Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 1

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1 Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! Make your USA road trip unforgettable! Bring your friends with you, share a car and make it one of the best experiences of your life. Honestly, we have never seen more beautiful places than on the west coast of United States. Such a nice variety of different national parks, valleys, mountains, and seashore. Explore stunning sceneries and best spots for your west coast Road trip! Yellowstone National Park Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 1

2 Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone Land of geysers, hot springs, and geothermal features. Yellowstone is sometimes omitted from road trip because it is further than other places, but we think that is definitely a mistake. This place is truly unique. We spent there almost three months working and we still didn t see everything. There is no other place in the world, where you can see such a high concentration of colorful geysers, pools and other thermal features. They are literarily everywhere, it is truly a magic! There is so much wildlife in Yellowstone too. Bison are roaming through the land and is not unusual that some bison jam occur because they just decided to cross the road or walk right in the middle of the road. To see a bear is not as usual as bison, but it is definitely possible. You can read our other post about Yellowstone here: Dangers of the Yellowstone National Park Official website: Minimum time to visit: 1-2 days Recommended time to visit: 3-4 days Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 2

3 Grand Teton NP Grand Teton National Park Grand Teton National Park is right next to the Yellowstone National Park. This area is great for hiking and climbing. Even if you don t have enough time, stop over and admire beautiful sceneries of this monumental mountain range. There are amazing views right from the highway between Yellowstone and Jackson town. If you feel like to go for a great mountain hike, we can highly recommend climbing a Middle Teton. You can climb it up and down all in one day, but you need to start very early in the morning (around 4 AM) and carry a flashlight. Another possibility is to get a permit for overnight camping and sleep in one of the campgrounds on the halfway to the peak and o it in two days. And be aware of bears! We saw one close to the Amphitheater Lake. Grand Teton National Park is definitely one of the best road trip places to visit! Official website: Minimum time to visit: Just drive around Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 3

4 Recommended time to visit: 2 days Arches NP Double Arch, Arches National Park This National Park is a landscape of contrasting colors, monumental arches, and unique shaped rocks. Don t miss this road trip stop. But actually, the most beautiful arch was for us Corona arch, which is outside of the park. You need to drive approximately 30 minutes from the park entrance and then take a 1-mile hike up there, but it is definitely worth it! The landscape is amazing and there are no tourists at all. You can even climb up on top of that arch and fly with a drone (which is forbidden inside of the national parks). Official website: Minimum time to visit: 1 day Recommended time to visit: 1 day (plus half a day for Corona Arch) Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 4

5 Canyonlands NP Canyonlands The largest national park in Utah. Breathtaking canyons, beautiful views and fantastically formed buttes. If you want to see the true wild west this is the place! One can sit at one viewpoint many hours and it doesn t get old. We didn t expect much from Canyonlands, but it definitely exceeded our expectations. One of the top places of our road trip. We liked it more than Grand Canyon. Official website: Minimum time to visit: 1 day Recommended time to visit: 1 day Monument Valley Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 5

6 Monument Valley If you are a fan of old western stories or Forest Gump. Monument Valley is a must visit place for your road trip. Many typical photos from the U.S. road trips are taken there. You don t need much time for visiting Monument Valley, but it is definitely worth it. Minimum time to visit: just drive through Recommended time to visit: half a day Horseshoe Bend Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 6

7 The best viewpoint, Horseshoe Bend The famous Colorado River and its amazing canyon in Arizona is one of the most photographed areas in the entire USA. You can combine this visit with Antelope Canyon, which is nearby. Both of these places are must stops during your road trip. Official website: horseshoebend.com Minimum time to visit: 2 hours Recommended time to visit: 2 hours Antelope Canyon Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 7

8 Lower Antelope Canyon Antelope Canyon belongs to Navajo land. You can visit two individual beautiful slot canyons there Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. Entrance fee is quite high, but its well worth the money! Beautiful light beams and shapes of this canyon won t let you be unemotional. Many computer companies are using background pictures from the Antelope Canyon. Both canyons are quite similar, so it is fine to visit just one, but if you have time, you can go to both. Upper Antelope Canyon is wider and easier to walk through. Lower Antelope is more narrow and you need to climb many stairs by walking through. So, grab your camera and be ready to shoot amazing pictures! Official website: Minimum time to visit: 2-5 hours (1-hour tour + waiting time) Recommended time to visit: 2-5 hours Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 8

9 Zion NP The top of the Angels Landing trail If you like hiking, Zion National Park is the right place to visit for you! You can do some really amazing hikes in Zion Valley. We can highly recommend Angels Landing trail. It is really adventurous, especially if you are a fan of via ferrata routes. You don t need any special equipment but there are metal chains along the road, which can help you to climb up. You will be rewarded with beautiful sceneries on the top and you might meet some cheeky chipmunks as well. The Narrows is another absolutely amazing trail. But be prepared to get wet, the trail goes directly through the river inside a steep gorge. You may rent neoprene boots for your comfort but you will love this river hike. Especially when the weather is hot it is really refreshing to walk in this stunning gorge. If you are into a little canyoneering don t miss another hike the Subway. You have to apply for a permit at visitor center though. Apply in advance online otherwise don t forget to wake up really early in the morning to get your permit because they sell out quickly. Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 9

10 Official website: Minimum time to visit: 1 day Recommended time to visit: 3 days Bryce Canyon NP Amazing rock formations in Bryce Bryce Canyon is unique National Park. Sandstone pillars and bizarre rock formations which were shaped by the forces of erosion. There are not enough words to describe the beauty of this place. You should come and see it. One can t believe what nature can create. We would recommend not only to stop at all viewpoints but to take at least one hike down the canyon too. It s an amazing experience. Official website: Minimum time to visit: 1 day Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 10

11 Recommended time to visit: 2 days Cedar Breaks NM Cedar Breaks Cedar Breaks is a State Park and we would call it a little brother of Bryce Canyon. There is a couple of nice views to stop at but we would recommend visiting this par prior to Bryce Canyon NP. If you see Bryce Canyon first, you will maybe think that Cedar Breaks is not that spectacular. Official website: Minimum time to visit: 2 hours Recommended time to visit: 2 hours Grand Canyon NP Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 11

12 Grand Canyon South Rim I bet you have already heard a lot about Grand Canyon. This national park is the most famous and one of the most-visited attractions in the United States. I would say you can t imagine how massive it is until you are there. Grand Canyon is a must visit for your road trip either if you have a couple of days to trek to the bottom or just a few hours for several stops on numerous viewpoints. South Rim is more famous and more beautiful, but if you have a lot of time, you should visit North Rim too. Less crowded and still spectacular. Official website: Minimum time to visit: half a day Recommended time to visit: 3 days Las Vegas Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 12

13 Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas After visiting the Las Vegas we finally know, how Alice in the Wonderland felt. This is a totally crazy city. Extravagancy, kitsch, luxury, casinos, and neon. Casinos are literally everywhere and owners are trying to offer everything to get you to visit their casino. Spectacular shows, attractions, fountains or swimming pools. Prices of hotel rooms are very inviting. You can find whatever you wish in this city. Adrenalin, fun, parties, food, hazard, photography, pyramids, Eiffel Tower, Statue of liberty, Venice gondolas and more There are artists in the streets as well as beggars. This is a really unique place and if you go there, don t forget to lose your dollar on roulette, because who didn t bet haven t been in Vegas If you primarily love nature and Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 13

14 don t like big cities, half a day is well enough for Las Vegas. But if there is one city which is worth it to visit even for city haters it is Las Vegas! Official website: Minimum time to visit: half a day Recommended time to visit: 1 day Death Valley NP One of the nice viewpoints in Death Valley Steady drought, the world heat record and the lowest elevation in entire North America. The real land of extremes. Even a price of gas is higher than in the rest of California. But the visit is definitely worth it! Beautiful sceneries are waiting even at this place. We can highly recommend spending some nights at one of National Park campgrounds because the night sky is spectacular! We have never seen more beautiful sky! This was definitely the best stargazing of my life! Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 14

15 Official website: Minimum time to visit: Just drive through Recommended time to visit: 1-2 days Sequoia NP The Tunnel log in Sequoia National Park National park with mountains, deep canyons, vast caverns, and the world s largest trees. I bet you will meet even some bear on the way. Try to hug some of these giant trees., you will need a big group of friends to be able to hug these trees around Driving through the enormous tree log by car is a truly unique experience too. Official website: Minimum time to visit: half a day Recommended time to visit: 1 day Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 15

16 Yosemite NP The Half Dome view, on the top of the Yosemite Falls Subalpine wilderness, climbing paradise, land of bears and stunning views of El Capitan or Half Dome that s only the beginning. This is a second home for every mountain lover! Come and visit this beautiful granite walls and emerald-green Valley! If you want to enjoy the view from the top of Half Dome, don t forget to apply for a permit! There is a lottery, so if you want to have a bigger chance to get the permit, send several requests from different phones. Be also bear aware and keep everything smelly, mainly food and cosmetics in bears box (bears plunder about 130 cars per year!) If you want to enjoy waterfalls it is better to come during the spring (there was no water during September). Official website: Minimum time to visit: 1-2 days Recommended time to visit: 3-4 days Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 16

17 The Wave Wonderful colors of the Wave rock formation in Arizona Breathtaking and colorful sandstone rock formation located in Arizona! Make sure you have enough time and permit for this trip! The permit is not easy to get, you have to win a lottery few months in advance, but it is definitely worth to try it! Info about permits is here. A difficult hike is required to reach it, but its worth the effort. Our hike to The Wave was one of these unforgettable memories! It really is that colorful! The pictures aren t Photoshopped. Useful website: Minimum time to visit: half a day Recommended time to visit: half a day San Francisco Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 17

18 Sunset, Golden Gate Bridge Famous Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, cable cars and steep roads. San Francisco is the second and last city we recommend to visit. You shouldn t miss a photo with the Golden Gate Bridge! Its name Golden Gate comes from its beautiful sunsets and also because boats carrying gold to San Francisco were sailing under the Golden Gate bridge. Take a walk or ride a famous cable car on steep and beautiful streets of San Francisco city! You may also visit a legendary Alcatraz prison, don t forget to book tickets in advance. They are usually sold out a week or two in advance. Tip for you: If you are there without a ticket you can always try your luck and ask around the cashier, maybe you will find somebody who needs to get rid of some extra tickets (it worked for us). Official website of Alcatraz: Minimum time to visit: 1-2 days Recommended time to visit: 2-3 days Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 18

19 Joshua Tree NP Joshua Tree National Park A fascinating variety of plants and animals, dark night skies, deserts, cactuses, coyotes, tarantulas, climbing paradise and mainly typical Joshua trees. If you are passing around, Joshua Tree National Park is definitely worth to visit! Official website: Minimum time to visit: half a day Recommended time to visit: 1 day (3-4 days if you like climbing and bouldering) More exciting places to visit during your USA road trip! If you have some extra time or if you are passing around: Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 19

20 Slot canyons in Escalante NM Spooky Gulch, Escalante If you saw the movie 127 hours than Slot canyons Spooky Gulch and Peek-a-Boo Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 20

21 in Escalante are must see place for you. It is truly adventurous trek, sometimes even little bit of bouldering! We enjoyed these canyons a lot. It is more like a great outdoor playground for adults. Minimum time to visit: 1 day Recommended time to visit: 1 day Mono Lake Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve Large and shallow saline soda lake, which was formed at least 760,000 years ago! It is drying out, so visitors have a unique chance to take a bottom walk between unique coral formations. Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 21

22 Minimum time to visit: 1 hour Recommended time to visit: 2 hours Bodie Bodie ghost town An authentic Wild West ghost town and old abandoned gold mining village. Time has literally stopped there. Bodie is a State Historic Park nowadays. You can take a walk down the deserted streets to visit casino, pub, bank, or gold mine. If you like western stories, Bodie is a place you shouldn t miss! Official website: Minimum time to visit: 3 hours Recommended time to visit: half a day Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 22

23 Highway #1 from San Francisco to LA Elephant Seals The Pacific Coast Highway is well known as one of the most scenic drives in the USA. Beautiful views of the ocean, cliffs, elephant seal colonies, Big Sur State Park and much more! Even just driving this highway is a very nice experience. Minimum time to visit: just drive along Recommended time to visit: 2 days Here is our Road trip video, to make you excited about your own USA Road trip even more! Now it s up to you which places you pick for your road trip. If you fly from Europe, Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 23

24 you can usually find cheap flights to LA or San Francisco. You can visit all the places listed above in approximately 3 or 4weeks long road trip. Cost of this road trip can be as low as USD (without flight tickets). And if yoyu would like to know, how we made money for this road trip, check our post about Work and Travel in Yellowstone: Work and Travel: Yellowstone It s time to pack your luggage! We wish you safe travels! If you have some other favourite places in the Midwest, please share them with us in comments and if you have any questions, don t hesitate to ask Road trip USA 22 Best places to see! 24