USA Roadtripping: The Wild West

This journey was born from years of dreaming, meticulous planning, and dedicated preparation, as we readied ourselves physically for our first ever backcountry hike. Our adventure was entirely centred around securing permits to the Indian reservation known as Havasupai, home to the breathtaking Havasu Falls in Arizona. For those who share a passion for hiking, this hidden gem is would be familiar to you... a paradise in the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

After an epic RV road trip through Cali and Oregon in 2017, we wanted to do some of the more challenging national parks, because our boys were now old enough to handle it. We decided this time to go with a company called Road Bear RV's, and we were really happy with the van and the service.

Our itinerary

Below is a guide for you to follow if you need help building an itinerary. 

Las Vegas 

Valley Of Fire 

Zion National Park 

Bryce Canyon National Park 

Capitol Reef National Park 

Moab 

Dead Horse State Park 

Arches National Park 

Monument Valley 

Horseshoe Bend 

Antelope Canyon 

Lake Powell 

Grand Canyon National Park 

Route 66 

Havasupai Indian Reservation 

Sedona 

Scottsdale 

Below is a list of all the trails we were able to do with 8 and 10 year old boys. Our boys do not whinge hiking and generally love the adventure!

Zion National Park

Watchman Trail, 2hrs

Close to the visitor centre, this trail takes you up several switchbacks to an overlook where you can soak up the awesome views of Zion Canyon. A slightly closer, less elevated view than Canyon Overlook, this trail is a good spot for some sunset canyon photos. As we'd arrived in the afternoon, this trail was perfect. If you’ve seen Zion Canyon at sunset, you’ll know what I mean when I say “wowwwww”!

The Narrows, 6hrs*

Take the shuttle bus from the Visitor Centre to Temple of Sinawava (40 min each way, not including waiting for the bus to arrive). The first mile of the Narrows is a paved "Riverside Walk". At the paths end, hikers begin their trek through the river. The canyon is wider at first, providing many beaches and areas of high ground. 2.5 miles from the trailhead, a fork in the river is where the canyon walls narrow and the more iconic section of the hike begins. Most hikers try to at least make it to this point then turn back when they feel ready. The water was 3 degrees celsius, and despite hiring specialist gear in town, our boys were freezing and we turned back at this point. 

Zion Outfitter provides specialised gear that allows hikers to comfortably explore the Narrows when the water is quite cold, like in Autumn (Fall) when we did it. Packages include canyoneering boots and neoprene socks which insulate the foot and prevent the blistering from hiking in wet boots/shoes. Each Narrows package also comes with a wooden hiking stick for stability and balance, these hold up much better in the Narrows than regular trekking poles. I highly recommend getting one of those at a minimum, ever in the summertime.

* Do not do this hike if the forecast calls for rain

Canyon Overlook Trail, 30mins

This easy, one mile hike will take you to one of the best vantage points in the park. The trailhead is near the East entrance just before the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. After a short but steep hike up from the street, you’ll pass through a large natural cave and over several stone stairways before being rewarded with a stunning view of Zion Canyon below.

The Pa’rus Trail, 1hr

The only bike path in the national park. It is a wide, paved path that follows the Virgin River with multiple bridge crossings. Riding the trail from the Visitor Center to Canyon Junction and back is a great family activity! The grade is mostly flat with only minor inclines. This was my favourite "hike" of the park. It's just ridiculously beautiful and SO much fun!

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon is relatively small in comparison to the other national parks in Utah and most of the park’s major overlooks are located on the 18-mile scenic park road. It is almost like a ‘hop on and hop off‘ ride.

Queens Garden & Navajo Loop Combination, 2.5hrs

The Queen's / Navajo Combination provides the most diversity of scenery. The trail combines the more open views and unique hoodoos of the Queen's Garden Trail with narrower sections of tall redrock limestone walls and famous switchbacks along the Navajo Loop Trail and a half mile of easy walking along the Rim Trail between Sunset and Sunrise Points, with grand overviews of the Bryce Amphitheatre area below.

Capitol Reef National Park

Fruita

The Gifford Homestead is an oasis tucked along the cliffs of the Waterpocket Fold at Capitol Reef National Park, where fruit trees grow beside a clear running stream. Originally built in 1908 by Mormon settler Calvin Pendleton, they sell fresh-baked strawberry-rhubarb, cherry, peach and mixed berry pies, and they are delicious. If you love a piece of iconic American pie, this is your place!

Hickman Bridge Trail, 2hrs

The trailhead to Hickman Bridge offers hikers an easy, spectacularly scenic trek up to a large natural arch. The trail is not particularly long or steep, but it provides access to some amazing sites, including the large arch, as well as a smaller arch. We did this around sunset and had to ourselves. We loved how Capitol Reef was much quieter than the other parks.

Arches National Park

Scenic Drive

You can get through the entire park in a few hours, spending about 10 minutes at each viewpoint. Here are the viewpoints you should definitely plan on stopping at in order as you drive through the park from the visitors' centre:

Park Avenue Viewpoint

Petrified Dunes Viewpoint

Balanced Rock

The Windows

Delicate Arch Viewpoint

Fiery Furnace Viewpoint

Sand Dune Arch

Delicate Arch Trail, 2.5hrs

The Delicate Arch Trail is one of the most difficult hikes in the park, but it is worth it. From the parking lot, it is a 3 mile round trip. Just before you get to Delicate Arch, the trail traverses a narrow rock ledge for about 200 yards. My boys loved this part. This hike is super crowded, for good reason.

Sand Dune Arch Trail, 10mins

The trail features an easy slot canyon, fins to climb, and lots of fun sand dunes to play in. Again another incredibly crowded hike, but I still loved this arch so much. It's truly beautiful.

Monument Valley

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal ParkEntry is $20 per vehicle (up to 4 people) for a day pass. You won’t be able to use a National Park pass to save money on admission. The most popular mesas, buttes, and spires are along a 17-mile loop within the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. The valley drive is along a rough dirt road. The drive begins with a steep, bumpy descent. Cars with a low clearance and RVs should not drive this road, we hired a cool black Jeep four wheel drive and there are loads of places to do this (yes, its expensive!). At John Ford’s Point, for $5, you can have your photo taken on a horse overlooking the cliff. I did not do this LOL. 

South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point, 1hr 15mins

Ooh Aah Point gives a nice view of the canyon from below the rim. The perspective from there is really beautiful. It is the best kid-friendly hike in the Grand Canyon. South Kaibab Trail begins at the South Kaibab trailhead on the Yaki Point Road. It is steep and there are several switchbacks, before it levels out to an easier trail.

Havasupai

Havasu, 50 foot, Navajo and Mooney Falls

This incredible hike and backcountry camping, has its own dedicated article to come soon!

Sedona

Instead of hiking, which we were starting to tire of at this point, we did a wine tasting day. I truly think we had earned it, don't you! I recommend the following places:

Oak Creek Vineyards & Winery 

Alcantara Winery 

Merkin Vineyards Osteria

Pop me a DM if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.