US National Parks
We finished the day in Tusayan, just half a dozen miles from the Grand Canyon. The next day we headed to the South Rim and drove east to the Desert View Watchtower – the furthest point before the road moves away from the rim. The views out here are stunning, and I would recommend anyone driving to the Canyon to make this trip. The shuttle service doesn’t go this far so you will need your own wheels. If you’re visiting the park for the day my recommendation is to either take the shuttle from Tusayan or get there early, park up and leave your car until you’re heading home. Another tip – don’t expect to be able to walk down to the floor of the canyon and back up – that’s a two-day hike!
After a couple of days absorbing the sheer scale of the Grand Canyon, we followed it round to Page, location of more stunning landscape. There’s the famous Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River (you might not recognise the name, but you will have seen the photos) and the magnificent swirls of colour created by nature in Antelope Canyon – another instantly recognisable image.
There’s no need to spend the night at Page although there’s plenty to keep you occupied – we were on a tight turnaround and headed straight onto that night’s stop in Bryce Canyon City. It’s certainly not a city and it’s not even a canyon; it’s actually best described as a series of amphitheatres and the hoodoos (weird rock formations) look particularly fairy-like at sunrise, so the next day had an early start! Bryce is a little different from the other parks as a road runs the entire length, about 20 miles, and it’s an easy day’s drive from one end to the other. I’d recommend starting at the furthest point and heading back towards the entrance as most of the overlooks will then be on your side of the road and you can park up around Sunset Point to stretch your legs and see the strange formations up close.
The next day took us to Zion and yet more fantastic scenery. We stayed on a ranch which felt like it was straight out of Little House on the Prairie but most of the action centres around Springdale and that would be my recommendation for people wanting to explore the park thoroughly, especially as it felt busier here and you are much more reliant on the shuttle service. My husband did the Angel’s Landing trail and I went horse-riding, having seen some video footage of Angel’s Landing I think I made the right call!
We then had our longest drive, taking us through Death Valley and following the Sierra Nevada north to the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park. Death Valley has a reputation for being tough on cars, so I was a little concerned, especially as the temperature gauge hit 45 degrees (113 Fahrenheit)! The landscape was lunar, and this sense was heightened with sandstorms and mirages – a very odd place for sure. There are a few places you can break the journey between here and Yosemite and you can get to the park on either side of the Sierra Nevada – we’d chosen the east side as we wanted to travel through the Tioga Pass. From the sublime to the ridiculous, we were in snow the next morning!
It takes about two hours to drive from one side of the Yosemite to the other and the landscape changes dramatically, from Alpine-like scenery with meadows full of flowers to the granite peaks and waterfalls the Valley itself is known for. My top tip is to give yourself plenty of time to get around and visit Glacier Point – it takes about an hour to drive up there, but the views of the Valley are incredible. There are hundreds of trails, ranging from easy boardwalks for the whole family to tough backcountry trekking but unless you’re doing the latter be prepared for plenty of people – from June to September the park receives more than 2 million visitors! I would highly recommend getting out of the Valley and exploring some more of the 1200 acres of park, we loved it so much we stayed an extra night.
Four states in 15 days and 2,000 miles driven but what a trip – such different landscapes and eye-popping scenery. I can highly recommend visiting this area and US National Parks in general as they are well-managed, reasonably-priced (get the annual pass if you are visiting a few) and showcase the natural world at its best.