8 DAYS IN CALIFORNIA AND UTAH: Joshua Tree + Death Valley + Vegas + Zion + Bryce Canyon
Four national parks in 8 days? When planning this trip, we were worried we were being overly ambitious. However, it ended up being the perfect vacation! This trip involves about ~20 hours of driving. If visiting in the winter or fall (like we did), some of the driving will be in remote locations at night due to limited daylight hours during the season.
We personally don’t camp in national parks during our trips, but this is always the best way to get the most out of your vacation as you’ll cut driving time off of your day in the morning and evening. We’ve including the cities we stayed at during our trip below.
You will spend half of the week in California visiting Death Valley and Joshua Tree, and the other half in Utah visiting Zion and Bryce Canyon. Flying into Las Vegas provides a nice home base for the trip.
Don’t forget to read our tips for planning the perfect National Park trip before booking your trip!
- Total Drive Time over 8 days: ~20 hours over 8 days
- Overall Route: Vegas –> Red Rock Canyon –> Joshua Tree –> Death Valley –> Vegas –> Zion –> Bryce Canyon –> Vegas
DAY 1 – Fly to Vegas
- Land in Vegas
- Explore Vegas strip – We personally aren’t fans of the chaotic and busy nature of the strip, so feel free to do something else for today.
DAY 2 – Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
- Explore Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Vegas (make sure to buy a reservation in advance). This was recommended to us by a friend, and we had such a great time exploring this park, we actually came back at the end of our trip!
- Drive to Yucca Valley to spend the night before your first national park (~4.5 hours)
DAY 3 – Joshua Tree
- Spend the day in Joshua Tree National Park – click the link for our detailed hiking guide
- Drive to Ridgecrest, CA to spend the night (~3 hrs). You’ll be going to Death Valley NP in the morning. Unlike most national parks, there’s no city near Death Valley to stay at overnight if you’re looking for a hotel. Be aware that the drive from Joshua Tree to Ridgecrest is very remote. It’s basically a long drive through the desert with no cities in between. We made the drive at night due to early nightfall during the fall season.
DAY 4 – Death Valley
- Drive to Death Valley in the morning (~1 hr from Ridgecrest). Now that it’s daylight you’ll be able to appreciate the vast openness of the remote desert geography near Death Valley.
- Spend the day at Death Valley National Park– click the link for our detailed guide to the park
- Explore Rhyolite Ghost Town on your way out and take a photo of the national park sign as you end the day.
- Drive to Vegas (~2 hrs) to spend the night. You’re already halfway through the trip, now it’s time for the Utah parks!
DAY 5 – Zion Day 1
- In the morning, drive to Zion (~2 hrs). Remember to note the time change crossing from Vegas into Utah, you’ll be losing an hour in the day.
- Spend a half day at Zion National Park
- Make sure to stay in Springdale, UT if you’re not camping. It’s the city that sits at the entrance of Zion.
DAY 6 – Zion Day 2
- Zion Day 2 – Zion is large enough that you’ll need two days to fully explore it! Click the link for our detailed hiking guide to Zion
- After this, drive to Bryce Canyon City, UT (~2 hrs). This road is windy and you’ll be driving up in elevation. Bryce Canyon City sits up at 7664 high!
DAY 7 – Bryce Canyon
- Spend a half day in Bryce Canyon – Bryce Canyon can be explored in a few hours, which is perfect as you have a longer drive today.
- Drive back to Vegas (4.5 hrs)
DAY 8 – Vegas
- Spend more time at the Vegas strip or Red Rocks Canyon National Conservation Area
- Congratulate yourself on a great vacation!
- Flight home (the worst part of any vacation)
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
- How to plan the Perfect National Park trip
- High Yield National Park Itineraries
- National Park Itineraries