What do you think of when you think of the Wild Wild West? Do you think of battles on horseback between a sheriff and a bank robber? Do you think of Native American culture? Do you think of panning for gold? Do you think of Area 51 and alien activity? All of these things are pretty great, but if you’re like me, then when you think of the West, you think about an insane natural setting. You think about mountains, canyons, deserts, colorful rocks—just to list a few of the features. If you’re like me and you’re traveling there for the nature, this is the article for you!
Going out West was always a dream of mine. My love of photography, hiking, and adventure made the destinations I explored no-brainers! These are the ultimate places to visit on your western road trip!
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is just breathtaking! This sanctuary of the Rocky Mountains’ sweeping views and dramatic cliffs is a do-not-miss when visiting the west. It is home to the highest paved road in the world in Trail Ridge Road. This is an extremely unique experience because you can view the alpine landscape from the comfort of your car and not have to go backpacking to reach the top. I got to see this at sunrise and sunset. I would recommend that you take Fall River Road if your vehicle can deal with a steep, gravel road with plenty of twists and turns. This road is a really adventurous experience, and it offers great views of the glaciers (or what’s left of them sadly) and Chasm Falls (pictured under title).
Another hike that I went on was Sky Pond Trail. This 8-mile there-and-back trail packs a punch of sights to see. These sights include Alberta Falls, The Loch, Timberline Falls, Lake of Glass, Sky Pond, and The Sharkstooth. At Alberta Falls, Glacier Creek roars over the side of a cliff creating one of the more impressive waterfalls in the park. It is often the spot that most people turn around on this trail, so don’t be dismayed by the crowded trail up to that point. The Loch is a sub-alpine lake that has an insane view of the giant slab of rock that you’re approaching. You can see the glaciers and you’re next destination Timberline Falls ahead. This waterfall is roughly 100 feet tall and tumbles gracefully over the side of a cliff that overlooks the watershed below. After climbing roughly 200 feet, you reach Lake of Glass and Sky Pond! These peaceful alpine lakes provide the perfect place to just rest (and trust me, you’re gonna need it after that 1,500 foot elevation gain). Their bright blue surfaces contrast beautifully with the gray rock and white glacier, and The Sharkstooth rises above them magnificently with its craggy points. It is very appropriately named. This hike has the scenery of a nature lover’s dreams!
There are plenty of other trails that the park offers that are similar in length and sights as Sky Pond, so find the one that looks coolest to you! Also, beware! Don’t do this on your first day there if you’re not used to the elevation. This trail is not easy even with full lung capacity.
Costs and Budget
A 1-day pass into Rocky Mountain National Park is $25. However, most of the sites I’m recommending in this blog are National Parks, so I recommend purchasing the America the Beautiful Pass. This is $80 and allows you access to any National Park. The link for that is below.
https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm
I stayed in Estes Park during my stay. This is a resort town, so prices aren’t cheap. However, I camped for most of my trip, which cut the cost down. The campround at Mary’s Lake was a pleasant place to stay.
Arches National Park
This next destination is probably the most well-known place in Utah. This iconic destination can be seen on all things Utah (It was even featured on a Utah Jazz jersey!). The most famous arch, and the one that is advertised, is Delicate Arch. I chose to go here during the sunset, and it may or may not have been the best decision I ever made. The red stone combined with the red light makes for an unforgettable experience. The crowds for this are huge, but that’s just a testament to the beauty of this arch. I HIGHLY recommend staying that night to watch the stars. Because of the vast expanse of wilderness out in the Utah desert, the night sky is about as clear as you’re going to get on Earth.
Delicate Arch is most definitely not the only arch in Arches. There are many other magnificent arches. Some of my favorites are The Windows (aka the Spectacles), Double Arch, Turret Arch, Landscape Arch, and Devil’s Garden. The Windows are a pair of large arches that are connected by a large rock that looks like a nose. They are overlooking Turret Arch which is a rock formation that randomly sticks up in the flat landscape around it. This is what makes Arches such a cool park. There are so many of these wind-weathered, random rock formations in the vast expanse of the desert. Double Arch is also nearby. This consists of two arches that share a base. This is a very impressive arch to enter. Lastly, Landscape Arch is located in Devil’s Garden. Devil’s Garden is an area full of rock formations and arches. The most prominent of these arches is Landscape Arch. This is an extremely wide arch that is as thin as a runner (this is not offensive to runners. I am one of you haha). It’s incredible that it hasn’t fallen yet.
What makes Arches such a great park is that most of the arches and rock formations are visible within an easy walk from your car. The only two that require hikes among the ones that I mentioned are Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch, but those are worth the trek.
Costs and Budget
Use your America the Beautiful Pass for entry.
Arches is about a mile away from the town of Moab. They have a wide variety of accommodations.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon is underrated in my opinion. It doesn’t get the respect it deserves. The reds, whites, yellows, pinks, and oranges of the stone are so breathtaking because they aren’t colors you normally see in a natural setting. Contrasting those colors with the wide blue sky and expanse of evergreen trees that are very common to the area is fascinating. Bryce Canyon is also famous for its hoodoos, which are pinnacles attached to each other that extend from the cliff-face. These give the appearance of a natural city-scape.
Bryce can be similar to Arches in that the major sights can be seen with a quick walk from your car. However, I believe you should take a different route. There is a Rim Trail that hits most of the iconic points that overlook the auditorium: Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunset Point. This is a really cool trail with plenty of overlooks and family picture-taking spots. I also recommend hiking in the inner-canyon. There are a variety of trails to choose from. I chose the Navajo Loop, which passes the landmarks of Thor’s Hammer and Wall Street. Walking among the hoodoos is like walking in the downtown of a city with the high rises on either side of you- except the high rises are made of orange stone.
Costs and Budget
Use your America the Beautiful Pass for entry.
Bryce is in a remote location with Tropic being a small town nearby. This makes the accommodations a little pricier. Hotels, lodges, cabins, and camping are all offered.
Zion National Park
Zion, oh Zion! You’re my favorite. Driving in I could begin to see the walls forming around me. I could see crevices where slot canyons had formed that may only be 5 feet wide but a hundred feet deep! Then I entered the tunnel. The darkness added to the drama. I knew what was on the other side, but nothing could prepare me for the awe that I felt exiting the tunnel and entering Zion Canyon. Crimson walls rising thousands of feet in the air. Emerald creeks flowing. My mom always says that what makes Zion so special is the water, and I think she’s right. We just left two of the driest places in Arches and Bryce, but now there were fertile canyons fed by the mother Virgin River. She provided an oasis more dramatic than any I’ve seen in a movie.
Zion has some of the finest hiking in America. I went on two of these iconic hikes during my trip. Angels Landing is one of the best-known trails in America. It is famous for how dangerous it is because of the precipitous cliffs on either side of the trail and the two-way traffic. However, I think that it is overhyped in how dangerous it is. Although you have to be careful, I never felt like my life was in peril. I was just enjoying the scenery and the challenge of finding the next step in the stones. The view from the top of Angels Landing is extremely impressive. Because it juts into the middle of the canyon, the landing provides views of the canyon in two directions. One way looks out over the expanding canyon. The other direction looks at the canyon as it gets narrower and approaches the well-known Narrows hike. The Narrows is less of a hike and more of a trudge through ankle to waist deep water. The Narrows follows the Virgin River as it gets closer to its source and the gargantuan walls get tighter and tighter to the banks of the river. At some points, the river is only 20 feet wide or so and the walls still maintain their thousand-foot dimensions! It’s a truly incredible experience. There are some things to think about when hiking this trail: beware of floods (make sure to check with the ranger’s station about this), wear water shoes (these help with the rough terrain under the water but are also waterproof), go as far back as possible (this helps to avoid the crowds at the beginning), and lastly leave plenty of time because it ain’t easy treading water with every step.
Costs and Budget
Use your America the Beautiful Pass for entry.
Springdale is the town that is right outside of Zion. It is a touristy town, so things are overpriced, but you can find some reasonable lodging. The camping here is very good because it borders the Virgin River, which allows for refreshing recreation in the hot sun of summer.
Grand Canyon- South Rim
Last, but quite the opposite of least, is the Grand Canyon. What can I say about the Grand Canyon that nobody has said before? It is the most iconic location in America. There aren’t words to describe the experience of looking out over the edge and seeing 15 miles across to the other side and 1 mile down to the Colorado River below. It’s an incredible feat of nature that never ceases to amaze. As our friend Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation says, “Crying: acceptable at funerals and the Grand Canyon.” If Ron Swanson says that you can cry, it must have some great significance. Also, quick shout-out to Parks and Rec. if you haven’t seen it yet, you should definitely check it out.
Although the canyon is immense, there aren’t really too many hikes to do besides the ones that take you to the base of the canyon, so if you don’t plan to do those, you should only spend a couple days at the Grand Canyon. This is because the overlooks often tend to look the same after a little bit. Also, they’re just overlooks, so they don’t take long to visit. I recommend taking the Hermit’s Rest Red shuttle to the points along that route. These points give you a view of the Colorado River, which is rare for either rim. I would also spend some time at the Grand Canyon Village. There are many buildings with historic architecture and an interesting history there, so that’s definitely worth checking out. Lastly, I recommend taking the rim trail from the Visitor Center to Yaki Point. This is a very cool trail to bike if you want to rent one.
It is impossible to take a Southwest road trip and not visit the Grand Canyon. It is too iconic, and you don’t want people to doubt your sanity!
Costs and Budget
Use your America the Beautiful Pass for entry.
The Grand Canyon is in a pretty remote location, so your accomodations will need to be in the park. The website is in the link below.
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/lodging.htm
I hope this blog helped in planning your next trip out West. If you have any questions or comments, please comment below. I also want to hear from you if you used any of my suggestions and how they turned out for you. I always love to hear your stories! Thank you so much!
JP See World 