Looking to explore America’s great Southwest? Are you worried because you don’t have a lot of vacation time? Fret not, fellow travelers. Here is our Ultimate 10-day American Southwest Road Trip.

Our Ultimate 10-Day American Southwest Road Trip

Best Time To Go

Your best bet is to schedule your trip during the spring or fall. During the summer the temperatures hit the hundreds and a lot of places become crowded. Winter is also not the best time for your trip because the temperatures can be too low, and snowfall can cause closures.

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Day 1. Las Vegas To The Grand Canyon

Your trip begins in “Sin City” Las Vegas, 279 miles from the Grand Canyon. Check out the various attractions here in the morning, if you haven’t already checked them out on Day 0. Be sure to peruse the other articles on this website for more information on what to do and see in Las Vegas, Nevada.)

Prep for a drive of 4.5 hours. Stop to stretch your legs at the Memorial Bridge to see Hoover Dam. Check out Lake Mead from the overlook too.  

This schedule focuses on the South Rim which is more family-friendly, with more moderate hiking trails, more amenities, and more to do. You can spend the night in Tusayan, just six miles from the popular South Rim. Should you crave solitude and more challenging hiking trails, simply adjust your schedule a bit and drive to the North Rim.  

Only 10 percent of the canyon’s visitors come here. You can stay at the Yavapai Lodge or the Bright Angel Lodge. Both of these places are on site.

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Day 2. The Grand Canyon

Your second day is reserved for exploring the great Grand Canyon. Regular readers already know a lot about this natural wonder. Nevertheless, highlights here include biking, hiking, and horseback riding.  

Not feeling athletic? You can learn about this gorgeous gorge at the educational Yavapai Geology Museum located at the South Rim. You can even sign up for a helicopter tour! If, on the other hand, you want a challenge, add a couple of days to your itinerary and hike the canyon rim-to-rim like your rovin’ writer once did!

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Day 3. Drive From Grand Canyon To Monument Valley

On this day you’ll be driving approximately 175 miles from the Grand Canyon to magnificent Monument Valley, Utah. Day Three involves a little time making only minimal detours to see a few things and stretch your legs as well. Visit Tsegi Canyon and catch a glimpse at the ancient settlements carved into the rock face thousands of years ago by the Anasazi people.  

Another point of interest is the memorable rock formation Artenesales de Piedra, a.k.a. Church Rock. Travel a few more miles and see the rugged red rock landscape known as Baby Rocks. It’s reminiscent of Bryce Canyon’s terrain.

You can make Page your base of operations since it’s not far from Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Horseshoe Bend. If you make good time, stop by Mexican Hat. The town was named this because it’s shaped like a Mexican sombrero. Of course, the main “must-see” site is the Navajo National Monument.   

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Day 4. See Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

The enthralling Monument Valley is one of the world’s most photographed places. Indeed, it’s practically an icon of any true American Southwest road trip. This park spans an area that crosses the border between Utah and Arizona.

The fragile sandstone towers here are as tall as 1,000 feet. They are surrounded by miles of mesas, desert sand, hardy shrubs, and stark buttes, all backdropped by beautiful blue skies. The most famous landmarks here are Merrick Butte and Mitten Buttes.

The area is thought to be sacred. Thus, you will have to book a tour with a Navajo guide. Movie mavens might recognize this spot from such feature films as Back to the Future III, Easy Rider, Mission Impossible 2, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Stagecoach, The Lone Ranger, and Forrest Gump. You can even visit famous Forrest Gump Point!

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Day 5. See Antelope Canyon And Horseshoe Bend  

Horseshoe Bend is just 123 miles from Monument Valley. This is a great place to take a break. If you don’t like hiking, you can go kayaking on lovely Lake Powell. You will find alluring Antelope Canyon about 10 minutes away.

It is a stunning slot canyon that is highlighted by the wave-like effect the sunlight has on the canyon’s narrow sandstone walls. You can access it from either Upper Antelope Canyon or Lower Antelope Canyon. The former is more popular with those who prefer less challenging hikes.

Hiking the narrower Lower Antelope Canyon is actually fun even though the above-mentioned sunlight effect is not as impressive here. Keep in mind that you can only hike here with a guide. Additionally, you will want to get a permit well in advance to access Antelope Canyon as well.

If you have some time before you check out of your room in Page, visit the friendly Carl Hayden Visitor Center. You can learn a bit about the engineering and history of the local Glen Canyon Dam through several interpretive exhibits. Book a jeep tour and go stargazing as well.

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Day 6. Get A Gander Of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

This place is less than 28 miles from the city of Page. It is perfect for backcountry adventures! Here you can stop and enjoy ancient arches, prehistoric sites, multicolored cliffs, natural bridges, several slot canyons, and even a couple of long-abandoned movie sets.

While it is famous for its namesake Grand Staircase, there are several other noteworthy landmarks to see including Cottonwood Canyon, Grosvenor Arch, and Kodachrome Basin State Park. Furthermore, this area was once the home of the Fremont and Anasazi and Fremont, so you will also see a plethora of petroglyphs as you wander around here. Finally, this remote spot features five separate ecosystems that range from verdant pine forests to low-lying deserts.

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Day 7. Explore Beautiful Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is under 20 miles from the great Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This national park might be small when compared to others but there are quite a lot of things to see and do here nonetheless. Perhaps the main attraction here is the bright red hoodoos that make the park’s landscape unique.

Veteran visitors say the best way to really see the hoodoos is by strapping on your boots and hiking the popular Queen’s Garden to the well-known Navajo Loop trail, a trail that winds through lush pine forests, unusual, rugged rock tunnels, and, of course, the striking scarlet hoodoos. Thor’s Hammer is reported to be the tallest one at a height of 150 feet. Other well-known hoodoos here are Camel’s Head, Toadstool, and Three Kings.

If you like to hike you may also wish to do the popular Bryce Canyon Fairyland Loop. It’s a relatively easy day hike that goes through the famous Fairyland amphitheater found north of the canyon. It will give you another opportunity to see the striking, rocky landscape that looks almost unearthly.

Not into hiking? Cruise Bryce Canyon’s stunning scenic road from the comfort of your very own car. It goes right through the pretty park and leads to some of the very best viewpoints including Inspiration Point, Natural Bridge, and Sunset Point. 

Don’t forget Capitol Reef National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Arches National Park either. Mind you, if you plan on adding these places to your itinerary, you will need more than 10 days. (You can read about these particular parks elsewhere on this website.)

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Day 8 And Day 9. Visit Zion National Park

The distance from Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park is 72.3 miles. Zion National Park is also a comparatively small national park, and yet there’s much to see and do here as well. What makes this park a bit different from the other parks previously mentioned on this Southwest trip itinerary.  

Zion is said to have a “more lively” feel regarding its hanging gardens, hidden grottos, lovely landscapes, lush meadows, soaring striking cliffs, and a wide variety of wildlife. Upon arrival, be sure to visit the educational Zion Human History Museum. It is here that you can learn about the history of this park and even the region’s former residents once known as the Pauite.  

It will give you a much better mental picture of the land upon which you are standing. Once you have learned a bit about this park’s past, check your boot laces and hit the hiking trails, and become a small part of the park’s present as you explore the place further afield. Surprisingly, you can complete several of the trails here in a few hours because the hikes here are relatively short, fairly easy, and quite breathtaking.  

Many travel journalists agree, that your must-hike list here should include the Watchman, Riverside Walk, the Emerald Pool Trail, and, of course, the Canyon Overlook Trail. Need more of a challenge? Hike the Angels Landing trail.  

Here you will be hiking over sandstone ledges and across rushing streams. Remember though, unlike many of the other previously discussed hiking trails, this one is said to be a “very strenuous” one, so you had best be prepared for this challenge. More importantly, if you have a fear of heights, you had best reconsider attempting this hike.  

If you’re not an athletic hiker, you can always explore this national park by driving along the popular 54-mile Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. This attractive route runs along such famous landmarks as Angel’s Landing, Twin Brothers Mountain, the Court of the Patriarchs, the Virgin River, and Kolob Viewpoint. Indeed, if you hit the latter on a good, clear day, you might even be able to spot the Grand Canyon’s North Rim.

If you can afford some extra time and enjoy canyoneering and overnight backpacking, get permits at the Backcountry Desk and have some fun. Feeling like a cowboy in this Southwest setting? Saddle up to explore the territory on horseback, and find a charming, solitary spot from which to watch the sunset.

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Day 10. Drive Back To Las Vegas Then Go Home

Now that your American Southwest road trip is over, it is time for you to go home. Prep for a three-hour drive as it is 166 miles between Zion National Park and Las Vegas. Of course, if you’re taking a late flight out of Vegas, you might be able to see a couple of other attractions before you have to clear the TSA check and board your plane.  

Consider making a few last-minute stops at Kolob Canyon, the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, or the Valley of Fire State Park.  

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An Assortment Of Attractions In The Area

Are you considering extending your American Southwest road trip? Great! There are certainly other things to see! In fact, here are some recommendations for some other popular places in the American Southwest. In alphabetical order they are:

• Bell Rock, Arizona
• Cathedral Gorge State Park, Nevada
• Cathedral Rock, Arizona
• Cathedral Valley, Utah
• Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado 
• Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah 
• Death Valley National Park, California, and Nevada 
• Goblin Valley State Park, Utah 
• Joshua Tree National Park, California
• Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Utah 
• Salt Lake City, Utah 
• Santa Fe, New Mexico 
• Seven Magic Mountains by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, Nevada

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Southwest Road Trip: End Notes

If you have extra time on your American Southwest trip, feel free to expand upon this trip itinerary based on your own personal preferences and time allowances. Regardless of how much time you can afford to spend in this part of the United States of America, it is incredibly popular and worthy of anyone’s consideration. As always, if you’re not used to traveling you may very well want to give yourself an extra day to recover from this trip. Still, the unforgettable experiences you could cram into 10 days are certainly worth any potential fatigue you might feel upon arriving home.

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