The last proper holiday that I had before covid was an amazing 16 day-long roadtrip in the US together with a friend of mine. Amazing as it was, it only left us hungry for another trip, one more focused on exploring the nature of the mid-west, which we drove through but didn't have a lot of time to fully explore last time.
So here is our complete plan for our next trip in only a couple of weeks from now! I would love to hear from you guys who live in, or have visited, any of these places what you would recommend seeing, or if there are sights along the way that are worth stopping by.
Statistics
Days: 22
Distance: 5200 km
States: 8 (Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico)
NPs: 10
SPs: 3-5
Day 1: Arrival
- Arrive in Denver.
- Sleep at airport hotel.
Day 2 and 3: Rocky Mountain NP
- Pick up rental car
- Shop at Walmart
- Drive to Rocky Mountain NP base. Enter from the west and drive along Trail Ridge Road to Estes Park. [4hrs]
- Afternoon/evening hike of "Four lakes trail"
- Spend days exploring Rocky Mountain NP.
- Hike Chasm view (4115m!), before Chasm Lake.
- Morning photos of Dream Lake?
- Odessa Lake?
- Emerald Lake?
- Visit The Stanley Hotel (Dumb and Dumber, The Shining)?
Day 4: Towards Grand Teton & Yellowstone
- Drive to Laramie [2 hrs]. Coffee and lunch here?
- Drive to Pinedale [5 hrs] and sleep there.
Day 5: Grand Teton NP
- Drive to Grand Teton NP [1.5 hrs] and explore.
- Cayak on the water if weather allows for it.
- Sleep in Jackson Lake Lodge (see picture).
Day 6 and 7: Yellowstone NP
- Morning photos in Grand Teton NP if conditions are good.
- Drive to Yellowstone NP.
- Spend days exploring Yellowstone NP.
- Sleep in Old Faithful Inn.
- Drive to Idaho Falls [2 hrs] in the afternoon.
Day 8: Idaho sights
- Explore Idaho Falls.
- Drive to Craters of the Moon [1.5 hrs] and explore.
- Drive to Twin Falls [1.5 hrs] and explore. See Shoshone Falls.
- Drive to West Wendover [3 hrs] and sleep there.
Day 9: Bonneville salt flats & Salt Lake City
- Drive to Bonneville salt flats [0.5-1 hr] and explore.
- Drive to Salt Lake City [1.5 hrs] and explore.
- Eat and sleep in Salt Lake City.
Day 10: Moab and Dead Horse Point
- Drive to Moab [4 hrs].
- Stop at Dead Horse State Park on the way and hike to Dead Horse Point for photos! [6 miles].
- Eat and sleep in Moab.
Day 11: Arches NP & Corona Arch
- Drive to Arches NP [10 min]
- Explore the sights that we didn’t see during our last road trip [4-6 hrs]
- Delicate arch [2 hrs]
- Double O arch [2 hrs]
- More?
- Drive to Corona Arch [1 hr] and hike to it [3 mile round trip] for afternoon photos.
- Drive back to Moab [1 hr] and sleep there.
Day 12: Goblin Valley SP & Canyonlands NP
- Drive to Canyonlands NP [0.5 hr] and explore [4-5 hrs]
- Mesa Arch (trail) [30 min]
- Grand View Point [15 min]
- White Rim Overlook (trail) [1 hr]
- Buck Canyon Overlook
- Green River Overlook
- Upheaval Dome (trail) [1 hr]
- Drive to Goblin Valley State Park [2 hrs]. Quick look and evening photos [1 hr].
- Drive to Hanksville [0.5 hr] and sleep there.
Day 13: Capitol Reef NP & Scenic Byway 12
- Drive to Capitol Reef NP [30 min]
- Explore Capitol Reef NP [4-5 hrs]
- Drive to Tropic [2-3 hrs] (along Scenic Byway 12) and sleep there.
Day 14: Bryce Canyon NP & Coral Pink SP
- Drive to Bryce Canyon NP [15 min]
- Explore Bryce Canyon NP [5-6 hrs]
- Drive to Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP [90 min]. Explore and afternoon photos. Maybe stop in Kanab on the way there to rent sand boards?
- Drive to Springdale [1.5 hrs] and sleep there.
Day 15 and 16: Zion NP with get-aways
Stay 2 days at Springdale while exploring Zion NP.
- One day for hiking: Angel’s Landing (trail) [3-4 hrs]
- One day for canyons: The Narrows (trail) [4 hrs]
Other possible get-aways:
- Canyon Overlook (trail)
- Scenic Drive
- Quail Creek
- Sand Hollow
- Yant trail
- Kanarraville Falls trail
Drive to Page [2.5 hrs] in the afternoon/evening and sleep there.
Day 17: Back to Colorado & Mesa Verde
- Drive to Cortez, Colorado [5 hrs].
- Morning photos of Horseshoe bend?
- Drive through Monument Valley?
- Stop by Four Corners monument
- Explore Mesa Verde NP [3-4 hrs]
- Spruce Tree House
- Museum?
- Eat and sleep in Cortez.
Day 18: Telluride & Ouray
- Drive to Telluride along San Juan Scenic Byway [2 hrs]
- Walk Bridal Veil Falls trail [2.5 hrs]
- Explore Telluride [1.5 hrs]
- Drive to Ouray [1 hr]. Maybe visit hot springs?
- Eat and sleep in Ouray.
Day 18: ATV adventure & Million Dollar Highway
- Rent ATV for half a day
- Drive Million Dollar Highway to Silverton
[1 hr] and stop to explore [1.5 hrs] - Drive to Durango [1.5 hrs] and sleep there.
Day 19: Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Drive to Santa Fe [4 hrs] and explore.
- Stop by Taos on the way?
- Stop by Los Alamos Laboratory on the way?
- Sleep in Santa Fe.
Day 20: New Mexico
- Explore New Mexico.
- Eat Tacos!
- Drive to Alamosa [3 hrs] in the afternoon/evening and sleep there.
Day 21: Great Sand Dunes NP & Royal Gorge
- Drive to Great Sand Dunes NP [30 mins] and explore [3 hrs].
- Drive to Royal Gorge [3 hrs] and explore [1hr]
- Drive to Canon City [30 mins] and sleep there.
- Drive Skyline Road near Canon city?
Day 22: Departure
- Drive to Denver for departure.
- Deliver rental car.
I sure as hell am looking forward to this trip a lot! The last time was one of my few holidays ever where I've truly managed to disconnect and simply enjoy myself in the present moment (one of the other few instances being my recent action week in the Alps. This trip, which is a full week longer than our previous one which lasted 16 days, should offer plenty of time for that!
So what do you think? Are these places the types of destinations you like to visit? Or what else would you have liked to go by on the way? Would love to hear your suggestions in the comments!
