Our adventure travel family is always up for exploring and learning about fun new places. Our first trip of summer 2023 is an American Southwest road trip!! Many of our outdoor bucket list places are located relatively close together in Arizona and Utah. Then, once I started mapping everything out, I discovered so many other amazing places we could explore! So join our family road trip southwest USA style, where every bend in the road reveals a new otherworldly terrain. Our 1900 mile drive takes us from tall cacti to red mountain cliffs and cave dwellings. Hiking beneath hoodoos, near giant arches, and around desert flatlands. Experiencing everything from petrified sand dunes to snowy mountain tops and forests. The American Southwest road trip is truly amazing! So sit back and wonder at how dramatically everything the scenery changes every few miles!
Our Family Road Trip Southwest USA Style in a Nutshell
We could have spent months exploring, but we limited ourselves to 2 weeks. I aimed for the coolest summer weather possible, without running into the Memorial Day crowds and prices. So, so we left for Phoenix, Arizona on May 31. We didn’t spend time exploring Phoenix, which has its own amazing adventures to be discovered. Instead, we opted to grab our rental vehicle from the airport. We geared-up and hit the road for our family road trip through the southwest USA.
My plan was to work our way through Arizona to the tip of New Mexico and Colorado. Then we would go through Utah and fly out of Vegas. We could have driven back to Phoenix. But the cost difference of leaving from Vegas was small. Plus, it left us with another day to explore the beauty of Utah.
Our complete itinerary for our family road trip Southwest USA style is outlined below. I have also included links to individual blog posts that go into greater detail about each stop.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #1:
Montezuma Castle National Monument
After leaving Phoenix, we drove about an hour and a half to our first stop at Montezuma Castle NM. Here, we started at the small visitor center located near the parking area. We toured the small exhibit room took a short 1/3 mile walk along a paved trail to view the dwellings. The girls soaked in the importance of the area while completing their Junior Ranger badge activities.
Dive deeper into our American Southwest road trip by reading our “Ultimate Montezuma Castle Visitor Guide here“.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #2:
Sedona, Arizona
From Montezuma Castle NP, we drove a few more miles to Sedona. As we drove, we watched the scenery drastically change from white sand mountains to red sandstone. We stayed 2 nights in sunny Sedona, Arizona, which gave us a full day of adventure and exploration!
I had scheduled a hot air balloon ride over the Sedona landscape with Northern Lights Balloon Expedition. But, unfortunately, my bucket list adventure was delayed because of the winds. Instead, we we explored the Oak Creek Visitor Center area and hiked near Midgley Bridge.
Then, we toured the mesas on a 4×4 Jeep Adventure with Red Rock Western Jeep Tours. We learned about Sedona’s “Vortex’s” – Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, and Boynton Canyon, as well as the area’s paranormal activity.
As the afternoon rolled on, the girls completed their Junior Ranger badges at the Red Rock Ranger Station of Coconino National Forest.
Read our post on “5 Exciting Things to do in Sedona with Kids” to learn more.
You Don't Want to Miss This 4x4 Jeep Adventure!
The Best 4x4 Adventure in Sedona!
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #3:
Slide Rock State Park
A short 7 mile drive from Sedona, Slide Rock State Park was our last destination after a day full of outdoor adventures! It was the perfect place to cool off and enjoy the late afternoon.
Read our post on “Slide Rock Swimming – Explore Arizona’s Natural Water Slides” here.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #4:
Meteor Crater Natural Landmark
Early the next morning, we left the red rock mesas of Sedona behind and headed northeast to Meteor Crater Natural Landmark. This is a privately owned property, not a part of the national park system. But it definitely fits into our “something unique” and “something different” category of must do’s.
We looked through the small, yet interactive museum. Then, we participated in a guided tour of the crater rim. The tour was definitely a highlight of the stop! I loved viewing the massive crater and learning about how it was formed. The girls preferred the 4D movie version that we saw in the theater before leaving the location.
Read our post on “Day Trips from Sedona: Unveiling the Mysteries of Meteor Crater “ to learn more.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #5:
Petrified Forest National Park
After leaving Meteor Crater Natural Landmark, we continued along I-40 towards the northern entrance of Petrified Forest National Park. Starting at the northern entrance, we followed the Main Park Road to the southern entrance, where we exited the park.
Our adventure started with a loop through the Painted Desert overlooks. These initial views set the tone for the increasingly amazing views of the Painted Desert! Continuing south, we visited Newspaper Rock and passed through the Tepees.
Then we made it to my most favorite part of Petrified Forest National Park — the hike around the Blue Mesa. Around the Blue Mesa Trail, you start to see the most beautiful petrified wood!
The scenery started to completely change as we continued south from the Blue Mesa. Now we were moving away from the Painted Desert to the accumulations of petrified wood. We stopped at the Jasper Forest overlook to view one of the largest accumulations of petrified wood in the world. Then we did a little more hiking on the Crystal Forest Trail, where we saw some giant pieces of petrified wood.
Check out our post “10 Things to do in the Petrified Forest National Park with Kids” for a complete list of our recommendations.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #6:
Flagstaff, Arizona
After leaving Petrified Forest National Park, we made an unplanned stop in Flagstaff to meet up with visiting family for dinner. This is one of the amazing advantages of a road trip … you can pivot easily!!
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #7:
Grand Canyon National Park
From Flagstaff, we drove to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, where we spent 2 nights at Yavapai Lodge.
For our first day, we followed the Rim Trail west from Mather Point, stopping at the various overlooks along the trail.
Then we visited Yavapai Point & Geology Museum before continuing along the “Trail of Time” section of the Rim Trail.
After Hopi House, we had lunch at El Tovar and the girls attended a Ranger talk on the rim. Around this time a pair of California Condors flew through the area.
We ended our day at Lookout Studio, where we spotted mule deer enjoying lunch on the side of the canyon.
We drove along the Desert View Drive stopping at the various lookout points as we exited the park the following morning. Our first stop was Duck on a Rock, followed by Grandview Point Overlook.
Our journey continued to Moran Point Overlook and then to Lipan Point. At Lipan Point, you can see some of the widest and most expansive canyon views along the South Rim.
Next up was the highest overlook on the South Rim … Navajo Point.
Our last stop before exiting the Grand Canyon National Park was the Desert View Watchtower. From here, you can see some of the best views of the Colorado River as it bends to the west.
Check out our post “15 Must-See Stops During a Family Trip to Grand Canyon National Park” for a complete list of our recommendations.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #8:
Lower Antelope Canyon
We said goodbye to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and traveled through the Navajo Nation to Page, Arizona. Page is home to some of the most amazing slot canyons!
Slot canyons are small canyons formed when water flows into a crack in the bedrock. Most of Antelope Canyon is located with the Navajo Nation, so it is only accessible through certain Navajo tour companies. So we pre-booked a tour of the Lower Section of Antelope Canyon. The entire canyon is below ground level, so all that you can see to give it away is the wavy narrow chasm.
After reaching the canyon entrance, you descend 5 sets of metal staircases into the long narrow slot canyon.
Lower Antelope Canyon runs north to south, so the lighting is always amazing!
At the end of the canyon, you climb up another metal staircase and squeeze through the sandstone on the desert floor.
We explored some dinosaur prints and made the short hike back to the tour station, where we enjoyed popsicles while we dusted off.
Check out our post “What Should You Expect on Your Tour of Lower Antelope Canyon?” for a complete list of our recommendations.
You Don't Want to Miss This Tour!
The Best Tour of Lower Antelope Canyon!
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #9:
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
After Antelope Canyon, we stopped by the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Glen Canyon NRA is a conservation unit of the US National Park Service. It encompasses the area around Lake Powell and lower Cataract Canyon in Utah and Arizona. The girls completed their Junior Ranger activities at the Visitor Center and were sworn in.
From the Visitor Center we could look down on Glen Canyon Dam, but they have not opened tours of the dam back up since COVID.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #10:
Horseshoe Bend
Our last stop in Page was Horseshoe Bend. Horseshoe Bend is that picturesque view of the Colorado River on just about every screen saver. The iconic viewpoint atop the 1000-foot overlook is visited by over over one million people each year.
The Colorado River eroded the rocks over millions of years and formed the deep, sweeping curve of the river that defines Horseshoe Bend today. It was really beautiful and so big! To put the great size of the canyon in perspective, you can see a tiny spec of a boat cruising the river below.
Check out our post “The Ultimate Guide for Visiting Horseshoe Bend with Kids” for a complete list of our recommendations.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #11:
Monument Valley
We left early the next morning to explore the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Monument Valley sits on the Arizona and Utah boarder within the Navajo Nation. Navigating the constantly changing time zones was our biggest challenge. We managed to arrive on time and boarded our open-air pickup and set off to explore the park. The first two formations you see are the long edge of Sentinel Mesa and a side view of Big Chief Butte. Then you see the 3 iconic formations — the Western Mitten Butte, East Mitten Butte, and Merrick Butte.
Then we stopped at John Ford’s Point, a popular vantage point named after director John Ford. This ledge is the location of the iconic John Wayne old western photos. If you tip the cowboy, he will ride his horse out to the point and let you replicate the iconic photo. John Ford’s Point also had some little shops and great views.
You can drive your own vehicle through the valley, but only Navajo guides are permitted go into the back country. Lucky for us, because the back country includes a visit to a traditional Navajo hogan! Here we were met with a Navajo woman who lives on the property. She demonstrated how the women prepare wool by hand and spin it into yarn to weave Navajo clothing and blankets.
We learned about Navajo traditions. She explained to Buttercup that long hair signifies the root of thought. Then she performed a traditional hair tying for her, to create a tsiiyéél. Super cool experience!
The tour continued through the mesas, with stops to see petroglyphs and arches. We were very fortunate to have unseasonably mild weather for our trip. But the sun is so brutal and unforgiving!
Check out our post “A Complete Guide of the Top Things to Do in Monument Valley” for a complete list of our recommendations.
You Don't Want to Miss This Guided Tour!
The Best Guided Tour of Monument Valley!
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #12:
Four Corners Monument
From Monument Valley, we continued driving northeast along a stretch of interstate towards Colorado. Along the way we stopped at the Four Corners Monument. We had our expectations in check, knowing this was a novelty stop. But it wasn’t very crowded and overall a nice place to get out and stretch our legs.
The Four Corners Monument is still within the Navajo Nation. It marks the point where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It is pretty remote. Once you park in the gravel parking lot, you enter and stand in line to take your photos. The lines was maybe 10 minutes long. There are little shops around the perimeter with Navajo crafts and informational cornerstones “in each state”.
From the Four Corners Monument, we continued Cortez, Colorado. I love how much the landscapes changes so dramatically every 20 miles!
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #13:
Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park was established to protect and preserve over 700 years of archeological sites. The long winding road took us up and then through the mountain. Along the way, we stopped at the overlooks to take in some amazing views!
We visited the Capin Mesa Archeological Museum before heading to explore our first cave dwelling, Spruce Tree House from the overlooks.
Then it was time for our Cliff Palace Tour. Cliff Palace is North America’s largest cliff dwelling. The Ranger Tour starts with a safety orientation at the Cliff Palace Overlook. Buttercup was designated as the trail leader on the hike down the mountain — and she did great! We hiked down our first long stretch of stairs, over some short stretches of paved trail on the cliff edge. This was followed by more short staircases and up the first wooden ladder. I was unsure how Spider Monkey would do with the ladders, but she had no hesitation!
Everyone gathered in the first alcove while Ranger gave us more details about life in Cliff Palace. From there we explored the bottom level of the dwelling. The tour continued along the cliff side and the up a small trail to the kivas. Here the Ranger explained that kivas are round sunken rooms of ceremonial importance.
The hike up was along steep stone steps and more wooden ladders. The remnants of the ancient hand and toe holds are visible from the steps. The girls did amazing well on the tour!
We explored the overlooks and the early homes of the Ancestorial Puebloan people on the Mesa Top Loop. Here you followed the evolution from pithouses to pueblos to cliff dwellings.
Mixed in with the early homes/villages were cliff overlooks where you can view different cliff dwellings.
Then it was time to head back to the Cliff Palace Loop for our Balcony House tour. At first, the tour is pretty easy. We went down a paved trail along the cliff side and had the tour orientation. Then we descended down a few staircases and along the cliff edge before approaching the giant ladder. Dustin and Spider Monkey went up the ladder first followed by Buttercup and I. This way, I could keep an extra eye on Spider Monkey. Both girls did amazing. Once you clear the ladder, you squeeze through a narrow opening in the rocks and up another small ladder. Then you are in Balcony House.
We explored the North Plaza before traveling up a small ladder and using the hand and toe holds to climb around and into Kiva Plaza. There was not a retaining wall along the cliff side in Kiva Plaza, so we kept the girls towards the back as much as we could.
Before long it was time to make our way back up along the cliff side, squeeze between the rocks, a 12-foot crawl through an 18-inch wide “doorway”, up a 17-foot ladder, followed by a climb up tiny steep steps carved into the cliff side and another 17-foot ladder. The adventurous hike in and out of Balcony House was what made this tour one of our favorites!
Check out our post “6 Incredible Things to Do in Mesa Verde National Park” for a complete list of our recommendations.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #14:
Arches National Park
After leaving Mesa Verde, we traveled to Utah to visit the “Mighty Five” National Parks. This is the part of the trip where we strapped on our hiking boots and set out to explore the trails! We set of to explore Arches National Park early on our first morning in Moab. Once we entered the park, we drove all the way to the back of the park to the Devil’s Garden Trailhead. From the trailhead we hiked to the Landscape Arch. We visited a couple viewpoints and then hiked up the rocks as far as we felt comfortable with the girls.
After leaving Devil’s Garden, we slowly made our way back towards the entrance, stopping at various pull-offs and trailheads. One of the girls’ favorite stops was the Sand Dune Arch. Sand Dune Arch is a giant shaded sandbox of fine red sand, where the girls could have dug and played for hours.
We stopped at more numerous pull-offs, taking in the landscape of the Lower Salt Valley. The Windows Road on the left took us to the Windows Section of the park. The road first curves around and offers a little pull-off viewpoint for the Garden of Eden. This was another of our family favorites!! Here you can explore and climb around the sandstone features.
At the Windows Section, we made a 1-mile loop, starting with the North Window and ending with the Turret Arch. We spent some time at the North Window climbing and exploring under the arch before continuing to the South Window.
From the Windows parking lot, we took a connector trail that joined the Double Arch parking area. When you reach the Double Arch, you can hike up and explore under the arch.
Check out our post “The Perfect Itinerary for Spending One Day at Arches National Park” for a complete list of our recommendations.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #15:
Canyonlands National Park
On our second day in Moab, we explored Eye of the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. Our adventures in the Canyonlands included a 4×4 tour and a rafting adventure on the Colorado River! Canyonlands National Park is the start of the Grand Canyon. In fact, it is usually used to film “Grand Canyon” locations in movies instead of Grand Canyon NP.
We started our visit by viewing the early petroglyphs carved in the stone by the Ancestral Publoan and Fremont people.
Canyonlands is divided into 4 regions – Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers. The Maze and Needles regions are more remote, so we opted to visit the Island in the Sky region. Our tour took continued into the park and through a portion of the White Rim Trail. The full White Rim Trail is 100 miles long, taking 2-3 days to complete. You definitely need vehicles (and driving experience) specifically designed for this area. No guardrails, rockslides, and miles of desert trails.
We continued along the White Rim Trail to Musselman Arch. This famous arch spans 120 feet and provides a beautiful view of the canyons. Then we finished the tour by climbing the switchbacks on the Shafer Trail.
After a morning 4×4 adventure in Canyonlands, we rafted 12 miles on the Colorado River.
Our adventure took us through the Fisher Towers area and over Class II and Class III rapids. This was definitely a highlight of the trip!
Check out our post “A Family Guide to Fun Activities for Kids in Canyonlands National Park” for a complete list of our recommendations.
You Don't Want to Miss This Tour!
The Best 4x4 and Rafting Adventure!
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #16:
Capitol Reef National Park
We left Moab early in the morning and drove to Capitol Reef NP. Along the way, we stopped at the Petroglyph Panels. There was a viewing are off of Utah State Route 24 where you can see the large walls of Petroglyphs from the boardwalk. These wall drawings were created by the Fremont Native Americans who lived in the area from 300 to 1300 BC. We joined a Ranger talk at the Petroglyphs before entering the park.
Unfortunately, Capitol Reef was the area I cut down to fit everything else in our schedule. So we spent most of our time exploring the Gifford House and Fruita area. We sampled some of the famous pies with ice cream from the Gifford House and took in the scenery. There is a great wading location is in Sulphur creek between the Ripple Rock Nature Center and the Gifford House. You can also access Sulphur Creek through the large grassy area with picnic tables. I had planned to drive through the park more and let the girls wade into the creeks, but we ran short on time.
From Capitol Reef, we followed the Scenic Byway (SR 12) to Bryce Canyon City. This was a very impressive drive from the golden sandstone and canyon walls of Capitol Reef to dense forests and spots of snow in the Dixie National Forest, to the crimson-colored hoodoos of Bryce Canyon.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #17:
Bryce Canyon National Park
We explored the exhibits at the Bryce Canyon NP visitor center, where the girls worked on their Junior Ranger books. Then we set off on an adventure to the rim of the canyon. Our first impression, was WOW! Bryce Canyon is so breathtaking and leaves you with an otherworldly feeling. We started at Sunrise Point and traveled along the paved path to Sunset Point and Inspiration Point. We had plans for more serious hiking the next morning. So today was just a little taste of what Bryce Canyon had to offer.
After our brief viewing, we checked into our hotel and took a quick nap before our Night Ranger Program. Viewing the night sky was on my list of “musts” for this trip, and the program run by the Night Rangers seemed like a great fit. The program starts at 9:30 pm, so we dressed in multiple layers to stay as warm as possible. They started the program with some educational videos. Then opened up 4 giant telescopes for viewing star clusters, galaxies, and planets. The girls had a blast! You are free to stay and keep viewing for as long as you like. We had to pull the girls away shortly after midnight.
Our big plan for the next day was to hike the hoodoos! We started with the Navajo Loop and ended with Queens Garden. This hike ranks among my most favorite!!
Navajo Loop starts at Sunset Point with switchbacks that wind between the giant walls of the canyon.
As you near the bottom you begin walking among massive pine trees. Before long, we were hiking up the Queen’s Garden switchback.
Along the way, we took pictures by the benchmarks. After showing these photos to the Rangers, we earned our “We Hiked the Hoodoos” patch.
You Don't Want to Miss This Night Sky Program!
The Best Night Sky Viewing Adventure!
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #18:
Belly Of The Dragon
After leaving Bryce Canyon NP, we stopped at the Belly of the Dragon for a unique mini “hike”. The trailhead is located 16 miles north of Kanab or 1/2 mile south of Carmel Junction along HWY 89. The dirt road is on the west side of the road between two guard rails. Then you drive along a well-maintained dirt road 1/4 a mile to a small parking area on the left. There is no elevation gain on the trail, but the floor of the tunnel is rocky, uneven, and dark. So make sure to bring a flashlight!
The hardest part of the trail is the 5 foot drop down to the tunnel in the very beginning. This stop is all about taking in the tunnel and stopping to stretch your legs between Bryce Canyon and Zion.
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #19:
Zion National Park
From the Belly of the Dragon, we continued to Zion National Park. We entered through the east entrance and went through the Mount Carmel Tunnel.
My bucket list hike was the Narrows — which sadly were closed during our visit. My backup plan was to hike to the Emerald Pools, but the trail was washed out. So we quickly pivoted and created a second backup plan. We settled on hiking out to the narrows trailhead.
The girls enjoyed watching the crazy squirrels – which were much like the squirrels at Grand Canyon NP.
Dustin even got to do a little skipping from rock to rock along the water.
We took the bus to the Museum and then a paved trail to the Nature Center / Jr Ranger Program Center. Here the girls completed some Jr Ranger activities before we hiked back to the car.
I was disappointed with all the closures. But that just means we need to take another trip out to visit Zion (and probably Bryce) in the future!
American Southwest Road Trip - Stop #20:
Las Vegas
We left Zion National Park and drove to Las Vegas. The drive was relatively quick and pretty easy. We had no plans for Vegas, just grab some food and explore a little before relaxing at the pool. Our flight home left the next morning.
The Family Verdict
We visited so many amazing places on our road trip through the Southwest! Not every place was a show-stopper, but we experienced so much American culture and beauty. Overall, the American Southwest was the perfect family adventure and definitely one we will always remember!!
Make sure to check out our road trip adventures in the Pacific Northwest and our other family road trip adventures!
Follow along on our other amazing family travel adventures at www.adventureisinoursouls.com.
Recommended Supplies
Don’t miss out on these recommended supplies for your family road trip adventure!
For Packing:
For the Airport / Airplane:
Basics:
Outdoors:
- Pocket Binoculars
- Travel Umbrella
- Adult Hiking Hydration Backpack
- Kid’s Hiking Hydration Backpack
- Water Bladder Cleaning Tablets
- Microfiber Towels
- Women’s All Around Jacket
- Women’s Water-Resistant Hiking Pants, These and These
- Women’s Quick Dry Pants and These
- Women’s Quick Dry Shirts
- Women’s Long Sleeve UV Rash Guard
- Women’s Hiking Socks
- Women’s Rain Jacket
- Kid’s Quick Dry Pants
- Kid’s Quick Dry Shorts
- Kid’s Quick Dry Shirts
- Kid’s Long Sleeve UV Rash Guard
- Kid’s Hiking Socks and These
- Kids Rain Jacket
- Kid’s Rain Pants
- Foldable Kid’s Hat
- Men’s Rain Jacket
