Family Adventures in the American Southwest

Our adventure-loving family is always up for exploring and learning about fun new places. Our first trip of summer 2023 is exploring the great American Southwest!!

Why the American Southwest?

Well, why not? No really, many of our outdoor bucket list places are located relatively close together in Arizona and Utah. Once I mapped everything out in Roadtrippers, I discovered so many other amazing places we could explore along the way.

Every bend in the road revealed a new otherworldly terrain. Our 1900 mile drive took us through tall cacti, to red mountain cliffs, cave dwellings, petrified sand dunes, snowy mountain tops (in June!), to hoodoos, arches, desert flatlands, forests, and more. It was amazing how dramatically everything changed ever few miles!

Our Family Adventures Through the American Southwest

We could have spent months exploring, but we limited ourselves to 2 weeks. I wanted to aim for the coolest summer weather possible, with running into the Memorial Day crowds and prices, so we left for Phoenix, Arizona on May 31. We didn't spend time exploring Phoenix, which has its own amazing adventures to be discovered. Instead, we opted to grab our rental vehicle (which we named the "Eagle's Nest"), geared-up, and hit the road.

We worked our way through Arizona to the tip of New Mexico and Colorado, then through Utah, and fly out of Vegas. We could have driven back to Phoenix. But the cost difference of leaving from Vegas was small and it left us with another day to explore the beauty of Utah. Our completed itinerary for our family adventures in the American Southwest is outlined below. Follow along with our crazy crew through our linked blog posts along the way!

Day 1 - Montezuma Castle National Monument 

After setting off on our road trip through the American Southwest, we drove about an hour and a half from Phoenix, Arizona to our first stop at the Montezuma Castle National Monument. There is a small visitor's center located near the parking area (maybe a 1-2 minute walk). We toured the small exhibit room while the girls worked on some of their Junior Ranger books. The books prompted them to think about life long ago and what it would have been like to live here.

From the visitor's center, you can take a short 1/3 mile walk along a paved and well shaded trail to view the dwellings and read the informational signs. There are benches and shaded areas to rest and enjoy the views. The girls soaked in the importance of the area while completing their Junior Ranger badge activities.

There were not a lot of food options available nearby when we visited, but there was a little roadside stand selling Indian fry bread. I had heard it was definitely something we needed to try, so I was on the lookout for it. OMG it did not disappoint!! Similar to a funnel cake, but so much better.

After leaving Montezuma Castle NP, we drove a few more miles and watched the scenery drastically changed from white sand mountains to red sandstone as we neared Sedona.

Day 2 - Sedona, Arizona & Slide Mountain State Park

I had scheduled a hot air balloon ride over the Sedona landscape with Northern Lights Balloon Expedition for our first morning in Sedona! Unfortunately, my bucket list hot air balloon ride will have to wait until another day, because the winds did not want to cooperate today. So we packed back into the van and returned to the hotel before breakfast started. This is a perfect example of why I always have back-up adventure options! Since it was still pretty early, we drove through Sedona to explore some of the overlooks mentioned on our audio tour (I use the GuideAlong tours). We explored the Oak Creek Visitor Center area, took a short hike around the pull-off for Midgley Bridge, which spans over Oak Creek Canyon and ventured to the Red Rock Ranger Station to turn in the girls' Jr Ranger booklets.

Then it was time for our back-up adventure that I was able to book over breakfast ... a 4x4 Jeep adventure with Red Rock Western Jeep Tours! The girls loved the “roller coaster-like” bumpy off-road adventure.

A short 7 mile drive from Sedona, Slide Rock State Park was our last destination after a day full of outdoor adventures! It was the perfect place to cool off and enjoy the late afternoon. After splashing around for a while, the sun became shaded by the cliffs, so we opted to head back to Sedona for dinner.

Day 3 - Meteor Crater, Painted Desert, & Petrified Forest National Park

We take every opportunity to stop and visit "something different" during our road trips, so Meteor Crater was the perfect short stop on our travels towards the Petrified Forest National Park. We arrived early, so the parking lot was not yet crowded. The museum as small, but very informative and provided enough interactive / hands-on activities to keep both girls interested.

Also included with the price of admission, is a guided tour of the crater rim. Our tour guide, a local Winslow resident, explained the formation, history, and geology of the crater as we walked along an easy paved path over a portion of the crater rim. After our tour, we were perfectly timed for the 4D theater experience, which is also included in the price of admission. The girls love 4D theaters, so this was the perfect way to sit back and enjoy the air conditioning.

After leaving the Meteor Crater Natural Landmark, we continued along I-40 towards the northern entrance of the Petrified Forest National Park. The Main Park Road connects the northern entrance of the park to the southern entrance. You can stop at the various overlooks and pull offs to explore the different park areas. The drive starts with a loop through the Painted Desert overlooks. These initial views set the tone for the increasingly amazing views of the Painted Desert!

Continuing south, we visited Newspaper Rock (which is actually multiple rock-faces within a small area) and passed through the Tepees. Then we made it to my most favorite part of the Painted Desert -- the hike around the Blue Mesa Trail. It is an easy 1 mile paved trail, however, there is a steep descent / climb back up at the trailhead. Around the Blue Mesa Trail, you start to see petrified wood from the Petrified Forest part of the National Park.

The scenery started to completely change as we continued south through the Petrified Forest. There are no trees there now, but millions of years ago there this area was covered in huge trees. Water seeping through the wood replaced the decaying organic material cell by cell with multicolored silica (color depending on the minerals in the silica) from volcanic ash. We stopped at the Jasper Forest overlook to view one of the largest accumulations of petrified wood in the world and then did a little more hiking on the Crystal Forest Trail, where we were up close with giant pieces of petrified wood.

A dark sky was chasing us for the second half of our visit. Around this time, the rain finally caught up to us, so we wrapped up our visit and made an unplanned stop in Flagstaff, AZ to meet up with visiting family. From Flagstaff, we drove to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was late and pretty dark, so we spotted lots of wildlife – a coyote, mule deer, and a running bull elk. After a late check-in, we were all asleep pretty quickly!

Day 3 - Grand Canyon National Park

It was too dark to see the actual canyon when we arrived the night before, so we had our much anticipated first view in the morning. We picked up breakfast to go and took the shuttle to the visitor center. We trekked out the short path to the rim, where we had a picnic breakfast while the girls worked on their Junior Ranger books.

The Rim Trail starts at Mather Point. From here we took in the views at the various overlooks while we made our way along the trail. Dustin got to enjoy some rock hopping while Spider Monkey kept yelling at him to be careful. The next stop on the Rim Trail was a short visit to the Yavapai Point & Geology Museum.

The Rim Trail continued with the “Trail of Time” section to Hopi House. We had some time before the Ranger talk, so we had lunch at the El Tovar dining room. After lunch, the girls attended a Ranger talk on the canyon rim. Around this time a pair of California Condors flew through the area (another bucket list find). We ended our hike at the Lookout Studio where we spotted a mule deer enjoying her lunch on the side of the canyon.

It is hard to grasp the sheer size of the Grand Canyon! We have spent a lot of time traveling through the Colorado Plateau on our trip and experiencing the grandeur of the Colorado River. From the peeks of the south rim of the Grand Canyon, the Colorado River is a tiny spec in the distance.

We left the Grand Canyon through the east entrance to the park early the next morning. We drove along the Desert View Drive stopping at the various lookout points along our way -- Duck on a Rock, Grandview Point Overlook, Moran Point Overlook, Lipan Point, Navajo Point and the Desert Watchtower.

Day 4 - Antelope Canyon, Glen Canyon NRA, & Horseshoe Bend

We said goodbye to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and traveled through the Navajo Nation to Page, Arizona. The Navajo Nation does not observe Daylight Savings Time, so figuring out the correct time can be tricky. I booked a 11 am tour of Lower Antelope Canyon, so we left the Grand Canyon by 7 am to be safe (and factoring in some stops along the Desert View Drive). Once in Page, the Utah boarder is a few miles away, so cell phones bounce back and forth between time zones. You start off with a safety briefing and then a short walk out into the desert. The entire canyon is below ground level, so all that you can see to give it away is the wavy narrow chasm.

After reaching the canyon entrance, you descend 5 sets of metal staircases into the long narrow slot canyon. Lower Antelope Canyon runs north to south, so the lighting is always amazing! At the end of the canyon, you climb up another metal staircase and squeeze through the sandstone on the desert floor. We explored some dinosaur prints and made the short hike back to the tour station, where we enjoyed popsicles while we dusted off.

Our hotel room was not ready yet, so we stopped by the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Glen Canyon NRA is a conservation unit of the United States National Park Service that encompasses the area around Lake Powell and lower Cataract Canyon in Utah and Arizona. From the visitor center we could look down on Glen Canyon Dam, but they have not opened tours of the dam back up since COVID. The girls completed their Junior Ranger activities and were sworn in.

Our original plan was to check into the hotel and then visit Horseshoe Bend at sunset, but the impending rain and our tired kiddos had other ideas. So, we pivoted and made the short trek after lunch instead. Horseshoe Bend is the picturesque view of the Colorado River on just about every screen saver. The river eroded the rocks over millions of years and formed the deep, sweeping curve of the river that defines Horseshoe Bend today. It was really beautiful and so big! To put the great size of the canyon in perspective, you can see a tiny spec of a boat cruising the river below.

Day 5 - Monument Valley & Four Corners Monument

We left early the next morning to explore the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Monument Valley sits on the Arizona and Utah boarder within the Navajo Nation. Navigating the constantly changing time zones was once again our biggest challenge. We managed to arrive on time and boarded our open-air pickup and set off to explore the park. The first two formations you see are the long edge of Sentinel Mesa and a side view of Big Chief Butte. Then you see the 3 iconic formations seen in screensaver photos -- the Western Mitten Butte, East Mitten Butte, and Merrick Butte.

After passing through the first few formations in Monument Valley, we stopped at John Ford’s Point, a popular vantage point named after director John Ford. This ledge is the location of the iconic John Wayne old western photos. If you tip the cowboy, he will ride his horse out to the point and let you replicate the iconic photo. John Ford’s Point also had some little shops and great views.

You can drive your own vehicle through the valley, but only Navajo guides are permitted to take guests into the back country. Lucky for us, because the back country includes a visit to a traditional Navajo hogan! Here we were met with a Navajo woman who lives on the property. She demonstrated how the women prepare wool by hand and spin it into yarn to weave Navajo clothing and blankets. She spoke to us about Navajo traditions and explained to Buttercup that long hair signifies the root of thought and ask to perform a traditional hair tying for her, to create a tsiiyéél. Super cool experience!

The tour continued through the mesas, with stops to see petroglyphs and arches. We were very fortunate to have unseasonably mild weather for our trip, but -- the sun is so brutal and unforgiving! And then there is the threat of flash floods whenever it rains. The dark clouds were starting to come in as we were finishing up our tour, so we headed to the information center and gift shop before driving on.

From Monument Valley, we continued driving northeast along a stretch of interstate towards Colorado. Along the way we stopped at the Four Corners Monument. We had our expectations in check, knowing this was a novelty stop – but it wasn’t very crowded and overall a nice place to get out and stretch our legs. The Four Corners Monument is still within the Navajo Nation. It marks the point where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It is pretty remote. Once you park in the gravel parking lot, you enter the “monument” and stand in line to take your photos on the marker. The lines was maybe 10 minutes long. There are little shops around the perimeter with Navajo crafts and informational cornerstones “in each state”.

From the Four Corners Monument, we continued Cortez, Colorado. I love how much the landscapes changes so dramatically every 20 miles! Cortez was our waypoint for visiting Mesa Verde National Park and happens to be near to where one of Dustin’s friends relocated. Luckily we were able to meet-up for breakfast the next morning before heading out to the park!

Day 6 - Mesa Verde National Park

After breakfast we headed out to Mesa Verde National Park. Being early risers, we were there before it got too crowded (and before it warmed up). The long winding road took us up and then through the mountain. We stopped at the overlooks and the Capin Mesa Archeological Museum before heading to explore our first cave dwelling, Spruce Tree House from the overlooks.

Then it was time for our Cliff Palace Tour. Cliff Palace is North America’s largest cliff dwelling. The Ranger Tour starts with a safety orientation at the Cliff Palace Overlook. Buttercup was designated as the trail leader on the hike down the mountain -- and she did great! Once we started out on the trail, we hiked down our first long stretch of stairs, over some short stretches of paved trail on the cliff edge followed by more short staircases and up the first wooden ladder. I was unsure how Spider Monkey would do with the ladders, but she had no hesitation! Everyone gathered in the first alcove while Ranger gave us more details about life in Cliff Palace. From there we explored the bottom level of the dwelling. The tour continued along the cliff side and the up a small trail to the kivas. Here the Ranger explained that kivas are round sunken rooms of ceremonial importance.

The hike up was along steep stone steps and more wooden ladders. The remnants of the ancient hand and toe holds are visible from the steps. The girls did amazing well on the tour! I purchased tickets to a second, more difficult tour for the afternoon – just in case they did well on the first one. To my surprise, they were really excited to tour another cliff dwelling.

We had some time before the next tour started, so we explored the overlooks and the early homes of the Ancestral Pueblo people on the Mesa Top Loop. Then it was time to head back to the Cliff Palace Loop for our Balcony House tour.

At first, the tour is pretty easy. You start down a paved trail along the cliff side, have the tour orientation and initial Ranger talk at the top of a metal staircase, descend down a few staircases and along the cliff edge before approaching the giant ladder. Dustin and Spider Monkey went up the ladder first followed by Buttercup and I so I could keep an extra eye on Spider Monkey. Both girls did amazing. Once you clear the ladder, you squeeze through a narrow opening in the rocks and up another small ladder. Then you are in Balcony House.

We explored the North Plaza before traveling up a small ladder and using the hand and toe holds to climb around and into Kiva Plaza. There was not a retaining wall along the cliff side in Kiva Plaza, so we kept the girls towards the back as much as we could.

Before long it was time to make our way back up along the cliff side, squeeze between the rocks, a 12-foot crawl through an 18-inch wide “doorway”, up a 17-foot ladder, followed by a climb up tiny steep steps carved into the cliff side and another 17-foot ladder. The adventurous hike in and out of Balcony House was what made this tour one of our favorites!

After leaving Mesa Verde, we traveled to Utah to visit the "Mighty Five" National Parks. This is the part of the trip where we strapped on our hiking boots and set out to explore the trails through America’s beautiful natural wonders! Our first stop in Utah was Moab.

Day 7 - Arches National Park

We set of to explore Arches National Park early on our first morning. We could have easily split Arches NP into two separate days of hiking, but we managed to see a lot in a full day. We had an early 7 am timed entry into the park so we could do a little hiking before the sun was too high in the sky over the exposed hiking areas (and to beat some of the crowds). Our strategy was to hit the most exposed trail / the trailhead where the parking area fills up the quickest first. So once we entered, we drove all the way to the back of the park (about 18 miles) to the Devil’s Garden Trailhead.

From the trailhead we hiked to the Landscape Arch, visited a couple viewpoints and then hiked up the rocks as far as we felt comfortable with the girls. On our hike back we took the spur trail to the Pine Tree and Tunnel Arches.

After leaving Devil’s Garden, we slowly made our way back towards the entrance of Arches NP, stopping at various pull-offs and trailheads. Our next stop was one of the girls’ favorites – Sand Dune Arch. Sand Dune Arch is a giant shaded sandbox of fine red sand, where the girls could have dug and played for hours.

We drove past the Fiery Furnace area, stopping to take some photos of the landscape along the way, and crossed over the Salt Valley Wash before reaching the spur on the road that leads to the Delicate Arch trail and overlooks.

After viewing Delicate Arch, we continued to drive towards the front of the park, stopping at more numerous pull-offs and taking in the landscape of the Lower Salt Valley. We took Windows Road to the left towards the Windows Section of the park. The road first curves around and offers a little pull-off viewpoint for the Garden of Eden - another of our family favorites!! Arches National Park classifies this area as a “viewpoint”. But it is really an open trail where you can explore and climb around the sandstone features.

Continuing along Windows Road, you can see Elephant Butte in the distance before arriving at the end of the road and the crowded Window Section parking area. We made a 1-mile loop, starting with the North Window and ending with the Turret Arch. We spent some time at the North Window climbing and exploring under the arch before continuing to the South Window.

From the Windows parking lot, we took a connector trail that joined the Double Arch parking area. When you reach the Double Arch, you can hike up and explore under the arch. Once back in our car, we exited the Windows Section and made a quick stop to visit Balanced Rock from the parking lot. There are tons of other viewpoints along the road back to the park entrance, but we had a very full day of adventures. So, we opted to just stop at the Visitor Center so the girls could turn in their Junior Ranger books and get sworn in.

Day 8 - Canyonlands National Park

On our second day in Moab, we scheduled a combined 4x4 adventure through the Eye of the Sky District of Canyonlands and a rafting adventure on the Colorado River with NAVTEC! Canyonlands National Park is the start of the Grand Canyon (and was usually used to film “Grand Canyon” locations in movies instead of Grand Canyon NP).

We started our visit by viewing the early petroglyphs carved in the stone by the ancient Publoans and Fremonts. We have been learning a lot about the Ancient Publoans, but this was the first we learned of the Fremont. Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan people began to incorporate farming into their hunter-gatherer lifestyles approximately 2,000 years ago. The petroglyphs depict human-like figures often elaborately decorated with headdresses, ear bobs, necklaces clothing items and facial expressions. The Fremont moved in small groups, as clans, medicinal societies, or co-residence groups encountering other people and residing with them for periods of time. Gradually these groups merged and dispersed, repeating this process. As we continued our journey to Capitol Reef NP, we learned more about the Fremont.

Canyonlands is divided into 4 regions - Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers. The Maze and Needles regions are more remote, so we opted to visit the Island in the Sky region. Our tour took continued into the park and through a portion of the White Rim Trail. The full White Rim Trail is 100 miles long, taking 2-3 days to complete. You definitely need vehicles (and driving experience) specifically designed for this area. No guardrails, rockslides, and miles of desert trails.

We continued along the White Rim Trail to Musselman Arch. This famous arch spans 120 feet and provides a beautiful view of the canyons. Then we finished the tour by climbing the switchbacks on the Shafer Trail.

After a morning 4x4 adventure in Canyonlands, we rafted 12 miles on the Colorado River through the Fisher Towers area and over Class II and Class III rapids. This was definitely a highlight of the trip!

Day 9 - Capitol Reef National Park & Bryce Canyon National Park

We left Moab early in the morning and drove to Capitol Reef NP. Along the way, we stopped at the Petroglyph Panels. There was a viewing are off of Utah State Route 24 where you can see the large walls of Petroglyphs from the boardwalk. These wall drawings were created by the Fremont Native Americans who lived in the area from 300 to 1300 BC. We joined a Ranger talk at the Petroglyphs before entering the park.

Unfortunately, Capitol Reef was the area I cut down to fit everything else in our schedule. So we spent most of our time exploring the Gifford House and Fruita area. We sampled some of the famous pies with ice cream from the Gifford House and took in the scenery. There is a great wading location is in Sulphur creek between the Ripple Rock Nature Center and the Gifford House. You can also access Sulphur Creek through the large grassy area with picnic tables. I had planned to drive through the park more and let the girls wade into the creeks, but we ran short on time.

From Capitol Reef, we followed the Scenic Byway (SR 12) to Bryce Canyon City. This was a very impressive drive from the golden sandstone and canyon walls of Capitol Reef to dense forests and spots of snow in the Dixie National Forest, to the crimson-colored hoodoos of Bryce Canyon.

We explored the exhibits at the Bryce Canyon NP visitor center before adventuring to the rim of the canyon. Our first impression, was WOW! Bryce Canyon is so breathtaking and leaves you with an otherworldly feeling. We started at Sunrise Point and traveled along the paved path to Sunset Point and Inspiration Point. We had plans for more serious hiking tomorrow, so today was just a little taste of what Bryce Canyon had to offer.

After our brief viewing of the canyon rim, we checked into our hotel and took a quick nap before our Night Ranger Program. Viewing the night sky was on my list of "musts" for this trip, and the program run by the Night Rangers seemed like a great fit. The program starts at 9:30 pm, so we dressed in multiple layers to stay as warm as possible. They started the program with some educational videos and then opened up 4 giant telescopes for viewing star clusters, galaxies, and planets. The girls had a blast! You are free to stay and keep viewing for as long as you like, so we had to pull the girls away after midnight.

Day 9 - Bryce Canyon National Park & Belly of the Dragon

Our big plan for today was to hike the hoodoos! We started with the Navajo Loop and ended with Queens Garden. This hike ranks among my most favorite!! Navajo Loop starts at Sunset Point with switchbacks that wind between the giant walls of the canyon. As you near the bottom you begin walking among massive pine trees. Along the way, we took pictures by the benchmarks so the girls could get their "We Hiked the Hoodoos" patch from the Visitor Center.

After leaving Bryce, we stopped at the Belly of the Dragon for a unique mini "hike". The trailhead is located 16 miles north of Kanab or 1/2 mile south of Carmel Junction along HWY 89. The dirt road is on the west side of the road between two guard rails. Then you drive along a well-maintained dirt road 1/4 a mile to a small parking area on the left. There is no elevation gain on the trail, but the floor of the tunnel is rocky, uneven, and dark -- so make sure to bring a flashlight. The hardest part of the trail is the 5 foot drop down to the tunnel in the very beginning. This stop is all about taking in the tunnel and stopping to stretch your legs between Bryce Canyon and Zion.

From the Bellow of the Dragon, we continued to Zion. We entered through the east entrance and went through the Mount Carmel Tunnel.

Day 11 - Zion National Park

My bucket list hike was the Narrows -- which sadly were closed during our visit. My backup plan was to hike to the Emerald Pools, but the trail was washed out. So we quickly pivoted and created a second backup plan. We settled on hiking out to the narrows trailhead. The girls enjoyed watching the crazy squirrels and Dustin even got to do a little skipping from rock to rock along the water.

We took the bus to the Museum and then a paved trail to the Nature Center / Jr Ranger Program Center. Here the girls completed some Jr Ranger activities before we hiked back to the car.

I was disappointed with all the closures, but that just means we need to take another trip out to visit Zion (and probably Bryce) in the future!

Day 12 - Las Vegas

We left Zion and drove to Las Vegas. The drive was relatively quick and pretty easy. We had no plans for Vegas, just grab some food and explore a little before relaxing at the pool. Our flight home left the next morning.

My Travel Philosophy

Our action-filled itinerary may not work for everyone. When planning, I follow 3 basic rules. First, aim to see everything that sounds important or interesting. There are so many places we want to see in the world, so we do not routinely return to the same place more than once. I try to map out as many of the highlights or the "only available while you are there" activities.

My second traveling rule ... too much "downtime" makes my girls bored and drives me crazy. So we keep moving. We don't have to get to everything, but at least I have something planned to ward off the boredom whines.

My third traveling rule ... you will never please everyone with your planning! Each of us gravitates towards different adventures and activities. I try to balance it all out, but we have worked with the girls to understanding that today's adventure may not be a top priority for one of them, but tomorrows likely will.

When we are taking a road trip, I add in a fourth rule ... don't spend more than 3 hours in the car without stopping to explore and take the girls on a new adventure. Ultimately, don't underestimate the power of a fun road trip! Road trips can be amazing if planned correctly!

The Family Verdict

We visited so many amazing places on our roadtrip through the Southwest! Not every place was a show-stopper, but we experienced so much American culture and beauty. Overall, the American Southwest was the perfect family adventure and definitely one we will always remember!!

Follow along as I explain each leg of our road trip through the great American Southwest!

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