Finally putting together a road trip recap of our 12 day American Southwest National Park Road Trip through New Mexico, Utah, California, Nevada, Arizona, andddd back! We managed to hit FIVE National Parks and a whole bunch of other stunning Southwest US Stops.
This is the trip I would recommend if you’re coming anywhere from Texas specifically, but even if you’re coming from somewhere else this is a great tour to take to hit all your stops in time!
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OUR SOUTHWEST NATIONAL PARK ROAD TRIP ITENARARY
Day One: Left Austin at 1pm -> 12 drive to Albuquerque -> Albuquerque for the night
Day Two: Left Albuquerque at 7am -> 6 hour drive to the Grand Canyon -> Grand Canyon for the day and night
Day Three: Left the Grand Canyon at 8am -> 6 hour drive to Joshua Tree -> Joshua Tree for the day and night
Day Four: Worked from Palm Springs until 2pm -> 5 hour drive to Death Valley -> Death Valley for the night
Day Five: Work from Death Valley until 2pm -> Death Valley for the day and night
Day Six: Work from Death Valley until 2pm -> 2 hour drive to Red Rock Canyon/Vegas for the night
Day Seven: Work from Vegas until 2pm -> 3 hour drive to Zion Canyon for the night
Day Eight: Took the day off work! Spent the entire day hiking Zion and the night there
Day Nine: Left Zion at 9am -> 2 hour drive to Bryce Canyon -> Bryce Canyon for the day and night
Day Ten: Left Bryce Canyon at 9am -> 3 hour drive to Lake Powell -> Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon for the day
Day Eleven: Drove from Lake Powell to Albuquerque for the night
Day Twelve: Drove from Albuquerque back to Austin!
Total Trip Cost of Food + Gas + Housing: $750 per person for 3 people!
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Cadillac Ranch
DAY ONE: DRIVING TO ALBUQUERQUE
Total Driving: 10+ Hours
The MOST critical part of the southwest national park road trip was getting to Albuquerque in one day and sleeping there, if we didn’t pull it off then we would likely have the rest of the trip pushed back a day! We had to route through Dallas Fort Worth to pick up our third passenger, Abbey, but otherwise we could have taken a straight drive through Lubbock and made it in ten hours.
Pit Stops: We stopped at Cadillac Ranch (pictured above) for a quick break and because it’s an iconic Texas stop! Then went over to the Big Texas Steak Ranch for dinner, another Texas icon.
Where We Stayed: The Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel was actually the best deal we were able to find! Definitely find something basic, since you’re only here to sleep and get back on the road!
Grand Canyon Mather Point 
Grandview Point 
Grandview Point
DAY TWO: THE GRAND CANYON
Total Driving: 6 Hours from New Mexico to the Grand Canyon
And we made it! We left bright and early in the morning so we could get to the Grand Canyon early and spend the day exploring. See below for our favorite things at the Grand Canyon!
Start Your Day At:
The visitors center and Mather Point! They’re the best place to kick it off, and with some of the best views around. The visitors center will also give you insight into the best options for your southwest national park road trip and what you want to see and do.
Things To Do in the Grand Canyon:
- Take the Hermit Road Shuttle: This shuttle takes you all the way up to the Hermit Trailhead, which is an adventurous hike and great viewpoint. I would only do this if you have the ENTIRE day, and want more to do. Otherwise, don’t prioritize!
- Yaki Point: Start your drive here! An incredible viewpoint of the canyon before you drive on up to the lighthouse. If you don’t have time to drive the 22 miles up, then catch the sunset from Yaki Point! Still stunning!
- South Kaibab Trail: This route is if you’re looking to go into the canyon, this is a great trail! It’s not an EASY route, so please go in prepared and talk to the rangers before you go.
- Grandview Point and Trailhead: This had some insanely beautiful views, but the other great part is it also has a trailhead into the canyon. We opted to go down this one for about a mile or so just to do it, and we knew Kaibab was for way more serious hikers than we were.
- Lipan Point: We were told by the rangers that the best sunsets could be found here, and that sunset did NOT disappoint! Highly recommend.
- Desert View Watchtower: If you have time before the sunset, you can hit the watchtower first! Also a museum, and it’s truly stunning.
Other Recommendations:
If you have the time, I absolutely want to recommend a Grand Canyon Mule Ride or Helicopter Tour. These two are PRICY and I had to admit my parents kindly paid for 100% of this. We went when I was younger, but it was booked for this trip! Truly, an insane experience for thrill lovers.
Where To Stay in the Grand Canyon:
If you want to CAMP: definitely book the Grand Canyon campgrounds ASAP, because they fill up quickly! Otherwise, check out Hipcamp and you can book private property just outside the park to camp at. I won’t link which we stayed at, because I definitely do not recommend it.
If you want an affordable stay: don’t stay IN the Grand Canyon, but grab a hotel room in Williams! It’s about an hour away, the prices are like a quarter of what you pay to be in the park. This is what we probably should have done!
If you want to splurge: the Grand Canyon has beautiful lodges in Grand Canyon Village that are an amazing experience! If you want the whole National Park adventure, definitely go for this option.
Keys View Peak 
Skull Rock Trail 
Keys View Peak
DAY THREE: JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
Total Driving: 6 Hours from the Grand Canyon to Joshua Tree
I actually came in thinking Joshua Tree was going to be a lame park, but I was pleasantly surprised! It was a fun space with plenty of boulders to climb on and desert to see. Some incredible view points as well. You can definitely focus on Arizona / Utah for your road trip and skip California, but we enjoyed our time in California on this southwest national park road trip!
Pro Tip:
Instead of going in through the main entrance, go through the BACK entrance (Cottonwood Visitor Center) so you can drive straight through the park back to front. We did this on accident, but totally think it worked out for the best! You’ll stop at the Cholla Cactus Garden (left) and then continue up to the main entrance.
Things To Do in Joshua Tree National Park:
- Cholla Cactus Garden: Basically a cacti lovers paradise! Cute one mile trail where you can walk through the famous cactus garden. An icon of the park!
- Discovery Trail and Skull Rock: We loved this little hike! Nothing too crazy, mostly going through the boulders and can climb up on them. Good trail for those that love a fun climbing experience!
- Keys View: The most incredible view point around. This was stunning, we loved seeing this canyon overlook. Barely a walk too, super easy.
Marriott Palm Springs Hotel 
Driving Through Joshua Tree National Park
Where to Stay in Joshua Tree:
If you want to camp: stay in Joshua Tree National Park and try to get the Jumbo Rocks campground! This is the one we enjoyed, with plenty of shade and all the needed amenities. Plus tons of fun boulders to climb on!
If you need a hotel: definitely try and stay in Palm Springs! Only a 45 minute drive from Joshua Tree’s entrance, and with endless restaurants and fun hotels.
Badwater Basin 
Zabriski Point
DAY FOUR + FIVE: DEATH VALLEY
Total Driving: 5 Hours from Joshua Tree to Death Valley
What struck me about Death Valley was 1) how EMPTY it was, seriously saw a total of 10 humans there with us and 2) how HUGE it is. You’re about 50+ miles from a gas station so make sure you enter with a 100% full tank or you’ll find yourself in trouble. Additionally, it’s just overall dead here. This was likely one of my least favorite parks from this southwest national park road trip because it was so dismal, but definitely one of the more unique landscapes.
Pro Tip for Park Go-ers:
See if you can pick up a boogie board of some sort at a Walmart before you head to the park! That way you can sled down the sand dunes. We totally wished we had something for the dunes, but we forgot!
Things To Do in Death Valley:
- Zabriski Point: For sunset and some beautiful landscape views of the dead lands! Colorful cliffs and stunning sunset views here. Plus, endless stars at night.
- Badwater Basin: The lowest point in North America! You can literally taste the sand on the ground. This is just…deadlands. Worth going!
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes: These are the sand dunes I mentioned above! They’re incredible and so expansive, and worth sledding down. However, know that it’s INSANELY hot here in summer. Our car was at 115 degrees and we didn’t last even 30 minutes on the dunes before we drank all our water and ran back to the car
- Devils Point: A short but SUPER STEEP hike to the top peak for an insanely cool view. Come prepared with good shoes!
- Artist Drive: A little 12 mile drive through the painted hills! SO pretty if you have the time to do this on your way back to the center of the park from Badwater Basin
Some of our Favorite Travel Outfit Essentials:
Where to Stay in Death Valley:
Where to Camp in Death Valley: I highly recommend camping in Alabama Hills just outside the park! The land is owned by the Bureau of Land Management, so it’s entirely free to park here and camp. Plus it is gorgeous and SO much cooler than actual Death Valley temperatures
Where to Stay in Death Valley: You basically only have the Death Valley Lodge inside the park, or you can stay outside the park. However if you stay outside, be prepared to have zero service and a long drive into the park!
Photo by Ameer Basheer on Unsplash
DAY SIX: LAS VEGAS + RED ROCKS
Driving Time: 2-3 Hours from Death Valley to Las Vegas
We were actually still working from home during this trip, so we stopped in Las Vegas when we knew we were going to need strong functional WiFi for meetings! Otherwise, the WiFi along this trip was pretty spotty. If it’s not a pandemic, I totally recommend checking out Vegas and Red Rocks! Not the top of the priority list on this southwest national park road trip, but still a fun one!
Check out the Las Vegas Red Rocks Park
We ended up arriving too late to do this, but totally heard good things! You can spend an afternoon doing some of the hikes in the Red Rocks park, which are gorgeous
Things To Do in Las Vegas:
- Walk Around the Casinos: Even if you’re not a big gambling person, these hotels are a treat to walk around! All are so different with unique architecture. Would especially recommend the Bellagio, Ceasers Palace, the New York Hotel, Paris Hotel, and Venitian!
- Check out the Bellagio Fountain Show: Such a cool show to catch! They also change these up, so it’s unlikely you’ll see the same one twice.
- Catch a Regular Show: obviously, none are happening in the middle of the pandemic. But otherwise, I especially recommend seeing O at the Bellagio!
Watchman Hike 
The Narrows 
Watchman Point
Day Seven + Eight: Zion Canyon
Driving Time: 3 hours from Red Rock Canyon to Zion Canyon
FIRSTLY. Stop what you’re doing and book tickets on the Zion Shuttle to get into the canyon. We almost missed this, and its a VERY not fun walk if you can’t get tickets. If you’re unable to snag someone, check REGULARLY. We managed to get 3 tickets the day before and we were checking every 15 minutes. Otherwise, Zion is my absolute favorite National Park of this trip and I totally recommend 2 days here to get the full experience!
Hiking the Narrows in Zion Canyon
The Narrows is a 10 mile trail THROUGH the river that runs between the canyons. It’s pretty much entirely through water, and the water gets about as deep as your waist.
It’s absolutely beautiful and a unique hike! I would 100% say you NEED closed toe waterproof shoes and would highly recommend a walking stick. We opted for neither, and made it only 2-3 miles in before turning around. You can also rent these at Zion Outfitters just outside the entrance of the park!
Things To Do in Zion Canyon:
- Catch the Sunset: I would recommend hiking up Watchman (easy-ish one mile hike) for some insane sunset views! Also have heard Overlook is a great spot to catch the sunset, we just can’t personally confirm.
- Hike Scout’s View to Angels Landing: Until Angels Landing opens up, you can still hike up to Scouts View. This is the first half of the Angels Landing trail. The hike is HARD, but it does have some of the best views of the entire park. Just make sure you give yourself 2-3 hours total for this hike and bring TWICE the water you think you need.
- Hike Emerald Pools: Going to be honest, if the lower pools is closed and it’s only upper, this isn’t like the number one hike on my list. It’s cool and does have some gorgeous views if you don’t plan to do Scout’s View though.
- Drive Through the Tunnel: Whether you do it when you leave or enter the park, this is iconic! I especially love it entering the park actually. It’s a stunning view down into the canyon that will make you SO excited about being in Zion.
- Other Hikes: We didn’t complete these ourselves, but I’ve heard Court of the Patriarchs and Towers of the Virgin are also fabulous hikes!
- Hang Out in Springdale: The town just outside of Zion is SO cute! I 100% want to live somewhere like this. You can grab dinner at one of the restaurants, or enjoy a beer at the brewery too!
Some of our Favorite Hiking and Camping Essentials:
Bonus Perk of Zion Nation Park? The River!
Right at the entrance of the park, you can find tons of river access points. You can ever opt to float down the river with any of the river floating companies. Such a fun way to get views and stay cool.
Where to Stay in Zion National Park:
If You Want to Camp: Of course, if you can snag a spot early enough then camping in Zion Canyon is incredible! But it’s SO hard to book. If you are down for some back-country hiking, then check out the West or East rim trails!
Hotels, but Nearby: They aren’t your cheapest options, but the hotels in the Zion town itself are so cute and so close to everything. It’s definitely the most convenient option and still gorgeous!
Hotels, but Affordable: We opted to stay outside of the park in Hurricane, which was only a 20-30 minute drive to the park. Totally worth it for us for the price!
Bryce Canyon Views 
Views from Sunrise Point
DAY NINE: BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Driving Time: 3 hours from Canyon to Bryce Canyon
I am always a sucker for Bryce Canyon because it’s UNIQUE and you just really can’t imagine the park until you see it in person. Also it’s one of the easiest to go down into the canyon, where you don’t have to take a 4-5 hour trek to do so! Definitely love this camping area as well.
Things To Do in Bryce Canyon:
- Queens Garden Loop: Start your trail at Sunrise point and head right down into the canyon here! You’ll loop through the hoodoos and through Queens Garden. Highly recommend ending at Wall Street trail before heading up! I will warn you, this is a STEEP trail. Especially back up. But it’s worth it!
- Mossy Cave Trail and Bristlecone: I didn’t actually complete these so can’t tell you much, but the park rangers recommended them to us!
- Catch the Sunset/Sunrise: My mom said catching the sunrise was one of the most beautiful things she has ever seen. We sadly missed it, but it’s called Sunrise point for a reason!
Where To Stay in Bryce Canyon:
If You Want to Camp: We stayed in Sunset Campground for this trip! It was such a nice campground with a convenient location and hookups for RVs. I would recommend trying to stay in the park!
If You Want a Hotel: There is Bryce Village RIGHT outside of the park with tons of hotel options! I would totally recommend staying there too, and its easy access to get into Bryce Canyon for there, like 10 minutes.
Bonus Stop: Grand Staircase-Escalante
I WISH we had the time to stop here! We absolutely wanted to, but we needed to be back in Texas at a certain day so it just didn’t fit in the agenda this trip. But if you can, I think I would lean toward hitting this spot instead of Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon because Antelope Canyon is currently closed due to COVID!
Tons of resources exist for what to do here, and this guide from Roadtrippers would be a helpful resource! Also generally a good program to use for your southwest national park road trip!
Day Ten: Antelope Canyon & Lake Powell
Driving Time: 3 hours to get from Bryce Canyon down to Lake Powell
First thing in the morning (after you catch that sunrise) you should head down to Lake Powell. Last time I came, we started our day with a tour of Antelope Canyon (which is STUNNING) and you absolutely should add this beautiful monument to your list.
Bonus Stop: Horseshoe Bay
An icon I am sure you have seen on Instagram! I will say, they changed it so now it’s a $10 fee to enter. Also, this is about a mile long trail with ZERO shade so bring your water and absolutely do not risk your safety. And no railings, so maybe no children. But that final view is quite a stunning one.
Hanging Out on Lake Powell
Afterwards, you can take a boat tour on Lake Powell or just rent your own boat and enjoy the stunning lake yourself. It’s a great lazy fun day after a week of LOTS of traveling and moving around!
Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash
Bonus Stop: Monument Valley
On your way back to Texas, totally recommend stopping at Monument Valley too! It was sadly shut down from COVID when we went but I believe it is back open now. It’s stunning to drive through and see the unique Navajo valley. You can also take some insanely beautiful photos here!
Not a traditional US National Park like others on this southwest national park road trip, but this Navajo Park is a wonder on its own!
Carlsbad Caverns 
Sedona, Arizona
Route Options Coming Back to Texas
There are a couple different ways to get back home after this trip, depending on if you want to tack on extra days or not!
- Go straight back through Alb. and Amarillo (20 hours to Austin)
- Detour a little bit through Santa Fe to add a new city to the trip (21 hours to Austin)
- Route through Sedona, AZ (22 hours to Austin)
- Make a stop in Phoenix and come through El Paso (22 hours)
- Make a stop in Phoenix and come through Carlsbad / White Sands (24 hours)
Pin This Post for Later:
And that’s it! I’ll be putting together TONS of other resources to help with your trip planning coming up, but until then I hope you found this southwest national park road trip guide helpful! Feel free to DM me on Instagram @agirlfromtx if you have anything else you want details on from this Southwest Road Trip.
