AZ to UT to CO

[jeno'l]

I'm planning a roadtrip starting in Phoenix and ending (most likely) in Denver. We will be travelling from Tuesday morning - Saturday night before flying home to DC. Only place that we're set on seeing is the Grand Canyon, but there are so many others that we would love to see. The issue that we're having is figuring out the best game plan for what to see and how much time we'll be in the car. I'd like to not drive more than 3 hours/day and would prefer to do less than that.

Any suggestions??

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

You are right that there are a ton of things you could potentially see between Phx and Den. Which things are you debating seeing? It will be hard for other people to narrow things down, when we don't know which things you are considering. In the end, no one else is going to know what looks most interesting to you more than you.

I will ask, have you actually looked at the cost of doing this trip as a one way trip? Typically airfare and particularly car rental costs can get very expensive by doing a one day trip, and you might actually be better off flying in and out of the same city. Particularly since you want to limit your driving, and because you are having a hard time narrowing things down, that might also help your planning a bit.

[Southwest Dave]

My immediate thought was that of Michaels, create a loop trip that would potentially less miles with more time to enjoy your many options. Las Vegas could be a start and end point as well as Phoenix, you could check the cheapest airfares. If you do not wish to drive for more than 3 hours a day, (which is something you would have to just to get from Phoenix to Denver via the Grand canyon on a direct route) then the loop would be quite small but with (more than )enough to see on your timescale. One such option would see you go from LV to Zion NP >Bryce canyon> Page AZ (Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope canyon)>Grand canyon>Las Vegas. You could drive an old part of route 66 through Seligman and stop at the Hoover Dam without adding much drive time. You could also detour to Monument Valley and/or Sedona but that would obviously add more driving time.

If you are set on Phoenix to Denver then Grand canyon, Monument valley, Moab (Arches and Canyonlands) and Colorado National Monument would make a nice trip, or from Monument valley >Mesa Verde > US550 (aka Million Dollar Highway) through the mountain towns of Silverton and Ouray to US50 and Black canyon, Currecanti Nat Rec area and over Monarch pass to Poncha Springs. Perhaps visit Leadville on the way to Denver from there.

Share your thoughts and we can help put something together.