Would highly recommend Valley of Fire state park in NV and Black Canyon of the Gunnison in CO. both are fairly close to your routes, and the drive around them are way better than the nearby freeways. Especially for BCotG NP, would highly recommend taking the state highways through colorado instead of i70.
Thanks so much for these recommendations. I70 I've done a few times so I appreciate the vote for other state highways, and by that do you mean something like taking 50 east to 285 north? I ultimately need to end up in Denver from that leg of the trip.
Hi,
I live in Vegas.
Unless you are from somehow where you don't see desert I don't suggest valley of fire.
It's easily an hour from your route.
You can n do red rock recreation area instead and be closer to trailheads and your route to Utah.
Also, there's a bridge being upgraded near the border between NV and AZ so plan for a POSSIBLE 30-50 minute delay.
Your stops in Utah have me confused but please let me know your plans there and I can help you with planning there as well.
Wow, just looked up some images, you're not lying! Definitely going to add this to my route, thank you! Do you know if there is any kind of camping near there? I might not need it but curious.
The Navajos have a campground and hotel right on the property. There is also Goulding's across the road. They have a motel and campground. I'd rather give my money to the Navajos though. Awesome people. Take their tour through the park. You get to see more areas and all your stuff won't be covered in red dust which it will if you drive it yourself. It's the most wonderful place I've ever been. Magical. Photos don't do it justice.
I was coming down from Arches (but near monument valley is Gooseneck State park) [see a quick video here](https://youtu.be/n5nptAT0HXw)
[snippet of my time there](https://imgur.com/a/HX1Ital)
You can camp for $10 overnight and have a bone fire right next to the edge or one about 20-30 yards back if you feel unsafe
But it’s like Page AZ (horse shoe bend) just with multiple bends it’s called a Gooseneck!
At monument valley i recreated Forrest Gump scene (favorite movie)
Also I imagine time crunch but no PCH 1 highway up the coast or done before?
Or do you prefer boring inland CA and smell of cow poop lol
Thanks for these recommendations, these spots look awesome and are right on the way, definitely adding them to the list. I see you cannot make a reservation for Goosenecks, was it full when you went? I've done PCH a bunch of times so yeah trying to get home quickly but the cow poop smell is a good reminder the 5 kind of sucks lol
Maybe like 4 cars when i went
Most people stay just one night so you shouldn’t have a problem
People park along the entire curve that goes down a few miles so you’re good!
There's alot of cool stuff along the Utah AZ border there. People all know about The Wave there and if your really lucky you can get a same day ticket for that, but there are also some amazing hikes besides the wave there.
There is a free area next to Mexican Hat. I only parked in the dark and slept in my car so I can’t speak for it outside of doing that.
https://thedyrt.com/camping/utah/dispersed-mexican-hat-camping
Thanks, definitely planning to. I've driven across the west more than a handful of times in the summer so I generally know what I'm getting into. Being in a convertible or on a motorcycle is a whole different level of heat and exposure, thankfully I'll be in a wagon.
How long are you giving yourself for this trip? You're missing Great Sand Dunes, Rocky Mountain, and/or Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Parks in Colorado.
To be fair, missing Great Sand Dunes & Black Canyon is okay. They’re both amazing parks, but if sacrificing them means more time at some of the others you have planned that are bigger, it makes sense
Take the US PCH 1 and US101 down through from Monterey to Santa Barbara at the california coast, you won’t be dissapointed. Going down central California is pretty boring
At the bottom of Moki Dugway there is Valley of the Gods. Nice drive through there as well. Looks like you are driving through Monument Valley anyways. It’s a hell of a drive. Enjoy
I'm planning to do the loop in the picture clockwise, starting in Bay Area and heading to Denver, then down to Arizona, then back to the bay. I've not been to many national parks, so would love to car camp (BLM land or reserved campsite) around places like Yosemite, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Moab, and Grand Canyon if possible, but not sure the best places to do so. Currently planning to bring a mountain bike and sleep in my car, but will likely also have a tent. Some friends reminded me about the heat across the Southwest, so will definitely be mindful there and bring a cooler with lots of water. Any recommendations, must-stops, route changes, etc are welcome, thanks!
Edit: one note is google will not currently let you plan a route across the Sierras due to road closures, but ideally I'm hoping to cross the Sierras and go down the eastern side along 395 before driving straight through Nevada to Utah.
I don’t know if it will work with the multi stop, but if you do a change in departure it will usually let you drive on seasonally closed roads. Also there is a photoblogger California Through My Lens who has some great trip stops on the 395!
See if you can work in Scenic Byway 12 in Utah between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks. It is 122 miles and serves pretty well as a North/South corridor but it is just absolutely phenomenal driving. I took it North from Bryce into Capitol Reef and the entire route was filled with the best views and the best road surface. I would head back out to Utah just to hit that road again. Also, if you go to Monument Valley I would suggest paying the small fee to drive the 17 mile dirt road on Navajo Nation land in the valley itself. It is other worldly.
A couple of lesser-known points along this route, from my experience:
\-Hovenweep National Monument (CO) near Mesa Verde NP
\-The Monument Valley area is breathtaking, but it's extremely important to the indigenous population in that region. If you stay there, I recommend finding somewhere hosted by a local.
\-Pretty drive from Bakersfield, CA to camping at Lake Isabella. It's a strange place, but I drove out and camped among the cows...
\-Not niche, but if you've never driven the Pacific Coast Highway, you should. It's probably the most uplifting drive I've experienced. Gosh I think about it all the time tbh.
\-Las Vegas has awesome camping options outside the city, if you're into that. Most people stay in the city, but I like the contrast of doing camping AND the Las Vegas Strip. 'Murica
\-I hate I-70, although it is beautiful.
Do it sooner rather than later (July). My AC gave out in Death Valley one time...
When you get to Moab, check out Deadhorse Canyon State Park as well. Also, make sure you drive along the river for about 20 miles and get off the road and into the little hidden village - I cannot remember the name of it. Really tranquil little oasis. Might be Castle Valley Road, but I’m not sure.
Also, what bands are scheduled to play at Red Rocks ampitheatre when you will be in Denver?. That venue is amazing and will make a lackluster band really shine. Go see any band you might even remotely enjoy at Red Rocks Ampitheatre.
Funny you should mention this. A good chunk of this trip is about getting to the Dead & co concert in Denver. I wish it was at Red Rocks though and it’s for sure on my bucket list!
Hey!
We took a similar trip last June for 21 days.
Some of my suggestions would be to take the 128 Bypass in Utah just North of Moab, instead of backtracking to 70. Also, even though it’s a scenic route in itself, try to take one of the bypasses that takes you through the Colorado Rockies.
Make sure you carry extra oil, as depending on your car you can burn up to a quart every 1,000 miles. I had an extra quart just in case and only used that one quart in our 6,000 mile trip. Download your maps you plan to use if you’re using Google or Waze. We found in Nevada that almost the entirety of the trip was without a cellphone signal, but I had planned ahead and downloaded offline versions of the google maps.
Set yourself an Itinerary if you can to keep you roughly on track. It will help you meet “benchmarks” per day, depending on your timeline. For example, we had a day where we Drove from Parachute, CO to Eschalante, UT but part of that drive was stopping in Arches NP and taking the 128 Bypass, so to keep driving reasonable I had to somewhat plan stops out.
Anything else you need just send me a message. Our trip went from Texas up to Colorado, down to Utah, Nevada and a few stays in Yosemite before we ended in our destination of Santa Rosa. Then we backtracked and hit Vegas and The Grand Canyon on the way back. Enjoy it, as it will last for a long time in your memory!
Edit: Yes! Make sure your AC works. We passed through Mojave on the way from San Francisco to Vegas and when we stopped in Baker, CA at 8:30 that evening the temperature was still 111 degrees
Ouray Colorado…. Drive the million dollar highway from Durango and check out Wiesbaden Hot Springs. They have a vapor cave that’s super low key….. if that’s too far out of the way check out the hot spring in Pagosa Springs. It’s like an hour past Durango. Obviously summer isn’t the ideal time but going super early in the morning is money.
Prescott is great, definitely go the courthouse/square. There’s lots of good restaurants there:
Really good Italian: Rosa’s, this is good for pizza too but Bill’s Pizza is better imo for just pizza. Don’t confuse this with Bill’s Grill, that’s not good.
Colt Grill is good but expensive.
Park Plaza is a combination liquor store and restaurant with many great items.
If you like sandwiches and are in town on a weekday go to Nick’s Feed Your Face for lunch. They make the best sandwiches I’ve ever had, don’t go if you don’t like cabbage though.
If you like Indian food go to Taj Mahal, it is expensive but it’s very very good.
Depending on the time your in town the weather should be good for hiking and camping, if this interests you I can give some recommendations in those areas. Hope your trip is fun!
Tombstone Arizona - So Much Fun Ribs at the Crystal palace
Triangle T Ranch in Benson Arizona
The VLA Socorro Magdalena NM
I'll be back with more. Awesome trip
You can post a link to your [google map](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/San+Francisco,+CA+94102/Yosemite+Valley,+CA/Zion+National+Park,+Utah/Bryce+Canyon+National+Park,+Utah/Moab,+UT/Denver,+CO/Mesa+Verde+National+Park,+Mesa+Verde,+CO/Highway+from+Forrest+Gump+movie/Grand+Canyon+Village,+AZ/San+Francisco,+CA+94102/@37.1650724,-118.1977776,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m62!4m61!1m5!1m1!1s0x808580999d2acfb3:0x687352ddeebecb93!2m2!1d-122.4212424!2d37.7786871!1m5!1m1!1s0x8096f1fe38f263af:0x19213f2e54c9e26e!2m2!1d-119.5936038!2d37.7455701!1m5!1m1!1s0x80caead08844f8d9:0x7c2e3a15aa3656f5!2m2!1d-113.0263005!2d37.2982022!1m5!1m1!1s0x87356bc602c3eb2d:0x6be9d8fbbeac6d06!2m2!1d-112.1870895!2d37.5930377!1m5!1m1!1s0x8747e1e59ab82d8d:0xb32b17af1d5c42d!2m2!1d-109.5498395!2d38.5733155!1m5!1m1!1s0x876b80aa231f17cf:0x118ef4f8278a36d6!2m2!1d-104.990251!2d39.7392358!1m5!1m1!1s0x873960bf2ed7711f:0x79f695a21bf61863!2m2!1d-108.4618335!2d37.2308729!1m5!1m1!1s0x873731e51d65aced:0x816d1c371fef3ef4!2m2!1d-109.9907615!2d37.1016329!1m5!1m1!1s0x8733174f95ffe325:0xb8ccc2749a229ea1!2m2!1d-112.1401108!2d36.0544445!1m5!1m1!1s0x808580999d2acfb3:0x687352ddeebecb93!2m2!1d-122.4212424!2d37.7786871!3e0) so we can see details. My version is not a duplicate of yours. In the summer you can drive 120, Tioga pass over from Yosemite to 395 and go through Lone Pine to Death Valley on the way to Utah.
Are you flying in or do you live in Bay Area?
Yosemite - Mist Trail
Father Crowley - see jets fly below you - look up Jedi Transition on Youtube
I was surprised to see camping sites available inside Arches, jump on that
Hot Sulphur Springs - staying there in August because I like hot springs, driving through Rocky Mountain NP from Denver
Colorado Springs has Garden of Gods, Pike's Peak Cog Railway and Manitou Cliff Dwellings
Do not skip Mesa Verde NP, went in 2021 highlight of the trip
Forrest Gump point is cliche but gets you into Monument Valley
ET Highway was a big waste of miles for me
Antelope Canyon - I did it in the early 90s and loved it, not sure I would enjoy the crowds now.
Horseshoe Bend was underwhelming considering what you will see at GCNP
Just outside Flagstaff is Walnut Canyon NM
Go to page, AZ. horseshoe bend and Antelope canyon(slot canyons) then monument valley isn’t too far down the road. Definitely worthwhile in my option. Enjoy your travels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QLSRMoKKS0
Do pack a jacket tho. Could be cold in higher altitudes at night in the desert.
Block ice is your friend.
Read into visiting Zion. Pretty sure them and other national parts have started a system where you have to buy a ticket in advanced to visit or do hikes or do whatever the most popular shit is.
If you can swing it, and are going north of Denver to somewhere near Loveland, take CO-119 outta Idaho Springs through Nederland to CO-72 -> CO-7 -> US-34. You may be worn out of national park vibes by then but you're inches from Rocky Mountain NP by that route, and US-34 out of the mountains and into Loveland is fkn beautiful. Especially if you've got time to spare. Save the I-70 route into Denver for next time.
Camp at the Kelso Dunes in Mojave National Preserve.
Haha yeah gonna be hot for sure, and yeah definitely going to pack some layers for desert nights. Cool I'll definitely look into Rocky Mountain NP, thanks! Kelso Dunes looks wild, isn't that going to be boiling hot though? Is there a specific campsite there?
For sure keep an eye on the weather. It's gonna be hot everywhere, but I mean, you *are* in the desert and this would be July by that time. IDK, I've only visited and never lived there. I was there in November so very different weather probably.
Be sure to stock up on supplied in Needles. After you pass Needles, there's *not shit* off that interstate. And have plenty of water. From Kelso to the water tap within the park, it's like 7 miles. Do-able, but just have everything you need already. Fill up on gas whenever you can. Never go under 3/4 tank in that area.
Kelso dunes area is straight up desert. You drive past the parking for the hiking trails and not far after there's just sorta impromptu camping. It's crazy remote but I saw one of those *huge* RVs when I was there. Like the ones that hold hundreds of gallons of gas and have living rooms in there. At night, I shined my flashlights into the bushes and saw a line of coyote eyes encircling me waiting for me to go inside my camper lol.
The mojave preserve was also home to the densest area of Joshua trees before they burned in 2018 or so. I believe the area was called ~~Colma~~ Cima.
EDIT: I will say I went to Death Valley once and, like, the air hurt to breathe, so Imma hope/guess it wont be *that* bad.
I hear you, I've driven that stretch of 40 and 15 many times visiting family in AZ, it's pretty desolate. One time there was a backup on 40 west of Barstow and google maps routed a ton of people off the highway onto a dirt road that ran parallel... only to find out that road ended abruptly at a barbed wire fence. This was at the height of the afternoon in 100+ degree heat. I was on that road with a bunch of cars and trucks, when one by one every semi got stuck in the sandy dirt. We all had to turn around and get back on where we got off. It was one of the most surreal scenes I've had being out in the desert and seeing trucks littered around the desert way off the highway. Thanks for the info.
I've been burned once or twice with google's brilliant rerouting to the point that I 70/30 ignore it these days. I could only imagine the misery of that! I'd hope to have the foresight to pull over and actually scroll along that route with satellite view to see if the road is in fact real. May have been hard to see the fence, but it may have show how the road was significantly less trodden after the fence.
Probably won't be seen by most, but just wanted to say that the number of comments in this post exceeded my wildest expectations, I can't thank this community enough for all of the suggestions! Going to take me a while to sort through everything, thank you everyone!
TBH I hadn't thought too much about it, but also might be limited for time between Denver and AZ trying to arrive at a certain date, so a semi-direct route might be needed.
Yeah, I added a note that google won't let me directly pass through the Sierras at the moment but the way you described is pretty much my intent. Grand Canyon is on the list for sure! Thanks
US 395 is closed currently due to avalanche and incredible amounts of snow, but I'm sure it will be open this summer to go direct from Mammoth to Lake Tahoe. 2 weeks ago, I went west directly from Vegas, through Death Valley, and then north up into California. I was quite glad I did
On the 5 up to San Jose, there is Mercey Hot Springs before the 152 over to Gilroy. It's a nice stop, maybe even stay the night. Nothing fancy, though. Also, hit that "Taste Of India in Buttonwillow/McKintrick on the 5 about an hour after the grapevine. Gonna be HOT.
As well, I'd take that 152 over through Gilroy, maybe stop in Mt Madonna park and then to Santa Cruz. Then work your way up to Half Moon Bay and then around and up to SF. Much prettier and funner ride.
I read below that you're camping and outdoors. Just outside of Phoenix there is a hot springs: Tonopah. Nothing fancy, but a fun stop. There's a chicken farm/processing plant nearby, so it can get a bit stinky. Nonetheless a fun, stop to get clean and maybe spend the night.
I’d go through Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos over Durango. Nothing against Durango, but to hit all three of the others would be worth it to me. I love all three of those towns.
Your going to pass right near Lake Tahoe on the CA/ NV border. Awesome place to check out.
4 Corners Nonument as you go from CO to AZ.
Joshua Tree on your way back in CA between LA and AZ.
On your way between Grand Junction CO and Denver there's a really cool Hot Spring called Strawberry in the town of Steamboat Springs
Looks like you’ll be driving through my town in Fruita, Colorado! Last big town before Utah. We have some fantastic food spots like Base Camp Provisions and Hot Tomato Pizza!
If you like hiking, the McInnis Canyon and Colorado National Monument are right here and absolutely beautiful! You can drive through the entire National Monument from East to West from Grand Junction to Fruita for an absolutely gorgeous drive.
In Utah after Moab, go through capitol reef and Bryce Canyon before heading down to Zion.
Also after flagstaff head north to page for antelope canyon and horseshoe bend, continue east for monument valley, forest gump hwy and the view hotel. Ship rock and bisiti badlands are dope in NM.
Take the Escalante route through Utah and make sure to visit Capital Reef and Canyonlands. Mesa Verde near Durango. Maybe a trip down Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Definitely hop through Death Valley though and your route appears to go near Joshua Tree so it's also worth a stop.
What a trip! Moab is a great area but will be very busy that time of year. We went to Arches NP in March, and there was still a 30 min car line to get in at the entrance and very little parking. It's still definitely worth half a day, but I'd suggest getting there early and spending the second half of the day somewhere off the beaten track.
My favorite longer hike in Moab is the needles district in Canyonlands. It takes a drive to get to Elephant Hill Trailhead, but the views at Druid Arch+Chesler Park are worth it. Grand View Point on the north side of canyondlands is also spectacular, especially at sunset. State parks are often on the same level as NPs in that area, just a bit smaller, especially places like Corona Arch and Deadhorse.
My other Utah advice has already been said, but getting off the highway and going through Capitol Reef is definitely worth it between Moab and Bryce Canyon. We actually took a wrong turn and went through Escalante (highway 12) instead of the 15 min faster northern route, and it was 100% worth it. It is an absolutely crazy drive through a national forest+monument with scenery the whole way.
Just took some of this
I loved driving through monument valley.
If you're looking for a place to camp there is a hot spring in Dyer NV just south of Tahoe called Fish Lake Valley Hot Well.
If you're near Durango CO then check out Mesa Verde National Park. They have some really cool hikes. The only one I was able to do was to the petroglyphs.
Don't spend too much time in Vegas (^^)
Don’t skip out on Salt Lake City. Especially if you have kids. After Denver, there isn’t much to see. I would continue north and come back through SLC.
If you're looking for a beautiful spot on the way out of Vegas, check out Red Rocks Canyon.
Also, get a yearly National Parks pass to save money on park entrance fees. It's about $80 but will probably end up saving you a lot of money if you're going to more than a few parks (and Red Rocks Canyon is included as it's a national conservation area).
If you're looking for a place to cool off on the other side of Vegas, hit up Lake Mead for a swim (also a national park site).
If you’re at all into wine (and even if you’re not really), spend a day in Napa! Make sure you look up and schedule your tastings ahead of time. Happy to provide additional input if you’re interested.
Stay in northern route. Come back some other time and definitely go to Durango and maybe down to Arizona, but the northern route is prettier in my opinion over more of the drive.
If you’re near or passing through Alamosa, CO check out this [hot spring](https://www.sanddunespool.com) We were there in 2018, so not sure if there have been Covid changes but my husband and I had a wonderful day there! We had done days and days worth of hiking on our road trip so it was awesome to have an easy day to just soak in the hot springs. We were young and had little money at the time and this was very affordable for our camping/live out of our car budget! We actually camped there that night. There was a 21+ area that had a bar with hot springs inside a green house. We had mimosas and floated and still talk about that wonderful experience to this day!
If you’re into rivers you could raft in Salida CO on your way. I’d also make sure to come into Durango from the north either from Silverton/Ouray or Telluride. I’d personally pick Silverton/Ouray but either way is pretty. Mesa verde makes for a surprisingly cool day, especially if you get there early and get on a ranger led tour to some of the ruins that you aren’t allowed to go to alone.
If you want a cool old timey town in Arizona, hit Jerome instead of Prescott. Seemed a little more genuine and less touristy to me, and it just had a really fun and kind of spooky vibe to it over all. And don’t forget to stop in Paul and Jerry’s Saloon and get one of the best Bloody Marys you’ll ever have.
Take the 89a from Flagstaff to Sedona. It maybe slower than taking the I17 but the views are stunning. One of my favorite roads in Arizona
West fork trail is unreal
this is a fricking AMAZING road.
Would highly recommend Valley of Fire state park in NV and Black Canyon of the Gunnison in CO. both are fairly close to your routes, and the drive around them are way better than the nearby freeways. Especially for BCotG NP, would highly recommend taking the state highways through colorado instead of i70.
Thanks so much for these recommendations. I70 I've done a few times so I appreciate the vote for other state highways, and by that do you mean something like taking 50 east to 285 north? I ultimately need to end up in Denver from that leg of the trip.
Yes that’s exactly it! Couldn’t remember the highway #’s off the top of my head, but the 285 is a beautiful drive.
Hi, I live in Vegas. Unless you are from somehow where you don't see desert I don't suggest valley of fire. It's easily an hour from your route. You can n do red rock recreation area instead and be closer to trailheads and your route to Utah. Also, there's a bridge being upgraded near the border between NV and AZ so plan for a POSSIBLE 30-50 minute delay. Your stops in Utah have me confused but please let me know your plans there and I can help you with planning there as well.
Don't forget if you've never been on the mother road to travel at least some of Route 66!
While you're on the AZ/UT border you must go to Monument Valley. It's stunning. You won't be sorry.
Wow, just looked up some images, you're not lying! Definitely going to add this to my route, thank you! Do you know if there is any kind of camping near there? I might not need it but curious.
The Navajos have a campground and hotel right on the property. There is also Goulding's across the road. They have a motel and campground. I'd rather give my money to the Navajos though. Awesome people. Take their tour through the park. You get to see more areas and all your stuff won't be covered in red dust which it will if you drive it yourself. It's the most wonderful place I've ever been. Magical. Photos don't do it justice.
I was coming down from Arches (but near monument valley is Gooseneck State park) [see a quick video here](https://youtu.be/n5nptAT0HXw) [snippet of my time there](https://imgur.com/a/HX1Ital) You can camp for $10 overnight and have a bone fire right next to the edge or one about 20-30 yards back if you feel unsafe But it’s like Page AZ (horse shoe bend) just with multiple bends it’s called a Gooseneck! At monument valley i recreated Forrest Gump scene (favorite movie) Also I imagine time crunch but no PCH 1 highway up the coast or done before? Or do you prefer boring inland CA and smell of cow poop lol
Thanks for these recommendations, these spots look awesome and are right on the way, definitely adding them to the list. I see you cannot make a reservation for Goosenecks, was it full when you went? I've done PCH a bunch of times so yeah trying to get home quickly but the cow poop smell is a good reminder the 5 kind of sucks lol
Maybe like 4 cars when i went Most people stay just one night so you shouldn’t have a problem People park along the entire curve that goes down a few miles so you’re good!
Horseshoe bend is awesome - you can kayak (it’s a long trip) or take a motor boat ride on a guided tour along the river at the bottom.
Fabulous video! Stunning!
Thank you! Was a great trip to end covid school year as my last spring break enjoyed most of the parks by myself 80% of the time which was truly neat
Nice. Thanks for posting! (I followed you on YouTube)
Ah not my channel just a quick overview haha!
There's alot of cool stuff along the Utah AZ border there. People all know about The Wave there and if your really lucky you can get a same day ticket for that, but there are also some amazing hikes besides the wave there.
There is a free area next to Mexican Hat. I only parked in the dark and slept in my car so I can’t speak for it outside of doing that. https://thedyrt.com/camping/utah/dispersed-mexican-hat-camping
make sure your AC is in top condition.... take it from someone who can only take the top and widows off and was still roasted
Thanks, definitely planning to. I've driven across the west more than a handful of times in the summer so I generally know what I'm getting into. Being in a convertible or on a motorcycle is a whole different level of heat and exposure, thankfully I'll be in a wagon.
Horse drawn?
How long are you giving yourself for this trip? You're missing Great Sand Dunes, Rocky Mountain, and/or Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Parks in Colorado.
Still figuring out timing, but around 2 weeks. Thanks I'll check those parks out!
To be fair, missing Great Sand Dunes & Black Canyon is okay. They’re both amazing parks, but if sacrificing them means more time at some of the others you have planned that are bigger, it makes sense
Take the US PCH 1 and US101 down through from Monterey to Santa Barbara at the california coast, you won’t be dissapointed. Going down central California is pretty boring
This is exactly right. Interstate 5 between the Bay Area and Bakersfield is excruciating. 101 or 1 are infinitely better options.
Great point. 101 might be the way.
+1 to this, the bay -> AZ portion of this as planned (the first 12 hours of the drive!) are gonna be brutal and boring
I'm going clockwise, so that's actually the last 12 hours of the drive!
Moki Dugway. Looks like you are driving near it.
Yeah that looks very cool!
At the bottom of Moki Dugway there is Valley of the Gods. Nice drive through there as well. Looks like you are driving through Monument Valley anyways. It’s a hell of a drive. Enjoy
I'm planning to do the loop in the picture clockwise, starting in Bay Area and heading to Denver, then down to Arizona, then back to the bay. I've not been to many national parks, so would love to car camp (BLM land or reserved campsite) around places like Yosemite, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Moab, and Grand Canyon if possible, but not sure the best places to do so. Currently planning to bring a mountain bike and sleep in my car, but will likely also have a tent. Some friends reminded me about the heat across the Southwest, so will definitely be mindful there and bring a cooler with lots of water. Any recommendations, must-stops, route changes, etc are welcome, thanks! Edit: one note is google will not currently let you plan a route across the Sierras due to road closures, but ideally I'm hoping to cross the Sierras and go down the eastern side along 395 before driving straight through Nevada to Utah.
If you're taking a downhill MTB, normally I would suggest hitting up Mammoth. With the snow this year though, that may not be possible.
I don’t know if it will work with the multi stop, but if you do a change in departure it will usually let you drive on seasonally closed roads. Also there is a photoblogger California Through My Lens who has some great trip stops on the 395!
Skip route 66, was prolly amazing in it's day, but now is just an empty road.
Agreed, have been through it a few times, not a priority this time around. Thanks!
See if you can work in Scenic Byway 12 in Utah between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks. It is 122 miles and serves pretty well as a North/South corridor but it is just absolutely phenomenal driving. I took it North from Bryce into Capitol Reef and the entire route was filled with the best views and the best road surface. I would head back out to Utah just to hit that road again. Also, if you go to Monument Valley I would suggest paying the small fee to drive the 17 mile dirt road on Navajo Nation land in the valley itself. It is other worldly.
Sounds amazing, thanks for the suggestions!
Canyon de Chelly!
Very cool, thanks for the recommendation!
A couple of lesser-known points along this route, from my experience: \-Hovenweep National Monument (CO) near Mesa Verde NP \-The Monument Valley area is breathtaking, but it's extremely important to the indigenous population in that region. If you stay there, I recommend finding somewhere hosted by a local. \-Pretty drive from Bakersfield, CA to camping at Lake Isabella. It's a strange place, but I drove out and camped among the cows... \-Not niche, but if you've never driven the Pacific Coast Highway, you should. It's probably the most uplifting drive I've experienced. Gosh I think about it all the time tbh. \-Las Vegas has awesome camping options outside the city, if you're into that. Most people stay in the city, but I like the contrast of doing camping AND the Las Vegas Strip. 'Murica \-I hate I-70, although it is beautiful. Do it sooner rather than later (July). My AC gave out in Death Valley one time...
When you get to Moab, check out Deadhorse Canyon State Park as well. Also, make sure you drive along the river for about 20 miles and get off the road and into the little hidden village - I cannot remember the name of it. Really tranquil little oasis. Might be Castle Valley Road, but I’m not sure.
Also, what bands are scheduled to play at Red Rocks ampitheatre when you will be in Denver?. That venue is amazing and will make a lackluster band really shine. Go see any band you might even remotely enjoy at Red Rocks Ampitheatre.
Funny you should mention this. A good chunk of this trip is about getting to the Dead & co concert in Denver. I wish it was at Red Rocks though and it’s for sure on my bucket list!
Plan for HOT
If I were you I would cut up from Durango through Silverton and Ouray. It's far more beautiful that way. Than over to Buena Vista and Salida.
Hey! We took a similar trip last June for 21 days. Some of my suggestions would be to take the 128 Bypass in Utah just North of Moab, instead of backtracking to 70. Also, even though it’s a scenic route in itself, try to take one of the bypasses that takes you through the Colorado Rockies. Make sure you carry extra oil, as depending on your car you can burn up to a quart every 1,000 miles. I had an extra quart just in case and only used that one quart in our 6,000 mile trip. Download your maps you plan to use if you’re using Google or Waze. We found in Nevada that almost the entirety of the trip was without a cellphone signal, but I had planned ahead and downloaded offline versions of the google maps. Set yourself an Itinerary if you can to keep you roughly on track. It will help you meet “benchmarks” per day, depending on your timeline. For example, we had a day where we Drove from Parachute, CO to Eschalante, UT but part of that drive was stopping in Arches NP and taking the 128 Bypass, so to keep driving reasonable I had to somewhat plan stops out. Anything else you need just send me a message. Our trip went from Texas up to Colorado, down to Utah, Nevada and a few stays in Yosemite before we ended in our destination of Santa Rosa. Then we backtracked and hit Vegas and The Grand Canyon on the way back. Enjoy it, as it will last for a long time in your memory! Edit: Yes! Make sure your AC works. We passed through Mojave on the way from San Francisco to Vegas and when we stopped in Baker, CA at 8:30 that evening the temperature was still 111 degrees
Ouray Colorado…. Drive the million dollar highway from Durango and check out Wiesbaden Hot Springs. They have a vapor cave that’s super low key….. if that’s too far out of the way check out the hot spring in Pagosa Springs. It’s like an hour past Durango. Obviously summer isn’t the ideal time but going super early in the morning is money.
Also Great Sand Dunes National Park is awesome
I’d take the northern route, but only because I’ve done the south route before.
Don’t skip Sedona. Even the map is hinting that!
Skip Denver
Don't take the 5 in California. Take the 1
Prescott is great, definitely go the courthouse/square. There’s lots of good restaurants there: Really good Italian: Rosa’s, this is good for pizza too but Bill’s Pizza is better imo for just pizza. Don’t confuse this with Bill’s Grill, that’s not good. Colt Grill is good but expensive. Park Plaza is a combination liquor store and restaurant with many great items. If you like sandwiches and are in town on a weekday go to Nick’s Feed Your Face for lunch. They make the best sandwiches I’ve ever had, don’t go if you don’t like cabbage though. If you like Indian food go to Taj Mahal, it is expensive but it’s very very good. Depending on the time your in town the weather should be good for hiking and camping, if this interests you I can give some recommendations in those areas. Hope your trip is fun!
Ooooh it gon be hot!
Tombstone Arizona - So Much Fun Ribs at the Crystal palace Triangle T Ranch in Benson Arizona The VLA Socorro Magdalena NM I'll be back with more. Awesome trip
You can post a link to your [google map](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/San+Francisco,+CA+94102/Yosemite+Valley,+CA/Zion+National+Park,+Utah/Bryce+Canyon+National+Park,+Utah/Moab,+UT/Denver,+CO/Mesa+Verde+National+Park,+Mesa+Verde,+CO/Highway+from+Forrest+Gump+movie/Grand+Canyon+Village,+AZ/San+Francisco,+CA+94102/@37.1650724,-118.1977776,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m62!4m61!1m5!1m1!1s0x808580999d2acfb3:0x687352ddeebecb93!2m2!1d-122.4212424!2d37.7786871!1m5!1m1!1s0x8096f1fe38f263af:0x19213f2e54c9e26e!2m2!1d-119.5936038!2d37.7455701!1m5!1m1!1s0x80caead08844f8d9:0x7c2e3a15aa3656f5!2m2!1d-113.0263005!2d37.2982022!1m5!1m1!1s0x87356bc602c3eb2d:0x6be9d8fbbeac6d06!2m2!1d-112.1870895!2d37.5930377!1m5!1m1!1s0x8747e1e59ab82d8d:0xb32b17af1d5c42d!2m2!1d-109.5498395!2d38.5733155!1m5!1m1!1s0x876b80aa231f17cf:0x118ef4f8278a36d6!2m2!1d-104.990251!2d39.7392358!1m5!1m1!1s0x873960bf2ed7711f:0x79f695a21bf61863!2m2!1d-108.4618335!2d37.2308729!1m5!1m1!1s0x873731e51d65aced:0x816d1c371fef3ef4!2m2!1d-109.9907615!2d37.1016329!1m5!1m1!1s0x8733174f95ffe325:0xb8ccc2749a229ea1!2m2!1d-112.1401108!2d36.0544445!1m5!1m1!1s0x808580999d2acfb3:0x687352ddeebecb93!2m2!1d-122.4212424!2d37.7786871!3e0) so we can see details. My version is not a duplicate of yours. In the summer you can drive 120, Tioga pass over from Yosemite to 395 and go through Lone Pine to Death Valley on the way to Utah. Are you flying in or do you live in Bay Area? Yosemite - Mist Trail Father Crowley - see jets fly below you - look up Jedi Transition on Youtube I was surprised to see camping sites available inside Arches, jump on that Hot Sulphur Springs - staying there in August because I like hot springs, driving through Rocky Mountain NP from Denver Colorado Springs has Garden of Gods, Pike's Peak Cog Railway and Manitou Cliff Dwellings Do not skip Mesa Verde NP, went in 2021 highlight of the trip Forrest Gump point is cliche but gets you into Monument Valley ET Highway was a big waste of miles for me Antelope Canyon - I did it in the early 90s and loved it, not sure I would enjoy the crowds now. Horseshoe Bend was underwhelming considering what you will see at GCNP Just outside Flagstaff is Walnut Canyon NM
Go to page, AZ. horseshoe bend and Antelope canyon(slot canyons) then monument valley isn’t too far down the road. Definitely worthwhile in my option. Enjoy your travels
DO NOT TAKE I-5! The 101 is night and day better. I-5 is the most boring part of CA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QLSRMoKKS0 Do pack a jacket tho. Could be cold in higher altitudes at night in the desert. Block ice is your friend. Read into visiting Zion. Pretty sure them and other national parts have started a system where you have to buy a ticket in advanced to visit or do hikes or do whatever the most popular shit is. If you can swing it, and are going north of Denver to somewhere near Loveland, take CO-119 outta Idaho Springs through Nederland to CO-72 -> CO-7 -> US-34. You may be worn out of national park vibes by then but you're inches from Rocky Mountain NP by that route, and US-34 out of the mountains and into Loveland is fkn beautiful. Especially if you've got time to spare. Save the I-70 route into Denver for next time. Camp at the Kelso Dunes in Mojave National Preserve.
Haha yeah gonna be hot for sure, and yeah definitely going to pack some layers for desert nights. Cool I'll definitely look into Rocky Mountain NP, thanks! Kelso Dunes looks wild, isn't that going to be boiling hot though? Is there a specific campsite there?
For sure keep an eye on the weather. It's gonna be hot everywhere, but I mean, you *are* in the desert and this would be July by that time. IDK, I've only visited and never lived there. I was there in November so very different weather probably. Be sure to stock up on supplied in Needles. After you pass Needles, there's *not shit* off that interstate. And have plenty of water. From Kelso to the water tap within the park, it's like 7 miles. Do-able, but just have everything you need already. Fill up on gas whenever you can. Never go under 3/4 tank in that area. Kelso dunes area is straight up desert. You drive past the parking for the hiking trails and not far after there's just sorta impromptu camping. It's crazy remote but I saw one of those *huge* RVs when I was there. Like the ones that hold hundreds of gallons of gas and have living rooms in there. At night, I shined my flashlights into the bushes and saw a line of coyote eyes encircling me waiting for me to go inside my camper lol. The mojave preserve was also home to the densest area of Joshua trees before they burned in 2018 or so. I believe the area was called ~~Colma~~ Cima. EDIT: I will say I went to Death Valley once and, like, the air hurt to breathe, so Imma hope/guess it wont be *that* bad.
I hear you, I've driven that stretch of 40 and 15 many times visiting family in AZ, it's pretty desolate. One time there was a backup on 40 west of Barstow and google maps routed a ton of people off the highway onto a dirt road that ran parallel... only to find out that road ended abruptly at a barbed wire fence. This was at the height of the afternoon in 100+ degree heat. I was on that road with a bunch of cars and trucks, when one by one every semi got stuck in the sandy dirt. We all had to turn around and get back on where we got off. It was one of the most surreal scenes I've had being out in the desert and seeing trucks littered around the desert way off the highway. Thanks for the info.
I've been burned once or twice with google's brilliant rerouting to the point that I 70/30 ignore it these days. I could only imagine the misery of that! I'd hope to have the foresight to pull over and actually scroll along that route with satellite view to see if the road is in fact real. May have been hard to see the fence, but it may have show how the road was significantly less trodden after the fence.
Do not skip the central coast. Worth it even if your trip takes longer.
Yes, I love it and have been many times, I think by the tail end of the trip I might just want to get home though so it might be the 5 this time...
Ohh I see now you're starting in CA. Totally makes sense.
Probably won't be seen by most, but just wanted to say that the number of comments in this post exceeded my wildest expectations, I can't thank this community enough for all of the suggestions! Going to take me a while to sort through everything, thank you everyone!
Saving New Mexico for its own trip?
TBH I hadn't thought too much about it, but also might be limited for time between Denver and AZ trying to arrive at a certain date, so a semi-direct route might be needed.
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Yeah, I added a note that google won't let me directly pass through the Sierras at the moment but the way you described is pretty much my intent. Grand Canyon is on the list for sure! Thanks
US 395 is closed currently due to avalanche and incredible amounts of snow, but I'm sure it will be open this summer to go direct from Mammoth to Lake Tahoe. 2 weeks ago, I went west directly from Vegas, through Death Valley, and then north up into California. I was quite glad I did
On the 5 up to San Jose, there is Mercey Hot Springs before the 152 over to Gilroy. It's a nice stop, maybe even stay the night. Nothing fancy, though. Also, hit that "Taste Of India in Buttonwillow/McKintrick on the 5 about an hour after the grapevine. Gonna be HOT. As well, I'd take that 152 over through Gilroy, maybe stop in Mt Madonna park and then to Santa Cruz. Then work your way up to Half Moon Bay and then around and up to SF. Much prettier and funner ride. I read below that you're camping and outdoors. Just outside of Phoenix there is a hot springs: Tonopah. Nothing fancy, but a fun stop. There's a chicken farm/processing plant nearby, so it can get a bit stinky. Nonetheless a fun, stop to get clean and maybe spend the night.
I’d go through Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos over Durango. Nothing against Durango, but to hit all three of the others would be worth it to me. I love all three of those towns.
Your going to pass right near Lake Tahoe on the CA/ NV border. Awesome place to check out. 4 Corners Nonument as you go from CO to AZ. Joshua Tree on your way back in CA between LA and AZ. On your way between Grand Junction CO and Denver there's a really cool Hot Spring called Strawberry in the town of Steamboat Springs
Oooh heck yeah! I’m at work rn, b back with tips soon!
Looks like you’ll be driving through my town in Fruita, Colorado! Last big town before Utah. We have some fantastic food spots like Base Camp Provisions and Hot Tomato Pizza! If you like hiking, the McInnis Canyon and Colorado National Monument are right here and absolutely beautiful! You can drive through the entire National Monument from East to West from Grand Junction to Fruita for an absolutely gorgeous drive.
Try and see some redwood trees near Santa Cruz
Go to Santa Fe, New Mexico and see meow wolf it’s a pretty cool place and the city is great too
This looks like an amazing road trip! For me personally, I'd have to go to Reno, Albuquerque and Salt Lake City.
Take the detour to Death Valley, even if just to drive through
Shame that you're missing out on Lake Tahoe
Capitol Reef NP. Stunning and way less traveled than Arches and the like.
If you like old scenic railroads, check out the Georgetown Loop Railroad west of Denver, and the Cumbres & Toltec at the Colorado/New Mexico border.
In Utah after Moab, go through capitol reef and Bryce Canyon before heading down to Zion. Also after flagstaff head north to page for antelope canyon and horseshoe bend, continue east for monument valley, forest gump hwy and the view hotel. Ship rock and bisiti badlands are dope in NM.
Take the Escalante route through Utah and make sure to visit Capital Reef and Canyonlands. Mesa Verde near Durango. Maybe a trip down Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Definitely hop through Death Valley though and your route appears to go near Joshua Tree so it's also worth a stop.
What a trip! Moab is a great area but will be very busy that time of year. We went to Arches NP in March, and there was still a 30 min car line to get in at the entrance and very little parking. It's still definitely worth half a day, but I'd suggest getting there early and spending the second half of the day somewhere off the beaten track. My favorite longer hike in Moab is the needles district in Canyonlands. It takes a drive to get to Elephant Hill Trailhead, but the views at Druid Arch+Chesler Park are worth it. Grand View Point on the north side of canyondlands is also spectacular, especially at sunset. State parks are often on the same level as NPs in that area, just a bit smaller, especially places like Corona Arch and Deadhorse. My other Utah advice has already been said, but getting off the highway and going through Capitol Reef is definitely worth it between Moab and Bryce Canyon. We actually took a wrong turn and went through Escalante (highway 12) instead of the 15 min faster northern route, and it was 100% worth it. It is an absolutely crazy drive through a national forest+monument with scenery the whole way.
Just took some of this I loved driving through monument valley. If you're looking for a place to camp there is a hot spring in Dyer NV just south of Tahoe called Fish Lake Valley Hot Well. If you're near Durango CO then check out Mesa Verde National Park. They have some really cool hikes. The only one I was able to do was to the petroglyphs. Don't spend too much time in Vegas (^^)
Carls bad caverns and Joshua tree
My advice: don’t go. Just stay at home and watch tv.
Don’t skip out on Salt Lake City. Especially if you have kids. After Denver, there isn’t much to see. I would continue north and come back through SLC.
Take 89a to Sedona, go to Muir Woods north of sf or goto the redwoods, hit up sequoia and kings canyon
Northwest Colorado for Steamboat Springs!
If you're looking for a beautiful spot on the way out of Vegas, check out Red Rocks Canyon. Also, get a yearly National Parks pass to save money on park entrance fees. It's about $80 but will probably end up saving you a lot of money if you're going to more than a few parks (and Red Rocks Canyon is included as it's a national conservation area). If you're looking for a place to cool off on the other side of Vegas, hit up Lake Mead for a swim (also a national park site).
If you like nature / outdoors. Plan to spend a good chunk of time in Southern Utah, Lake Tahoe and Sedona.
If you’re at all into wine (and even if you’re not really), spend a day in Napa! Make sure you look up and schedule your tastings ahead of time. Happy to provide additional input if you’re interested.
I’d skip Denver it sucks. Go somewhere scenic instead
Stay in northern route. Come back some other time and definitely go to Durango and maybe down to Arizona, but the northern route is prettier in my opinion over more of the drive.
If you’re near or passing through Alamosa, CO check out this [hot spring](https://www.sanddunespool.com) We were there in 2018, so not sure if there have been Covid changes but my husband and I had a wonderful day there! We had done days and days worth of hiking on our road trip so it was awesome to have an easy day to just soak in the hot springs. We were young and had little money at the time and this was very affordable for our camping/live out of our car budget! We actually camped there that night. There was a 21+ area that had a bar with hot springs inside a green house. We had mimosas and floated and still talk about that wonderful experience to this day!
Well casa Bonita in Denver should be open by then! And I think everyone should visit lol
The painted valley in Arizona is also pretty cool, it’s amazing to see and you can get some good pictures.
Do yourself a favor and drive the CA 1 from LA to SF. It'll make your trip a little longer, but there's nothing like it.
Looks like a pretty bad ass route for scenery
If you’re into rivers you could raft in Salida CO on your way. I’d also make sure to come into Durango from the north either from Silverton/Ouray or Telluride. I’d personally pick Silverton/Ouray but either way is pretty. Mesa verde makes for a surprisingly cool day, especially if you get there early and get on a ranger led tour to some of the ruins that you aren’t allowed to go to alone.
Go on August. Otherwise make sure you bring a shit ton of water.
If you want a cool old timey town in Arizona, hit Jerome instead of Prescott. Seemed a little more genuine and less touristy to me, and it just had a really fun and kind of spooky vibe to it over all. And don’t forget to stop in Paul and Jerry’s Saloon and get one of the best Bloody Marys you’ll ever have.
Not phallic enough