So, you’ve decided this much: Grand Canyon National Park will be the end point of your next road trip.
The next questions are: where will your journey begin, and how will you get to such a remote part of the US? Before you get to the varying terrains within the Arizona park itself, you'll experience jagged desert ridges, soaring firs and oft-snow-capped mountains looming in the distance – along with some super-quirky towns – en route.
Though there are private bus tour options from Las Vegas, helicopter flights from Phoenix and shuttles aplenty from Flagstaff, Los Angeles and even Salt Lake City, having a car at the Grand Canyon has major perks. With your own wheels, you can map your own adventure of both North Rim and South Rim stops as well as hikes to fill your day (or week) to the max.
So, as you balance flight costs, road-trip wishlists and pinpoint the perfect place to start and/or end your voyage, here are the best road trips to the Grand Canyon.
Best road trip for a bonus national park Las Vegas–North Rim, 275 miles (443km)
From Las Vegas, why not enjoy a bonus national park on the way to the Grand Canyon? While the southern route to Grand Canyon National Park deservingly gets a lot of love, the northern route opens up a seamless detour to Zion National Park, where vivid red cliffs and emerald pools await. The closest town to the park’s gate, Springdale, is a prime spot to recharge at Tex-Mex hotspot Oscar’s Café or the artsy Spotted Dog eatery. From there, it’s nothing but desert landscape and small towns – like Kanab – as you make your way to the Northern Arizona border before ultimately entering the park.
Planning tip: If the North Rim is your final destination, ensure you’re going during the six months of the year its roads are open. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is closed – encompassing all roads like key thoroughfare State Route 67 – between December 1 and May 14 annually.
Best road trip for quirky desert finds Las Vegas–South Rim, 290 miles (467km)
There is no shortage of glittering casino lights and non-stop entertainment in Sin City, but after a few days and perhaps many free casino drinks, some visitors need a nature-infused reprieve. The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is within day-trip distance. From wherever your Vegas home base may be, your South Rim journey will look like a capital U on the map, via Interstate 11, US Route 93 and Interstate 40.
Within 45 minutes of Vegas, make pit stops at the Hoover Dam and the antique shop-laden town of Boulder City. A drive along its main drag – Nevada Way – feels like Main Street USA, tucked worlds away from Vegas’ glitz. As for a detour, make a stop in Kingman, Arizona, which has an Insta-worthy stretch of Route 66, including the Arizona
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
In a landscape sparsely populated with people but covered in spruce forests, taiga, tundra and lakes, a singular physical force reigns supreme – the 20,310ft imposing elevation of Denali, the mountain that dominates its eponymous national park in Alaska.
Outdoor enthusiasts looking to save on their next trip national park trip need to look no further.A new report from flight price tracking service Going reveals that some parks are cheaper to fly to than others due to their location and surrounding airports. The cheapest National Park to fly to is Indiana Dunes National Park, which has four nearby airports that travelers can choose to fly into, including Chicago O'Hare, Chicago Midway, and Indianas' South Bend Regional Airport, and Gary/Chicago International Airport.
What’s more American than a road trip? Like blue jeans and apple pie, it's so embedded in the culture that travelers from around the world plan a road trip just to experience our open highways and byways. From the iconic Route 66 stretching across the heartland to the rugged beauty of the Pacific Coast Highway, the US has no shortage of scenic routes. What sets the American road trip apart is the sheer diversity of experiences on offer, from camping under a star-spangled sky to exploring epic parks like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. “Road trips offer an opportunity to venture out and connect with a multitude of people and experiences,” says Samantha Brown, the television host behind Samantha Brown’s Places to Love on PBS. At its most basic, Brown says, road tripping is about freedom.
In Lake Tahoe, the peaks of the Sierra Nevada rise above turquoise waters so clear you can peer more than 70 feet below the surface. In winter, skiers prize the Tahoe Basin’s 14 ski areas, while in summer, people flock to beaches, hiking and biking trails. Perhaps the best time to visit Lake Tahoe is the shoulder seasons in spring and fall when the region is less crowded and hotel rooms are more affordable.
Planning an accessible road trip is getting a little easier for people with disabilities. There are more resources created by and for the disability community, and the tourism industry is starting to recognize the value of accessible travel. As a disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent person, I take road trips every year and have learned some tips and tricks along the way.
When thinking of the USA’s majestic national parks, a massive swamp, a seemingly endless swath of the Atlantic Ocean or a 19th-century fort might not immediately come to mind.