Last week on my April break, I set off on a Southwest road trip and packed some of the most incredible landscapes in the U.S. into just over a week. I have done so much international traveling, but have never seen some of these jewels of the US, and am so glad to have finally made it to this incredible part of the good old USA! April was a picture-perfect time to visit also: incredible weather, not too crowded, but everything was open (for the most part).

If you are thinking about visiting the Grand Canyon and Utah’s “Mighty Five” National Parks, let me tell you that this route nails the highlights without feeling overly rushed. There is a lot of driving, but most of it is so beautiful it genuinely is a big part of the experience. I planned this trip for my very-fit 70-year old dad as well as my husband and I, aiming for easy to moderate hikes, comfortable-but-not-too-pricey hotels, good food, and plenty of “wow” moments without overdoing it. If you are looking for an unforgettable way to spend seven or eight nights in the Southwest, this is exactly the trip I would recommend! I am trying a new style here where I do a full trip report with tips and specifics in bold - let me know if you like it or take this trip on your own!

We started by flying into Phoenix, where my dad picked us up in his new-old car. A one-way rental car from the airport would suffice in the absence of this luxury! We then started our big driving trip by heading north to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. This drive takes about three and a half hours, but pop on some good tunes and it flies by, even if you get some rogue hail like we did! Once we arrived, we checked into Yavapai Lodge, which is one of the most convenient places to stay inside the park. It's not particularly fancy, but the location can’t be beat! There’s easy parking directly in front of the room block, it’s walking distance to the Rim Trail, and there’s easy access to the park shuttle if you want it. We stayed in the Yavapai East section, which has newer, more “hotel-y” rooms than the more “motel-y” Yavapai West.

That first afternoon, we walked around Mather Point along the rim, soaking up the incredible views. I really can't overstate how massive and awe-inspiring the Grand Canyon is, even though I have heard it again and again. It honestly took my breath away and brought tears to my Earth-science-teacher eyes seeing it for the first time. After an hour of watching the light change and the clouds drift through and over the Canyon, we had an easy dinner at the Yavapai Tavern, attached to the hotel. It was casual and sort of a confusing order-ahead buffet, but the food was solid and perfect after a long travel day.

The next morning, we were up early because of the time change, and drove back to Mather Viewpoint to catch the sunrise. I highly recommend this if you are up! After a cat nap and some coffee, we grabbed breakfast sandwiches at the Grand Canyon General Store, packed up, and checked out and headed to Utah! We made a couple stops along the road where the views looked compelling, and a final Grand Canyon stop at Desert View Watchtower. This historic stone tower has one of the best panoramic viewpoints of the Colorado River and is a must if you have a little extra time, but was not quite as incredible as Mather Viewpoint from the evening before. From there, it was a 2.5-hour drive to Page, Arizona for our pre-booked tour of Upper Antelope Canyon. I would definitely recommend booking (or letting me book!) an Antelope Canyon tour as early as spots fill up fast, and you can only access these canyons with Navajo tour companies. We used Adventurous Tours and would highly recommend them! Walking through the slot canyon was one of the highlights of the entire trip. The way the light filters through the whirling sandstone walls is absolutely magical! Note that it was a bit claustrophobic and there were lots of tour groups one after the other while walking through.

After the tour, we made a quick stop at Horseshoe Bend. It is a short, easy walk out to the viewpoint (about 1.5 miles roundtrip), but here we were reminded for the first time of the trip to wear a hat and sunscreen - there is no shade, and it was hot. The view at the end is fabulous: the Colorado River wrapping in a perfect horseshoe-shaped bend far below. Afterward, we hopped back in the car on for another 2.5 hours to Springdale, Utah, where we checked into Bumbleberry Inn. This inn is a great choice for Zion. It is clean, friendly, and you can hop right on the park shuttle from the stop out front. Dinner that night was at Porter's Restaurant onsite, which was cozy and easy after a long day.

We spent the next day exploring Zion National Park. After breakfast at Porter’s (included with our stay, chicken fried steak for the win), we took the shuttle into the park. Zion’s shuttle system is excellent and makes it really easy to get around without having to fight for parking at the entrance and the Park shuttle is the only way to access most of the main canyon. We started with The Watchman Trail, a moderate hike with a steady climb that rewarded us with gorgeous views of the valley and the Virgin River below. From there, we hopped back on the shuttle to the Emerald Pools trail, where waterfalls and shaded pools offered a refreshing break from all the sun. After a refresh back at the hotel, later in the afternoon, we drove our own car through the tunnel to the Canyon Overlook Trail. This short hike is a little sketchier with some steep drop offs, but the views out over the canyon are fantastic and totally worth the hopping around, and it was my husband’s favorite hike of the trip. For that night’s dinner, we headed to Oscar’s Café, where we can highly recommend the burgers and fajitas!

The next morning, we left Zion early and drove about an hour and forty-five minutes to Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce feels completely different from Zion, and it is a must-see. The hoodoos (colorful, spindly rock spires) make the landscape look like something from another planet. We left our car at the visitor center and again hopped on the park shuttle to Bryce Point. From there, we walked the Rim Trail from Bryce Point to Sunrise Point, which is about 2.7 miles and relatively flat. It is a great way to get tons of views without doing a strenuous hike, though you definitely feel the 9,000-ft altitude if you’re a sea-level dweller like we are. We were feeling a bit tired from all the hiking and driving, but if you’re up for more of a hike and want to get down into the hoodoos, Queen’s Garden to Navajo Loop/Wall Street comes highly recommended as a trail, too! We left the park and checked into the Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand, a comfortable, convenient spot in Bryce Canyon City (a real misnomer). That evening, we went to Ebenezer’s Dinner and Country Show, which, while a little touristy, was a lot of fun. Better-than-expected BBQ and live music made for a bit of fun for our little group.

After a later wakeup and breakfast at the hotel, we drove the two hours to Capitol Reef National Park, which was less crowded than the others but equally stunning. We drove the Scenic Drive, which takes you through dramatic red rock and sandstone canyons, and then hiked the Grand Wash Trail. This easy, flat trail runs through a narrow canyon with soaring cliffs on either side and was a great way to stretch our legs and felt more “in it” than most of the [amazing] panoramic hikes and drives we’d done thus far. From Capitol Reef, we drove about two hours and fifteen minutes more to Moab and checked into the Hoodoo Moab, in a 2-bedroom bilevel Casita (they have beautiful “normal” rooms here as well). This was all of our favorite lodging of the whole trip. We stayed in a fabulous, two-story casita with tons of space, a full kitchen, multiple balconies, and two gas fireplaces! The property has a beautiful spa as well as two year-round pools, and it was a great place to come “home” to after adventurous and exhausting days around Moab. It was also just really nice to stay somewhere for 3 nights and not have to pack up and move the way we had been doing.

Moab makes a great place to stay for a few days, as it’s a great home base for exploring both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. At Arches, you need to reserve a timed entry permit if you are visiting between 7 AM and 4 PM, and I had made reservations for two of our mornings to give us some flexibility, though we went on our first full day. We entered during our time (10-11) and drove to the “end” of the park to Devil’s Garden, and worked our way back with little hikes to Skyline Arch, Sand Dune Arch, and Broken Arch. We didn’t hike all the way to Delicate Arch, but it is probably the most iconic sight in the Park (and maybe all of Utah, given that it’s on the license plate!). The Windows and Double Arch were also pretty great, and capped off our time in Arches. I would recommend finding some time to come back into the park at night (no pass or timed entry required), as Arches is a certified Dark Sky location and the stars there are incredible.

The next day we had set aside a full day to rent a side-by-side for a day of off-roading. After calling around, we decided to rent from Moab Tours, right on the main drag, for their expertise and excellent pricing. We drove right off their lot and through town to “warm up” with Fins & Things then onto the [insane!] Hell’s Revenge - neither trail is for the faint-of-heart! I would say in hindsight that Chicken Corners may have been a better place to start, as it was quite a bit easier but had some of the best river and canyon views of the entire trip. If you are even slightly adventurous, one of these rentals is a terrific way to spend a day!

Our final full day started with a visit to Canyonlands National Park. This park feels vast and wild, and was probably my favorite park of the trip - it has a little of everything! There are 4 separate “districts,” though we only made it to Island in the Sky. We drove out to Grand View Point, visited Green River Overlook, and hiked the short trail to Mesa Arch, which frames a picture-perfect view over vast canyons and Bryce-like hoodoos. From Canyonlands, we drove 2.5 hours to Grand Junction, Colorado, which is home to the closest airport to Moab that has easy-ish connections to the Northeast. Salt Lake City and Denver have better and more direct options, but they are each ~4+ hours from Moab.

This trip was a spectacular best-of, highlight-tour of this stunner of a region: ridiculously-beautiful, otherworldly landscapes, fun but not-too-taxing hikes, a little bit of adventure, and enough downtime to relax a bit and enjoy it all. If you are thinking about doing a Southwest road trip, I cannot recommend this route highly enough. I would do it again in a heartbeat and can help make sure you are set up for success!

Here's What I Would Do

Here's What I Would Do

Travel Musings

Here's What I Would Do

Epic Views, Easy-ish Hikes, and the Best of the Southwest on One Big Road Trip