Southwest USA road trip: 5 National Parks you must visit
1. Bryce Canyon, Utah
Warning! Book at least 2 nights here, because after seeing the beauty of Bryce Canyon you probably don’t want to leave,… ever! Give yourself enough time to explore this gem. You can’t compare anything with Bryce Canyon. The many hoodoos are formed by the combination of frost wedging and rain and they look so mysterious! Simply fascinating! You won’t be able to stop looking at the hoodoos, standing on top of the canyon at Bryce Point or Inspiration Point. You have no idea how big they really are until you start descending at Sunset Point following the Navajo Loop Trail. The hoodoos are huge and it’s very overwhelming walking in between them. Make sure to take the connecting Queens Garden Trail, that will lead you to Sunrise Point.
2. Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Yet another unique place where I couldn’t stop staring my eyes out. It’s situated near Page next to the State Highway 98. A truck driven by one of the Navajo guides will take you to this magnificent slot canyon. What’s magical about this place is that its colors vary constantly depending on the sun and the clouds from orange, brown, blue,… Every step you take you’ll discover new forms, colors, and don’t forget to look up! (but watch out for falling sand!) You can watch my video here to get an idea :-).
If this canyon isn’t enough, you can always drive to Horseshoe Bend, which is also located near Page, next to Hwy 89. It takes a short walk to get there from the parking lot, and it is so worth to do it! The view is fantastic!
3. Yosemite National Park, California
This park is huge and I regret that I could only spend one day at Yosemite. It’s absolutely gorgeous with its mountains, waterfalls, forests,… You can easily find the main attractions of the park like the Bridalveil Falls, El Capitan, Sentinel Bridge, Glacier Point, but I think the hikes must be incredible! I couldn’t do any of them so this is still on my bucket list!
4. Zion National Park, Utah
This wonderful place is only a 2,5 hours drive away from Las Vegas and 1,5 hours from Bryce Canyon. It’s often forgotten by people road tripping through the Southwest of the USA. Something I just can’t understand. I regret (again) only spending one day there, because I found some very impressive hikes such as Angels Landing. I’m definitely going to visit this park again when returning there. Don’t forget to visit the Wheeping Rock when you’re there. The view from here is breath taking while the cool water drops on your shoulders.
5. Death Valley, California
If you can’t stand the heat, don’t go here during Summer. When I was there it was 55°C. (no joke) You can compare the feeling by sticking your arm in a heated oven. Worst of it all? You’re not allowed to use the airconditioning, because it will kill your car. Despite this, I survived drinking warm water (because of course this gets warm as well). Death Valley is a one of a kind place and a must visit. At Badwater you’ll be 855 meters below sea level!! If you want to read more about my (not intended) ghost town adventure in Death Valley you should read this post. One advice; never ever follow the Darwin sign when looking for Darwin Falls!
What’s your favourite national park in the USA? Don’t hesitate to share it in the comments down below!
I have been to all except Antelope, which is on my ‘list’ and I totally agree. We loved all of those places so much! Zion was our favorite, but this summer we are visiting lots more National Parks, so we will see if it stays at the top of our list!