Ultimate Death Valley Road Trip: A 5-Day Itinerary from LA Trippy is where Read more about it here. Then, take Highway 14 up to Red Rock Canyon State Park, near Cantil. Sunset: The Forrest Gump point at Sunset and later at dusk is the perfect time for photos here. Lotus of Siam 9:27 pm arrive at Arches National Park. Shell go wherever the winds take her! (The earlier the better). Click the button below to explore more questions s.type = 'text/javascript'; hotels around Las Vegas: 7:12 pm Green River (Utah) stay for about 1 hour. Day Three: Ridgecrest to Death Valley via Alabama Hills, 20 Photos That Will Make You Want to Book a Trip to Morocco, 11 Things to Do in Mesa: The Quick Guide to Mesa, Arizona, 7-Day Idyllic Aegean Cruise with Celestyal Cruises: Greece Cruising, Onboard the Schooner J&E Riggin, A Maine Windjammer Sailing Adventure. A note on Zion during the pandemic: We visited Zion over the fourth of July weekend, shortly after they re-opened. If you're up for a nice meal, Las Vegas has tons of amazing options! This day, of course, begins withanother park at sunrise, and then a drive onward to Page, AZ. Where to sleep RV trailer Best tips and casinos for first time gambler? Driving Time: 3.5 hours to Las Vegas, 7.5 Hours to Los Angeles. As you can see below, sunset is definitely one of the best times to visit Zabriskie Point, as the sun lights up the hills in shades of orange and pink. Los Angeles to Arches National Park drive If not taking this detour, drive past Mojave National Preserve to reach the neon lights of Las Vegas. Designed by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, the installation is about 35 ft high. The whole day is spent in the park and in the town of Moab, which is right next to it. Put "Forrest Gump Hill" into your Google Maps to take you to the exact spot. questions about Bryce Canyon National Park: trips from Los Angeles to Arches National Park, Family road trip for 6 days in early August. Quick Links: Zion National Park. It was beautiful, and you must see it while in the park. . Stops and things to do on Los Angeles to Denver drive or road trip Planning to spend a few days? This scenic and cultural city offers something for everyone. Bring your camping blanket and a jacket - it is cold in the morning! One of my favorite views was from the top of the road on the drive in. My trip was based upon the Discovering Death Valley itinerary and expanded, so check out my itinerary below for the ultimate Death Valley adventure starting from Los Angeles. We stayed until dark and still made it down after dark easily - just use your phone flashlight. From here, you can either start the long slog back home (at least 8 hours) or book a cheap hotel in Vegas. Created 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Era, Valley of Fire is named after the red sandstone formations. Day 3: Drive to Bryce Canyon NP 2 hour drive. You will find something new to explore and enjoy in this fast-paced, neon-lit city, even if you have visited before. Fremont Street Experience (15 mentions) day 2 driving 9.5 hours. Day: Stop by Lake Powell for a couple hours of relaxing in the sun and swimming. Search for RV campgrounds. This Southern California road trip route includes driving parts of the iconic Highway 395 route, visiting at least two US National Parks (Death Valley and Joshua Tree). 11. Shell go wherever the winds take her! If you choose to not visit the Grand Canyon, following I-15 will then take you past Zion National Park and Dixie National Forest. to double check the weather. Haley is the blogger behind Ready Set Jet Set, a travel blog based out of Austin, Texas featuring all the best in solo female travel, adventure travel, weekend getaways, and so much more. If you do decide to go there in the winter, it's a good idea to take your snow chains with you. Out of Los Angeles, make your way along the Interstate 10 (I-10) and take Exit 58A for Interstate 15 (I-15) as you drive through San Bernardino and Angeles National Forests. We ended up getting stuck in some deep clouds and rain, but the usually clear sunset photos here look amazing! Bellagio Hotel This post is my five-day road trip to some of Utahs and Arizonas best spots, and it has all of the details for you to do it as well. Our goal was to focus on Utah, so this was a quick lunch stop. You will have the option to visit Capitol Reef National Park and Manti-La Sal National Forest before reaching Moab by taking Exit 182 for US-191. Arches National Park . On an impromptu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento, their past comes into focus and questions their future. Or, if youre only there for a quick stop, take a drive around to find Joshua Trees and beautiful red rock cliff faces. Bryce Canyon is probably the least developed of the National Parks on this trip - the hotel and food options are good, but limited and very unfancy compared to Zion. Miles from L.A.: ~500. It's okay, you can start planning your In general, having a 4WD car for this itinerary would be helpful, since itd allow you to go to certain places in Death Valley that you cant go to otherwise (like the Racetrack Playa), and to more easily get to Trona Pinnacles, but its not 100% necessary and we did do the trip in a normal SUV. The cheapest way to get from Los Angeles to Arches National Park costs only $163, and the quickest way takes just 6 hours. This is part 1 of the adventure. Add a Day: Page, Arizona and Antelope Canyon Day 7: Zion to Valley of Fire. This small town, right on the outskirts of Monument Valley, is named after the Mexican Hat rock that is outside of the town. If you are feeling less adventurous but still want to admire the mountain scenery, the Kimpton Hotel Born will be the perfect choice of accommodation for you, with its stunning views and luxurious interiors. Its an excellent place to stretch your legs before the last push into Moab. We didnt have time to do anything other than take a photo here. Hopefully, this guide was helpful for you and provided a few ideas on how to have a good long weekend adventure outside of CA. Since it is most likely lunchtime, I would recommend stopping at Earl of Sandwich. Los Angeles and Mount Rushmore are separated by a distance of 1,310 miles which will take you 19 hours and 30 minutes of nonstop driving before reaching the famous national memorial in South Dakota. I would eat here every day if I could. From the parking lot, you can get amazing shots overlooking the rainbow hills, aptly named for the pastel colors formed from minerals that look like an artist splashed paint all over the mountains. We took a road trip in our 2022 Volkswagen ID4 Pro yearlong tester over the holidays to see family in Sacramento, California. Heading straight to the Devil's Bridge trail instead of going to town and checking into our motel first was a HUGE timer, and after the drive, it's so good to get out and immediately start exploring! If you have time on your way back, on the other side of Las Vegas, stop by the art installation Seven Magic Mountains for a sunset shot. Maya is set to play Michael A .'s wife and Kristen will be playing Michael Cera . The Cardinals will conclude their west coast road trip in Los Angeles and get an off day Monday before returning to St. Louis for a three-game series with Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels. s.src = u + '?v=' + (+new Date()); The routes incorporate a wide range of cities, towns, tourist attractions and places of outstanding beauty, so many that you could easily spend a month visiting them all. What's the best neighborhood in Barstow for a first time visitor? , Hike to Delicate Arch (opt to do this early in the morning or late in the day) , Stop to check out the Three Gossips rock formation & the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint. It was a good meal in a fun location. Camping along the way? you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, As you get close to Monument Valley, make sure to stop at mile marker 13 on Highway 163. Las Vegas realistically requires two days if you want to see the sites and dine at their Michelin-star restaurants. This spot provides a fantastic view of Monument Valley, as well as being the spot that Forrest Gump stopped running at in the movie of the same name. Death Valley has so many iconic photo spots, its hard to pick what to see in Death Valley if your time there is short. It is especially beautiful when golden hour lights the whole area up. When in Monument Valley,consider stopping at Gouldings Lodge, which is the spot where many old westerns were filmed, including a cabin used in an old John Wayne movie. Make sure to sample a local beer while you are exploring downtown as Denver is famous for its local breweries. Its just over two hours to drive from Death Valley to Las Vegas. Nearby is a restaurant called Cafe Rio that is in the same vein as Chipotle but equally as good. Just make sure to make reservations! . stay for about 2 hours and leave at 12:03 pmdrive for about 2 hours, 1:51 pm Beaver (Utah) In summer months, youll also want to start your hike as early as possible, as its not safe to hike when temperatures are high. I always stop whenever I see it as it is fantastic. The Cosmopolitan 9. Trippy is where Drive through the stunning scenery of Monroe and Joseph Peaks. Trip Guides. The drive from Los Angeles usually takes around six hours in a gas . We chose to do a partial rim hike out to Little Hebe, which is a one-mile out-and-back walk with some light elevation gain on deep gravel paths that do give a bit of resistance, but is suitable for most hiking levels. We include the most popular starting points and show you the routes and points of interest on the way to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National . I recommend the optioncalled Fiery Fungus but be warned that it is spicy. We chose to make the drive all the way to LA since it's so much easier to do after 8PM and is usually a straight shot with no traffic, but it does make for a long drive. The best time to visit Mount Rushmore is between April and May, or September and October when the weather is pleasant with temperatures around 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. most talked about places recommended by Trippy members. The mammoth road trip from Los Angeles to Mount Rushmore provides plenty of opportunities for detours and overnight stays. Some of the things you can see are full dinosaur bone recreations, plaster mold dinosaurs to scale, old meteors, and petrified wood. Canyon King Pizza Fun pizza spot that is actually in an old boat that used to be used on the lake. High Roller (10 mentions) Los Angeles to the South Rim. We were here for two days, and it was great. Day One: LA to Lancaster. Giada From Los Angeles, a National Park Tour of the American Southwest is one of the most incredible road trips you can do. The 29 Palms Area of Joshua Tree has some very affordable motel accommodations. The canyon is just so gorgeous in the soft light, I really wish we would have had one more chance. A road trip from California to Utah is the perfect summer (or year-round) activity. If you're heading farther into Utah to Moab or Arches National Park, Monument Valley can easily be a quick pass-through stop. or Sydney, and get inspired for your dream trip around the world. Does the party capitol of the world really need an introduction? Another option is to drive around Movie Flat Road for scenic views around Alabama Hills. Highlights include Kansas City, Denver, Las Vegas, Amarillo and Sante Fe, as well as Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, Zion and Arches National Park. Want to plan the trip back? While these arent the tallest sand dunes inside Death Valley, they are the most accessible, located just outside Stovepipe Wells.