Las Vegas roundtip - Not much time to plan!

[NicolaP]

Hello,

We are planning a two week trip starting and finishing in Las Vegas for the beginning of May. (Short notice as we have just received notification of work rotas!) We have a rough outline of where we would like to go but would appreciate some help with the specifics. I have read various things on the RTA site but would still appreciate some input as to whether or not the plan is possible within our timescale?

My basic plan is to fly into Las Vegas stay a night or two, head up to Zion, then Bryce back down to Kanab then onto Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon. From there, head out to Monument Valley and then back to the Grand Canyon North Rim. After this I am a little sketchy as I am not sure what the next best route would be – should we head down to Flagstaff and along I40 to Kingman then back to Las Vegas or would we be better to head back through Colorado City and onto the I15?

We plan to camp all the way (I am assuming it's possible to camp in all the national parks and other places along the way?) We would like to do as much walking and exploring as possible and also some kayaking at Lake Powell or anywhere else it's possible.

I guess my main questions are:
Is this route possible in say 12 days without time to enjoy it?
Have I chosen the best route?
Am I missing anything which we need to see in this area?

Given our short timescales, any advice you can give would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Your basic routing looks fine, and two weeks is plenty of time. But the North Rim of the Grand Canyon does not open until Mid-May, so you're going to have to come around to the South Rim from Monument Valley. Still, I don't see that as a show stopper. Indeed the drive is quite scenic and the views of the Canyon from the south Rim are more varied since there is a road along the Canyon for about 7 or 8 miles affording different viewpoints. The upside to traveling so early is that, indeed, camping should be available. This is not at all necessarily true at the height of the tourist season. In fact, I would urge you to make reservations as soon as you know when you'll be in each of the parks you want to visit. If the national park campsites are full, try in the many nearby national forests and state parks, and then try looking for commercial campgrounds. The other problem with camping at this time of year in this area is that it can get quite cold at night. Remember that you are at elevation (4,000 to 9,000 feet) and that in the less humid climate of the desert southwest there are usually few clouds to hold in the Earth's heat at night. If you really want to spend some time at the locations you've already picked out, I wouldn't add too much more, just enjoy the peace and quiet and beauty of the early spring season.

AZBuck