Road Trip Itineraries

Pick up rental car and groceries in Las Vegas. Drive to Springdale. Check into campground or lodge. Explore the Watchman Trail (3.3 miles, easy) for sunset views of the Watchman and Towers of the Virgin.

Day 2: Hike Angels Landing (5.4 miles, strenuous) - the most thrilling trail in the park system. Requires a permit via recreation.gov lottery. Afternoon: wade The Narrows from the bottom up (at least 3 miles in). Day 3: Observation Point via East Mesa Trail (7.4 miles, moderate) for the best overlook in the park. Drive the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway through the tunnel.

Arrive for sunrise at Bryce Point - the amphitheater filled with orange hoodoos glowing in first light is unforgettable. Hike the Queens Garden/Navajo Loop combo (2.9 miles, moderate) to walk among the hoodoos. Drive the 18-mile scenic road to Rainbow Point for sweeping views. Night: Bryce has some of the darkest skies in North America. Stargaze from the amphitheater.

The drive on Scenic Byway 12 is one of America's most beautiful roads - take your time. At Capitol Reef, drive the scenic road along the Waterpocket Fold. Hike Hickman Bridge (1.8 miles, easy) and Cassidy Arch (3.4 miles, moderate). Visit the historic Fruita orchards - you can pick cherries, peaches, or apples in season for free.

Day 6: Hike to Delicate Arch at sunset (3 miles roundtrip, moderate) - Utah's icon on every license plate. Morning: Windows Section and Double Arch (short, easy walks). Day 7: Devils Garden trail (7.2 miles for the full primitive loop) passes eight named arches including Landscape Arch, the longest in North America. Afternoon: explore Moab for mountain biking, river rafting, or just grabbing dinner.

Sunrise at Mesa Arch (0.5 miles, easy) - the most photographed arch in Utah with a glowing underside at dawn. Grand View Point (2 miles, easy) for a panorama that rivals the Grand Canyon. Upheaval Dome (1.8 miles, moderate) to see a mysterious crater. If time allows, drive to Dead Horse Point State Park nearby for another jaw-dropping overlook.

Drive back via I-70, one of the most scenic interstates in America through the San Rafael Swell. Optional stop: Goblin Valley State Park (1 hour detour) for otherworldly rock formations. Arrive Las Vegas for your flight.

Fly into Fresno (cheaper and closer than SFO). Drive to Yosemite and stop at Tunnel View for your first iconic view of the valley. Check into camp or lodging. Evening stroll along the Valley Loop Trail (easy, flat) for views of El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall.

Day 2: Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls (5.4 miles, strenuous). The mist from Vernal Fall soaks you - bring a rain layer and enjoy it. Day 3: Drive to Glacier Point for the best panoramic view in the park (open late May-October). Hike Sentinel Dome (2.2 miles, moderate) for 360-degree views. Afternoon: Mariposa Grove to see giant sequoias. Day 4: Tuolumne Meadows area - hike to Cathedral Lakes (7 miles, moderate) for alpine scenery with fewer crowds than the valley.

Day 5: General Sherman Tree - the largest tree on Earth by volume. It's humbling. Hike the Congress Trail (2.1 miles, easy) through dozens of giant sequoias. Drive up Moro Rock (300 steps carved into granite) for sunset views across the Great Western Divide. Day 6: Kings Canyon Scenic Byway drops 4,000 feet into one of the deepest canyons in North America. Hike Zumwalt Meadow (1.5 miles, easy) along the Kings River. Visit Boyden Cavern if open.

Day 7: Arrive and head straight to Zabriskie Point for sunset. The eroded badlands glow gold and purple. Night: stargaze - Death Valley is a Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park. Day 8: Sunrise at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Drive to Badwater Basin (-282 feet, lowest point in North America) and walk out onto the salt flats. Artists Drive for colorful mineral deposits. Dante's View for a final panoramic overlook of the entire valley.

Drive to Las Vegas for a departing flight, or head south toward LA. Optional stop: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (20 minutes from Vegas) for a scenic loop drive. Or swing through Joshua Tree (3 hours south of Death Valley) if adding days.

Pick up your car and head to the Olympic Peninsula. Take the Bainbridge Island ferry for a scenic start (35 min crossing). Drive to Port Angeles and ascend Hurricane Ridge Road. At 5,242 feet, Hurricane Ridge offers alpine meadows and views across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Canada. Short hikes along the ridge are ideal for your first afternoon.

Day 2: Drive to the Hoh Rain Forest (2 hours from Port Angeles). Walk the Hall of Mosses Trail (0.8 miles, easy) through cathedral-like old growth draped in moss. Hike the Hoh River Trail deeper for solitude. Day 3: Head to the coast. Ruby Beach and Rialto Beach feature dramatic sea stacks and driftwood. Watch for bald eagles. Afternoon: Kalaloch Lodge area for tide pool exploration at Beach 4.

Day 4: Enter via the Nisqually entrance and drive to Paradise at 5,400 feet. If visiting late July-August, wildflower meadows here are legendary. Hike the Skyline Trail (5.5 miles, moderate) for the best Rainier views and flower displays. Day 5: Drive to the Sunrise area (highest road in the park at 6,400 feet). Hike to Burroughs Mountain (7 miles, strenuous) for a moonscape walk along Rainier's flanks. Stop at Reflection Lakes for the classic mirror-image photo of the mountain.

Day 6: Drive the North Cascades Highway (WA-20), one of the most scenic roads in the Pacific Northwest. Stop at Diablo Lake Overlook - the turquoise water color comes from glacial flour and is not enhanced. Hike the Thunder Knob Trail (3.6 miles, moderate) above the lake. Day 7: Cascade Pass Trail (7.4 miles, strenuous) is the park's premier hike through flower-filled meadows to a stunning mountain pass. Keep going to Sahale Arm if you have the legs - the views are world-class.

Day 8: Long drive south through Oregon. Break it up with a stop in Portland or Salem for lunch. Arrive at Crater Lake in the evening. Day 9: Drive the 33-mile Rim Drive circling the lake (open July-October). Stop at every overlook - each angle reveals different blues. Hike the Cleetwood Cove Trail (2.2 miles, strenuous) down to the lakeshore for the boat tour to Wizard Island. Sunset from Watchman Peak (1.6 miles, moderate) is the highlight of the park.

Spend the morning at Crater Lake for any missed viewpoints. Drive north via US-97 to Bend, Oregon for a lunch stop and craft beer scene. Continue to Portland or Seattle for departure. Optional: detour to Columbia River Gorge and hike to Multnomah Falls.

Early departure from Las Vegas. Arrive at the Grand Canyon South Rim by lunch. Check into Mather Campground or a lodge. Walk the Rim Trail to Mather Point, Yavapai Point, and the Geology Museum. Stay for sunset at Hopi Point - one of the best sunset spots on the rim.

Day 2: Hike Bright Angel Trail. Go to Indian Garden (9.2 miles roundtrip, strenuous) or at least to the 3-mile resthouse for canyon views. Do NOT attempt rim-to-river in one day. Drive Desert View Road (25 miles) to Watchtower for panoramic eastern views. Day 3: Sunrise at Yaki Point (shuttle access only). Hike South Kaibab to Cedar Ridge (3 miles roundtrip, moderate) for the best above-rim canyon views. Afternoon: ranger programs at the visitor center.

Drive to Page. Visit Horseshoe Bend (1.5 mile roundtrip walk to the overlook - arrive for sunset). Book a guided tour of Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon (Navajo-guided, required). Upper is more famous for light beams (11am-1pm); Lower is less crowded and more adventurous.

Day 5: Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Drive the 17-mile Valley Drive (unpaved, any car can do it slowly). Book a Navajo-guided tour to see restricted areas like Upper and Lower Monument Valley, ear-of-the-wind arch. Sunrise and sunset here are magical. Day 6: Drive to Mesa Verde National Park. Cliff Palace tour (ranger-guided, ticketed) is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. Balcony House tour if you're not afraid of ladders and tunnels. Drive Wetherill Mesa road for fewer crowds.

Day 7: Finish Mesa Verde in the morning. Optional detour to Four Corners Monument (1 hour from Mesa Verde). Drive south to Petrified Forest. Day 8: Drive the 28-mile park road connecting the Painted Desert (north end) and petrified wood concentrations (south end). Hike Blue Mesa Trail (1 mile, easy) through colorful badlands. Crystal Forest Trail (0.75 miles, easy) for the densest concentration of petrified logs. Visit the Painted Desert Inn, a National Historic Landmark.

Day 9: Drive to Tucson. Visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (not a national park, but world-class desert zoo/botanical garden). Afternoon: Saguaro East (Rincon Mountain District) - drive the 8-mile Cactus Forest Scenic Loop. Day 10: Saguaro West (Tucson Mountain District) for denser saguaro forests. Hike Valley View Overlook Trail (0.8 miles, easy) or Signal Hill Trail (0.5 miles, easy) for ancient petroglyphs. Gates Pass sunset between the two districts is stunning.

Day 11: Drive north to Sedona. Hike Cathedral Rock (1.2 miles, moderate/strenuous) or Devils Bridge (4.2 miles, moderate). Drive through Oak Creek Canyon. Day 12: Continue to Zion National Park. Afternoon: hike Canyon Overlook Trail (1 mile, moderate) for sunset views from above the Zion-Mount Carmel tunnel.

Day 13: Full day in Zion. Hike The Narrows (bottom-up, at least 5 miles) or Angels Landing (5.4 miles, permit required). Ride the shuttle to Big Bend for stunning canyon views. Day 14: Morning at Bryce Canyon. Sunrise at Bryce Point, Queens Garden/Navajo Loop hike (2.9 miles, moderate). Drive back to Las Vegas (4 hours from Bryce).

Drive from D.C. to Shenandoah's north entrance at Front Royal. Enter Skyline Drive and head south. Stop at Dickey Ridge Visitor Center for park orientation and trail maps. Hike Fox Hollow Trail (1.2 miles, easy) through a former homestead. Continue to Skyland Resort area and hike Stony Man Trail (1.6 miles, easy) for the park's best accessible summit view. Sunset from Thorofare Mountain Overlook.

Hike Old Rag Mountain (9.1 miles, strenuous) - the most popular and thrilling hike in the park with a rock scramble to a 360-degree summit. Requires a day-use ticket ($1) from recreation.gov. Afternoon: continue Skyline Drive south. Big Meadows area for deer and wildlife. Dark Hollow Falls (1.4 miles, moderate) is the closest waterfall to Skyline Drive. Evening: stargazing at Big Meadows (one of the park's darkest spots).

Complete the southern half of Skyline Drive. At Rockfish Gap (milepost 0), the road seamlessly becomes the Blue Ridge Parkway. Drive south through Virginia's rolling farmland. Stop at Humpback Rocks (milepost 5.8) for a quick hike to a rocky overlook. Otter Creek area (milepost 60) for a picnic. Peaks of Otter Lodge (milepost 86) for a lakeside dinner and overnight.

Continue south. Stop at Mabry Mill (milepost 176) - the most photographed spot on the Parkway, a rustic gristmill reflected in a still pond. Moses H. Cone Memorial Park (milepost 294) for the manor house and easy carriage trails. Grandfather Mountain (milepost 305, separate admission) for the Mile High Swinging Bridge. Linn Cove Viaduct (milepost 304) - an engineering marvel built around the mountain.

Arrive in Asheville, NC - the unofficial capital of the Blue Ridge. Visit the Biltmore Estate if interested ($65+). Browse the River Arts District. Drive to Craggy Gardens (milepost 364) for rhododendron-covered balds and mountain views. Mount Pisgah (milepost 408.6) for a sunset hike to the summit (2.6 miles, moderate). Overnight in Asheville for the restaurant and brewery scene.

Drive the Parkway's southern terminus into Cherokee, NC. Enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Drive Newfound Gap Road to Clingmans Dome - the highest point in the park (6,643 feet). The half-mile paved path to the observation tower offers views across endless ridges. Continue to Gatlinburg entrance. Hike Alum Cave Trail (4.4 miles one-way, strenuous) as far as you'd like - the arch bridge at mile 2.5 is a good turnaround for moderate hikers.

Early morning: Cades Cove 11-mile loop drive. Arrive before 8am for wildlife (black bears, deer, turkey, coyotes). The historic churches and cabins are worth stopping for. Afternoon: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (one-way loop near Gatlinburg) for cascading waterfalls. Hike to Grotto Falls (2.6 miles, moderate) - you can walk behind the waterfall. Optional: Cataloochee Valley (remote eastern side) for elk viewing at dawn or dusk.

Fly into Denver and drive to Estes Park, the gateway town. Check into lodging. Afternoon: enter the park and drive to Bear Lake. Hike the Bear Lake Nature Trail (0.8 miles, easy), then continue to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake (3.6 miles total, moderate). Elk often graze in the meadows near the park entrance at dusk.

Day 2: Drive Trail Ridge Road - the highest continuous paved road in the US, topping out at 12,183 feet. Above treeline for 11 miles with tundra wildflowers and marmots. Stop at Alpine Visitor Center and Forest Canyon Overlook. Hike the Ute Trail (2 miles from trailhead at 11,466 feet) for a surreal walk across alpine tundra. Day 3: Hike Sky Pond (9 miles, strenuous) via Glacier Gorge - past Alberta Falls, The Loch, Lake of Glass, and finally Sky Pond beneath the jagged Sharkstooth. One of the best hikes in Colorado.

Depart Estes Park heading north. This is the longest drive of the trip. Break it up with a stop in Laramie or Rawlins for lunch. Arrive in Jackson, Wyoming by evening. Jackson Town Square with its elk antler arches is worth a stroll. Grab dinner at one of Jackson's excellent restaurants.

Day 5: Drive Teton Park Road along the base of the mountains. Stop at every turnout - the Tetons rising 7,000 feet above the valley floor are jaw-dropping. Hike Taggart Lake (3 miles, easy) or Cascade Canyon (9.1 miles, strenuous) for close-up Teton views. Afternoon: Jenny Lake boat shuttle across the lake shortens the Cascade Canyon hike. Day 6: Sunrise at Schwabacher Landing - the most famous reflection photo in the Rockies. Mormon Row Historic District for iconic barn-and-Teton photos. Afternoon: Snake River float trip (guided, 2-3 hours) for bald eagles, moose, and river otters.

Day 7: Enter from the south. Lewis Lake, West Thumb Geyser Basin along Yellowstone Lake. Continue to Old Faithful area. Watch the eruption (~92-minute intervals) and walk the Upper Geyser Basin boardwalk (5 miles total) past dozens of active geysers. Day 8: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Upper and Lower Falls viewpoints from both rims. Hike Uncle Tom's Trail (500+ steps) for a close-up of the 308-foot Lower Falls. Hayden Valley in the evening for bison herds and possible wolf sightings. Day 9: Mammoth Hot Springs terraces (north end). Lamar Valley drive at dawn for wolves, bears, bison, and pronghorn - bring binoculars. This is America's Serengeti. Day 10: Norris Geyser Basin (the hottest and most dynamic area). Mud Volcano area. Any areas you missed. Last chance for wildlife in Lamar Valley.

Option A: Drive south through Grand Teton back to Jackson and fly out of Jackson Hole Airport (inside the park - most scenic airport approach in America). Option B: Exit Yellowstone via the north entrance, fly from Bozeman, MT (90 miles north). Option C: Drive back to Denver via Thermopolis and Casper for a different route through Wyoming.