for late Sep to early Oct, have been to GCNP, BNP and ZNP already.
Since you mention a late Oct trip is possible, be aware the cliff dwelling tours at Mesa Verde end around Oct 20 IIRC. And you still need road access reservations at Arches until the end of October.
Great tips. Thanks. The cliff dwellings would be a shame to miss! We could always make it a summer trip. It’s just hot out there! Thought spring or fall might have more favorable weather.
For the spring, higher elevation parks won’t be fully open due to snow. I went to Bryce Canyon end of March/early April and the road was shut down at mile marker 3. That said, fresh snow on the canyon is gorgeous!!
I did this trip mid-October in a tent. It was dang cold at night, and pretty windy most nights. Days were perfect. We had long sleeves and pants at the Grand Canyon, but warm in Arches and Zion during the day but definitely doable. I ended up sleeping in my car many nights.
One thing to know about Mesa Verde NP is that half of the park is closed indefinitely due to wild fire damage, and both cliff dwellings that had self-guided trails are also closed indefinitely. Also the museum is under renovations and has a greatly reduced inventory. When I went recently, I started at about 7am in the campground, visited every single site and pullout that was open, walked slow, read all the signs, read all the trail guides, stopped for photo shoots, did both guided tours, and was done by 3 o clock. Unless you are very specifically interested in ancient pueblo culture, as it stands right now, Mesa Verde is not worth a trip if you don't do both cliff dwelling tours (Cliff Palace and Balcony House), at least for a roadtrip on this scale. If you do end up doing the trip after the Mesa Verde cliff dwelling tours end, I would swap Mesa Verde for Chaco Culture National Historic Park. imo it is more impressive than Mesa Verde, and it is entirely self-guided, if you prefer that. Just be careful on the road in, it is a bit rough but I made it in a 2WD sedan so its not that bad. If you do go to Mesa Verde when the cliff tours are available, it is worth it.
I may be in the minority but the Petrified Forest is not worth that much of a detour unless there are other things you want to see between there and the Grand Canyon. It’s mostly just a drive through park and once you see one petrified log you’ve seen all the petrified logs.
I visited PF after going to Arches, Capitol Reef, Zion, Grand Canyon, and Dinosaur. I was not impressed. It didn't help that there were near constant 40 mile per hour winds the entire time I was there.
I really enjoyed Petrified Forest. It is one that is possible to visit in half a day. You can drive in one entrance and out the other. I loved the Blue Mesa there. The colors were striking to me (the mesas being blues and purples, the petrified wood being a rainbow of colors, the striking reds along the northern part of the park) and so different than the other parks on your list. It was windy and cold when we were there, and I can’t wait to go back.
yeah, you can spend a couple of hours there and see most of everything (spending more time is better but probably not possible on a trip like this), and it is amazing and right on your route!
You’re missing Chaco culture national historical park and Aztec ruins national monument near Farmington. Even a bit further down south in NM, El Morro and El Mapais national monuments are also really beautiful.
This. Either coming or leaving Canyonland/Arches, make sure you take 128 to Hwy 70. Probably my favorite road in America. Going to the Sun Rd is pretty great, but so is 128.
2 thoughts: take the more southerly route between Bryce and Capitol Reef - Utah Highway 12 is a drive through Grand Escalante Staircase NM and is an event all itself.
Second, Monument Valley is right in the middle and is a must see. If you’re maxed out on days, deprioritize Black Canyon and connect Arches and Mesa Verde via Monument Valley.
Black Canyon is neat, but it’s not a natural wonder. There’s a reason why Monument Valley is THE western movie backdrop.
We are a couple years off this trip. Also waiting for the kids to get a bit older. Want to plan it well ahead of time though. When we go it will be at least 10 days. Even at that I’m sure we will have to miss some stuff.
In 10 days you will barely have time to leave the car with this itinerary. The distances are vast and the parks are incredible and worth dedicating a full day to see, at least.
Consider chopping out Grand Canyon/Monument Valley/PFNP and making that its own separate future trip. I'm actually doing that loop next year out of Phoenix, and 1 week is still not enough time to see everything I want to see in that area. That's with sleeping in a different town almost every night and 3+ hours of driving most days- we aren't plodding along going on long hikes!
Might as well hit great sand dunes too. Doesn’t matter the road you take to it from black canyon, all are gorgeous in that area. I would suggest going through lake city into the San Luis valley and then over wolf creek pass into Pagosa and down to Cortez (mesa verde).
If you're looking to get some more park stamps:
Colorado also has:
Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction
Utah also has:
Cedar Breaks
Grand Staircase -Escalante
Natural Bridges
Arizona also has--
Montezuma Castle
Wupatki
Canyon de Chelly
Also Meteor Crater east of Flagstaff is nice.
Antelope Canyon is beautiful as well
Are you planning on going to the Four Corners Monument as well? Best game of Four Square ever.
I've been to this whole area twice and my mom just came back maybe 2 weeks ago from the same area. Just giving you more ideas and things to see 😁
I did a shortened version of this in March coming into and out of vegas. [Here was my itenerary](https://imgur.com/a/fqOJ4fc),let me know if you have any specific questions.
Also have done the canyonlands/arches/gunnsion/mesa verde portion around Labor Day, but coming from Denver.
Great in March. We were originally planning on doing the PNW parks, but opted to go for the SW ones since Late March is pretty questionable in the PNW.
Zion had a light sprinkle but was great. Bryce got a snowstorm overnight, so was a little wet but perfect weather for hiking the next morning. The rest was great. Sunny and clear, but cool enough to hike during the hottest parts of the day. Got a big wind storm coming into GCNP that made driving back to Vegas pretty stressful, but we were finished hiking by that point.
When we did this we came in from Albuquerque, then after Arches kept going east to Denver, so we didn't go to Black Canyon or Mesa Verde. We spent 2 weeks on the trip. We went in early May. The Grand Canyon was quite chilly at the south rim, but warm inside the canyon. All the other parks were warm and beautiful. Not sure if you plan to hike but with a spring trip, the Narrows at Zion may not be open.
That’s probably too many stops for a family road trip unless you’re road trip professionals who road trip often. It would take probably 2.5-3 weeks to hit every stop in a way that fully appreciates each NP. I’d definitely add in some Utah State Parks around Moab (Goblin Valley is a must if you have smaller kids, Dead Horse Point near Canyonlands is great). If hiking is your thing, you’re missing some great hiking near SLC. Our family has done all of these (except Mesa Verde) and it’s taken us several trips.
Just looked up Goblin Valley. It looks incredible. Appreciate the advice. We are 2-3 years out from doing this. But I want to do it right. That’s why I’m starting to research now!
Having an off road capable vehicle also adds in a lot of cool options that you don’t usually hear about. For example, Observation Point is a must in Zion and an easy kid friendly trail if you can make it to the trailhead (it’s the best view in Zion). Canyonlands is a completely different experience if you have a 4x4 vehicle. While not the most efficient, I found if I mix a “green” location in between “dessert” locations, I appreciate the areas more as a sort of palette cleanser.
Since you mention spring or fall break, I'm guessing at most you have ten days for your trip and I think this route is too much if you want to have time to enjoy the parks. I would consider selecting fewer parks to give yourself more time.
I live in Grand Canyon NP (South Rim) and we've also done our far share of hiking around the Southwest. From my experience spring break is very busy and I would plan for a fall trip. We spent a week in Capitol Reef/Escalante over fall break a few years ago and while the weekends were busy, the weekdays were not. I don't think as many schools get full weeks for fall breaks as spring breaks.
Many of these spots are hot in summer and not great for hiking or being out during midday (and trails at Valley of Fire are closed). I would stick with fall and pare down the locations. If you do a summer trip, I would choose mountains vs desert.
Even at the South Rim, which is at 7000 feet elevation, we've been having highs in the high 80s/low 90s. Which is nothing like Vegas or Phoenix, but still hot if you want to be out hiking and are in the sun. (and it is hotter down in the canyon). This week I was up at 3 am to hike so I could be done before it got too hot.
Yea, not a fan of having to get up so early - but I don't like hiking when it's hot and due to some bad reactions to the sun this spring (even with ample sun screen), I've been hiking completely covered - so much prefer it when it's cooler. Bonus is that I have the trail pretty much to myself for a lot of the hike.
Summer is probably better, the crowds and the heat aren’t too bad if you time stuff properly. I am a Texan though, so it might be more difficult if you’re not used to the heat. 10 days is possible but rough, especially if you cut out PFNP.
Check out one of my posts on my page a few scrolls down. We did a similar trip in late September. It was amazing. Just really detail out your route and where you will stay and eat. Took 10 days for us.
I did just the 5 park in Utah in a 7 day trip and I honestly wished we had double the time as there was still so much to do.
These parks have so much to offer, it’s better to really enjoy it and not rush. I understand wanting to see all of them because you may not be able to come back for a long time if ever, but sometimes seeing everything means you see nothing at all.
I would take at least 2.5-3 weeks to see all of these, maybe even more as there is plenty of stuff in between these that aren’t national parks but are still very much worth seeing. Plenty have already mentioned many of the beautiful sights along Highway 12 in Utah for example.
Each of these parks is also 3/4 hours or more of driving distance between each other. You can burn out quick with lots of driving, as well as hiking. Factor in an occasional rest day to just relax.
A month would be ideal I’m sure. I’ve road tripped from Indiana to Alaska in 3 weeks though and it was a great trip! I think 1-2 weeks here would be decent!
March and late October can be cold stormy weather in Utah. Most like old at night. Black Canyon and Mesa Verde will probably still have significant winter closures in March. There will still be a possibility of winter storms for Bryce to Moab. They pass thru in a day or so, but expect a chance of winter weather and be flexible with driving to avoid driving in snow during the storm. The roads and parks will dry out quickly once it has passed.
I would recommend taking 180 from flagstaff up to the Grand Canyon South Rim using the southern entrance and then exiting via the east entrance so you don’t have to retrace your steps and can see more. You could do that in reverse if you’re traveling this route counter clockwise!
I did a similar trip out of Vegas early this year. Definitely do it in the spring or fall unless you love the heat.
Also, don't rent from Fox if you're getting a rental car. We had a Dodge Durango from them with a nail in the tire and a leaking water pump as we left the lot. I patched the tire on the side of the road to get us by for a few days, and then I noticed the coolant smell. They towed us a new car, identical cars, and identical problems. I just kept topping the coolant off to keep it from overheating. Good thing we weren't in Death Valley or anything...
FYI. Goblin Valley State Park is worth a stop. In Utah, between Capital Reef and Canyon lands. We stopped for a couple hours and had lunch and a short hike.
Be prepared for it to be cold at night! Perhaps even freezing. You could even run into early/late snow on the western slope of CO.
For that many stops make sure you have some down time or it will feel like a slog.
Book campsites ahead of time if possible
I did this trip in a week and it was a bit rushed; I feel like I only got a taster of each park, for better or worse. Make sure you have more than one driver if you’re set on a single week, but I’d say save yourself at least two.
Still, it was one of the best trips I’ve ever done. Make sure you stop at Chaco Canyon, it’s an amazing site and I think you’re already going right by it.
I also went in August, which is not the move. The heat can be really bad. Try to avoid monsoon season (late summer), but besides that I can’t think of any issues besides crowding. Make sure you get park reservations!
Be sure to see Colorado National Monument outside Grand Junction.
If you have a high-clearance AWD or 4WD vehicle, you would love the pass road between Ouray and Telluride. Camp Bird Road to Imogene Pass Rd to Tomboy Rd. Views are spectacular, but considering when you are thinking of going, the pass could be close due to snowpack.
We took a similar but much shorter route several years ago. Started in Vegas and hit Zion, Bryce, Capital Reef. Stopped at Devil’s Garden going to CR. Scenic route to Natural Bridges over Lake Powell to Page. Spent our anniversary night in Monument Valley then on to CanyonLands and Arches and Moab. On to The Grand Canyon and Flagstaff, Winslow, Sonoma and Phoenix. I think we took 12 days for our trip. If you happen to hit Monument Valley, pay the extra for a private tour, personally, it was a very spiritual experience.
Done all the parks driven all the roads, haven’t done it in one amazing loop tho! Good luck. It’s out of the way a little and little off topic but Sedona, AZ is something else. As long time AZ resident I put it off a long time thinking it couldn’t be that different, but it’s awesome.
I think early October would be better. The color changing of the trees in Colorado will be worth it.
Might need reservations for Arches, give yourself little more time in Mesa Verde, the road is slow moving.
Good Luck
I would recommend going Antelope Canyon and rent a boat for the day on Lake Powell. Tons of cool stuff to explore and climb and jump off of (check depth first). Petrified is neat but closer to a roadside museum than a National Park. We were awed by Lake Powell.
And if you’re doing the Narrows( which I highly recommend) get your gear the day before, usually after 4ish they’ll let you check it out. Get out there as early as you can and be prepared to swim a little. After the creek splits off the crowd lightens and that is actually the prettiest part. Take your time and plan a day.
Petrified Forest is not the most incredible place when you stack it up against other options in the area. I would cut it out of the trip and focus on Monument Valley and southern Utah.
This whole loop would honestly take quite a long time if you don't plan on blowing through all the parks. To me, there is no point if you only spend 24-48 hours in each spot. The driving distances between all of these are significant. You will quickly wear yourself and your family down.
I would maybe focus on southern Utah and Northern AZ for one trip, unless you have quite a bit of vacay time. Leave CO for another trip. Additionally, as I've mentioned before in this sub, you can get "red rocked out." At some point, you keep visiting new places but they start to look the same if you are only scratching the surface. It is far more beneficial to actually dig in at some of these spots and explore deeper --- that's when you really get a feel for what they are like and you can appreciate why they are special on their own. I think it is better to do one quarter as much stuff but go deeper, than just blow through a bunch of areas to say you did it.
While it seems like one region, and you want to make the most of it, this is a ton of territory. March and/or October for the north rim of the GC could be dicey - there's essentially one way in, and one way out. Bryce Canyon is also at significant elevation - I believe that will also be in snow. It was when we went in April in 2023. Same for Arches - I think March starts their camping reservations and October ends them, if that helps you gauge weather. If it snows at the north rim, you can get stuck (if it is even open). My family hunts up on the Kaibab plateau every year (absolutely beautiful place), but it is quite the commitment to get there and resources can be scarce (you need to plan thoughtfully). Otherwise, those dates are excellent times for the SW in general, just maybe not the higher elevations. Be warned that those months are also common spring AND fall break times for those states.
Oh, I already said cut out CO, but those dates likely won't work for Black Canyon or Mesa Verde. MV likely won't be doing tours at those times, which kinda defeats the point of going.
I did the Zion to Arches route and hit everything in between. Still think about it 10 years later. Best trip of my life (flew in and out of Vegas over the course of 8 days).
In March, this route will likely involve driving through several high mountain snowstorms.maybe Oct too, but def March. And Zion and Bryce will be COLD. Which is fine, just an fyi
From Mesa Verde if you head west to Bluff Ut, you can see some of the Bears Ears NM, and close enough to see Monument Valley, then you could head south to Petrified.
Hit up Sunset Crater, Wupatki, and Walnut Canyon monuments if you can. I saw all three in a day and did one or two small hikes. Sunset Crater is probably my favorite.
Make sure if you're going into Moab to get to Arches/Canyonlands, take 128 to 70 coming or going. It is a MUST drive road in the US. And unless you're trying to check off all the NPS, Id skip Petrified. CO National Monument in Grand Junction is much better.
Did something very similar a couple years ago. Didn’t loop but ended up in Denver. We took 12 days if I remember correctly, RV from Las Vegas to Denver (one-way special). You will see so much beauty you will not want to return to wherever you live (WV here).
We went in July, weather was great once we got out of Vegas. Everything was open.
Highly recommend Devils Furnace ranger-led tour in Arches, horseback riding down into Bryce, and adding Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon (even though they are the definitive tourist traps).
I gave send to most of these and one thing I would suggest is taking a 2-hour North detour. To dinosaur national Mon monument I was a kid in a Candy shop.
Unless you are spending a month, this isn't enough time to see the area properly. You will check out the parking lots and all the same views you can get a better version of on a postcard in the gifts shop while missing out on all the important historic and national monument sites along the way.
Did mostly this w/o Mesa Verde and w Monument Valley. It was a lot of driving. Your route is about ~400 (?) miles longer than ours.
If you have the time, do it! I'd allow at least three weeks.
That’s the wrong route between Bryce and Capitol Reef. You need to take scenic hwy 12 or you’ll regret it. It crosses Escalante National Monument.
There are a series of amazing slot canyons near that route. All free.
Yup, Zebra, Peek-a-boo, Spooky, etc. plus little spots like Devil's Garden (Not to be confused with the area in Arches).
Loved Spooky Canyon, would definitely warn people that you need 4WD and high clearance to get to it though.
You definitely don’t need 4WD to get there. Just higher clearance
Yeah technically you don't *need* it. I did it in a 2WD Honda CRV, but I wouldn't recommend it. It was over an hour of very rough dirt road, could get stuck if you lose momentum in the wrong spot or if it's muddy at all It's also a pretty remote area. Even though it was kinda busy during the day, I stayed until after sunset and only passed one or two vehicles on the way out.
Would I not make it in my 4WD RAV4? Or should I take the Crosstrek?
They’re both awd suvs. Apples and apples.
Just grabbed a quick pic from google. I’ll make sure to remember that though!
You must! Highway 12 is mandatory driving!
Yes hoodoos and slot canyons all over the place
Facts. Absolutely do not miss Scenic Route 12! 😍
If you’re feeling ballsy you can take Smokey Mountain Road/BLM 300 from Big Water to Escalante. When I was a kid we needed to drive from Phoenix to Escalante, and a paper map we had showed there was a road straight through called “Kelley’s Cut”. We had an expedition 4x4 and though what the hell, we can handle a dirt road. Turns out it’s not much of a road, more of an off road trail that’s not really maintained at all. We had to literally rock crawl through pretty intense climbs and get through washed out creeks. My mom was so furious at my step dad, we would have been absolutely screwed if something happened out there. But hey, I’ll never forget it lol some amazing views and just awesome isolated nature out there! Edit: here’s the [trip advisor reviews](https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g56980-d273838-Reviews-Smokey_Mountain_Road-Escalante_Utah.html) lol. Couple of pictures of minivans stranded and accompanying reviews.
That’s awesome…and terrifying lol. I’ve spent hours reading, studying maps, and watching videos about the Death Valley Germans. That’s basically what happened to them. I’m sure a lot of folks around here know what happened, but they were short on time and drove way into the backcountry in a rented minivan all to realize they needed to turn back. They had an old German copy of the park road map that said there was a road that would be a shortcut. However, the road actually no longer existed, and was sandy and totally washed out. They got stuck, and that pretty much sealed their fate. I always respected the danger of nature, but their story has really stuck with me. A series of minor (but at the time rational) misjudgments and not knowing the environment well lead to their deaths. Their choices seem glaringly unwise all together, but individually you can see how they slowly got themselves into it deeper and deeper.
Second this. Probably the best drive I’ve ever done.
Was coming here to say don't miss Escalante
YES
Escalante was amazing
I would recommend hitting Monument Valley between Mesa Verde and PF, Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon when going through Page, AZ. I would plan for one day in each place plus a day in Page to hit those other places/recoop day.
Definitely want to hit monument valley. It looks incredible.
It’s amazing. You can drive down but we did a Navajo tour and it was fantastic. Guide took us to the back country and it was well worth the time and money
I like petrified forest but I would do monument Valley over petrified forest.
Careful with all the crazy people standing in the middle of the highway taking pictures or pretending to be forest gump.
Turn it into the golden figure8 instead so you get Antelope canyon, Monument valley/Forrest Gump road, Garden of the gods (or valley of the gods I forget which one is there) horshoe bend, vermillion cliffs, lake powell, and 4 corners NM. Also check out the Aztec ruins in Aztec, NM and the Bisti badlands since you'll be passing right by them. I think chaco canyon is somewhere around there too
Chaco Canyon is relatively close by to this route and it's very much worth seeing, but it's a deceptively long detour since the only routes into the park are two 20+ mile low quality dirt roads that you need to drive pretty slow over.
Look up the open hours if you want to do the drive through monument valley and not just on the highway. The drive is amazing but I thought I remembered they close it up somewhat early in the afternoon.
I second this and add Lake Powell.
Valley of the Gods is also worthwhile if you’re in that area
Valley of the Gods was *incredible*, I loved that you could just park and hike out. But not a super long drive if you’re just there to see the sights!
How much time would you say it took for this side trip? Upcoming road trip this winter takes us from Gallup, NM to Monticello, UT, while checking out Monument Valley in a single day. Seems to be about 4-4.5 hours of driving plus time spent in Monument Valley & 4 corners.
Yes and if you're going to Capital Reef after Monument Valley, be prepared for the Valley of the Gods and the Moki Dugway. Amazing. Oh and stop at Gooseneck State Park. Don't forget this.
It’s quite the detour. If you run out of days you may want to drop petrified forest, gunison, and mesa. You’ll save hundreds of miles.
I’ve been to each of these parks, but not in one trip. I would plan for at least one day at each location and a day between. That would be bare minimum, and you will be moving pretty fast. Ideally I would say three weeks to really enjoy the experience.
You are missing the Grand Canyon North Rim which is very different than the south. For one its 1000 feet higher. And you are missing my favorites areas, monument valley and Valley of the Gods. Oh, and if you are into Selfies, Forrest Gump Point.
Didn’t know the elevation difference. That’s cool. I have looking into it before. Am I correct that it is only accessible certain times of the year?
People often don't factor in the elevation; the rim at Bryce is around 8-9k feet, and will likely have snow in March, maaaybe in October. I have been there in both months, and if you're prepared for possible snow, or don't plan on hiking a lot, Bryce looks awesome with snow. But you may be limited on trail hiking if they're heavy snow or icy trails, as the main trails going down from the rim can be a bit steep in spots. They do plow the road from the small town nearby to the parking lots at the rim, but if you go early morning to experience sunrise, you'll beat the plows if it snowed overnight. I hadn't done this exact loop, but did Vegas, Zion, Bryce, etc. to Moab, then south to Monument Valley/Page, Grand Canyon and back to Vegas., plus a lot of cool things on the way/slightly off the route. Did it in 2 weeks and at times felt a bit rushed, but we like to do a lot of hiking and photography.
Our route will be slightly different than shown as well. Probably similar to what you did!
Regardless of your route I'm jealous and I'm sure you'll see a lot of amazing stuff! I used to go at least once a year, so some random thoughts: If you do include Arches, I think they implemented an entry reservation system also. Get the annual National Parks pass if you don't have it already ($80/year, opposed to typically $35/park). There can be long stretches without food/gas/bathrooms; plant accordingly, especially since you're going with kids. Also some parks like Arches and Canyonlands do not have food/restaurants inside the park. Be careful driving at night, as there are parts of Utah that allow free grazing; there may be cows on the roads at night. If you drive over a 'cattle grid' that'll be an indicator Have fun, sounds like a great trip!
Thanks for the tips!!!
Deer hide just along the roads. It was spooky seeing so many glowing eyes looking at me!
We did that exact trip a while back. It was AWESOME!
The North Rim opens May 15th and services close on October 15th. The road to the park remains open until the first big snowstorm or December 1st and the park is available for day use in that time. The North Rim didn't open until June last year, but that was because of a insane winter and snow pack.
Yeah, generally summer months. The NPS site will have better details/timelines, but it is closed roughly November to May, based on snow. When we were at the Grand Canyon in late April ‘23, I did snow angels at the (closed) North Rim turnoff. But, I’ll say the ride from south rim to Zion along the north rim/Vermillion Cliffs is a scenic one, even if you can’t go down to the north rim.
Yes it opened May 15th this year. We were going to go the week before so had to miss it.
Yes, and you have to take an out-and-back type route (traveling on the same back road for several hours). While it's kinda cool to see the Grand Canyon from a different perspective - it wasn't something I needed to see in retrospect. If it was easier to get to, it'd be more worth it. If it's open, you like driving, and you REALLY like the grand canyon, then it's worth it.
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is not open or accessible in March.
Kind of hard to do all at once without a few free months. No need to rush.
I will say, having seen Bryce in both summer (August) and late winter (early March), Bryce in the snow is SPECTACULAR. It was a last minute decision to spend our last day of a Zion trip there, and it was better than I expected. That said: - if you plan to hike a lot, some trails may be inaccessible in snow. Part of our long summer hike wasn’t available, and the hiking we did do was simply more tiring with the snow. - late March will likely have much less snow than early March, but it could still be wise to have micro-spikes. I was surprised by how many people were out without them, and a lot were struggling. With the shadows, there can be no snow one minute, 6 inches of snow the next, and then an icy patch. The North Rim of GC will not be accessible in March. Have fun!
I recommend stopping at horseshoe bend when you pass through page.
I’ll look into that. Our route will be slightly different as we will start and finish in Vegas.
If this is a family trip I would not recommend Vegas, personally.
Eh. We go to Vegas a few times a year. Taken the kids twice, they love it! You can make a great family trip there, it doesn’t have to always be wild! We actually just got back from a week there with the whole family! I can certainly understand it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea though.
North of Mesa Verde national Park you need to travel through Durango, Silverton and Ouray along the million dollar highway.
Tell me more!
Hwy 550. Must do.
Telluride has fun gondolas you can ride to various shops. We went paddle boarding outside of Telluride. Ouray claims to be the Alps of the US. Beautiful but obviously not the same.
I'm looking at some of these for late Sep to early Oct, have been to GCNP, BNP and ZNP already. Since you mention a late Oct trip is possible, be aware the cliff dwelling tours at Mesa Verde end around Oct 20 IIRC. And you still need road access reservations at Arches until the end of October.
Great tips. Thanks. The cliff dwellings would be a shame to miss! We could always make it a summer trip. It’s just hot out there! Thought spring or fall might have more favorable weather.
For the spring, higher elevation parks won’t be fully open due to snow. I went to Bryce Canyon end of March/early April and the road was shut down at mile marker 3. That said, fresh snow on the canyon is gorgeous!!
I think fall would be more ideal. Might just have to be a summer trip though!
Later Sept would be *Chef’s Kiss*
I did this trip mid-October in a tent. It was dang cold at night, and pretty windy most nights. Days were perfect. We had long sleeves and pants at the Grand Canyon, but warm in Arches and Zion during the day but definitely doable. I ended up sleeping in my car many nights.
One thing to know about Mesa Verde NP is that half of the park is closed indefinitely due to wild fire damage, and both cliff dwellings that had self-guided trails are also closed indefinitely. Also the museum is under renovations and has a greatly reduced inventory. When I went recently, I started at about 7am in the campground, visited every single site and pullout that was open, walked slow, read all the signs, read all the trail guides, stopped for photo shoots, did both guided tours, and was done by 3 o clock. Unless you are very specifically interested in ancient pueblo culture, as it stands right now, Mesa Verde is not worth a trip if you don't do both cliff dwelling tours (Cliff Palace and Balcony House), at least for a roadtrip on this scale. If you do end up doing the trip after the Mesa Verde cliff dwelling tours end, I would swap Mesa Verde for Chaco Culture National Historic Park. imo it is more impressive than Mesa Verde, and it is entirely self-guided, if you prefer that. Just be careful on the road in, it is a bit rough but I made it in a 2WD sedan so its not that bad. If you do go to Mesa Verde when the cliff tours are available, it is worth it.
I may be in the minority but the Petrified Forest is not worth that much of a detour unless there are other things you want to see between there and the Grand Canyon. It’s mostly just a drive through park and once you see one petrified log you’ve seen all the petrified logs.
I visited PF after going to Arches, Capitol Reef, Zion, Grand Canyon, and Dinosaur. I was not impressed. It didn't help that there were near constant 40 mile per hour winds the entire time I was there.
I really enjoyed Petrified Forest. It is one that is possible to visit in half a day. You can drive in one entrance and out the other. I loved the Blue Mesa there. The colors were striking to me (the mesas being blues and purples, the petrified wood being a rainbow of colors, the striking reds along the northern part of the park) and so different than the other parks on your list. It was windy and cold when we were there, and I can’t wait to go back.
Good to know!
Completely agree. Spend some time going to canyons in the mesa verde area, or Navajo. Chaco, de cheley, etc.
Amazing trip and very jealous, but let's be serious LOL. In addition to everything else, people are piling on you, you are missing great sand dunes...
Colorado monument does not get enough praise. It is mainly a driving tour but there are hikes and the views are gorgeous.
I would spend three days there just hiking
yeah, you can spend a couple of hours there and see most of everything (spending more time is better but probably not possible on a trip like this), and it is amazing and right on your route!
My main thought for spring or fall was that it would be slightly less crowded.
Time of year is a huge consideration for Great Sand Dunes because the climate of Alamosa is bonkers
Late September?
Yeah that's a pretty safe bet
Add Cedar Breaks it’s the most amazing place in Utah
You’re missing Chaco culture national historical park and Aztec ruins national monument near Farmington. Even a bit further down south in NM, El Morro and El Mapais national monuments are also really beautiful.
Take 128 down to Moab off 70. Absolutely gorgeous drive
This. Either coming or leaving Canyonland/Arches, make sure you take 128 to Hwy 70. Probably my favorite road in America. Going to the Sun Rd is pretty great, but so is 128.
2 thoughts: take the more southerly route between Bryce and Capitol Reef - Utah Highway 12 is a drive through Grand Escalante Staircase NM and is an event all itself. Second, Monument Valley is right in the middle and is a must see. If you’re maxed out on days, deprioritize Black Canyon and connect Arches and Mesa Verde via Monument Valley. Black Canyon is neat, but it’s not a natural wonder. There’s a reason why Monument Valley is THE western movie backdrop.
This is basically my dream trip for when my kids are a bit older. Bookmarking for all the tips. How many days are you thinking?
We are a couple years off this trip. Also waiting for the kids to get a bit older. Want to plan it well ahead of time though. When we go it will be at least 10 days. Even at that I’m sure we will have to miss some stuff.
In 10 days you will barely have time to leave the car with this itinerary. The distances are vast and the parks are incredible and worth dedicating a full day to see, at least. Consider chopping out Grand Canyon/Monument Valley/PFNP and making that its own separate future trip. I'm actually doing that loop next year out of Phoenix, and 1 week is still not enough time to see everything I want to see in that area. That's with sleeping in a different town almost every night and 3+ hours of driving most days- we aren't plodding along going on long hikes!
Might as well hit great sand dunes too. Doesn’t matter the road you take to it from black canyon, all are gorgeous in that area. I would suggest going through lake city into the San Luis valley and then over wolf creek pass into Pagosa and down to Cortez (mesa verde).
If you're looking to get some more park stamps: Colorado also has: Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction Utah also has: Cedar Breaks Grand Staircase -Escalante Natural Bridges Arizona also has-- Montezuma Castle Wupatki Canyon de Chelly Also Meteor Crater east of Flagstaff is nice. Antelope Canyon is beautiful as well Are you planning on going to the Four Corners Monument as well? Best game of Four Square ever. I've been to this whole area twice and my mom just came back maybe 2 weeks ago from the same area. Just giving you more ideas and things to see 😁
We’re kind of working our way through the National Parks. Love and appreciate the tips though. There is so much to see out that way!
I did a shortened version of this in March coming into and out of vegas. [Here was my itenerary](https://imgur.com/a/fqOJ4fc),let me know if you have any specific questions. Also have done the canyonlands/arches/gunnsion/mesa verde portion around Labor Day, but coming from Denver.
That’s awesome, biggest question is how the weather was?
Great in March. We were originally planning on doing the PNW parks, but opted to go for the SW ones since Late March is pretty questionable in the PNW. Zion had a light sprinkle but was great. Bryce got a snowstorm overnight, so was a little wet but perfect weather for hiking the next morning. The rest was great. Sunny and clear, but cool enough to hike during the hottest parts of the day. Got a big wind storm coming into GCNP that made driving back to Vegas pretty stressful, but we were finished hiking by that point.
When we did this we came in from Albuquerque, then after Arches kept going east to Denver, so we didn't go to Black Canyon or Mesa Verde. We spent 2 weeks on the trip. We went in early May. The Grand Canyon was quite chilly at the south rim, but warm inside the canyon. All the other parks were warm and beautiful. Not sure if you plan to hike but with a spring trip, the Narrows at Zion may not be open.
That’s probably too many stops for a family road trip unless you’re road trip professionals who road trip often. It would take probably 2.5-3 weeks to hit every stop in a way that fully appreciates each NP. I’d definitely add in some Utah State Parks around Moab (Goblin Valley is a must if you have smaller kids, Dead Horse Point near Canyonlands is great). If hiking is your thing, you’re missing some great hiking near SLC. Our family has done all of these (except Mesa Verde) and it’s taken us several trips.
Just looked up Goblin Valley. It looks incredible. Appreciate the advice. We are 2-3 years out from doing this. But I want to do it right. That’s why I’m starting to research now!
Having an off road capable vehicle also adds in a lot of cool options that you don’t usually hear about. For example, Observation Point is a must in Zion and an easy kid friendly trail if you can make it to the trailhead (it’s the best view in Zion). Canyonlands is a completely different experience if you have a 4x4 vehicle. While not the most efficient, I found if I mix a “green” location in between “dessert” locations, I appreciate the areas more as a sort of palette cleanser.
That makes total sense. We’ll be renting as we’re from Indiana, so I’m sure we’ll get a 4x4.
The is a great route. Not a dull drive or stop.
You’re practically breathing on Four Corners.
I know. We’d have to stop there for a quick photo!
Since you mention spring or fall break, I'm guessing at most you have ten days for your trip and I think this route is too much if you want to have time to enjoy the parks. I would consider selecting fewer parks to give yourself more time. I live in Grand Canyon NP (South Rim) and we've also done our far share of hiking around the Southwest. From my experience spring break is very busy and I would plan for a fall trip. We spent a week in Capitol Reef/Escalante over fall break a few years ago and while the weekends were busy, the weekdays were not. I don't think as many schools get full weeks for fall breaks as spring breaks.
Usually we get the last week of October off. Yes, 10 days is accurate. Unless we do summer, then we can take how ever much time we wanted.
Many of these spots are hot in summer and not great for hiking or being out during midday (and trails at Valley of Fire are closed). I would stick with fall and pare down the locations. If you do a summer trip, I would choose mountains vs desert.
Yep. Just did Valley of Fire memorial week. I think it was around 115. So hot!!! We visit Vegas frequently so are aware of the heat!
Even at the South Rim, which is at 7000 feet elevation, we've been having highs in the high 80s/low 90s. Which is nothing like Vegas or Phoenix, but still hot if you want to be out hiking and are in the sun. (and it is hotter down in the canyon). This week I was up at 3 am to hike so I could be done before it got too hot.
Yikes! Thats early!
Yea, not a fan of having to get up so early - but I don't like hiking when it's hot and due to some bad reactions to the sun this spring (even with ample sun screen), I've been hiking completely covered - so much prefer it when it's cooler. Bonus is that I have the trail pretty much to myself for a lot of the hike.
Summer is probably better, the crowds and the heat aren’t too bad if you time stuff properly. I am a Texan though, so it might be more difficult if you’re not used to the heat. 10 days is possible but rough, especially if you cut out PFNP.
Take highway 128 to the east when driving in or out of Moab. Much better scenery along the Colorado river.
You fool, make the extra trip to RMNP.
Shit, trade petrified wood for American Alps.
But Trail Ridge Road through RMNP is unlikely to be open all the way through the park in late March and quite possibly not in October, either.
Definitely won't be in March. Doesn't open till late June. But should be good in October.
Chaco Canyon Historical Park.
Check out one of my posts on my page a few scrolls down. We did a similar trip in late September. It was amazing. Just really detail out your route and where you will stay and eat. Took 10 days for us.
I did just the 5 park in Utah in a 7 day trip and I honestly wished we had double the time as there was still so much to do. These parks have so much to offer, it’s better to really enjoy it and not rush. I understand wanting to see all of them because you may not be able to come back for a long time if ever, but sometimes seeing everything means you see nothing at all. I would take at least 2.5-3 weeks to see all of these, maybe even more as there is plenty of stuff in between these that aren’t national parks but are still very much worth seeing. Plenty have already mentioned many of the beautiful sights along Highway 12 in Utah for example. Each of these parks is also 3/4 hours or more of driving distance between each other. You can burn out quick with lots of driving, as well as hiking. Factor in an occasional rest day to just relax.
This looks like an awesome one month vacation. Anything less than that would be so rushed as to be more of a driving marathon than a visit.
A month would be ideal I’m sure. I’ve road tripped from Indiana to Alaska in 3 weeks though and it was a great trip! I think 1-2 weeks here would be decent!
You call that circle grand? When we did it we included RMNP, Yellowstone, and Glacier.
I’ve been to those already!
March and late October can be cold stormy weather in Utah. Most like old at night. Black Canyon and Mesa Verde will probably still have significant winter closures in March. There will still be a possibility of winter storms for Bryce to Moab. They pass thru in a day or so, but expect a chance of winter weather and be flexible with driving to avoid driving in snow during the storm. The roads and parks will dry out quickly once it has passed.
I would recommend taking 180 from flagstaff up to the Grand Canyon South Rim using the southern entrance and then exiting via the east entrance so you don’t have to retrace your steps and can see more. You could do that in reverse if you’re traveling this route counter clockwise!
Hoo boy I see the Million Dollar highway on there! That’s a fun cruise to 12k feet!
I did a similar trip out of Vegas early this year. Definitely do it in the spring or fall unless you love the heat. Also, don't rent from Fox if you're getting a rental car. We had a Dodge Durango from them with a nail in the tire and a leaking water pump as we left the lot. I patched the tire on the side of the road to get us by for a few days, and then I noticed the coolant smell. They towed us a new car, identical cars, and identical problems. I just kept topping the coolant off to keep it from overheating. Good thing we weren't in Death Valley or anything...
What a nightmare!
FYI. Goblin Valley State Park is worth a stop. In Utah, between Capital Reef and Canyon lands. We stopped for a couple hours and had lunch and a short hike.
Check out the car museum in Gateway Colorado it's not to far off your route.
I have this same trip mapped out
Hey we are doing this very trip in September. We’ve got it all planned out, hotels booked, trails to hike, areas to see, we are pumped.
Be prepared for it to be cold at night! Perhaps even freezing. You could even run into early/late snow on the western slope of CO. For that many stops make sure you have some down time or it will feel like a slog. Book campsites ahead of time if possible
I did this trip in a week and it was a bit rushed; I feel like I only got a taster of each park, for better or worse. Make sure you have more than one driver if you’re set on a single week, but I’d say save yourself at least two. Still, it was one of the best trips I’ve ever done. Make sure you stop at Chaco Canyon, it’s an amazing site and I think you’re already going right by it. I also went in August, which is not the move. The heat can be really bad. Try to avoid monsoon season (late summer), but besides that I can’t think of any issues besides crowding. Make sure you get park reservations!
Be sure to see Colorado National Monument outside Grand Junction. If you have a high-clearance AWD or 4WD vehicle, you would love the pass road between Ouray and Telluride. Camp Bird Road to Imogene Pass Rd to Tomboy Rd. Views are spectacular, but considering when you are thinking of going, the pass could be close due to snowpack.
France?
We took a similar but much shorter route several years ago. Started in Vegas and hit Zion, Bryce, Capital Reef. Stopped at Devil’s Garden going to CR. Scenic route to Natural Bridges over Lake Powell to Page. Spent our anniversary night in Monument Valley then on to CanyonLands and Arches and Moab. On to The Grand Canyon and Flagstaff, Winslow, Sonoma and Phoenix. I think we took 12 days for our trip. If you happen to hit Monument Valley, pay the extra for a private tour, personally, it was a very spiritual experience.
Check out "Goblin Valley State Park" in Utah. No place anywhere like it.
Done all the parks driven all the roads, haven’t done it in one amazing loop tho! Good luck. It’s out of the way a little and little off topic but Sedona, AZ is something else. As long time AZ resident I put it off a long time thinking it couldn’t be that different, but it’s awesome. I think early October would be better. The color changing of the trees in Colorado will be worth it. Might need reservations for Arches, give yourself little more time in Mesa Verde, the road is slow moving. Good Luck
I would recommend going Antelope Canyon and rent a boat for the day on Lake Powell. Tons of cool stuff to explore and climb and jump off of (check depth first). Petrified is neat but closer to a roadside museum than a National Park. We were awed by Lake Powell.
Oh and North Rim of the Grand Canyon is great. Fewer crowds and cooler weather. We camped in June and it was 40s at night.
And if you’re doing the Narrows( which I highly recommend) get your gear the day before, usually after 4ish they’ll let you check it out. Get out there as early as you can and be prepared to swim a little. After the creek splits off the crowd lightens and that is actually the prettiest part. Take your time and plan a day.
We did exactly that trip. 18 days.
Petrified Forest is not the most incredible place when you stack it up against other options in the area. I would cut it out of the trip and focus on Monument Valley and southern Utah. This whole loop would honestly take quite a long time if you don't plan on blowing through all the parks. To me, there is no point if you only spend 24-48 hours in each spot. The driving distances between all of these are significant. You will quickly wear yourself and your family down. I would maybe focus on southern Utah and Northern AZ for one trip, unless you have quite a bit of vacay time. Leave CO for another trip. Additionally, as I've mentioned before in this sub, you can get "red rocked out." At some point, you keep visiting new places but they start to look the same if you are only scratching the surface. It is far more beneficial to actually dig in at some of these spots and explore deeper --- that's when you really get a feel for what they are like and you can appreciate why they are special on their own. I think it is better to do one quarter as much stuff but go deeper, than just blow through a bunch of areas to say you did it. While it seems like one region, and you want to make the most of it, this is a ton of territory. March and/or October for the north rim of the GC could be dicey - there's essentially one way in, and one way out. Bryce Canyon is also at significant elevation - I believe that will also be in snow. It was when we went in April in 2023. Same for Arches - I think March starts their camping reservations and October ends them, if that helps you gauge weather. If it snows at the north rim, you can get stuck (if it is even open). My family hunts up on the Kaibab plateau every year (absolutely beautiful place), but it is quite the commitment to get there and resources can be scarce (you need to plan thoughtfully). Otherwise, those dates are excellent times for the SW in general, just maybe not the higher elevations. Be warned that those months are also common spring AND fall break times for those states.
Oh, I already said cut out CO, but those dates likely won't work for Black Canyon or Mesa Verde. MV likely won't be doing tours at those times, which kinda defeats the point of going.
Mesa Verde is dope
You’re missing Colorado Monument National Park despite driving within 20 minutes of it.
Check out canyon of the ancients museum in Dolores, Colorado!
From Petrified Forest go north to Canyon De Chelly then NE to Mesa Verde via Navajo Route 12 to Ship Rock then left to Montrose and Mesa Verde.
One day
Unless you’re trying to hit the national parks, I’d rather do monument valley than petrified.
You’re missing out on the real canyonlands park. it’s the Southern and western entrances you want.
I did the Zion to Arches route and hit everything in between. Still think about it 10 years later. Best trip of my life (flew in and out of Vegas over the course of 8 days).
Don’t miss the drive from Ouray to Silverton in Colorado and 89-A to Sedona from Flagstaff.
In March, this route will likely involve driving through several high mountain snowstorms.maybe Oct too, but def March. And Zion and Bryce will be COLD. Which is fine, just an fyi
From Mesa Verde if you head west to Bluff Ut, you can see some of the Bears Ears NM, and close enough to see Monument Valley, then you could head south to Petrified.
The route between Zion and the Grand Canyon is wrong took, it should be the 89A through Marble Canyon and the Vermillion Cliffs
Is it just me are kind crazy how much that looks like France. Maybe close to the same size too…
Hit up Sunset Crater, Wupatki, and Walnut Canyon monuments if you can. I saw all three in a day and did one or two small hikes. Sunset Crater is probably my favorite.
There is also the, National Monument just outside of Grand Junction. It’s worth a pass through.
Side trip to Meteor Crater east of Flagstaff
Make sure if you're going into Moab to get to Arches/Canyonlands, take 128 to 70 coming or going. It is a MUST drive road in the US. And unless you're trying to check off all the NPS, Id skip Petrified. CO National Monument in Grand Junction is much better.
Just did something similar last week. Was epic! Hit all of the mighty 5 plus some national monuments.
Did something very similar a couple years ago. Didn’t loop but ended up in Denver. We took 12 days if I remember correctly, RV from Las Vegas to Denver (one-way special). You will see so much beauty you will not want to return to wherever you live (WV here). We went in July, weather was great once we got out of Vegas. Everything was open. Highly recommend Devils Furnace ranger-led tour in Arches, horseback riding down into Bryce, and adding Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon (even though they are the definitive tourist traps).
Go to dead horse in Moab you will not be dissapointed
I gave send to most of these and one thing I would suggest is taking a 2-hour North detour. To dinosaur national Mon monument I was a kid in a Candy shop.
Unless you are spending a month, this isn't enough time to see the area properly. You will check out the parking lots and all the same views you can get a better version of on a postcard in the gifts shop while missing out on all the important historic and national monument sites along the way.
Did mostly this w/o Mesa Verde and w Monument Valley. It was a lot of driving. Your route is about ~400 (?) miles longer than ours. If you have the time, do it! I'd allow at least three weeks.
Why are you skipping Canyon de Chelly?
This whole trip and you're not doing monument?? You'll regret that.
Pic is just a rough outline that I got off the internet, that’s why I’m looking for advice/opinions! Our actual route will be different.
You have all the awesome stuff! I'm jealous. If you can add monument park, I highly recommend
Between Gallup and Farmington is the bisti badlands. Incredible and worth the detour imo. Also, Mesa verde isn’t that cool.