I recently went on a trip to the Southwest that left me speechless. It was my first trip that was planned around visiting a National Park and one that included hiking. I’ve always considered myself a “city girl” and never thought I would want to spend my precious 2 weeks of vacation in nature.

Well after this trip I’ve become obsessed with exploring the outdoors. Now to the trip that inspired the creation of this blog! Be warned, you may be booking a flight to Las Vegas once you finish reading this post!

 

Day 1: Las Vegas to Monument Valley

Driving Distance: 400 miles Maps

If you’re not a fan of long road trips, this leg of the trip has pit stops that will make you forget the hours spent on the road. We were excited to get on the road (well half of us) so we woke up at 5 am to be on the road before 6 am.

 

First Stop: Breakfast and Re-supply

There are limited stores near Monument Valley so we stopped in St. George for breakfast and to grab supplies for dinner that evening, breakfast and snacks for our hikes. We landed at 11pm the evening before so we didn’t have an opportunity to do this before hitting the road.

 

Second Stop: Glen Canyon Dam

We didn’t plan to stop here but couldn’t miss the Wahweap overlook about 4 miles north of the Glen Canyon Dam. It was also a good opportunity to stretch our legs.

Third Stop: Horseshoe Bend, Page, AZ

Horseshoe Bend is an easy and short 1.25 miles round trip trail from the parking lot, but do bring water since this is an exposed hike. Plan to spend about 30 mins to an hour in this trail – mostly dependent on how much time you want to spend enjoying the view or taking photos. There is no fee for this trail or the parking lot.

If I find myself in this area in the future, I would love to check out a sunset with this view.

 

Fourth Stop: Antelope Canyon

We planned to stop by Horseshoe Bend before our Antelope Canyon tour and almost turned back since we thought we were late for our tour start time. The tours operate on Mountain Standard Time, which is the same as the local community of Page, AZ although the land is on Mountain Daylight Time.

Before my trip I did extensive research on which Antelope Canyon we should visit. This research also included searching hashtags on instagram, and I was eager to witness the beam of light that can be seen at Upper Antelope Canyon. All of my research led me to book a tour for Upper Antelope Canyon since it has “better” lighting.

 

There were no tours available for the morning since 10:30 am tours are popular for the prime lighting. Book tours in advance if you’re interested in visiting. The Canyons are on Navajo land, which require a tour guide to visit. The cost of the tour varies between $50-$80, depending on the tour company and time slot. I don’t have a recommendation, but do your research.

 

Final Stop: Navajo Hogan Home

The drive to Monument Valley will leave you stunned! I didn’t realize that the monuments would be visible on your drive to the area and that you can still appreciate them without entering the park. As you’re planning your road trip, be aware of the time zone changes. You don’t want to arrive to Monument Valley after sunset.

During my trip planning research I saw a photo of a traditional Hogan home and knew I had to stay in one! A Hogan is a sacred home for the Navajo people. Ours was a female Hogan that is round in shape similar to a woman’s womb.

I was thankful that my brother-in-law was with us since he was the only one who knew how to build a fire, a requirement for the cold desert night. FYI, there is no running water or electricity in the home. If interested in staying in a similar home, you can find it on airbnb.

That evening we had s’mores in a campfire outside while gazing at the stars. I haven’t seen a clearer night sky in my life.

 

Day 2: Monument Valley to Kanab

Driving Distance: 200 miles Maps

I attempted to wake up to watch the sunrise, but I’ll admit this was difficult since it was cold outside. I would recommend driving to the View Hotel, which is inside of the park to watch the sunrise.

First Stop: Monument Valley Tribal Park

Monument Valley Tribal Park is not a national park and therefore if you have an annual pass it will not be valid at this location. The park entrance was $20/car. The trails that you can do without a tour guide are: Wildcat Trail (self guided walking trail, 3.2 mi) that takes approximately 2-hrs to complete and a Scenic Drive (self-guided, 17 mi) that takes 2-4 hrs to complete.

We rented a Nissan Maxima and were able to complete the scenic drive with no issues. You may reconsider if the trail is muddy, but you don’t need a tour guide to enjoy this park. The road was better maintained than the reviews I read online led on.

 

Second Stop: Forrest Gump Point

We drove towards Mexican Hat, along US Route 163 and stopped on the infamous Forrest Gump Point.

Along this route you can consider checking out Mexican Hat, Goosenecks State Park, Moki Dugway / Muley Point but we decided to head back and skip these.

 

Third Stop: Wire Pass Trail

I initially wanted to check out Grand Staircase-Escalante National Park but didn’t realize that the trails I was interested in were not accessible via the southern side of the park. We did google searches (once we found service) for hikes near Kanab and came across Wire Pass Trail. There is a $6 fee/person that must be paid at the trailhead register/ self-service fee station.

This was my first hiking experience, and I have to admit that it spoiled me. This hike was fun, beautiful, and easy! This is an easy 3.4 miles round trip trail. We initially thought we missed the trail, but just keep walking and you’ll eventually find the start of Buckskin Gulch.

Final Stop: Kanab

We chose to stay in Kanab since it’s on the way to Zion National Park. We didn’t get to explore this town, but I recommend staying here if on your route.

 

Day 3: Kanab – Zion National Park – Las Vegas

Driving Distance: 190 miles Maps

Stop 1: Zion National Park

This national park is the reason for my new hobby/obsession with hiking. We drove along Zion – Mount Carmel Highway to enter the park and I recommend this scenic drive. The park entrance is $35/vehicle and valid for 7 days. If you plan to visit Bryce Canyon and Lake Powell the Annual Pass at $80 is a better deal.

 

The Classic Zion trails are:

• Canyon Overlook
  • Difficulty: Easy; Exposure to falls
  • Distance: 1 mile RT
• Angels Landing
  • Difficulty: Strenuous; steep with exposure to falls; exposed day hike
  • Distance: 5.8 miles RT; Approximately 3-6hrs
• The Narrows (Bottom-Up)
  • Difficulty: Moderately strenuous/strenuous river hiking
  • Distance: 9.4 miles RT including the Riverside Walk Trail; App. 8-hrs
• Observation Point
  • Difficulty: Fairly strenuous
  • Distance: 8 miles RT; Approximately 4-6hrs to complete

We were only able to complete Canyon Overlook since half of our party needed to catch a flight. Canyon Overlook is an easy trail with an amazing view! This is a must-do.

 

Stop 2: Red Rock Canyon

After dropping off my sister and brother-in-law off at the airport, my brother and I decided to visit Red Rock Canyon. If you’re visiting Las Vegas, not up for a road trip but want to visit the outdoors then I recommend making this 30-min drive.

This was a short visit, and I will be back next time I’m in Las Vegas. The hike that I did involved a lot of rock scrambling and I’m excited to come back and try it again!

Now don’t say I didn’t warn you about booking that flight to Las Vegas!