It is incredibly rare for me to end up beginning my spring break with no plans. Usually, I have pages of task lists and about ten hikes already scheduled. This year was surprisingly different but incredibly refreshing! My husband and I decided the day before spring break to drive down to the Grand Canyon. So, with nearly 24 hours to prepare before our departure, I quickly looked up a few blog posts and maps and roughly decided on a southwest national parks road trip itinerary.

Update: After traveling to Utah many times now, we have officially perfected our road trip itinerary. You can check it out on my Ultimate Utah Mighty 5 Itinerary post, includes 5-, 7-, 10-, and 14-day options (with tips and tricks for each park and everything else you need to know before you begin your journey).

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Road Trip Facts:

Total Time: 3 Nights, 4 Full Days

Drive Time: 28 Hours

National Parks Visited: Six

States Visited: Four

Total Cost: $198

Route: Google Map

Let me first begin by saying that we were incredibly lucky. Our spring break ended up being much earlier than most so I was able to snag the last campsites just in time. But, we were also unlucky. Because we were going so early, the weather was going to be cold. And I mean single digits cold. That is dang cold to be tent camping in freezing rain and snow (not that we haven’t stupidly done that a dozen other times). Did that stop us? NO WAY!

Roadtrip Preparations:

Thanks to our enormous stockpile of camping gear and leftover junk food from midterms, we raided our pantry and gear storage to make our total food and gear cost $0. Cool beans! We pre-made sandwiches, salads, and chopped fruit quickly the day before and stuffed them all in the cooler. We also cooked up a couple dinners to pack in there to mix up our dehydrated meals.

Luckily, we have some pretty great winter camping gear including packable down blankets and sleeping bags. We also made sure to pack flashlights, our backpacking camp stove, warm clothes, and, as always, the ten hiking essentials.

Before we go further, I just need to take a minute to say how amazing packable down blankets are. Whoever invented these babies are pure genius! I can honestly say they saved me from becoming a human popsicle on this trip.

Read more about what we pack for every hike HERE  and what we pack for every road trip HERE.

Cost Breakdown:

Okay, this is the part of our trip I am most proud of. We were able to keep our trip under $200! For a four. day. vacation. Prett sweet right?! So, let’s break it down and hopefully I can give you some money saving ideas too!

• Food/Gear: $0 – Like I said, we raided our pantry and fridge to use all of our leftover food and grabbed some leftover dehydrated meals from our last adventure. We also used our surprisingly large collection of Nalgenes to keep plenty of water with us (and filled up our water each night at the campsites).
• Entrance Fees: $0 – A few months ago, we purchased the National Parks America the Beautiful Annual Pass. It is $80 for a full year of entries into National Parks. We have already used it countless times and have made our money back twice over already. Because we had already purchased it, I don’t count it towards our total but if you plan on visiting at least 5 parks, this pass is WELL worth the money!
• Camp Sites: $66 – Rounding up, we paid a total of $66 for our campsites. I paid in advance to make sure we had a reservation (slots were filling up FAST!). The campsites we stayed at were: Canyons of Escalante RV Park ($18), St. George KOA ($30), and the Grand Canyon’s Mather Campground ($18).
• Gas: $132 – We drive a small SUV that gets about 28-30 miles to the gallon. The total trip was just over 1,600 miles. Costco gas was our friend.

If you don’t have a National Parks pass or some great leftover food like we did, you can still do our same trip for under $375 no problem!

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Budgeting that will have you Saving Thousands! 

Day One: Arches National Park

Drive from Denver, CO to Escalante, UT

We left the bustling city of Denver at 7 am to a fully packed highway over the Rockies. After over six hours on the road, we finally arrived at our destination. Our first big stop on our amazing southwest National Parks road trip was Arches National Park. This amazing place is like nothing I have ever seen before, and I’m a geologist! The entire park is filled with gorgeous red rock formations with countless eroded arches in beautiful sandstone.

If you’re interested in visiting Arches National Park, here is my post on everything you need to know before you go!

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Arches National Park

• Delicate Arch Hike: Once we drove into Arches National Park, our first stop was, of course, the most popular hike in the park, the Delicate Arch Trail. We arrived at the trailhead at 1:25 pm and hiked for a little over an hour and a half. This is a moderate 2.9-mile trail with 600 ft elevation gain. The last half of the trail is all on solid rock, and there are parts where the trail is difficult to find, so following cairns is vital. This trail is gorgeous and, if you check out anything at this park, this is the hike see!
  The Delicate Arch Trail is among the most beautiful in Arches National Park!Click To Tweet
• Devil’s Garden: The next most popular area of the park is Devil’s Garden. This is a 7.5-mile loop hike known for the 7 gorgeous arches along the trail. Because we knew we would be tight on time, we only hiked the first half of the trail but the views were well worth it!

  

  

• Double Arch: The fantastic Double Arch is my second favorite rock formation in the park. It is absolutely breathtaking! The best part about double arch is that you can climb up into the rock formation and to get a glimpse of the beautiful surrounding views! The entire time we were here, all we could think about was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Can you see it too? Actually, I just looked it up, they totally filmed it here!! I KNEW IT.

  

  

• Balanced Rock: Our last quick hike in the park was balanced rock. This is a tiny 0.3-mile loop around a fascinating rock formation. A great and short last hiking spot!

  

• Escalante: We finished up at Arches National Park around 5:15 pm and started our long drive to Escalante. After many chapters on the audiobook and a gorgeous sunset, we arrived at our campsite at 9:10 pm. By this time, it was pitch black but the manager of the Canyons of Escalante RV Park stayed up and waited for us to make sure we made it safely. How sweet is that?! This facility is incredibly clean and is a great price, we highly recommend it!

Day Two: Spooky and Peek-A-Boo Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park

Drive from Escalante, UT to St. George, UT

It took us a while to defrost the car (it was completely full of ice) but by 7:30 am, we were on the road! Hurricane is a cute little town with some great hiking possibilities including Zebra Canyon and Calf Creek Falls. All of the trails around here looked gorgeous but we opted for the famous Spooky and Peek-A-Boo Canyons.

• Spooky and Peek-A-Boo Canyons: These two canyons, located right next to each other, are a moderate gravel-road drive away from Escalante, UT. Spooky and Peek-A-Boo Canyons make up a 3-mile gorgeous loop in slot canyons. This is a great alternative to the famous Antelope Canyon (which requires a substantial entrance fee and a guide). We arrived at the canyons at 8:40 am and were lucky enough to not see anyone until our hike out. The great thing about these canyons is that easy and fun rock climbing is required in some parts (all the more reason to visit). If you visit, beware of flash floods, please!

  

  

• Bryce Canyon National Park: The road between Grand Staircase and Zion National Park takes you through the famous Bryce Canyon National Park. For us, we were able to make this a quick stop before arriving in Zion, and it was well worth it. The formations are gorgeous and one of a kind!

  

• Zion National Park: We arrived in Zion National Park at 2:30 pm. Aside from Olympic National Park, this is my favorite park in the country. IT IS SPECTACULAR! The formations and layout of the area are like nothing I have ever seen! There is this incredibly long tunnel with huge windows running through the middle of the park and gorgeous cliffs surrounding the beautiful lodge and campsites. We were lucky we got to drive around in our personal vehicle, this is not allowed during the spring and summer months. Instead, they offer a shuttle service.
  Zion National Park is among the most beautiful places in the United States and is just a short drive the Grand Canyon! Click To Tweet

  

• Angels Landing:  Let’s talk about the Angels Landing Trail for a second. This is a 4.1-mile difficult hike with 1617 ft elevation gain. The first half is simple; an easy climb up the West Rim Trail (leads you to the Angels Landing Trail). It is paved up about halfway. Where the pavement ends is where the fun begins. The rest of the hike is a partial rock climb, steep drop-offs on each side with chains to help support your efforts. Now, I am sure this climb is a BREEZE in the summer. But we had the pleasure of climbing this sucker in the ICE. No regrets, the view is spectacular, just slightly terrifying! If you go in the colder months, BRING ICE CLEATS. I’m not kidding. There have been multiple deaths on this trail. That isn’t to deter you, the hike is so worth it! Just be cautious! I highly recommend a pair of cleats like this to make sure you have traction both on the ice and on the rocks, incredibly important for this hike. You can check current conditions here.

  

  

  

  

• Emerald Pools: After a difficult climb, of course we thought another hike was a good idea! One of the Emerald Pools trailheads is near the Angels Landing trail. This is a 2.2-mile easy hike with only 541 ft elevation gain. On the trail, we saw a gorgeous fox and plenty of deer. The pools are pretty, with tall waterfalls trickling into them. We hiked out of this area in the dark but the trail is quite large so the trek was easy.

  

• St. George KOA: The campground in the park was booked so we opted to drive to St. George to stay at the KOA there. This was unnecessary as there are plenty of other campgrounds around Zion. We didn’t know this at the time, so if you’re in the area, definitely try there first!

Read more about Zion National Park HERE!

Day Three: The Narrows, Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon National Park

Drive from St. George, UT to Grand Canyon Village, AZ

• The Narrows: For our last hurrah, we decided to hike the freezing Narrows Trail. This is another gorgeous hike in Zion. We laced up in our tennis shoes and threw on our snow jackets and were on our way! The first part of the hike is a nice paved pathway along the river. This path ends at a small gravel bar where the hike continues upstream in the shallow Virgin River. Hopping into the river was like jumping into an ice bath, but there were quite a few people around us, we thought “it can’t be that bad.” However, after closer inspection, they all were wearing neoprene, waterproof gear. ALL OF THEM. After hiking about a mile upstream, someone commented how brave we were for not wearing waterproof gear. I replied that we weren’t brave, just very stupid. Don’t be like us, rent or buy some gear for the hike. Another complete lifesaver? Trekking poles! Seriously wouldn’t have made it without them!

  

  

• Lake Powell: After defrosting our fingers and checking our toes for frostbite, we began our drive to Arizona. Lake Powell was our first stop. This is a gorgeous and seemingly random lake on the central border of Utah and Arizona. We hung out and had lunch on the shores of this beautiful lake before moving on. There are plenty of places to rent kayaks or paddleboards if you’re interested!

  

• Horseshoe Bend: Horseshoe Bend is a quick and free pitstop along the highway to the Grand Canyon. A quick walk from the parking lot will get you to the viewpoint of the gorgeous bend.

  

• Grand Canyon National Park: We finally reached Grand Canyon National Park at 6 pm, just in time to begin exploring!

  

• Rim Trail: The Grand Canyon Rim Trail is a popular, easy, and long trail that runs along the south rim. It stops at all of the major and popular viewpoints of the Grand Canyon and even has a shuttle to allow individuals to skip any part of the trail. Knowing we didn’t have much light left, we decided to hike about half of this trail and the beginning of the South Kaibab Trail to catch the sunset. Again, we hiked out in the dark but it was well worth it!

  

  

  

• Grand Canyon Mather Campground: I’ll be honest, I was shocked we got a site. Luckily we were traveling early and just missed the crowds. The Mather Campground is a gorgeous and convenient location. It is nestled in the heart of Grand Canyon Village and a short drive to most of the south rim trailheads.

Related: Discover How to Create a Motivational Bucket List (+50 Ideas to Get You Started!)

Day Four: Grand Canyon South Rim, Desert View Watchtower, Four Corners, Mesa Verde National Park

Drive from Grand Canyon Village, AZ to Denver, CO

• Sunrise at the South Rim: We got up at 5:30 am, packed up camp and drove back to the Rim Trail. We decided to check out the western and central portions of the trail this time and were amazed to watch the sunrise at Mather Point. The pictures don’t do it justice, it truly is a bucket list experience.

  

• Desert View Watchtower: Our last stop at the Grand Canyon was the famous Desert View Watchtower. This is a tall stone tower that overlooks the canyon and is accompanied by a museum on the eastern end of the south rim.

  

• Four Corners: Of course, we had to stop at the famous four corners tourist trap before heading back into Colorado!

  

• Mesa Verde National Park: After Ashley S. mentioned Mesa Verde on The Bachelor, I was determined to visit! With little research, this park was a pleasant surprise! Mesa Verde National Park is located in southwest Colorado and is famous for it’s 5,000 archeological sites including 600 cliff dwellings! There is even a museum!

  

• Denver: Sadly, our trip had to come to an end. We finally made it back home after dark. However, if you choose to follow our packed itinerary, there is a great hike in Colorado Springs on the way to Denver. There are also countless things to see and do in and around Denver! You could visit the Rocky Mountain National Park and hike Alberta Falls or Bear Lake. You could also find dinosaurs at Dinosaur Ridge or hike to castle ruins at Mount Falcon. There is also South Table Mountain in Golden before a free and wonderful tour at Coors Brewery!

  

  

  

Well, that’s it! Hope our trip inspired you to plan a southwest national parks road trip! We had a blast and I am already planning for our next national park road trip! Okay, I am planning a few. There are just so many great places to see in the United States! Who knew?! But before I leave you, here are some quick tips and lessons we learned on our trip. Have fun on yours!

National Parks Road Trip Tips:

• If you’re planning a road trip through Utah, I HIGHLY recommend you check out my Ultimate Guide to Planning the Perfect Utah Road Trip – it walks you through all the necessary steps before you hit the road!
• Download a few audiobooks for the drive, it will be well worth it! You can download free audiobooks onto your phone from your local library. We went through three whole books!
• Don’t forget anything on the road by using this complete road trip essentials list!
• Bring a packable down blanket, it is great for the car and takes up no space at all!
• Plan for pit stops! It is pretty easy to find them in national parks, and this area is packed with them so they are pretty easy to find. There are also rest stops along all major highways, just get used to looking for them.
• Don’t forget a flashlight!! We personally use headlamps and tactical lights when traveling and they are life savers!
• The National Parks America the Beautiful Pass is SO worth the money! $80 for unlimited park visits for a year! Pays for itself after your fifth park!
• If you are a cardholder of one of the discounted National Park Passes (senior, all access, etc.), you will receive a huge discount at most campsites (usually 50% off).
• Get up early and stay in the parks late to avoid the crowds! We planned all of our less popular hikes for the afternoon and it worked out quite well.
• Check the weather before you go! At each location! Also, check all of the current conditions at each park and trail. We definitely learned that lesson for Angels Landing and The Narrows at Zion National Park.

Interested in visiting any of the Southwest National Parks soon? Read more about Arches National Park HERE and Zion National Park HERE! Have fun!