My very first U.S. National Park road trip has been a tough one to beat! The southwest is truly an amazing, other worldly place. I went on this trip with my friend, Alyssa, over spring break in April of 2015. We were going for budget friendly and maximizing our time exploring within our limited time frame of 1 week. In this post, I’ll share our 7-day road trip itinerary through Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion National Parks including stops at Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, and Lake Powell.

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Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion National Park Road Trip Itinerary

Days 1-3: Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park (~270 miles, 4.5 hours)

We flew into Vegas, rented a car and began our 4 hour drive to the Grand Canyon. On our way, we stocked up on food and snacks for the week. We stayed at the Grand Canyon Inn and Motel, about 20 minutes outside the park. We paid less than $100 per night and the room was clean and a decent size. There was no TV and limited wifi, but who needs technology when you’re exploring the Grand Canyon?!

We woke early the next day to catch the sunrise at the Grand Canyon. This was my very first look at the Grand Canyon and it was truly awe-inspiring.

Our first day, we hiked the South Kaibab Trail. This was my first real experience on a strenuous hike, and it got me hooked! By the way, a good pair of hiking boots and hiking socks make all the difference in the world. We explored the rest of the south rim, walking along parts of the Rim Trail. On one section of the trail, we came across an elk. Not wanting to be in a situation on a trail at the edge of a canyon with an elk, we decided to make our way onto the road. When we got to the road, there were at least 20 more elk. Walking on a road alongside a herd of elk was just slightly terrifying.  They didn’t seem to be bothered by us at all, but I had never seen an elk before and was extremely surprised by their size. I’m sorry I didn’t get any pictures but I was too busy panicking. 

The next day, we hiked the Bright Angel Trail down to the Three Mile Resthouse and back. At this point, my body hated me, but it was so worth it!

Day 4: Grand Canyon to Page, AZ (Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon) (~130 miles, 2.5 hours)

We then began our drive to Lake Powell. We stayed the Best Western in Page, AZ. Again, another great value hotel! We spent the next day recovering from the strenuous hikes and exploring Lake Powell. We made our way over to Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon, which may have secretly been the highlight of the trip for me. Check out my post on how to visit Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend for more information!

Day 5: Page, AZ to Bryce Canyon National Park (~150 miles, 2.75 hours)

Next, we made our way to Bryce, staying at another Best Western.  There was still snow on the ground at Bryce and the thick mushy clay on my boots added a little extra weight for the hike. We hiked the slippery Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trails, which made me feel like a small ant in the middle of a giant sand castle. And after our short time at Bryce, we headed to Zion. I wish we had spent just one more day here.

Day 6-7: Bryce Canyon National Park to Zion National Park (~70 miles, 1.5 hours)

At Zion, we stayed at another Best Western, the East Zion Thunderbird Lodge. The next day, we got up early again to hike the Canyon Overlook Trail for sunrise. We also hiked the 8 mile trail to Observation Point. It was between this and Angel’s Landing but from our hikes at the Grand Canyon, I started to think that I might have a fear of heights and I really didn’t want to find out on Angel’s Landing. Walking along a narrow trail with drop offs of 1,000 feet on both sides might be a little too far out of my comfort zone. On a later visit to Zion, I did eventually try hiking Angel’s Landing, and as it turns out, it was too far out of my comfort zone!

The Observation Point trail wasn’t exactly a walk in the park either, but either way the view at the top was well worth it! Observation Point is actually higher, steeper, and longer than Angel’s Landing. The trail is 8 miles with an elevation gain of 2,120 feet. Observation Point stands at 6,507 feet above sea level. 

Our last day, we explored Zion a little bit more with some easier hikes: The Emerald Pools Trail and the Riverside Walk. As we were heading back to Vegas for our red-eye flight out, we stopped at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and did one last short hike. This was another unexpected highlight of the trip. It just goes to show that it’s not just about the destination, but the journey. Often times, the best parts of a road trip are the unexpected or unplanned adventures that happen along the way.

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