National Park Road Trip — the adventure decade

I used to think you needed a passport to travel…

but in this past year, I’ve realized there is such a multitude of beautiful places to see right here in the US. Better yet, many are within driving distance of each other. Last summer, Drew and I went on a road trip through Colorado, Arizona and Utah and saw five National Parks in a matter of days. Granted, we didn’t really do any park justice and I’m a believer you could spend weeks in each before they are fully explored, but we still had the best time.

The “Big Five” National Parks in Utah are Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Arches. This trip, we substituted Capitol Reef with Mesa Verde (in Colorado) and also tacked on Four Corners, Monument Valley, and Horseshoe Bend.

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Mesa Verde National Park

I remember seeing photos of Mesa Verde in a National Geographic magazine when I was little. As a big-time fort maker, I thought living in rock homes was the coolest thing ever. Turns out, grown-up me is just as fascinated and the cliff dwellings absolutely did not disappoint.

We camped in the park at Moorefield Campground. I highly recommend staying here, especially since we wanted to get the visitor’s center bright and early to book a tour. You can drive around to look-outs, but in order to actually walk in the dwellings, you have to go with a guide and have a hard copy of the tickets. We did the Long House tour and loved it! Even the guides say it’s the best one.

Four Corners National Monument

That afternoon, we headed toward Monument Valley and on the way, stopped at Four Corners (Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah). Can't say I recommend it because there isn’t much to do or see. Basically, you wait in line to take a photo and then leave. I’m pretty sure it was like $20 to get in too! The best part was when we pulled up Google maps and the monument isn’t even on the exact four corners. The laugh we got out of that made visiting worth it.

Monument Valley

Monument Valley is the most photogenic place ever. Everywhere we looked was just so incredibly beautiful. Monument Valley is a Navajo Tribal Park and costs $10 per person or $20 per vehicle to enter. We camped at the View Campground which looks directly at the Mittens. There is also a hotel and cabins available. Watching the sunset and sunrise here was an absolute dream.

In the morning before hitting the road again, we stopped at Forrest Gump Point. It’s called that because it’s where he called it quits to his running career in the movie. This viewpoint gets crowded during the day, so early morning is the best time to stop by. Plus, the lighting is the best.

Horseshoe Bend

On the way to Zion, we took a pit stop at Horseshoe Bend. There were so many tour buses here, I guess it’s more of a tourist attraction than we thought. Drew was so cute the whole time and got upset when I got too close to the edge to take photos. :’)

Zion National Park

If there was one park I would want to stay a full week in, it’s Zion. It’s so organized with shuttles taking you to every hike start point. We hiked Angel’s Landing, Canyon Overlook, and a tiny bit of the Narrows. Angel’s Landing is by far the most rewarding hike I’ve ever done in my life! We want to go back this summer to hike the Narrows, about 16 miles up a river.

Bryce Canyon National Park

The next morning, we headed to Bryce Canyon. There’s tons of camping available, making it a great destination for families. The spires were absolutely incredible.

Arches National Park

Our last stop was Moab. There is so much to do within a half hour: Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Point State Park. I think it’s fair to say you can do Arches (or at least see most of the main arches) in a day, but Canyonlands is massive.

Canyonlands National Park

The park is broken up into four districts: Island in the Sky (the touristy one), the Needles, the Maze, and the Rivers. Each part is so unique - Canyonlands is definitely the most underrated national park. Can’t wait to take the 4Runner out there this summer.