Want to plan the most epic Southwest adventure where you can visit 8 amazing National Parks in just under 2 weeks? I won't lie it's quite a feat but I can guarantee that it will be the most awesome trip of your life!
*This is an exact route I have taken so it will be written in a travel diary style. Enjoy!
Day 1: We started our trip in sunny Los Angeles, California heading East towards Sedona, Arizona (7hr 30 min). Along the way, we made sure to stop and visit Joshua Tree National Park which is about 3 hrs from LAX (Los Angeles International Airport). Joshua Tree National Park is 140 miles east of Los Angeles. From I-10, take state route 62 to the park entrance stations via Joshua Tree Village or the city of Twentynine Palms.
We drove on along Park Blvd to stop at Skull Rock, Split Rock & other sights along the way. As we drove we made a right onto Pinto Basin Road in order to check out the Chola Cactus Garden.
Definitely recommend a longer stay at this gorgeous park if you can. I will definitely be back!
After stretching our legs we settled in and buckled up in order to make it to the stunning town of Sedona, Arizona.
Day 2: We Started the morning by waking up and heading to Cathedral Rock just to take a quick photo before starting the hike of the day which was Devil's Bridge Trail. This is a 4 mile out & back trail with approximately 520 ft of elevation gain. Keep in mind, start this hike EARLY to avoid the heat! Most of the trail does not have any shade and there are some steep stairs. But, the view from the top is spectacular & so rewarding! Spent the rest of the afternoon checking out gem shops & grabbing dinner at Rotten Johnny's Pizzeria!
Day 3: Started the drive to Utah! Stopped in Page, AZ in order to see the spectacular Horseshoe Bend located in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Super easy walk to the viewing area. Please note: There is a $10 parking fee regardless if you have a National Park Pass or not as the parking area is owned by the city of Page. This was mostly a driving day (5 hours) as the goal was to get to Hurricane, UT and relax before the big day at Zion NP!
Day 4: Arrived at Zion National Park while it was still dark in order to snag parking which is very difficult in the summer peak season. We were able to catch a beautiful sunrise at the end of the Watchman Trail which starts at the visitor center and is 3.3 mi round trip with 368 ft of elevation gain. Other hikes we did were Lower Emerald Pools & Weeping Rock. Other popular hikes such as Angles Landing and The Narrows were closed when I went so please make sure to check the park's websiteboyfriend's before your trip.
Day 5: Hit the road and made a pit stop at Bryce Canyon National Park (my boyfriends new favorite) we decided to combine the Queen's Garden trail & Navajo Loop trail which makes a 3-mile loop. You decent into the canyon at Sunrise Point and emerge at Sunset Point (625 ft elevation gain). We spent the night in Torrey, UT.
Day 6: Explored Capitol Reef National Park! In all honesty, I had no idea what to expect when visiting this park as I rarely heard anyone talking about it but man am I glad I gave it a shot! The views we saw were amazing! Even the short Gooseneck trail was stunning! What took the cake was the trail to Cassidy Arch named after the infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy. This strenuous 1.7 mile rewards you with sweeping canyon views and the arch itself is just phenomenal. We ended the day hiking 1 mile (400 ft elevation gain) to Hickman Bridge. If you're lucky you might see some mountain goat along the way!
Day 7: Drove to Moab, UT. Such a cool town that is just surrounded by national parks! Definitely go to Moab Coffee Roasters for a mid-day pick me up! Stopped at Dead Horse State Park for a crazy sunset.
Day 8: Full day at Arches National Park! Started at Balanced Rock (0.3 mi) and then headed to the Windows parking area in order to do both the Windows loop trail (0.7 mi) and Double Arch (0.6 mi). We then did Landscape Arch (1.8 mi) and finished the day watching a gorgeous sunset at the famous Delicate Arch (3 miles round trip). This park blew me away and was honestly my favorite of the trip! The amount of short & accessible hikes is something I can appreciate as I want everyone to have equal access to these beautiful places.
Day 9: Made it to Canyonlands National Park for sunrise at Mesa Arch a short 30-minute walk from the parking area! As it is an extremely popular photo spot I made sure to be there 30+ mins before sunrise and there were already people there. By sunrise people were squeezing together so keep that in mind! We then decided to start making our way west and spent the night in Flagstaff, AZ.
Day 10: We stopped at Grand Canyon National Park on the South Rim side to enjoy the views from the Rim Trail (which can be as long or short as you want). Then started the 8-hour, drive back to Southern California!
Thank you for checking out this itinerary I hope it helps you when planning epic adventures!
*DISCLAIMER: This is the route I personally took in order to see the most in the least amount of time. In reality the beauty is that you can tailor this itinerary to you, your needs, your likes, and how much time you have available. You'll notice at some parks I was there for a short amount of time such as the Grand Canyon. This was perfect for me since I have been fortunate enough to have been able to visit the Grand Canyon multiple times in the past; if you have never been I recommend a day or two there!
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