Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Great Basin
14 day driving Itinerary
Bay Area -> Barstow (6 hours)
Drive
[Night in Barstow]
Barstow -> Hurricane, UT (7h30m driving with Mojave, 6h without)
Checkout from Barstow hotel
Visit Calico Ghost Town
Mojave National Preserve
Explore Kelso Sand Dunes (Good, 4/5)
Tough hike in sand – go prepared with good shoes and lots of water
Teutonia Peak Trail (3.2miles, 660feet) – this trail was excellent with great concentration of Joshua Trees. BUT this area burnt down in the Dome fire, so this trail is not as good anymore.
Seven Magic Mountains (Meh, 3/5)
Two good things about this: (1) It’s free, (2) It’s on the way to Los Angeles. If you flew to Las Vegas, don’t bother with this place.
Valley of Fire State Park
Atlatl Rock (4/5) – see petroglyphs. Arch rock is lame, skip it
The loop has three Arches, in this order: Sipapu, Kachina and Owachomo Bridge.
You can do quick walks to viewpoints at Sipapu and Kachine.
Stop at, and hike to the bottom of Owachomo Bridge. Little bit of elevation change, but you can hike to right under the arch. (Good 4/5)
Stop at Mule Canyon Trailhead and check out Indian ruins (Part of Bears Ears NM)
Stop at Butler Wash Ruins Trailhead and check out Butler Wash Ruins (Part of Bears Ears NM) (Good 4/5)
See Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument (part of Canyonlands NP) (time permitting) (Alright 3/5)
Needles Overlook – without Hyperbole, this is my favorite view in the world, beating Yosemite’s Glacier Point, Yellowstone’s Artist Point, Bryce’s Inspiration Point, etc. It’s a bit of a drive to get there from the US-191, but its worth the drive (MUST DO 5/5)