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The Covid years. What a blur. A blackout. What even happened? Looking back, it feels surreal that we were all trapped inside for months and even stranger that I worked as a nurse during a global pandemic. Between the constantly changing hospital environment, hearing horror stories from the ER, and sanitizing everything in sight, it was… a lot. Needless to say, I’m thrilled those days are behind us.
But there was one silver lining: the forced slowdown. No hustle culture, no packed social calendars, no big trips abroad. Travel shifted inward. 2020 was supposed to be the year I went to Patagonia with two coworkers-turned-besties. Instead, we pivoted and created our own Southwest National Parks road trip. Just us, a car, wide open roads, and the best of America’s landscapes.
Now that life has resumed, it’s tempting to skip straight to the Amalfi Coast or Bali. But I’m here to encourage you: carve out two weeks to explore the National Parks of the American Southwest. Whether you summit a mountain or roll down scenic highways, this itinerary has a bit of everything.
Here’s exactly how we pulled off 6 National Parks + 2 bonus stops in 14 days.
Days 1–4: Las Vegas & Death Valley National Park
- Fly into: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Drive to: Death Valley National Park (~2 hours)
Death Valley covers a staggering 3.4 million acres, with landscapes ranging from sand dunes to salt flats. In November, we lucked out with 80-degree days but camping is limited due to the soaring temperatures throughout the year. While you could easily spend a week exploring Death Valley, I recommend a minimum of 3 days.
Not only is Death Valley a huge park, but the spread out nature of the hikes and activities make for a lot of time in the car. Additionally, if you are staying in Beatty, Nevada, for example, you’ll spend about an hour commuting from where you enter the park to different destinations within. If you want to read up on what sights I’m talking about that are so far apart, check out my full guide here.
Days 4–6: Grand Canyon National Park
- Drive: Death Valley → Grand Canyon (~6 hours)
- Alternative: Break it up by overnighting in Vegas (2 hours + 4 hours)
You can shorten this itinerary if you are willing to drive 6 hours to the Grand Canyon from Death Valley National Park. Spend the rest of that day doing the scenic drive around the park, watching sunset along the rim and preparing for any hiking you may do. Otherwise you can opt to split the drive up by spending one night in Las Vegas in between. That is what we did! Granted we had to swing by the airport to swoop another friend, but alas we had a lovely time at Bellagio watching the famous fountain from our room and eating tacos at a restaurant off the strip.
For the Grand Canyon visit itself, two days is plenty to enjoy rim lookouts, scenic drives, and one full day for a big hike into the canyon. If you are feeling brave try the rim-to river-to rim hike of South Kaibob to Bright Angel.
Ready to Explore? Book Here ↓
Day 6–7: Petrified Forest National Park
- Drive: Grand Canyon → Petrified Forest (~3 hours)
- Continue to: Gallup, NM (~1 hour) or Cortez, CO (~3 hours)
On your way, stop in Flagstaff for coffee and some house-hunting daydreams (trust me, it’s charming and we kept saying “I could totally live here” while browsing Redfin). Petrified Forest is small and can be seen in just a few hours. Learn how ancient wood turned to stone through flooding and science.
If you’re tired, crash in Gallup. If you’ve got the stamina, push on to Cortez which will put you closer to the next park.
Day 7: Mesa Verde National Park
- Drive: Gallup → Mesa Verde (~3 hours)
- Afterward: Mesa Verde → Moab, Utah (~2.5 hours)
Mesa Verde is one of the most underrated parks. Ancient Pueblo cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and scenic trails make it unforgettable. If you want to read more about Mesa Verde or find inspiration for a visit, check out my full Mesa Verde National Park Guide.
During our one day visit here we managed two hikes, a scenic drive and a couple of viewpoints all before continuing our drive to the next park. While you could spend 2 days seeing every corner of Mesa Verde, a half-day is enough before heading to Moab.
Days 8–12: Moab (Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point)
Finally, a chance to unpack! Moab is the base for three incredible parks:
- Arches National Park — home to over 2,000 natural arches
- Canyonlands National Park — vast canyons and mesas carved by the Colorado River
- Dead Horse Point State Park — not a National Park, but worth it for sweeping views
You could spend four full days in just one of these parks, but with 4–5 days total you’ll get a solid mix of highlights and hikes. For me the time spent in Arches was unforgettable. It was snowing a bit while I listened to “Delicate” by Taylor Swift while staring at Delicate Arch. A little on the nose, I know.
But the best hike in Arches National Park is the Devil’s Garden. It takes you past Landscape Arch which is one of the most impressive arches (and will probably cease to exist one day) and allows to you visit 8 or so arches on one hike.
Canyonlands National Park is quite vast, if you have time, extend your stay in Moab to properly visit this park. The park is divided into three sections: Island in the Sky, The Maze and The Needles.
To visit the Maze District you will need a car with high clearance and 4-wheel drive. Island in the Sky has some quick and easy hikes if you aren’t up for some of the more challenging bits in The Needles and The Maze. Check out Mesa Arch Trail, Upheaval Dome and White Rim Overlook Trail if you want something fast and easy.
The “must-do” hike in Dead Horse Point State Park is a the east and west rim loop trail which has you circle the river, following cairns and having majestic views the whole way.
Days 12–13: Capitol Reef National Park
- Drive: Moab → Capitol Reef (~2 hours)
Capitol Reef is an underrated beauty. From the moment you pass into the park to the sunset viewpoints and all the hikes in between your jaw will be on the floor. I was so enamored with the all of the red rock and the color gradients that defined the space around the park.
It felt like I was driving through Radiator Springs while we did the 7 mile scenic drive and our hike up to Cassidy Arch was picturesque. I hope to return to Capitol Reef and continue to explore everything this park has to offer!
Ready to Explore? Book Here ↓
Days 13–14: Bonneville Salt Flats & Salt Lake City
- Drive: Capitol Reef → Salt Lake City (~3.5 hours)
- Detour: Bonneville Salt Flats (~1.5 hours outside SLC)
Unfortunately, the end of our roadtrip is near, but there is still one left sight to see before returning your rental car and flying home from the Salt Lake City Airport. About 1.5 hours outside of SLC is an absolute stunner of a spot, the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Over 300,000 acres of white, crusted salt from less than 1 inch thick to 5 feet deep, there is no end in sight. Drive out onto the flats, take photos, and yes, you’ll probably bring some salt home on your shoes.
Add Ons
If you are wondering why the heck this itinerary didn’t include Zion National Park, at the time one of the friends I was with had just recently visited. So we opted for smaller parks than adding Zion to our itinerary. But because you are in the area, here are a couple of options you could swap in, or add on to this itinerary.
If you are able to snag a permit/ticket for a guided tour through Antelope Canyon, it is conveniently located just 1.5 hours away from the Grand Canyon and could be a great add on or day trip option. Due to its location in the Navajo Nation, a guide is REQUIRED to visit these famous slot canyons.
Zion National Park
After visiting Capitol Reef National Park you could deviate west instead of North and visit the famous Zion National Park. Hiking the intense Angels Landing or wading through The Narrows are just a couple of amazing options while visiting the park. It is about 3 hours driving from Capitol Reef and if you stayed near Zion for a couple days, you could opt to drive the 2 hours back to Vegas and return your car/fly out of where you started!
The Bottom Line
This two-week itinerary was the best road trip I’ve ever taken. Six National Parks, jaw-dropping landscapes, and a reminder that adventure doesn’t always mean hopping on a plane overseas. If you’re planning your own Southwest National Parks road trip, I hope this guide helps you hit the highlights.
Happy hiking, and let me know if you have questions while planning.
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