There is so much to explore in the area! If you’re not familiar with the Southwest, you’ll be amazed at the colors, rugged scenery, and other worldly formations! This is a perfect opportunity to take a little more time off of work and explore the vast landscape. Here’s a few ideas – but feel free to mix and match, add or subtract! Let us know if we can help you plan a trip to fit your needs and abilities!
Las Vegas -> Dinosaur aka The Whirlwind (our favorite!)
This route hits all 5 of the “Mighty 5” Utah National Parks, plus some of our favorite National Monuments and State Parks along the way – including Escalante, where we got engaged – and drives along the 12 Scenic Byway, Chris’ favorite road. It only adds 10 driving hours, averaging about 2 hours per day. Starting in Vegas and ending in Salt Lake City is right about 1,000 miles. Most RV or van rentals also charge a mileage fee on top of nightly costs, so make sure you add that into your estimation.
You can find an incredibly detailed itinerary for The Whirlwind here.
Friday 9/2 – Fly into Las Vegas, pick up your car/van/RV, and party it up for the night.
Saturday 9/3 – Head into Valley of Fire State Park (45 mins, $15 entrance fee, not eligible for National Park Pass). Go very early as it will be HOT (can easily get 100F+) but the red rocks are spectacular. Valley of Fire has a campground, but you’ll probably want to at least head the direction of Zion before stopping for the night so you can get an early start there.
Sunday 9/4 – Wake up early and head to Zion National Park (2.5 hours, $35 entrance fee). Do the Narrows for sure, and Angel’s Landing if you’re super brave. *NEW! As of April 1 2022, Angel’s Landing requires a permit, which you can get here. More info on permits here. There are tons of trails and activities for every activity level.
Monday 9/5 – Bryce Canyon National Park (1.5 hours, $35 entrance fee) do the Queen’s Garden to Navajo Loop trail, coming back up Wall Street (~ 3 miles, moderate) and drive the rest of the sights.
Tuesday 9/6 – Go through Escalante on the 12 Scenic Byway (but during light hours, as it’s Chris’ favorite road in the US!) to Capitol Reef National Park (2.5 hours, $35 entrance fee). Do the Scenic Drive to Capitol Gorge Drive (4WD in winter, but all vehicles should be able to make it in the summer, check with the Visitor’s Center) then head to the Gifford Homestead for pie. *Don’t miss Kiva Coffee in Escalante!
Wednesday 9/7 – Head to Arches National Park (2 hours, $35 entrance fee). *NEW! Permits required to ENTER Arches, and you can get September permits starting 6/1! More info about permits here. Delicate Arch is a must (~3 miles, strenuous), Devil’s Garden primitive trail (~7 miles, strenuous) and Fiery Furnace (~4 miles, permit required, available on recreation.gov here, only 25-75 per day) are can’t misses! Hundreds of other arches and amazing scenery if you’re looking for something a little easier.
Thursday 9/8 – Canyonlands Island in the Sky district (30 minutes from Moab, $35 entrance fee) is a great drive-to-overlooks type park, with opportunities for short hikes to amazing views of the canyons and Needles district. Bring binoculars!
Friday 9/9 – Head to Dinosaur! (3 hours, $25 entrance fee). If you have time, even a quick drive through Colorado National Monument is worth it. The first half of the drive from Grand Junction to Dinosaur is quite amazing, and should be done during light hours if possible. It’s very desolate between Grand Junction, CO and Dinosaur, CO so gas up before you leave.
As with anything, more time is better! We designed the Whirlwind to give you a taste of some of the most famous National Parks while only adding a few days to your PTO. But the more time you can spend out there, the more things you can enjoy!
Looking for a few other options? We love Red Rock National Conservation Area right outside Vegas, Sand Hollow State Park on the way to Zion, Cedar Breaks, Escalante National Monument (Lower Calf Creek Falls and Campground, Kiva Coffee House, Kodachrome Basin State Park) between Bryce and Capitol Reef, Goblin Valley State Park, and Colorado National Monument in Grand Junction, which are all on this route. Near misses include Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, The Wave in Kanab (permits required, and they’re difficult to get), Grand Canyon North Rim, Antelope Canyon (2 hours from Zion, reservations helpful/required), Vermillion Cliffs, Buckskin Gulch (longest slot canyon in the world), and Canyonlands Needles District.
If you’re considering this route, please check out the dedicated Whirlwind page and please get in touch! We can give you all the details of where to stay, what trails to take, and how to navigate some of the rules for the parks.
*Note – you can buy an annual National Parks Pass, also called America the Beautiful annual pass, which includes National Monuments for $80, so instead of paying $190 in park fees, you just pay the $80, and it’s good for an entire year at over 2,000 locations! More info here.
Flaming Gorge aka The Scenic Route
A quick stop-off if you’re coming in a little early and want to check out one of Wyoming’s Wonders. Flaming Gorge is a dammed reservoir on the Green River (which comes right through our camp site eventually!) capped with deep red walls. Perfect for a relaxing boat outing or a quick dip. Only adds 2 hours to the drive.
Denver South aka The Canyoneer
This route takes you south of Denver, through the Great Sand Dunes and Black Canyon of the Gunnison, before dropping you into the Colorado National Monument on the way to Dinosaur. Adds about 8.5 driving hours.
Leave from Denver and head to Great Sand Dunes (4 hours, $35 entrance fee)
Head to Black Canyon of the Gunnison (3.5 hours, $35 entrance fee)
Leave for Colorado National Monument (1.5 hours, $25 entrance fee) outside of Grand Junction, CO
Dinosaur! (3 hours, $25 entrance fee)
Denver North aka The Mountaineer
Go North of Denver to the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where you can explore during the day for free, Estes Park (check out the Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for the Shining) all the way through Rocky Mountain National Park ($35 entrance fee), then watch the landscape change from alpine mountains to desolate badlands as you head to Dinosaur National Monument. Adds about 5 hours of driving.
Minneapolis -> Dinosaur aka The Road Tripper
Ok, this one is kinda out there, and I know what you’re going to say about spending a lot of time in South Dakota, but I’m telling you, South Dakota is pretty amazing. This route hits Falls Park in Sioux Falls (which is fantastic) and then travels the length of South Dakota to hit the Badlands and the Black Hills – Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and Crazy Horse Memorial – then Wind Cave National Park. It goes through Wyoming, hitting Devil’s Half Acre, the Badlands of Wyoming (Casper, WY to the Tetons is an incredible drive), all the way up to Yellowstone, and then down through Flaming Gorge to Dinosaur. This drive takes you through an ever changing landscape that will leave you surprised at every turn.
There’s honestly so much in the Black Hills area of South Dakota you could spend several weeks there, and Custer State Park could be a National Park. Notable near misses are Devil’s Tower, Tensleep Canyon, Beartooth Pass, and lots more.