“Let’s go get lost anywhere in the USA” — “Road Trippin” (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
There’s something about a road trip, especially one through the American West, that takes in many national parks and some national monuments to boot. This extensive tour itinerary will ensure you don’t get lost on your almost two-week, nearly 1,500-mile Grand Circle road trip journey.
Planning Ahead With Vehicle Checks
Your road trip through the West will likely start in Las Vegas, Nevada, so if you live nearby, you’ll probably do all necessary vehicle safety checks and stock up in the Sin City area before you embark. If you’re flying in and shipping your truck or SUV, checking it in your hometown before you catch your flight makes sense.
You might be renting a vehicle once you arrive — don’t assume that everything will be perfect when you pick it up at the agency. Complete your checks personally, as it will be a long journey. You must ensure that everything is ship-shaped and nothing’s left to chance. Check the vehicle’s tires to ensure they have even wear and sufficient tread and it has enough coolant, oil and other fluids.
Let an expert check the vehicle’s battery and charging system, ensure all lights function correctly and confirm that the wiper blades will operate as they should in heavy storms. Finally, pay heed to the condition of your car’s suspension. You’ll be traveling over some rough terrain, and a faulty suspension could cause braking issues, among other problems.
Packing Your Vehicle
It’s vital to pack essentials for your road trip and double-check you have everything before departing. Keep the following items in the vehicle in case of an emergency:
- Jumper cables
- An emergency blanket
- A container with a few gallons of gas
- A gallon of distilled water
- A pair of tire wedges
- A reflective emergency road signal sign
In addition to these emergency items, add a first-aid kit, working chargers for your electronic devices, music for the road and games or books to pass the time at overnight stops. Pack some snacks for the initial part of the road trip — you can replenish them later — and all the appropriate clothing. Don’t forget to pack your sunshades.
An Itinerary for When You’re Underway
With such a long journey ahead of you, having an itinerary to base your Grand Circle road trip around makes sense. You’ll want to take in as many sights as possible over the next 15 days, but use it as a guideline, not a cast-in-stone plan. Sometimes, you’ll enjoy yourself so much at a particular location that you may want to extend your stay. Hopefully, you’ve allowed a little extra time, just in case.
Days One and Two — Las Vegas, Nevada, to Zion National Park, Utah
It’ll take you around three hours from setting off to reach Zion National Park, the first of nine national parks on your Grand Circle road trip. This Utah attraction makes the perfect first stop, with so much to explore among the red sandstone cliffs of its narrow slot canyons. If you’re camping, the Watchman and South Campgrounds make the perfect stopover for RV or tent campers, while Zion Lodge offers classy cabins if you’re not into roughing it.
While you’re there, consider visiting Angel’s Landing. This incredible hike takes you up the park’s steep switchbacks, where you can hang on the chain railing for an adrenaline rush. If you’re happier steering clear of heights, you may also avoid the waterfall rappels at Canyoneering Orderville Slot Canyon, although you’ll still marvel at its hanging gardens and emerald pools. Zion Narrows offers a more sedate hike and wade up the Virgin River to its popular canyon. You’ll need an advance permit, though.
There’s enough at Zion National Park to keep you busy for at least a full day, so plan to leave on the scenic two-hour trip to Bryce Canyon National Park later on day two or early on day three.
Day Three — Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
The first thing on your Bryce Canyon agenda should be the 18-mile Scenic Loop drive, driving or via shuttle, which gives you an inspiring overview of the park’s impressive canyons and points, including Swamp Canyon, Aqua Canyon, Piracy Pointe and Rainbow Point. If rushed for time, travel half the loop by car for the best views and turn around. It’s best to arrive early on day three and take in the Scenic Loop during the day, along with the Bryce Amphitheater.
Be back 90 minutes before sunset to relax and take in the nearer sights in optimal light. If you are at Bryce Canyon over the full moon, sign up for a 2-mile night hike with the Bryce Astronomy Rangers to view the famous hoodoo rock formations in ethereal natural lighting. If not, consider departing the National Park for Escalante, an hour down the road, for your accommodations. At over 7,600 feet, the Bryce Canyon camping grounds get a little chilly, and the nearby lodgings are somewhat old-fashioned.
Days Four and Five — Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
If you stayed overnight in Escalante, you could quickly visit its National Monument and explore the rugged and wild surrounding canyons. Then, it’ll be on to Capitol Reef National Park, Utah’s third park on the Grand Circle, around 65 miles down the road. Capitol Reef is worth at least a full day of exploring. The drive through the alley between the cliffs of Capitol Gorge gives you periodic sightings of the 1,400-foot expanse of the Golden Throne rock formation.
When you reach the trailhead, follow the shaded 2-mile trail on foot to see the pioneer signatures and Native American petroglyphs adorning the canyon walls. While in the park, visit the ranger station and catch a ranger presentation. The lecture provides a historical and geological slant of Capitol Reef. You should also take in Fruita — an oasis of green amidst the surrounding red rocks, with visible rock art, an incredible variety of orchards and remnants of Morman homesteader buildings.
Stay over in Capitol Reef National Park at the Wild West-themed Capitol Reef Resort or the full-service Fruita Campground, and leave on the two-hour trip to Moab the next day.
Days Five and Six — Moab, Utah
By bypassing two national parks on your trip to Moab, you’ll give yourself a chance to experience a little civilization with only, at most, a 30-minute backtrack in a day or so. Moab was a mining town during the uranium boom of the 1950s, but it’s now known as the Southwest’s adventure capital. The old mining roads now host dirt bikers and 4x4s, with everyone from crystal readers to rock climbers making Moab their home away from home.
Moab’s nightlife thrives, with restaurants serving international cuisine and nightspots with great beer, live music and a vibrant atmosphere. After a night on the town, spend the remainder at the Moab Springs Ranch, complete with its new bungalows. If you’re keen on allocating an extra day, you could whitewater raft on the Colorado River, ride horseback through the surrounding red cliffs or take in the Mesa Arch, Grandview Point and the Green River Overlook.
Day Six — Arches National Park, Utah
Arches National Park is only 10 minutes from Moab and is much smaller than Utah’s other parks. A late start will allow you time to check out Arches. Your stopover is primarily to take in the Devil’s Garden — the site of the most significant concentration of natural arches in the U.S.
You can hike the 7.5-mile Devil’s Garden looped route to see the 300-plus foot Landscape Arch and Partition Arch’s exquisite desert views. Alternatively, view them from the air in a low-flying Cessna, along with the Green River and Colorado confluence. This daytime stopover in Arches National Park is a worthwhile experience, with a return to Moab thereafter.
Day Seven — Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Departing Moab in the morning for the 30-minute trip back to Canyonlands National Park allows you to take in the 34-mile there-and-back trip to Island in the Sky on your arrival. The drive takes you 1,000 feet above the nearby desert and mountain terrain, so you’ll experience some spectacular vistas and quick hikes en route. On your arrival at the summit, you can take a half-mile hike to Mesa Point or a further 2-mile trek to West Rim.
This latest park on your Grand Circle road trip also allows you to visit Newspaper Rock, the site of one of Utah’s legendary petroglyphs. Two thousand years ago, Ancestral Puebloans left their mark on Newspaper Rock. Many others, including the Navajo, have followed suit since. If Native American ancestry interests you, consider hiking the short trail to the Ancestral Puebloan granary under the cliff at Needle’s Big Spring Canyon.
After completing your Canyonlands experience, it makes the most sense to head back to Moab for a final night before embarking on the three-hour journey into Colorado and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on day eight.
Day Eight — Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
You’ve left Utah’s red rocks behind, replaced by the darker rock Colorado landscapes. A similarity between Black Canyon and the Utah parks remains — a steep and deep gorge also lies in the middle of this Colorado National Park. The meandering East Portal Road takes you almost 2,000 feet down to the bottom, or otherwise explore South Rim Drive’s 12 overlooks and many short hiking trails instead. Look out for the Painted Wall cliff face on your exploration.
Note that if you’re visiting in winter, expect limited, if any, access to much of Black Canyon, including East Portal Road and South Rim Drive. Heavy snowfalls in the colder months mean you may instead bypass Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park entirely at that time of year. The park is certainly worth visiting if you’re road-tripping in spring or summer.
Days Eight and Nine — Telluride, Colorado
Whether you visit Black Canyon or not, the logical sleepover point is the mountain town of Telluride, a picturesque 90-minute drive from the park. Surrounded by peaks of over 13,000 feet and with more than 280 inches of annual snow, Nordic skiing, fat biking and sledding are on its list of attractions. Telluride is the perfect place to spend some extra time gathering momentum for the remaining traveling hours of your Grand Circle road trip.
You can stay overnight at one of the New Sheridan or Madeline Hotels, with the latter having outdoor hot tubs, live music at the Timber Room lounge and even an ice rink for residents. There’s also the Franz Klammer Lodge if you’re into self-catering. Each room at the lodge has a private, full kitchen.
Days Nine and Ten — Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
The 90-minute drive between Telluride and the Mesa Verde National Park includes an altitude drop, taking you out of the mountains and into Colorado’s high desert region. The park is home to various Puebloan ancestral cliff homes, including the aptly named Cliff Palace, which is enormous. These dwellings, often built into the cliff faces, are accessible on foot, or you can explore many of the archeological overlooks and sites by driving up the Mesa Top Loop Road.
Finish day nine by booking into the Far View Lodge, 15 miles into Mesa Verde, to enjoy unparalleled views into Colorado and neighboring New Mexico and Arizona. The lodge is open during the spring, summer and fall seasons, so if you’re road-tripping in winter, you’ll have to make alternative plans. With a lounge and bar, the Metate Dining Room and Mountain Wi-Fi at your disposal, you can spend a pleasant evening in the middle of nature.
Days Ten and Eleven — Monument Valley, Arizona
You’ll spend almost four hours of day 10 on the road, with a couple of optional stops on your way out of Colorado and into Arizona. The Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation is only a short distance from Mesa Verde.
Stopping at the Ute Mountain Tribal Park means delaying your journey as self-guided tours aren’t permitted, and the shortest guided tour is three hours long. Like Colorado, Arizona has several mountains to hike in if you’re a beginner hiker, so you have other self-guided options in the state, time and location permitting.
Perhaps you’ll be better served driving for an hour to the Navajo Nation Reservation and viewing the Navajo Nation’s Four Corners Monument — the point where the states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona officially meet. From there, climb back in your vehicle and enter Arizona for the 100-mile drive to Monument Valley, the heart of the Navajo nation.
Monument Valley’s surrounding sandstone spires stretch as high as 1,000 feet, and a guided tour of the Monument Valley Tribal Park will enrich your ancestral knowledge of the area. Bed down for the night at Goulding Lodge for a feel of an early west setting backed by red rock.
Days Eleven and Twelve — Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
After a night in the Old West, embark on the penultimate leg of your Grand Circle journey — the 155-mile trip to the Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Before you arrive at Grand Canyon National Park, carefully pick which side of the canyon you want to explore. There’s no way to cross the 277-mile expanse.
The South Rim is likely a more accessible option as the North Rim is more remote and closed to the public for six months. You’ll want to explore on foot for the ultimate experience, although there’s a regular bus you can take when you’re tired or need shade. It’s up to you how long you stay on the bus between hiking.
Sunsets at the Grand Canyon are spectacular and perfectly preempt a meal at the historic El Tovar Hotel dining room. If you’re lucky enough to get a booking and have money to spend, you could also book into the lodge. Otherwise, Bright Angel Lodge is more economical, and booking a cabin on the rim affords you a spectacular sunrise. Depending on how many nights you stay, do yourself a favor and wake before dawn for a peaceful and uncrowded view of the sunrise at Mather Point.
Day Twelve — Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, to Las Vegas, Nevada
Your Grand Circle road trip is nearly over. After viewing the spectacular sunrise and maybe hiking the 6-mile there-and-back South Kaibab trail to Skeleton Point for great views of the Colorado River, it’s time to pack your vehicle and make the four-hour drive from the Grand Canyon South Rim back to Las Vegas.
An Experience to Remember
Arriving home means unpacking and sorting through many photographs and mementos from your trip. You’ll feel relieved to return to your comfort zone but will still yearn for further new experiences. Your experience on the open road surrounded by nature will have left you revitalized and ready to return to regular life with an almost unexplainable zest. A Grand Circle road trip does that — seeing new parts of the U.S. makes you realize how much you’ve yet to see.
Which part of the USA will you “get lost” in next?
Jack Shaw is the Senior Outdoors Writer for Modded Magazine. Driven by his passion for writing, Jack loves to traverse the wilderness, travel, and explore the unknown. He has over six years of experience writing professionally and loves engaging in new projects. His works have been published in The Travel Magazine, EcoHotels, Trekaroo, and more.
