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14 day driving Itinerary
- Bay Area -> Barstow (6 hours)
- 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
- Drive scenic drive to White Domes Trailhead
- Drive to Hurricane, UT
- [Night in Hurricane, UT]
- Zion National Park
- Checkout from Hurricane hotel.
- Riverside Walk
- Angels Landing Hike
- Lower Emerald Pools Trail
- The Watchman Trail
- Pa’rus Trail
- Canyon Overlook Trail
- Checkerboard Mesa
- [Night in Mount Carmel, UT]
- Grand Canyon North Rim
- Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (GOOD, 4/5)
- Point Imperial. (4/5, GOOD Views)
- Angels Window and Cape Royal (5/5 GREAT Views). (Good Sunset view from here.)
- Walhalla overlook.
- Roosevelt Point Overlook. (Meh, SKIP)
- Bright Angel Point (5/5 GREAT Views) (Do this at Sunset).
- [Night in Mount Carmel, UT]
- Cedar Breaks National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park
- Check out from Mt Carmel hotel
- Cedar Breaks National Monument
- Point Supreme Overlook
- Hike to Spectra Point Overlook (5/5, MUST DO)
- Drive to Sunset View Overlook (quick stop) (4/5 Good Views)
- Drive to Chessman Ridge Overlook (quick stop) (4/5 Good Views)
- Drive to North View Overlook (quick stop) (4/5 Good Views)
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Hike Navajo Loop Trail (5/5, Great Views of Hoodoos)
- Drive to Inspiration Point (5/5 Best View in Bryce Canyon NP).
- Drive to Peek-A-Boo Trailhead – walk to Bryce Point.
- (If time permits) Drive to Bristlecone Loop Trail – see Yovimpa Point. There are MANY good viewpoints along the way
- Drive to Escalante.
- [Night in Escalante]
- Escalante -> Natural Bridges NM -> Bears Ears NM -> Moab, UT (8h, 400miles)
- Checkout of hotel in Escalante
- Get Food and Gas in Hanksville
- Stop at Hite Overlook (Great View 4/5)
- Natural Bridges NM
- 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)
- Drive to Moab, UT
- [Night in Moab, UT]
- Arches National Park – Day 1
- Hike Lower Delicate Arch
- Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint
- Salt Valley Overlook
- Fiery Furnace Viewpoint
- Skyline Arch
- Landscape Arch
- Sand Dune Arch
- Panorama Point
- Arches NP Visitor Center.
- See the Night Sky in Arches NP
- [Sleep in Moab, Utah]
- Arches National Park – Day 2
- Windows Trailhead – Hike Turret Arch, North Window Arch, South Window Arch and Double Arch.
- Garden of Eden.
- Balanced Rock
- Petrified Dunes Viewpoint
- Courthouse Towers
- La Sal Mountains Viewpoint
- Hike Park Avenue
- Moab Fault Overlook (quick stop)
- [Sleep in Moab, UT]
- Canyonlands National Park – Island in the Sky District
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Island in the Sky Visitor Center
- Shafer Canyon Overlook
- Shafer Trail Viewpoint
- Mesa Arch (4/5, Meh)
- Hike False Kiva
- Hike Whale Rock (optional)
- Hike Upheavel dome up to the First Viewpoint.
- Hike Aztec Butte (optional)
- Green River Overlook.
- Buck Canyon Overlook.
- White Rim Overlook
- Orange Cliffs Overlook.
- Grand View Point Overlook at sunset
- [Sleep in Moab, UT]
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Check out of Moab hotel
- Goblin Valley State Park
- Little Wild Horse Canyon
- Panorama + Goosenecks Overlook + Sunset Point
- [Sleep in Capitol Reef NP (Torrey, Utah)]
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Hike Navajo Knobs Trail to Hickman Bridge Overlook
- Fruita Petroglyphs
- Visitor Center
- Hike Capitol Gorge trail
- Hike Cassidy Arch
- Panorama Point, Goosenecks Overlook, Sunset Point
- See the Night Sky in Capitol Reef NP: Good spots to see: Panorama Point / Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center
- [Sleep in Capitol Reef NP (Torrey, Utah)]
- Great Basin National Park
- Checkout of Capitol Reef NP hotel
- Drive to Great Basin Visitor Center
- Lehmann Caves (SKIP)
- Wheeler Peak Overlook
- Alpine Lakes Trail loop
- See the Night Sky
- [Sleep near Baker]
- Great Basin National Park -> Mammoth, CA (6h15m drive)
- Check out of Baker, NV hotel.
- Nevada Northern Railway Museum
- Lunch
- Hot Creek Geological Site
- Devil’s Postpile National Monument
- [Night in Mammoth, CA]
- Mammoth -> Home
- Check out of Mammoth hotel
- Devil’s Postpile National Monument
- See Fall Colors around June Lake
- Stop at Leavitt Falls Vista Point
- Drive through Sonora Pass
- Stop at Donnell Vista
- Pinecrest Lake Trailhead (Optional)
- Drive home
Optional second day in Canyonlands NP
- Needles District Visitor Center
- Roadside Ruin
- Cave Springs Trail
- Chesler Park, Druid Arch
- Big Spring Canyon Overlook
- Pothole Point Trail
- Needles Overlook at Sunset
Optional places to consider visiting
- Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
- Horseshoe Bend near Page, AZ
- Antelope Canyon
- Monument Valley
- Four Corners Monument