Vegas, Arizona, Utah and LA itinerary help

I’m planning a trip to Las Vegas arriving on the 1st of May. I have visited Las Vegas many times and this time I want to explore the surrounding areas including Arizona, Utah and finally ending up in LA for my flight home on the 1st of June.

Can anyone suggest possible itineraries? I plan to spend the first few nights in Vegas while I get over the jetlag then hire a car. I am into photography so would like to include the national parks. The more I look at possible routes and itineraries the more confused I get???? Any help would be appreciated as I just don't know where to start!

 

It really depends upon how much time you want to spend in Las Vegas and how much in Los Angeles. I agree that if you are flying into Las Vegas, I would spend the first several nights in Las Vegas. While in the Las Vegas area, I would visit Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area, Hoover Dam, and Valley of Fire State Park. I would then head east to visit Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon Park in Utah. I would then head south and visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. From here, you need to decide whether you want to head south to Phoenix and Tucson or do you want to head back towards Las Vegas.

If you head south, you could spend the next several days to a week hitting the highlights of Phoenix and Tucson, particularly the Sonoran Desert with its saguaro cactus. And then head west to Los Angeles for the remainder of the trip. If you go this route, I would definitely spend at least a couple of days if not more in San Diego.

If you head back west from the Grand Canyon, I would spend several more nights in Las Vegas, and then I would head northwest to Death Valley National Park and Yosemite National Park in the Sequoia National Forest. Then head to San Franciso and the wine country, and then head down the coast to Los Angeles.

Hope this helps.

 

You have a month, so time is on your side.

First things first, get ourself a good map that shows the entire region -- the old-fashioned paper variety. The AAA map of the Western US and Canada is what I'm thinking. Then you can follow along:

Big Route 1: You can skip the geologic highlights around Vegas since you're heading into the very heart of the Colorado Plateau. Vegas, Zion, North Rim, back up to Bryce. From Bryce continue on Utah 12 through to Torrey, which takes you through Grand Staircase-Escalante NM (National Monument) and to Capitol Reef. From Torrey take the 24 to I-70 then south on US 191 to Arches, Moab and Canyonlands. When you have your fill of this area, down the 161 through Bluff then veer off on the 163 through Monument Valley. From Kayenta take the 160 to the 89, stopping in Flagstaff. You've seen the North Rim so no need to spend time on the South. Head back to Vegas. Head out to Pahrump and then into Death Valley, after your fill of the park continue on Hwy 190 over the Inyo Mountains and then veer off toward Lone Pine. You're on the back (stunning) side of the Sierra now. Head up 395 and check out Mammoth/Mammoth Lakes -- fishing, great hiking, awesome mtb park. From Mammoth north on the 395 to Lee Vining then over Tioga Pass through the high side of Yosemite. Beat feet south to So Cal and do what you will there. (From Yosemite you can mosey along through gold country on the 49 and then flip direction and head south.)

 

Ken I wanna say that this is awesome! I hope to do this one day! Well done.

 

OK, you called out AZ not the Sierra, so let me offer some thoughts on the Grand Canyon State. I LOVE Arizona. I spend a lot of time there every year and have for seeming eons. Having said that, on the back end of a trip of this magnitude, and if you'd not otherwise experience the Sierra in your life, I'd stick with the route above.

Big Route 2: Pick up from above just outside Bluff, UT, and continue on Hwy 191 until you hit I-40. This is the heart of Navajo Country and make sure to detour over to Canyon de Chelly NM. (Four Corners is an option just easterly of Mexican Water, AZ, but, honestly, life will not somehow be anointed seeing it.) When you hit the 40, jog east just a bit and then continue southerly on the 191 -- you also can nip a bit west to check out Painted Desert then backtrack. (Between St. Johns and Alpine you'll also be on Hwy 180) This is the end of the Mogollon Rim and the heart of the White Mountains high country, and part of copper country. It will be an amazing piney/watery contrast to the red rock of the plateau. Continue on the 191 to I-10 near Wilcox, and when in that far southeastern part of Arizona search out Chiricahua NM and the Amerind Foundation Museum in Dragoon. I don't consider Tombstone a must-see, though a dip down to Bisbee might be in order. Arizona wine territory is also down around Sonoita if that interests you. Eventually you'll get back on the interstate heading to Tucson. Cool stuff around Tucson includes Kartchner Caverns -- book well in advance -- and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (zoo/botanical garden) next to the west section of Saguaro NP. The drive up to Mt. Lemmon is worth some time and of course you gotta nosh around the Old Pueblo eating Sonoran-Mex. Madera Canyon and the Mt. Wrightson hikes south of Tucson near Saguarita are great, too, and the Titan Missile Museum is in Green Valley/Sonoita -- quirky fun. Overnight a few miles farther south at Tubac Golf Resort and check out Tubac itself. Back north in Tucson you can head to LA via I-8 and San Diego, and if you've always wanted to chill around Palm Springs/the Coachella Valley you can route that way too via El Centro or I-10 . If you need Palm Springs area tips drop me a note as I've written scores if not hundreds of articles on the desert, as well as a guidebook.