The American Road Trip: A National Parks Loop Through the Southwest

USA — Utah & Arizona, 7–9 days, self-drive

The Grand Circle loop through Utah and Arizona is the single best argument that Americans don’t need to fly overseas for landscapes that don’t look real — Zion’s slot canyons, Bryce’s hoodoo amphitheaters, Arches’ sandstone formations, and the Grand Canyon’s south rim, all reachable on paved roads within a week’s drive of each other.

Base the route out of Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, and resist the urge to cram all five major parks into one trip — Zion and Bryce pair naturally as a 3-day leg, with Arches and Canyonlands as a separate 3-day leg near Moab, and the Grand Canyon deserving its own dedicated 2 days rather than a rushed drive-by.

Shoulder season (April–May or September–October) avoids both summer’s triple-digit desert heat and winter road closures at higher elevations like Bryce.

Typical range: $150–$400 per night depending on in-park lodging vs. gateway-town motels, plus a rental car.

Sephari’s Expedition Essentials collection has the layering pieces this desert-to-elevation route demands — cold mornings, hot afternoons, and real temperature swings after dark.