EXPLORING state and national parks
IN COLORADO and UTAH
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For a shorter adventure primarily in Colorado and Utah, with a stop in Page, Arizona, consider this 8 Day Epic Colorado & Utah Road Trip Adventure planned by my daughter and her friend. It’s perfect if you are ready for a fast-paced summer road trip. Not only do they share the awesome itinerary they put together, but also their twenty-something point of view, and a few favorite photos from their summer road trip adventure. The trip starts and ends in Denver, Colorado, with stops in some of Utah’s epic national parks, including Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion National Parks, plus Goblin Valley and Dead Horse State Parks, Antelope Canyon in Arizona, and Colorado’s Mesa Verde and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Parks.
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Here is the general itinerary for the 8 day Colorado & Utah Adventure including approximate driving times. Before planning any road trips for 2024, check the individual national park websites for the most current information about any closures within the parks and plan ahead if reservations are required. Always carry extra water and emergency supplies for your road trip. Download the National Park App and save the parks for offline use before you head out!
Day 1: Drive from Denver to Moab. Visit Canyonlands & Dead Horse State Park. (between 6 and 7 hours includes driving time in both parks)
Day 2: Visit Arches. Stay overnight in Moab.
Day 3: Drive to & visit Bryce. Visit Goblin Valley State Park & Capitol Reef on the way. (Moab to Goblin about 1.5 hours - about 1 hour to Capitol Reef - 2 ½ hours from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon)
Day 4: Drive to & visit Zion. Drive to & stay in Page. Visit the Sand Caves near Kanab on the way. (2 ½ hours from Zion to Page)
Day 5: Antelope Canyon/Horseshoe Bend tour. Drive to Cortez. (3 ½ hours from Page to Cortez)
Day 6: Visit Mesa Verde. Drive to Black Canyon of Gunnison. (3 ½ hours )
Day 7: Visit Black Canyon of Gunnison. Stay overnight.
Day 8: Drive from Black Canyon of Gunnison to Denver. (just under 5 hours)
Day 1: Drive from Denver to Moab. Visit Canyonlands & Dead Horse State Park. (between 6 and 7 hours includes driving time in both parks)
Day 2: Visit Arches. Stay overnight in Moab.
Day 3: Drive to & visit Bryce. Visit Goblin Valley State Park & Capitol Reef on the way. (Moab to Goblin about 1.5 hours - about 1 hour to Capitol Reef - 2 ½ hours from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon)
Day 4: Drive to & visit Zion. Drive to & stay in Page. Visit the Sand Caves near Kanab on the way. (2 ½ hours from Zion to Page)
Day 5: Antelope Canyon/Horseshoe Bend tour. Drive to Cortez. (3 ½ hours from Page to Cortez)
Day 6: Visit Mesa Verde. Drive to Black Canyon of Gunnison. (3 ½ hours )
Day 7: Visit Black Canyon of Gunnison. Stay overnight.
Day 8: Drive from Black Canyon of Gunnison to Denver. (just under 5 hours)
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We kicked off our epic summer road trip early and headed west on Interstate 70 from Denver, passing by several of the popular Colorado ski towns, including Copper, Vail, and Breckenridge. Stopped in Fruita to grab food (it’s also home to Colorado National Monument). Our final destination for the first day was Canyonlands National Park. The popular Island in the Sky entrance leads to a scenic drive with astounding views. We saw Mesa Arch, Grandview Point Overlook, & the Buck Canyon Overlook. Later in the afternoon, we checked into our accommodations at Sun Outdoors Canyonlands, a short drive from the entrance to Canyonlands and nearby Dead Horse State Park. Loved our budget-friendly deluxe cabin with a kitchenette, shower, cable tv, WiFi, and views of the Windows Section of Arches! There’s also RV, tent sites, and basic camping cabins. Grabbed dinner in downtown Moab at Blu Pig BBQ before setting up to watch the sunset over Dead Horse State Park. We found unreal views that rivaled the Grand Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, with a view of the Colorado River plus spectacular stargazing. Beware the night creatures rapidly emerging as the sun disappears!
Wake up at Sun Outdoors Canyonlands for the short drive to Arches National Park.You will want to get into the park as early as you can, especially during the summer months. Timed entry reservations will be required in 2024 so check the website for the latest. The drive into Arches is magnificent. The Windows section of the park has several scenic arches connected by trails, including Turret Arch, North Window, and Double Arch. Next, we hiked to Delicate Arch, which was a challenging 3 miles but absolutely worth it. You can also just view Delicate Arch from afar at one of two viewpoints. According to the park service, “This trail climbs up a steep slickrock slope with no shade and some exposure to heights.” Discovered a mini arch just off the trail near the end with a secret window view of Delicate Arch. A great photo opportunity with minimal tourists around. Closed out our Arches adventure with a short walk to Skyline Arch. Next we hit downtown Moab for dinner at Fiesta Mexicana with time to explore some of the nearby shops. We finished the night watching the sunset and stargazing from our cabin.
Day 3 started with breakfast in downtown Moab at Love Muffin Cafe (AMAZING breakfast sandwiches and iced matcha lattes). Then got on the road to Capitol Reef. We made an impromptu stop at Goblin Valley State Park because it was right on the way, and boy did that park exceed our nonexistent expectations. Very underrated, with terrain that made us feel like we left Earth and teleported to Mars. Valley of the Goblins is the park’s main attraction, basically a giant playground made of huge rocks and hoodoos. There are no trails in Valley of Goblins and visitors can wander around, just be mindful of the fragile hoodoos. Next, we continued the drive to Capitol Reef, a very vast park. Ended up taking one of the unpaved roads to reach a couple of cool viewpoints into the canyon below. (Always check road and weather conditions at the visitor center before heading out for travel on unpaved roads).
Next, we continued our journey to Bryce Canyon. This leg of the drive consisted of long, flat roads with nothing to look at and no gas stations! Bryce and the surrounding town are beautiful. We hiked the popular Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop which allows you to descend into the canyon and be one with the hoodoos. The way out involves a ton of switchbacks and a great view of the park as you emerge from inside the canyon. After the hike, we drove the 18-mile scenic drive to Rainbow Point- which is a short 1-mile hike along the canyon’s rim. Left the park to check into accommodations for the night--Bryce Canyon Resort--and grabbed food to-go from the in-house restaurant. Took our food back into the park to Inspiration Point to watch the sunset over the hoodoos and valley. Unreal stargazing.
Get an early start to drive roughly 1 hour from Bryce to Zion National Park. Our route took us on a scenic drive through Zion to reach the town of Springdale on the other side, through the famous Mt. Carmel tunnel. We grabbed breakfast at Café Soleil before heading to the closest shuttle stop in town. Cars are allowed to take the scenic drive that we took to enter, but to reach the actual hikes a convenient shuttle system is utilized throughout the park. We rode the shuttle to Stop 9 at the end of the line and hiked Riverside Trail, which led us to the beginning of the famous Narrows hike. If you hike The Narrows from this spot, it is considered the bottom-up Narrows and does not require a permit. The Narrows is definitely a hike that requires preparation, knowledge, specialized water gear (available to rent) and a close eye on the weather before heading out. We hopped back on the shuttle to our next hike, the Lower Emerald Pool Trail.
Get an early start to drive roughly 1 hour from Bryce to Zion National Park. Our route took us on a scenic drive through Zion to reach the town of Springdale on the other side, through the famous Mt. Carmel tunnel. We grabbed breakfast at Café Soleil before heading to the closest shuttle stop in town. Cars are allowed to take the scenic drive that we took to enter, but to reach the actual hikes a convenient shuttle system is utilized throughout the park. We rode the shuttle to Stop 9 at the end of the line and hiked Riverside Trail, which led us to the beginning of the famous Narrows hike. If you hike The Narrows from this spot, it is considered the bottom-up Narrows and does not require a permit. The Narrows is definitely a hike that requires preparation, knowledge, specialized water gear (available to rent) and a close eye on the weather before heading out. We hopped back on the shuttle to our next hike, the Lower Emerald Pool Trail.
Tip: If you plan to visit several national parks that charge a fee, consider purchasing an America the Beautiful Pass either before you go or at the first park you visit.
After Zion, we left to begin our drive to Page, with a pit stop near Kanab to explore Sand Caves on the side of the road! There is no official signage for the caves, but can be found near the more famous Moqui Cave. The caves were down the street from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, a home to unwanted animals with a peaceful location in this very scenic part of Utah. Our final destination for the day was Page, Arizona, where we watched the sunset over Glen Canyon Dam. Note: Arizona does not observe daylight savings time so we gained an extra hour!
We spent the night at the Courtyard by Marriott Page at Lake Powell, and woke up in beautiful Page, Arizona, Explored the town and grabbed food at Canyon Crepes before embarking into the desert on our Secret Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Overlook Tour (must pre-purchase). This tour is on Navajo land and no entry is allowed on your own. Our guide Bob was funny and knowledgeable about the history of the surrounding area. We rode an open air truck on a bumpy ride into the desert and reached the secret slot canyon after a short but hot hike. Bob helped us take pictures and even played his flute for us as we explored the slot canyon. Saw a memorable scenic view of Horseshoe Bend - this particular tour allows you a closer look, a different angle, and less crowds than the public viewpoint.
After our epic day, we got on the road to Colorado. We passed by Four Corners Monument Navajo Tribal Park on the way but it was closed so we were only able to grab a picture of the sign.
Woke up in Cortez, close to Mesa Verde National Park. Grabbed sandwiches in town then hit the park! Some viewpoints were closed, but we were able to take a self-guided driving tour of the Mesa Top Loop with ten stops, and also visited the Far View area. Use the National Park App to find audio driving tours.
Woke up in Cortez, close to Mesa Verde National Park. Grabbed sandwiches in town then hit the park! Some viewpoints were closed, but we were able to take a self-guided driving tour of the Mesa Top Loop with ten stops, and also visited the Far View area. Use the National Park App to find audio driving tours.
After our time in Mesa Verde, we headed to our final accommodations, a tiny home in Delta, near Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We stumbled upon the Tru-View Drive-In Movie Theater in town, and loved experiencing a premiere showing at an old-fashioned drive-in theater.
The next day, we grabbed tacos in town before heading off to explore Black Canyon of The Gunnison. Most of the hikes accessible without a permit were under two miles round trip. We did 2 hikes and watched the sunset at Sunset View (one of several overlooks accessible from the scenic South Rim Drive). Black Canyon of The Gunnison is so vast/breathtaking. We saw cottontail rabbits, butterflies, and crossed paths with a deer on our hike down into the canyon.
The next day, we grabbed tacos in town before heading off to explore Black Canyon of The Gunnison. Most of the hikes accessible without a permit were under two miles round trip. We did 2 hikes and watched the sunset at Sunset View (one of several overlooks accessible from the scenic South Rim Drive). Black Canyon of The Gunnison is so vast/breathtaking. We saw cottontail rabbits, butterflies, and crossed paths with a deer on our hike down into the canyon.
On our last morning, we enjoyed the views from our tiny house before the 5 hour drive back to Denver.
Related Posts:
On The Road in Utah: Visiting Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks
National Park Tips & Resources
7 Helpful Tips for Your Next Road Trip
On The Road in Utah: Visiting Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks
National Park Tips & Resources
7 Helpful Tips for Your Next Road Trip
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