All road trips

Under two hours on I-10. Climb Picacho Peak on the way or detour to Biosphere 2.

North through Oak Creek Canyon's switchbacks on SR-89A, then up from Flagstaff to the South Rim.

Two hours up I-17, but the last 15 miles on SR-179 through the Red Rock Scenic Byway is the reason you came.

Two hours across Navajo land to the most iconic buttes in the West. Time it for sunset at the Tribal Park.

A two-hour run on US-89 across the Painted Desert, ending at Horseshoe Bend for sunset.

Leave via Desert View Drive for the east-rim viewpoints, then follow the Little Colorado to Page.

The classic Arizona drive: cactus to pine forest in 3.5 hours, with Montezuma Castle on the way and an optional detour through Sedona.

A core leg of the Grand Circle loop via Page, Kanab and the Zion–Mount Carmel tunnel.

Through Flagstaff and across the Navajo Nation on US-89, past the Cameron Trading Post and the Vermilion Cliffs.

Across the Chihuahuan Desert on I-10 to Las Cruces and Old Mesilla, then over San Augustin Pass.

A big day through Flagstaff, Page and Kanab. Horseshoe Bend makes a perfect midpoint stop.

Up to Flagstaff, then east on I-40 past Meteor Crater and through the Petrified Forest.

Across the Navajo Nation via Monument Valley country. One of the most scenic long drives in the Southwest.

Under two hours without traffic, swapping the city for mid-century pools and the Aerial Tramway.

A quick desert getaway past the Cabazon Dinosaurs. Stay in Joshua Tree or Twentynine Palms for the stars.

Up through the Inland Empire or the back way through Julian and Anza-Borrego for wildflowers in spring.

Four hours through the Central Valley and Sierra foothills. Leave before dawn to reach Tunnel View early.

Three and a half hours on US-50 or I-80. Old Sacramento makes a good break, and in winter you'll need chains.

America's most-driven road trip. The trick is when you leave: Friday afternoons and Sunday returns can double the drive time.

Up I-5 or CA-99 through the Central Valley, then CA-41 via Fresno to the south entrance. Mariposa Grove is your first stop.

I-8 east hugs the Mexican border past the Imperial Sand Dunes and Yuma's old territorial prison.

Five-plus hours of I-10 through the Coachella Valley and the open Sonoran Desert. Fuel up at Blythe before Arizona's emptiest stretch.

I-5 is the fastest way north, about six hours with stops. This page covers that inland route.

Fly-free access to Utah: through Vegas on I-15, with an overnight in St. George or Springdale.

A long desert day on I-10 or I-40. Break it up in Palm Springs or at the Route 66 towns.

I-40 across the Mojave, then Route 66 towns like Seligman and Williams before the South Rim. Most people split this into two days.

A long but simple drive inland through the desert. Split it at Flagstaff or Williams for a sunrise at the rim.

Forty-five minutes west on US-160 to Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. Book Cliff Palace tour tickets ahead.

Ninety minutes via Boulder and Lyons to Estes Park. Get a timed-entry permit and go early for elk and Trail Ridge Road.

An hour south on I-25 to Garden of the Gods and the Pikes Peak Highway.

A Rocky Mountain crossing via Great Sand Dunes and Wolf Creek Pass, or the longer San Juan Skyway via Ouray and Silverton.

I-70 through Glenwood Canyon and past Colorado National Monument, then south from Cisco along the Colorado River on UT-128.

I-25 down the Front Range, over Raton Pass into New Mexico, with Capulin Volcano or Taos as detours.

Two hours to the lowest point in North America. Go in winter, fill the tank in Pahrump, and loop back via Beatty and the Rhyolite ghost town.

The easiest national park escape from the Strip: under three hours up I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge, with a stop for a mini-Zion at Snow Canyon or Kolob if you have time.

A climb from desert to 8,000-foot forests. It's easy to fold Zion in on the way, either through the tunnel on UT-9 or by staying on I-15.

Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon are a long day from Vegas. The drive through Kanab and the Vermilion Cliffs is half the fun.

Most people pick the West Rim because it's close. The South Rim is the real national park, and the drive there runs along a long stretch of old Route 66.

Cross Hoover Dam, run Route 66 for a stretch, then drop through pine forest into red rock country.

Desert all the way on US-93 past Hoover Dam and through the Joshua tree forest near Wikieup. Watch your fuel on the empty middle stretch.

The I-15 corridor from Vegas to the coast. Plan stops in Yermo or Barstow, and start early to beat Inland Empire traffic.

A full-day run east through Kanab and Page into the Navajo Nation, timed to reach the buttes for sunset.

In summer the best route crosses Tioga Pass past Mono Lake and Bodie. In winter Tioga is closed and the drive is much longer.

Straight up I-15, the length of Utah. Zion's Kolob Canyons and the Fremont rock art are short detours from the interstate.

A big desert crossing on I-15 and I-70 through the San Rafael Swell, one of the emptiest and most dramatic interstate stretches in the US.

A two-day crossing of Utah and the Rockies on I-15 and I-70. Moab, the Colorado National Monument and Glenwood Canyon make great breaks.

One hour on I-25, or take the Turquoise Trail through Madrid's art galleries.

South past the Valley of Fires lava flow to sled the white gypsum dunes near Alamogordo.

Under two hours, but it includes the Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel, the checkerboard mesas and Red Canyon's hoodoo arches.

Scenic Byway 12, often called one of America's most beautiful roads, crosses the Hogback ridge with drop-offs on both sides.

Desert plateau driving past Goblin Valley and Green River on the way to the arches.

South on US-191 through Bluff and Mexican Hat, with stops at Goosenecks and the Valley of the Gods.

Four hours down US-6 through Price and Green River to Arches. Book Arches timed entry before you set off.

South on I-15 for four and a half hours. Detour to Cedar Breaks in summer for alpine views.

Two Mighty 5 parks connected by I-70 through the San Rafael Swell, or by Byway 12 if you want to see Bryce and Capitol Reef too.

I-80 across Wyoming is the fastest, though storms can close it in winter. The I-70 route through the Rockies is slower but far prettier.