Visiting Utah has been on my list of to-visit spots for years after hearing about the beautiful landscapes. The dusk light over the Hoodoos is so photogenic and just magical! Rushmore Advice Needed. A road trip from California to Utah is the perfect summer (or year-round) activity. next trip! It was super close to Arches National Park, had just been redone with fake wood floors in the room, and had AC and a pool. Arches National Park, located in Moab deserves 2 . As always, all opinions are my own. Sunset: By early afternoon, drive North to Bryce Canyon. Re: Los Angeles to Yellowstone road trip. Dont be afraid to play with angles for your photos. Contact hotels in advance to ask about their COVID safety precautions. Again, this one was new as well, so it was another nice place with a good location in town. By joining our email list, you give LazyTrips permission to use your email for sending you newsletters, emails and updates including for marketing purposes. Bring lots of water and make sure your cooler is loaded with ice. Past the city of Casper, merge onto Interstate 25 (I-25) and take Exit 210 for WY-259 and then WY-387. Bring lots of cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, and masks. That makes for a great way to end a road trip as you can get a drink looking down on the city. Downtown Container Park (15 mentions) After dusk you could stay at one of the local hotels or campgrounds here (very few were currently open) OR head back West to Page, Az to set you up for the following day. It is a fun pit stop, but you cant get very close to it. But if 7 days is all you have, continue straight through back to Los Angeles! You can actually follow this trail all the way to the Colorado River at the very bottom of the canyon (it's around 18 miles and a massive elevation change to do the entire round trip trail, it's recommended not to do it all in one day unless you are in peak physical shape.) Bellagio Hotel We chose to make the drive all the way to LA since it's so much easier to do after 8PM and is usually a straight shot with no traffic, but it does make for a long drive. It also helped that its such a short drive from where we were staying at the Oasis at Death Valley! We didnt have the time, but we drove around the area totake a few pictures before continuing on. Camping in this area is a great lower-cost option as well! Los Angeles to Yellowstone road trip - Road Trips Forum Cedar City Landlocked Lighthouse and Cafe Rio Dinner $10. I was especially drawn to the vintage vibes and ability to social distance. 2023 California Through My Lens About Privacy Policy, After leaving from Los Angeles, you will be driving on Highway 15 towards Vegas. The viewpoint is over 5000 feet above sea level with panoramic sights over Badwater Basin and the Devils Golf Course no hiking required! It is a popular area,and there are a lot of Native American roadside jewelry spots set up around there as well. That being said, the arch is small, and it is crawling with photographers, so you need to get there early to get any chance of a good spot. I recommend the optioncalled Fiery Fungus but be warned that it is spicy. It was beautiful, and you must see it while in the park. I planned an 8 day road trip that took my partner and I from Los Angeles to Aspen, CO in mid August 2020. You can drive on a short dirt road to see it or just take a photo from the road. Rent e-bikes in the morning to explore Zion's scenic route. Is it better to stay on or off the Las Vegas strip? If you started in the morning as I did, then I recommend stopping about an hour and a half in at the Dunken Donuts in Barstow. This Southern California road trip route includes driving parts of the iconic Highway 395 route, visiting at least two US National Parks (Death Valley and Joshua Tree). If you have time, then you should pay the 20 dollar entrance fee and drive the 17-mile dirt road that takes you to all the spots. Alta Ski Area is one of the most popular winter sports centers in Utah and is only about 30 minutes' drive from the hotel. If you have the time, its well worth it to walk down through hills and up over the ridges for unique views and up close perspectives of all the colors. Canyoneer boots, Keen sandals, or old tennis shoes for Narrows hike? Lotus of Siam Los Angeles to Arches National Park via Grand Canyon National Park Try to get there early to avoid the crowds! One of the last stops we made inside the park was Ubehebe Crater, and Im glad we decided to make the drive up to here! At only 10 minutes drive and 15 minutes walk. I did this on the Fourth of July weekend, so I only had to take two days off of work, and I got to have such a fantastic adventure. Driving Time: 3.5 hours to Las Vegas, 7.5 Hours to Los Angeles. Day 4: Grand Canyon to Monument Valley. 5 Best Road Trips. It's okay, you can start planning your The best views are on the first couple of miles (the above photos are from this trail.) Day 5: Drive to Page, see Antelope Canyon. Keep your outfit neutral to not conflict with the colors! Crystal Ice Cream You must go here when in Moab, they have a Caramel cashew ice cream and a home-made pretzel cone you can have it served in. People get stuck here often! I always stop whenever I see it as it is fantastic. Arches National Park to Los Angeles drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip. Subscribe to Away LandsAnd Receive 10% Off Our Presets! stay for about 1 hour and leave at 2:51 pmdrive for about 1 hour, 3:57 pm Fishlake National Forest Thats where horseback riding in Zion comes in. Where to sleep RV trailer Day: In the afternoon, drive on to Joshua Tree National Park, there are great sites at either the North or South entrance, so either is great! Its so scenic & a great way to get a feel for the park! There is the iconic Red Rock lined road, but beyond that there are incredible hiking trails, pastel colored painted hills, and so much more. You may also find that certain tourist attractions might be closed too. On your way out of town, I would stop to check out the Glen Canyon Dam. to double check the weather. day 2 driving 9.5 hours. s.type = 'text/javascript'; What time of year is the best for scoring a cheap deals in Las Vegas This scenic and cultural city offers something for everyone. . You can take photos of the point itself or overlooking Golden Canyon, or walk out to the end of one of the paths for great scenic portrait spots. Death Valley has so many iconic photo spots, its hard to pick what to see in Death Valley if your time there is short. If not making this detour, keep following I-25 towards Fort Collins. LA to Vegas Drive: 4 Epic Road Trip Route Ideas (+ Best Stops)! I cannot emphasize enough how hot it was in Valley of Fire. We grabbed breakfast on the way out of town at a Starbucks and made our way back to the real world. How long does it take to drive across the USA? This viewpoint is majestic, and the canyon you can see from here is not something you will soon forget. The weather is usually mild at this time of the year with temperatures around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Drive past Sulphurdale and into Salt Lake City past Utah Lake. This is another good sunrise spot as you will miss the crowds and get to see beautiful colors. Julio Uras struggles in Dodgers' loss to Pirates High Roller (10 mentions) If you have more time, check out Merry Go Round rock for a great sunset viewpoint. 1 hour from downtown Las Vegas, 5 hours from Los Angeles; Amenities: There are a number of different campsites with tables, and BBQs. The way the sun shines pre-dawn is a great way to see the bendwithout any shadows, as when the sun comes up, it casts lots of shadows. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, It goes without saying that weekends and holiday times, especially around city areas and main tourist attractions, are busier times to undertake this trip. The mammoth road trip from Los Angeles to Mount Rushmore provides plenty of opportunities for detours and overnight stays. From here, we just drove the rest of the way to Page, AZ. Any tips for traveling during the pandemic? Hoodoos are according toNational Geographicare a spire of rock that has an easily eroded column and a more resistant cap. Seeing these in person, its hard to believe that they were created by nature! trip dates & more! stay for about 1 hour and leave at 4:57 pmdrive for about 2 hours, 7:01 pm Green River (Utah) It is a fun little hamburger joint with locally raised meat and good prices. As the famous canyon is on Navajo land, it was completely closed to visitors. s.src = u + '?v=' + (+new Date()); It's a gateway to massive red rock formations in Arches National Park. There are many viewpoints on this stretch of the road, and they all have their charm. What I love about Zabriskie Point is how much there is to shoot there in all directions. OR another option for this day would be to spend an entire day at Lake Powell. questions about Barstow: For the first day, start from LA (we flew into LAX and went straight from there after picking up our rental car) and take State Highway 14 up to Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park near Agua Dulce. p.parentNode.insertBefore(s,p); High Roller (10 mentions) This drive is BEAUTIFUL. This post is the first in an eventual series of posts about weekend road trips you can take outside of California. This day, of course, begins withanother park at sunrise, and then a drive onward to Page, AZ. Relax and stay at the bridge until the sun starts to go down, then head back down before it gets too dark. Read more about how to do thathere. Some of the things you can see are full dinosaur bone recreations, plaster mold dinosaurs to scale, old meteors, and petrified wood. If you can, book the Upper Antelope Canyon tour in advance from 10:45 AM 12:45 PM as this is the only tour where light beams shine into the canyon. After a nap and lunch, we hit the road to Page, AZ, which is about 4 hours away, but there are lots of places to stop along the way, including Monument Valley. It a great stop, and I love supporting places like this. Sunset: Drive up to the Grand Canyon South Rim, and first stop at the Visitor's center for the first viewpoint. But they do not sell alcohol or wine (a Utah state law. If you have time on your way back, on the other side of Las Vegas, stop by the art installation Seven Magic Mountains for a sunset shot. Drive to Springdale, Utah/Zion NP 4 hour drive. rent a one-way rental car and fly home). There is apermanent food truck that is probably my favorite spot in Moab for a meal. If you started in the morning as I did, then I recommend stopping about an hour and a half in at the, Since it is most likely lunchtime, I would recommend stopping at. This is by far the longest day of the entire trip, so just buckle down and get through it. What time of year is the best for scoring a cheap deals in Las Vegas. . If you passed up the dessert and are looking for a pit stop, I would recommend some ice cream at thefamous mid-west spot called Culvers. Road Trip Route Planner, Map and Trip Guides | Roadtrippers and answers related to Arches National Park. Top things to do in Las Vegas that don't include gambling? It can take awhile to walk out to where the salt flats are less trodden on, so make sure to budget time to walk out there and bring plenty of water and shade with you. I loved Zabriskie Point so much that I think we went back there three times in total during the two days we visited the park. While it was 80 to 85 degrees in the middle of the day, night temperatures dropped to 35 degrees! Arizona Weekend Getaway Itinerary: Things to Do , Your Ultimate Guide to 15+ Fun San Diego . Located in the heart of the strip, this luxury 5-star resort is close to all the major tourist attractions including the High Roller, MGM Grand, Freemont Street and the Stratosphere Tower. Start New Trip. What's the best time of year to hike in Zion? We needed to return back home and went with option 3, which makes for a day with a lot of driving, but coming back into Los Angeles at night means that you miss most of the traffic and can cruise through very quickly. The road distance is 739.2 miles. Wicked Spoon The vista here goes for miles and miles, and there is even a mini Horseshoe Bend that you can see from up here. Day 2 is all about Arches National Park. This is by far the best way to see the Scenic Drive inside Zion National Park in a fast, fun, and freeing way. It won't be as busy in the spring or fall and hotel prices are likely to be at a cheaper off-peak rate too. Moab Diner- A fun diner that always seems to have locals in it. For more information on our experience at the Mystic Hot Springs, read the article here. Best new restaurants in Vegas? Los Angeles to the South Rim. . Without these we would have been very hungry and cranky, because after 7PM here, even the gas stations were no longer open. The dunes rise up to 100 feet, and get their name for the mesquite trees located throughout the dunes. The 1,310-mile road trip from Los Angeles to Mount Rushmore takes about 19 hours and 30 minutes to drive. You can choose several different hiking options for different views of the crater, including hiking two miles around the rim or down to the bottom of the crater (just note, its very steep to come back up!). 9. When youre ready, head to Las Vegas for the nearest major airport option to Death Valley National Park. Distance from Los Angeles: 107 miles. Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Related Read: 11 Best Scenic Drives in Southern California. Morning: Head to Horseshoe Bend as early as you can make it out of bed after the late night drive from Monument Valley. California Missions: How to Visit All 21 & Road Trip Along El Camino Real, Highway 101 Road Trip: Los Angeles to J. Lohr Winery in Paso Robles, Eureka to Crescent City & Oregon State Line: Roadtrip Guide, Dana Point to Malibu: Pacific Coast Highway Roadtrip Guide, Three Winter Weekend Adventures for Bay Area Explorers, Monterey County: Six Spots to Explore on Your Road Trip, The Big List of 100+ Strange, Fun & Unique Attractions in Southern California, 25 Best Day Hikes in California: From Easiest to Hardest, Los Angeles to Las Vegas Road Trip Guide (25+ Stops on the Drive), Pacific Coast Highway: Where to Stop on Your Road Trip, Californias National Parks and National Monuments. Drive past Arches National Park to reach the city. If you consider flying in and out of SLC as suggested by Valiant in post #6, I suggest a slightly different approach. For the first stop of the day, head just a short drive from Lancaster to Saddleback Butte, a hidden gem of the area filled with Joshua Trees and scenic views. 2,960 miles. Day 3: Sedona to The Grand Canyon South Rim. Joshua Tree, California. by calculating the distance from Los Angeles to Arches National Park. Disclaimer: This post is in partnership with Visit California. ), Boot Arch, and of course, the Insta-famous shot down Movie Road for the perfect desert photo op. From there, we headed to Vegas for our last night. I, for one, planto be in places at sunrise, which is why you will see every day starts with sunrise. While these arent the tallest sand dunes inside Death Valley, they are the most accessible, located just outside Stovepipe Wells. Day 1: Arrive SLC. One of the things I would have loved to do on this trip and couldn't is Antelope Canyon. Once youre done at the park, head to Ridgecrest to spend the night. but nothing can top The Bellagio when it comes to luxury and glamour, The city offers many excellent hotel options for the visitor and of the best of them is the Grand America Hotel, the Kimpton Hotel Born will be the perfect choice of accommodation for you, with its stunning views and luxurious interiors. When researching the route, we realized we could either go North through Las Vegas, Central Utah and enter Colorado around Grand Junction, or, we could head South through Flagstaff Arizona, Santa Fe New Mexico and enter Colorado near Trinidad and through Colorado . . If you started in the morning as I did, then I recommend stopping about an hour and a half in at the Dunken Donuts in Barstow. })(document, 'script', '//cf.bstatic.com/static/affiliate_base/js/flexiproduct.js'); Yay, youve made it to Death Valley! What is great about setting off on such an epic road trip is that there is no such thing as a "best" route and how to get to your destination will depend solely on your preferences! Their food was our favorite meal of the entire trip! (function(d, sc, u) { Haley is the blogger behind Ready Set Jet Set, a travel blog based out of Austin, Texas featuring all the best in solo female travel, adventure travel, weekend getaways, and so much more. Just make sure to make reservations! Los Angeles >> Mt. Rushmore Advice Needed - Road Trips Forum Road Trip from Virginia to California - LazyTrips Make sure to sample a local beer while you are exploring downtown as Denver is famous for its local breweries. Then, take Highway 14 up to Red Rock Canyon State Park, near Cantil. In the morning and drive 2-2.5 hours from Los Angeles to the desert and stop in Palm Springs for lunch. Make it back to the top of the Canyon and watch the sunset from the Canyon ridge. The biggest two I recommend are the: Morning: Rent an electric bike! Once you reach Lone Pine, depending how much time you have, you can drive 20 minutes up Whitney Portal Road to reach the Mount Whitney Trailhead. However traveling in July 2020, we were able to book a hotel inside the park same day. After exploring Horseshoe Bend, stop in town for some breakfast. This is important for disinfecting your hotel room, shoes (after visiting public bathrooms), etc. stay for about 4 hours and leave at 6:14 pmdrive for about 58 minutes, 7:12 pm Valley of Fire State Park Youll probably recognize this Movie Road shot (below) from all over Instagram, and it is especially popular as a sunrise photo spot. This is a beautiful, massive, side of the road arch you can photograph or hike to if you have time. Go to the Navajo Trail and the Wall Street path. Drive through Arizona, Utah, and Nevada see some of the greatest sites on the USA's map - from deserts to canyons to mountains. . If youre visiting in the summer, go as early as possible, as it is dangerous to walk out onto the flats in the afternoon when temperatures soar above 100 degrees and the sun beats down on you. Canyon hikes are different from most hikes because you're climbing down instead of up - so the most difficult part of the hike is the second half. Start with a drive through the park up to Devils Garden. Follow the interstate and you will have the option to make a detour to Death Valley National Park by taking Exit 246 for CA-127 just before you reach Mojave National Preserve. This does not account for any detours you might want to take. Next, we headed over to Devils Garden and made the one-mile hike to Landscape Arch, which is the longest arch in the entire world. restaurants around Las Vegas: The drive out is 52 miles from LAX, and takes about an hour to 1.5 hours depending on LA traffic. who wants the trip to end? Start New Trip. Some Instagrammable photo spots you can find around Red Rock Canyon State Park include Turks Turban (below, left), Camel Rock, Hagen Canyon, and the Red Cliffs Natural Area just off the highway (below, right). If youre looking for a great overlook from a high vantage point, its hard to beat Dantes View. It can get busy and can be slow though, so if you are in a rush note that. Shuttles required buying passes the day before, and the scenic drive was only open to bikers, walkers, and the shuttles. Our trip was a bit aggressive, so looking back 10-12 days would be more ideal. Make sure you check road conditions Drive through Thunder Basin National Grassland and follow US 16-E past Newcastle to reach your destination at Mount Rushmore through Black Hills National Forest. Drive, make stops, and enjoy the views! We stayed until dark and still made it down after dark easily - just use your phone flashlight. The Southern Route is longer with 2960 miles to cover but takes the same amount of time. Our goal was to focus on Utah, so this was a quick lunch stop. Canyon View overlook at Zion National Park. (The earlier the better). Bryce Canyon National Park. (Well get to that in a bit) That left us researching things to do in the area. Valley of Fire is SO stunning, and was one of our highlights! There are very few restaurants or services in the Monument Valley area, especially right now as the entire Navajo Nation is on lockdown. We ended up getting stuck in some deep clouds and rain, but the usually clear sunset photos here look amazing! Since you don't need to hike far into the canyon for the views, this is a fun spot to where a cute outfit (if that's your kind of thing - and you know it's mine!). But, make sure to stick around for awhile longer, as the sky comes alive with the Milky Way after dark, and Zabriskie Point is a great spot for shooting the stars. Find all the transport options for your trip from Los Angeles to Antelope Canyon right here. This is also a great location for sunrise or sunset, and golden hour sees the sand bathed in gold. Despite the back-to-back losses to the Pirates, the Dodgers still finished the seven-game road trip with a 4-3 record. Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions The drive from Los Angeles usually takes around six hours in a gas . If you're heading farther into Utah to Moab or Arches National Park, Monument Valley can easily be a quick pass-through stop. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 8:01 pmdrive for about 1 hour, Catherine asked:Family road trip for 6 days in early August (1 answer), Barstow (13 answers) Day 3: Drive to the Grand Canyon. Let me know what spots I left off in the comments, and be sure to ask any questions you have about this trip as well. In the town of Cedar City, there is a landlocked lighthouse right off the road that was initially built to bring people to a church. This itinerary is a photographer's dream, designed to give you two chances to experience every park at it's best - both in late afternoon and sunset, and early morning, when the crowds are the lowest and the light and temperatures are at their best. and leave at 8:12 pm. Day 6: Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park. I have nothing but positive things to say about this place. I wore sandals and wished that I had regular shoes on the walk. The 1,980-mile road trip from St Louis to Los Angeles takes 31 hours to drive. Moab Coffee Roasters A good coffee spot, I especially like the coffee ice cubes they have that keep your coffee from getting watered down as they melt. This main road you can drive through and park at turns outs easily. Check out of your hotel, grab breakfast, and load your car before getting the bikes right when they open at 9AM. Road Trip from Los Angeles to Colorado You can rent ATVs or sand sleds if you arrive early enough (they get booked pretty quickly). Or 3. start working your way back to Los Angeles. It was beautiful, and you must see it while in the park. Make sure to bring even more water than you think you need, the Grand Canyon is one place you do not want to run out of water! City: round-trip one-way. Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. This is a must-have in the heat of Moab. Great spot for a cheap breakfast and friendly service. Trip Guides. Check out videos on hundreds of California adventures. Are things open due to the pandemic? Sunset: The Forrest Gump point at Sunset and later at dusk is the perfect time for photos here. Read all about what you can see in Arches here. This legendary hotel, seen in movies more than most actors, offers the best of the best when it comes to a stay in Sin City. There is another route that passes through the picturesque town of Moab, the fantastic sights of Denver and through some of the more stunning national parks and forests of Colorado. stay overnight and leave the next day around 8:00 am, 8:00 am leave from Valley of Fire State Park stay for about 1 hour and leave at 8:12 pmdrive for about 1 hour, Catherine asked:Family road trip for 6 days in early August (1 answer), Barstow (13 answers) Los Angeles to Arches National Park drive These are both on the way to the Grand Canyon from the main town of Sedona. On an impromptu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento, their past comes into focus and questions their future. Known as the "Mile High City", Denver is located about 6 hours away from Mount Rushmore and is adjacent to the famous Rocky Mountain National Park. Wicked Spoon But the scenery is varied and beautiful. Fremont Street Experience (15 mentions) I had roughly (very roughly) mapped out our drive that looks like this. stay overnight at Bellagio Hotel Plan to visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon as the sand is scorching in the middle of the day. Head out on the earlier side for the 5-hour drive to Sedona - drive straight to the Devil's Bridge trail, then head into town for dinner and a rest. If you want a road trip that is done as a loop from Las Vegas and includes the Grand Canyon and several other national parks, this is my top pick. After your visit to the city, follow Interstate 80 (I-80) to drive past Ashley National Forest. The whole area is just stunning! Sunset: In the late afternoon, take the Devil's Bridge hike to the iconic bridge seen here. Neon Museum (8 mentions) Day 2: Joshua Tree to Sedona After fighting for a spot at Mesa Arch, make sure to head to the end of the park and see Grand View Point.