Road Trip Arizona & Utah National Parks

Mary Buckley from Shore Travel enjoyed a family holiday to the United States in October.  The highlight of this trip was a four day road trip from Las Vegas to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon.  Here are the highlights and tips for those planning their own trip to this beautiful part of America.

Zion National Park, Utah:  The drive from Las Vegas to Zion National Park takes about two and half hours of easy driving on long stretches of open road.  We walked the Canyon Overlook Trail which is an easy one hour walk that takes you to an elevated view of awesome Zion Canyon.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah:  We drove another one and half hours to Bryce Canyon.  The Bryce amphitheatre is famous for the largest collection of hoodoos (the distinctive rock formations) in the world.  Both the Garden and Navajo Loop Trails offer the best photo opportunities.  It’s worth getting up for the sunrise here to watch the hoodoos start to glow orange as the sun rises.

Antelope Canyon, Arizona:  We visited the Upper Antelope Canyon.  There is also a lower canyon to visit if you have time.  You must pre book a tour or purchase access to this Navajo Tribal canyon.  The best time of the year to visit Antelope to experience the sun pouring through the cracks in the rock is May to July when the sun is at its highest, however it was still amazing in October.

Monument Valley, Arizona:  The Navajo Nation’s Monument Valley is majestic! This great valley boasts sandstone masterpieces that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet and feature in multiple movie scenes.  It’s possible to Self-drive the Tribal Park Loop from the Monument Valley Visitor Centre, however we recommend joining a fun and informative 4WD tour to navigate the rough terrain and sand dunes. 

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona:  There is some back tracking to get to Grand Canyon, with the drive taking just under three hours.  The South Rim viewpoints to stop at are Desert View Point with watchtower; Grand View Point and Moran Point before arriving at the Grand Canyon Village.  There are multiple options for walks, with the easy Rim walk suitable for all abilities to take in the stunning views.  The long drive back to Las Vegas takes four and half hours on easy freeways and a stop at Hoover Dam is recommended.