The Best US National Parks Road Trip

I love a good road trip! Driving for hours where the adventure is as fun as the destinations on the way. You never really know what might happen which makes it exciting. One of my favorite road trips I’ve been on was to several National Parks in the US. We’ll travel to the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Arches National Park, Horseshoe Bend, Las Vegas, Bryce Canyon, and more. Keep in mind that this road trip can be done in a different order depending on your starting point, but I started in Texas driving west.

The Road Trip

On this route, you’ve passed New Mexico and entered Arizona. An awesome quick stop along the road is Petrified Forest National Park. Petrified Forest is a lot of fun and looks like you’ve been transported to the surface of the moon. There are hundreds of petrified stumps scattered around the park giving it its name. Drive along the main road that goes through the park making this an easy detour! As this is the first of many National Parks, look into buying an annual National Parks Pass. It’ll save you money for park entrance fees and lasts all year so you can go on another road trip! You can get one here: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm

Grand Canyon National Park

Next stop, Grand Canyon National Park! This spot is one of the most iconic national parks and for good reason! Depending on how long you have planned here, you can hike into the canyon, camp nearby, or just observe along the edge looking down. All fantastic options! You can follow the road along the canyon traveling northeast and stop at scenic spots along the way. Depending on when you visit, you could have clear conditions, snow in the winter, or even fog like we did when we were there blocking a lot of the visibility of the canyon below.

Now, continue past the Grand Canyon and head to Page, Arizona! This little city is on the edge of the Navajo Nation as well as the Utah border but has several nearby spots to see. First (and my favorite) is Horseshoe Bend. Pictures don’t do this place justice. It is MASSIVE. Park nearby and take a quick 10-20 min hike to this scenic spot where the Colorado River bends in a perfect horseshoe. After this you can continue up to Utah, or if you have time check out Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon where every angle is a perfect photo. It is super fun but make sure to book a tour as you can’t enter without one. The tours are conducted by the Navajo Nation and either visit the Upper or Lower sections of Antelope Canyon.

After leaving Page, AZ, drive into Utah across Lake Powell (worthy of a stop too) and make your way west. If you want a fun detour on your way to Zion, stop at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park to run up and “sandboard” down the sand dunes!

Zion National Park

The next major destination, however, is Zion National Park. Zion is a valley between beautiful red/orange mountains. You can spend days going on various hikes like Angel’s Landing, the Narrows, and Hidden Canyon. Angel’s Landing is probably the most famous but not for everyone. You hike up a very narrow section with thousand foot drop offs on either side. There are sections on the trail with chains to hold onto. It is a bucket list hike for many adventure seekers and I loved it (after my friends convinced me not to turn around). The views at the top are stunning and worth the 5 miles round trip, but it’s definitely not a hike for people with a fear of heights.

Now, this is where the road trip can detour off to Las Vegas like we did to pick up a friend from the airport. It is definitely a little out of the way from the next stop, Bryce Canyon, but a lot of fun to get back into civilization and see the Las Vegas strip. We visited the Bellagio, the Venetian, Caesar’s Palace, ate at a Vegas buffet, did a little gambling, and then got back onto the road.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park has some very interesting geological features called hoodoos. You can hike around here (check out the Navajo Loop or Queen’s Garden). Super fun and you are surrounded by the famous Utah red rocks. If you’re feeling adventurous, rent a Yurt nearby like we did on Airbnb to stay in. After this stop, head north to Moab!

Arches & Canyonlands

Moab is a charming adventure town located near Arches National Park as well as Canyonlands National Park. You have to see Delicate Arch in Arches which is the most famous. Secret tip: hike up to the arch to get close instead of just seeing it from the road far away. Oh, and don’t forget to take some pictures underneath it! You can also drive around the park and go on other various hikes to scenic locations too.

After, you should wake up early one morning to see the sunrise under Mesa Arch at Canyonlands National Park. This spot is world famous for photographers as the sunlight reflects off the bottom of the arch and glows bright orange.