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40 Places to See in The Western United States (Vacations, Landmarks) [2023]

This article will show you 40 (stunning) places to see in the Western United States.

These are pretty stunning destinations perfect for vacations, road trips, and for anybody interested in discovering these landmarks and points of interest.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Table of Contents

1. Moaning Cave –  Moaning Cavern Park (California)

Moaning Cave sounds like the title to an Indie film you’d probably want to avoid, but don’t be deceived. Discovered (modernly) during the Gold Rush, this cavern earned its name from the moaning sound that echoes throughout the cave. You can’t deny the intrigue of caverns, especially ones that emit moaning echoes. If you’re in the Gold Country area then try to stop by.

2. Paint Mines – Paint Mines Interpretative Park (Colorado)

Most people think about the Rocky Mountains when they think of Colorado. Here’s a lesser known spot worth your time called “Paint Mines.” This park is a cluster of hoodoos and sand-capped spires of all colors.

There’s an array of wildlife here, too. Everything from horned toads, mule deers, falcons, and coyotes call this place home. Definitely look into visiting.

3. Horsetail Fall in February – Yosemite National Park (California)

Ever seen a “fire fall?”

Better yet, have you ever even heard of a fire fall?

You’ll only be able to catch a glimpse of this elusive wonder at Yosemite National Park two weeks out of the year in February when the sun shines on the fall just right at sunset. But if you’ve ever wondered what a waterfall looks like when lit on fire, now you know.

4. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone – Yellowstone National Park ( Wyoming)

Everybody knows about the Grand Canyon. And everybody knows about Yellowstone . But not everyone knows that there’s a “Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” and that it is one of the most stunning places in the country.

5. Kanarra Creek – Zion National Park (Utah)

Now that Antelope Canyon is growing in fame and rightfully so, I felt the need to showcase another stunning slot canyon, Kanarra Creek. Unlike Antelope Canyon, you’ll actually have to do some hiking through the Zion backcountry to get to this picturesque location.

6. Hidden Lake – Glacier National Park (Montana)

Really, the entire national park of Glacier could be put on this list because so few people know about the many peaks, lakes, and (you guessed it) glaciers that make up this spectacular park. I figured Hidden Lake exemplified the unknown beauty of Glacier, in both its name and its scenery.

7. Rialto Beach – Olympic National Park (Washington)

Standing tall and shaped like the Pacific’s version of the “Burj Al Arab” (the sailboat skyscraper) in Dubai, this iconic beach is a photographer’s paradise. And as the caption below suggests, Rialto Beach may be the best “Kelped” secret of the Pacific Northwest coastline.

8. Painted Hills – John Day Fossil Bed National Monument (Oregon)

Here’s a scene right out of a Dr. Seuss book except it’s real life. I’ve seen a similar sight in Asia but who knew we had this here in the United States? The painted hills are a part of a larger area of the John Day Fossil Bed where you can find fossils of horses, camels, and even rhinoceroses. And by “you” I mean skilled paleontologists, of course.

9. The Subway – Zion National Park (Utah)

Going to or from the Subway, you’ll dive through emerald waters, rappel through multiple slot canyons, scramble over boulders the size of houses, and pass dinosaur tracks. Oh yeah, and you’ll catch a glimpse of this wonder.

10. Black Canyon of the Gunnison – Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

Black Canyon of the Gunnison sounds like a place straight out of a fantasy novel and it looks like one, too. It’s one of the steepest mountain descents in the world and the photos here will leave you with no doubt of that fact.

11. Zabriskie Point – Death Valley National Park (California)

Here’s yet another location you’ll have to see with your own eyes to believe it’s actually earth you’re looking at. See the tiny black things on the left that look like penguins? They’re actually humans — that’s how vast this unique landscape is.

12. White Pocket – Arizona

White Pocket’s not really white but actually full of brilliant, vibrant color… and dragons, too.

13. Palouse Falls –  Palouse Falls State Park (Washington)

Not quite a hidden gem if you live in the Pacific Northwest, but Palouse Falls is a destination many outside of the photography and hiking world have not heard about. Not to mention most people can’t believe to find out this spot is in Washington state and not somewhere in the Southwest.

14. Theodore Roosevelt National Park – North Dakota

For those who always ask what there is to do in North Dakota, well now you have an answer. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is full of badlands just waiting to be explored. The park is also known for its abundant wildlife, which include feral horses, golden eagles, and elk among many others.

15. Hidden Lake – North Cascades National Park (Washington)

Another hidden lake makes the list. This one will take a few miles of hiking to get to capture the view but as you can see it would be worth it.

16. Cathedral Lake – Yosemite National Park (California)

While this point may be known to frequent hikers to Yosemite, it’s still a destination constantly overlooked by many for other destinations inside Yosemite Valley that are easier to access. If you’re planning on making it here be sure you to apply for a permit early or take your chances with first come, first serve.

17. Tent Rocks – Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument (New Mexico)

I know what you’re thinking. These cones look like they were shaped by volcanic eruptions that likely occurred 6 to 7 million years ago. Well, you’re right. Stop by Tent Rocks to witness the artistic side of mother nature if you’re ever in the Santa Fe, New Mexico area.

Related: 18 Best National Parks in New Mexico

18. McWay Falls – Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park/Big Sur (California)

Can it get more beautiful than a waterfall (or “tidefall”) pouring into turquoise waters on a California beach at dusk? I don’t think it can. I really don’t think it can….

Okay, so maybe it can….

19. Goosenecks – Goosenecks State Park ( Utah)

A quick stop allows you to see this triple entrenched meander located close to Mexican Hat and not far from Monument Valley. Just be aware that your GPS on your cell phone will sometimes do some funky things in this region of the country. Make sure you’re actually headed to Goosenecks State Park and not an abandoned gas station 50 miles out of the way (not that it ever happened to me).

20. Garden of the Gods – Colorado

Visit the Garden of the Gods National Landmark and you will be blown away by the stark contrast between the Garden’s bright orange and the surrounding terrain. There are tons of photo ops around this place and it is easily accessible by car. Don’t miss it if you’re in the Colorado Springs area; it’s a perfect road trip pit-stop.

21. Mono Lake – California

In 2010, scientists thought they’d discovered a new “alien” DNA here, and can anyone really blame them? Just look at the formations happening here. Now, I’m pretty sure that “discovery” has been debunked, but I’m still holding out hope for aliens.

22. Bisti Badlands – New Mexico

Badlands never get old, especially when they look like giant petrified mushrooms. Here’s some badlands in New Mexico, not known to many.

23. The Window – Big Bend National Park (Texas)

Big Bend is one of the least visited national parks due to its location just west of middle-of-nowhere, Texas. But what it lacks in visitors it makes up in breathtaking views like this one.

The Window is one of those places where you have to just put life on hold, get comfortable on a bench and watch the vast Texas sky transform into a real-life painting at sunset. It’s one of my favorite national parks in Texas .

And after you get your sunset fix, head to nearby Marfa,Texas to see the sky get real freaky when the Marfa lights come out.

24. Green River Overlook – Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

A lot of people have seen images of the Canyonlands, but I still think Canyonlands National Park is overlooked so I included it. You’ll catch some of the most amazing sunrises and sunsets you’ve ever seen at this park. And if you’re a movie buff, try heading to Blue John Canyon where you can see the site where the actual accident occurred in the movie,  127 hours .

25. Blue Mesa/Painted Desert – Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

Now it’s back to Dr. Seuss land with more absurdly colored desert land. And what makes this place even weirder is that the brown stuff you’ll assume is dirt is actually little bits of petrified trees that are reallllly old. It’s one of my favorite national parks sites in Arizona ( read more about others here ).

26. Valley of Fire – Valley of Fire State Park (Nevada)

Don’t think you’ll ever be able to make your way to Mars? Well, luckily you can catch a glimpse of Mars at this state park in Nevada where Hollywood has also gone looking for the Martian terrain. There are ton of formations to check out here but the Fire Wave (seen below) is one of my favorites.

This place is only about 60 miles out from Las Vegas, so if you don’t want to drive all the way to the Grand Canyon this is the place you want to stop. If you visit this place in the summer, be sure to bring extra water because it gets HOT. Dry heat or not, it’s still the Valley of Fire .

27. Antelope Canyon – Arizona

While Antelope Canyon is becoming more known it still deserves a place on this list, because I meet tons of people who still don’t know about this sacred place. Witnessing the light beams in this canyon should be on everyone’s bucket list. Check out my write-up on Antelope Canyon for more info.

28. Inspiration and Bryce Point – Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

Well known to photographers, the average vacationer is probably more interested in seeing sites like the Grand Canyon when in the area but this sight is not to be missed, especially at sunrise.

29. Smith Rock – Oregon (Smith Rock State Park)

Smith Rock, located in central Oregon, is a frequent rock-climbing destination for professional climbers and known as the birth place of “sport climbing.” The best of the best are consistently developing the latest routes and climbing techniques out here. Even if you’re not a climber it’s a beautiful setting to watch the sunrise as it illuminates this huge rock, resembling a castle towering over a surrounding moat.

30. Bodega Head – Bodega Bay (California)

When bringing up California beaches, the names usually mentioned first are those like Malibu and Big Sur. But here’s one you probably haven’t heard: Bodega Bay. At Bodega, massive cliffs suited for whale-watching overlook rocky beaches, and trails will lead you all around scenic terrain and even down to secluded beaches where you’ll be the only human being walking on the sand.

Say hello to the seals at Seal Rock and then visit the tide pools that are among the most diverse in the world and have attracted the likes of National Geographic. Just watch out for the birds when visiting the nearby town of Bodega.

31. Paradise Valley – Mt Rainer National Park (Washington)

Paradise valley. The name really says it all…

32. The Racetrack – Death Valley National Park (California)

Just how did these rocks get there? Aliens? The prankster of the century? God? Nobody really knows . The Race Track is a true natural wonder because if you visit it you will inevitably spend all day wondering who really moved these rocks?

33. Horseshoe Bend – Page, Arizona

Horseshoe Bend is another spot growing with popularity but still often times confused with the Grand Canyon National Park. From a nearby parking lot, it’s a short hike to the overlook but be careful about getting too close to the edge — it’s a long 1,000 feet down to the Colorado River below.

34. B adlands – Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

Badlands National Park is the place to see badlands. It’s also a perfect place to find unique wildlife, such as bighorn sheep, the swift fox, bison, and the most endangered mammal in North America: the elusive black-footed ferret. Try to catch the sunset or sunrise here and if you’re lucky you may even catch a sight of the Northern Lights.

35. Fiery Furnace – Arches National Park (Utah)

So everyone goes to Arches National Park just to see the arches, right? Not exactly. Here’s one “non-arch” spot worth checking out. Enter the furnace at your own risk, however. Inside, there are no signs, trails, or cairns and due to the height of the sandstone walls your GPS is likely to fail as well.

36. Spider Rock – Canyon De Chelly National Monument (Arizona)

Recently used as a backdrop in last summer’s record-setting flop, The Lone Ranger , Canyon De Chelly is another destination worth a visit. The taller of the two spires is said to be home of the “Spider Grandmother” who according to folklore is responsible for all of creation. There’s more breathtaking views like the one below to checkout so make sure you see them all. Also, be sure to bring some cash with you to purchase some local art that makes for great souvenirs.

37. Giant Sequoias – Sequoia National Park (California)

So trees are kind of boring to most people including myself, but giant sequoias are definitely an exception. Sometimes growing higher than 300 feet, many of these trees are over 2,000 years old and have up to three-feet thick of squishy bark.

Head to Sequoia National Park to see them as well as the largest tree in the world, The General Sherman Tree.

38. Rio Grande Gorge – New Mexico 

The Rio Grande gets a bad wrap sometimes but this view should change your mind. If you’re ever making the cross country road trip through southern New Mexico then check out the “Gorge Bridge” where you’ll be awestruck with views like this.

39. Hospital Reef Potholes – San Diego, California

Hospital Reef Potholes, near San Diego, is known for its potholes that kind of resemble the surface of the moon. Speaking of the moon, all you national park junkies may want to start gearing up because you may have one hell of a hike to get to one of the upcoming National Park sites, soon.

40. Mammoth Springs – Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)

We end the list with another Yellowstone site that many wouldn’t be able to recognize and constantly overlook, leaving it ranked as low as the 23rd attraction for Yellowstone according to TripAdvisor. On your way to the hot springs and in nearby areas, you may run into some real wildlife.

I’m talking about grizzly bears, moose, bison, elk, that kind of stuff so watch out. But everyone seems to be blown away by these hot springs, which make a worthwhile destination in the summer or in the -20 degree winter.

Remember to tread lightly and do your best to preserve these wonderful locations by using common sense and having respect for the land, the locals, and other visitors when you visit.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo . He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio .

Great website. Never knew some of these places existed. Will definitely be visiting some of these places.

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13 Amazing Days Out West: US Road Trip Itinerary

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Looking to create a jam-packed itinerary and see a bunch of national parks out West in the United States? Look no further!

In May 2021, I took a road trip with my travel buddy, Doug, and one of his friends. We explored SIX different states and saw SIX different national parks in just 13 days. It was an exhausting but ever so rewarding trip.

To save you the time in creating a road trip itinerary for yourself, check out ours to use or use as a starting point to plan your own version of this road trip!

Day 1: Las Vegas, Nevada

Fly into Las Vegas, Nevada. Enjoy the Las Vegas Strip and nightlife for a fun and exciting start to the road trip!

Day 2: Las Vegas, Nevada

You’ll probably need a recovery day after your flight/nightlife adventures. Hang by the pool at your hotel and get that tan started.

To save yourself some time tomorrow when the road trip officially starts, go pick up your rental car. The LV Strip is extremely close to the LV airport, so you can take a cheap taxi or Uber there to pick up your car.

Day 3: Las Vegas, Nevada to Flagstaff, Arizona

Today is a jam-packed sightseeing day on the road trip! We’re going to make a few stops along our journey from Las Vegas to our final destination in Flagstaff.

When you’re leaving Las Vegas, make a quick stop at the infamous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign .

About a half hour from Las Vegas, you’ll be able to make a tiny detour and see the Hoover Dam ! Park your car, and take a quick walk over the pathway to take in the full sight. It’s quite marvelous.

Drive two more hours and welcome to Arizona. First stop in Arizona is Oatman . This town is something straight out of a movie. It is your typical old west town and there are donkeys roaming around the streets. Yup. Donkeys. This is one of the many stops along the famous Route 66.

About one hour further down Route 66 there is a cute rest stop called Hackberry General Store . They’ve got souvenirs and snacks and super clean bathrooms , which is a must while on a long road trip.

Three more hours in the car and you’ve arrived in Winslow, Arizona . Another town along Route 66. This one made famous from The Eagles’ song “Take it Easy”. This is the place to stop for some lunch. There is a 50s style restaurant called the Sipp Shoppe right across the street from the Eagles’ corner that has some great and affordable options.

Also in Winslow, there is the Meteor Crater , which is essentially just a giant hole in the ground, but still a pretty neat spot if you’re willing to spend $22pp on this giant hole.

Last stop for the day is Flagstaff, Arizona. There’s plenty to do here, but a must stop is the Lowell Observatory . This is a late night activity, so get a good nap in before, but it is a relaxing way to end your evening in Flagstaff.

Day 4: Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Village

Rise and shine! Hop in the car and drive two hours to the Grand Canyon Village. Grand Canyon Village is about 10 minutes from the South Rim Entrance of the Grand Canyon . This one is pretty self-explanatory. You can hike, eat, or just admire the beauty of the Grand Canyon for the rest of the day.

Day 5: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Another day in the Grand Canyon… Again, self-explanatory…

Bring Arizona to your home with these adorable succulents!

Day 6: Grand Canyon Village, Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico

A decent amount of driving is on the schedule today, so plan to get up on the early side. We’re back on Route 66 now, and three hours of driving will bring you to Holbrook, Arizona , which is known for their dinosaurs. Basically there are dinosaur statues everywhere. Spoiler alert: they’re underwhelming.

Right outside of Holbrook is Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Dessert . Driving through and making stops throughout the park will leave you speechless.

Once you’re done staring at the colors of the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest, hop in the car and drive three hours east to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the night.

I recommend staying at Hotel Albuquerque Old Town. There is a Mexican restaurant right in the hotel that is to die for. You’ll thank me later.

Day 7: Albuquerque, New Mexico to Alamosa, Colorado

A fun morning in Albuquerque ahead, so fill your bellies with a delicious breakfast at Frontier Restaurant . Get anything with a tortilla. They’re made in house, and are perfect. Me and Doug still talk about them.

After breakfast indulge in a self-guided Breaking Bad tour . Starting at the Breaking Bad Store. Check out sites such as Dog House Drive In and Walter & Skylar’s house, but beware of the homeowners here. There is a woman who sits on a lawn chair on the front lawn with signs and threatening to call the cops at everyone taking pictures of her house.  

After the tour, drive approximately 4 hours to Alamosa, Colorado. Alamosa is the closest city to Great Sand Dunes National Park . This is the perfect late afternoon activity since the sun isn’t as strong. Pack your goggles and tie up your hair, because it can get WINDY.

Back in Alamosa, there is a delicious Thai restaurant called Siam Cuisine to end the evening at.  

Day 8: Alamosa, Colorado to Denver, Colorado

Alamosa has a bunch of chain restaurants to indulge in as well. One of my personal favorites, IHOP was our choice for breakfast before the four-hour drive to Denver, Colorado.

Spend the day enjoying the city. There is plenty to do. For lunch, enjoy a half-yard of beer at The Yard House with a delicious Bavarian pretzel too.

For dinner, head to Avanti , which is a pretty unique place in my opinion! It’s open seating, so first-come first-serve. There are waiters and waitresses wandering around to take your drink orders, but the food is all different stations/restaurants that you can order from by just walking over to whichever one you’re in the mood for! Pretty neat.

Day 9: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Another day another national park! Today is Rocky Mountain National Park , which is about 1.5 hours away from Denver, Colorado. It’s actually much closer to Boulder if you’re looking to stay in a closer city.

Take in the mountain views and hike around the trails and lakes. It’s one of the most beautiful, serene places out there. That’s coming from someone who doesn’t like snow and the mountains were covered in it.

Day 10: Denver, CO to Moran, Wyoming

Today is a road trip day. Pack the car with lots of snacks and make a good playlist. We have eight hours ahead from Denver to Moran, Wyoming, where we’ll be staying for our next few national parks.

The drive from Denver to Wyoming may be long but it is absolutely beautiful, so don’t dread it!

Once you arrive, settle into the Hatchet Resort , where you’ll feel nothing but comfortable. It’s a really homey little place, and I cannot recommend it enough. Hatchet is about 30 minutes from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. To get there you have to drive through Grand Teton National Park (don’t worry you’re not charged for this section), so the drive is unbelievably gorgeous and will leave you speechless.

Jackson Hole has some amazing restaurants to choose from and some great shopping. It’s a wonderful down to relax and wind down in after that long day in the car.

Day 11: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone is a bit of a drive from Moran, but Moran is the closest place to the Wyoming entrance. It takes about 1.5 – 2 hours to arrive at the Yellowstone National Park entrance .

Heads up!!!! You HAVE to drive through and PAY for Grand Teton National Park if you are entering Yellowstone through Wyoming. This isn’t a problem for the annual pass holders of course, but if you are paying per park, each one is $35 to enter, so that’ll be a $70 day just to enter the park. Plan wisely.

Visit the famous Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring ! Take in all of the colors and smells of the springs. That’s right, did you know sulfur smells terrible because if not, you’ll learn really quick.

There’s an abundance to see in Yellowstone, so ensure you pick your spots and plan it out well to not waste anytime.

Day 12: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, UT

Grand Teton National Park is an absolutely majestic place to see, and even though you drove through it to get to Yellowstone and drove by it each trip into Jackson Hole, I recommend taking a few hours to drive around the park itself.

You can see some more bison wandering around, an adorable family of grizzlies , and even a fox or two!

Make a stop at Jenny Lake and admire the glacier-blue, crystal-clear waters. Your whole world will stand still when you see the beauty here.

Once you’re done in Grand Teton, hop in the car and start your 5-hour journey to Salt Lake City, Utah.

This part can be adjusted, and I honestly recommend it to be. Flights out of Jackson Hole were not doable for us this time around so we went to SLC for better flight options, but you don’t have to.

Day 13: Salt Lake City, UT

Before heading to the airport, make a stop at Red Butte Gardens . The colors and aroma of the flowers is the perfect relaxing activity before boarding that plane. There are plenty of different flowers and plants to see. You might even see a bunny hopping around!

Grab some lunch and head to the airport. It’s time to go home and tell all of your family and friends about your amazing road trip out west!! 

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I am so happy that I can keep your dream alive for you! I promise to keep the content coming and interesting!! xoxo

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Best Road Trips in the West

Check out this list of family-friendly unique and classic routes up, down, and around america’s most scenic states., by maryann jones thompson.

When I hear “road trip,” I think “The West!”  Yes, I’m biased. And yes, there are great car journeys to be made around America and in other parts of the world. But bang for the buck, there are few spots that’ll stack up to what the western U.S. states deliver in terms of natural scenery, roadside attractions, traveler conveniences, and – most classically – vast expanses of desert, prairie, farms, ranchland, and majestic, glorious emptiness. 

Like most Californian kids of the 70s and 80s, I grew up taking car-based vacations with my family all over The West. I remember hopping out of the car into a black hole of stillness in the Mohave Desert on a nighttime drive to Lake Havasu. Watching the prairie grass glisten for hours driving across Nebraska and South Dakota. Seeing the intense blue of Crater Lake and Tahoe – and even loving the endless gray of the Oregon and NorCal coasts.

Point being, The West will wow your kids too. Bribe ‘em to put down their phones and turn off their videos for a bit of each day’s driving and let them get bored looking out the windows at the horizon, the lines on the road, or more likely, epic vistas that have served as a tourist magnet for more than a century . 

25 Ideas for Unique Road Trips

Here are ROAM’s recommendations for unique and classic road trips through the Western U.S. that’ll captivate the entire family.

Highway 395 Up the Eastern Sierra Old school Angelenos never take “The 5” to Tahoe. “395 is faster,” my parents would say. Is it faster? Maybe, maybe not. Is it one of the most scenic road trips in America? Absolutely. Mono Lake! Mammoth! Whitney! Lone Pine! Mohave! The rocky outcroppings, tumbleweeds, and high-desert scrub framed by Sierra peaks will look classically “western” to most visitors because the area was the setting for most Hollywood cowboy movies and TV shows. This Lonely Planet itinerary lays out a week from Tahoe to Death Valley , but it would be easy to continue to LA or Vegas from there. 

Best of the Golden West – Jump in with the U.K.’s Rachel Ifans on a “greatest hits” road trip from Northern California south to the Sierras, beaches, and LA then on Route 66 to the Grand Canyon and Vegas!

San Diego to the Salton Sea – It’s a very quirky journey from the beaches of San Diego to the beaches of the Salton Sea. From La Jolla, Legoland and the San Diego Zoo, you’ll climb to the Gold Rush mountain town of Julian and then descend to the picturesque desert of Anza Borrego – a place stargazers love even more at night.  Keep driving to the surreal Salton Sea, an abandoned and drying-up lake with a lot of art installations and post-apocalyptic scenery to fill up an Instagram feed. 

California-Yellowstone – This isn’t as far as it sounds. From LA head to Vegas, hit Bryce, Zion, Salt Lake City, Jackson Hole, and end at Old Faithful. This trip takes only 15-16 hours straight through or about a week to do comfortably. From SF, travel times are about the same. Add another week to come home heading south (the Rockies, Santa Fe, and the Grand Canyon) or north (through Montana, Idaho and the northwest.)

LA to the Grand Canyon – The Day family lays out the perfect trip from home in LA to the Grand Canyon via Calico and more fun Route 66 roadside attractions. 

Best of the Southwest – Here’s another amazing way to hit many of the famed formations of the southwest. Land in Phoenix, head to Sedona, Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon. Then continue north/east to the Painted Desert and eastern Utah (Grand Staircase, Arches, Moab) and Western Colorado before arriving in the Rocky Mountains and Denver.

Utah’s Mighty 5 – I love California but I believe that if there’s only time for one road trip in the western U.S., do Utah. It’s the least crowded, most magnificent, and all-around amazing. Check out Earthtrekker’s guide to the Mighty 5 – Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches national parks – and  this young teacher’s wanderings around Utah for the in-depth expedition we all dream of. 

Best of New Mexico – Matador Network delivers a something-for-everyone New Mexico itinerary that hits many of the Southwest’s most popular destinations, from Santa Fe to the Blue Hole to Taos to Carlsbad Caverns to Roswell. I’d consider adding a day to hit another incredibly alien spot, the Bisti Wilderness . 

The Volcanic Legacy Byway – Kids AND parents can get behind the idea of a volcano-based trip. Lava? Fossils? Cone-shaped peaks? Yep, yep and yep. Along the 500-mile Volcano Legacy Byway from Northern California to Oregon, there are lakes, waterfalls, big vistas, and small towns to hang around. The “official” two-state route between Mt. Lassen, Mt. Shasta, and Crater Lake could easily be extended north to Washington for “more volcano” with stops at Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helen and Mt. Rainier. 

Washington Loops There’s a ton to see in Western Washington alone. Consider a northern loop from Seattle to Bellingham, passing Edison and Chuckanut along the way. Return via the San Juan Islands, Anacortes, and a trip over Deception Pass to Whidbey Island. Another loop from Seattle will circumnavigate the Olympic Peninsula, and a stop in the Hoh Rainforest – an area made famous by the “Twilight” vampire movies. Another incredibly scenic loop near the Oregon-Washington border could start in Portland and take in Cannon Beach and Astoria, Oregon, head to Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula, moves east along the Colombia River to Mt. St. Helen and then return to Portland.

The Loneliest Road in America – Take Highway 50 east from Lake Tahoe and you’ll drive across Nevada’s waistline, also called “The Loneliest Road in America.”   Where will you end up? That’s the best part! You’ll cross into Utah at the precise middle of nowhere! Or you can turn right at Ely, Nevada, you’ll continue on some lesser-known lonely roads.  NatGeo presents a photo guide to the former Gold Rush superhighway .

The Dinosaur Trail – If you or your child has a soft spot for dinosaurs, Montana’s got a string of 14 paleontological sites that you’ll want to see . 

Big Skies of Montana – The Big Sky State is really big so there’s a lot of ground to cover. Check NatGeo’s list of unique scenic drives and Moon’s week of highlights to hit everything from Custer’s Little Bighorn to the outdoor paradise of Whitefish to the Mammoth Hot Springs of Yellowstone to the “Going to the Sun Road” in Glacier. 

West-to-East Idaho  Idaho actually has 30 scenic byways but Afar says most tourists will be fully entertained with the trip from Boise to Sun Valley , with historic mining towns, fishing, hiking, wildlife watching and tons more outdoor recreating along the way.

Backcountry Alaska – Afar lays out a fabulous see-it-all weeklong Alaskan route from Anchorage to Denali to Wrangell-St. Elias, and a lot of adventure along the way.

Dalton Highway to Alaska’s North Slope  Yep, this is the big one. You’ll need a car that can travel on gravel but if you make this 500-mile journey from Fairbanks to Deadhorse on Prudhoe Bay , you’ll get an idea of what the Ice-Road Truckers see in the winter.

Maryann Jones Thompson  – July 2020

Roam founder & editor    .

After a thousand years in publishing as a business journalist, ghostwriter, content strategist and market researcher, Maryann brings her experience traveling as a backpacker, businessperson, expat and mom to writing and editing for ROAM.

© ROAM Family Travel 2020 – All rights reserved

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Family Vacations in the West

The West has a reputation for being rugged, bold and, dare we say, wild. The magical and sometimes bizarre landscapes here inspire awe and range from rolling fields and prairies to high-rising rock arches and jagged cliffs with tumbling waterfalls. Outdoor adventure rules the day here with hiking, biking, kayaking, tubing and some of the world’s best skiing and snowboarding readily available at every turn. From big cities like Las Vegas and Denver to jaw dropping natural wonders like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, the West is here to delight and inspire.

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Home to glittering Las Vegas, adventure destinations like Denver, Salt Lake City and booming with luxury resorts from Scottsdale to ski towns like Jackson Hole and Aspen, the West has plenty to offer in terms of arts, culture and big-city life.

This area is home to some of the most beautiful national parks . Yellowstone, Grand Teton and The Mighty 5 that includes otherworldly soaring rock arches and stunning red rock cliffs. Not to mention the granddaddy of them all, the Grand Canyon. If picturesque views, singular landscapes and breathtaking sites are what you seek, the West is where to head.

You’re never far from incredible outdoor activities here. Take a hike, go mountain biking, raft down the Colorado River or just have a picnic at the edge of Lake Tahoe.

When it comes to world-class skiing and snowboarding, the West easily has the rest of the country beat. Light, powdery snow, fun resort towns, snow well into the spring and mountains that will challenge beginners and experts alike abound.

Museums, art, ranger programs, outdoor fun and Dr. Seuss-like scenery will keep kids entertained from start to finish.

Where to Go

North dakota.

Head to Arizona and not only will you find the dazzlingly impressive Grand Canyon, but you can also explore striking Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. It’s also home to Phoenix , Scottsdale and Sedona, offering an eclectic mix of arts, culture, resorts and city fun.

Take Me to Arizona

Take a winter adventure here to Telluride , Aspen,   Beaver Creek or Breckenridge and you’ll quickly see why skiers and snowboarders flock to the area every year. In the summer, Denver and Colorado Springs are fun destinations with plenty to offer families from aquariums and art museums to hiking and horseback riding, and Rocky Mountain National Park will get you to the top of the world.

Take Me to Colorado

Big Sky Country offers breathtaking views at Glacier National Park . For less crowds and unbeatable snow, head to one of their many ski resort towns in the winter.

Take Me to Montana

Of course, Las Vegas offers plenty to families in the way of fun hotels, exciting shows and thrilling rides. You can also get a taste of the outdoors with summer and winter fun at Lake Tahoe or a road trip to see the rosy rocks at the aptly named Red Rock Canyon. Las Vegas also makes a great home base for trips across the border to California or to the Grand Canyon.

Take Me to Nevada

Explore the rich history of this state and visit Theodore Roosevelt’s old cabin at the national park named after him or follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark. A fantastic place for camping, you can enjoy the expansive views and take life a little slower here.

Take Me to North Dakota

Home to The Mighty 5, you don’t want to miss the uniquely beautiful scenery on display at national parks like Zion , Arches and Bryce Canyon . This state was made for road trips and camping. Salt Lake City also offers families plenty to do with museums, parks, zoos and gardens.

Take Me to Utah

Pristine landscapes and soaring classic peaks will wow visitors at Grand Teton and Yellowstone . Activities include picturesque hikes, scenic drives, lake activities and, in the winter, Jackson Hole offers world-class ski resorts.

Take Me to Wyoming

The Grand Canyon, Arizona

Denver, colorado, skiing and snowboarding, glacier national park, montana, lake tahoe, nevada, hoover dam, nevada, las vegas, nevada, the mighty 5, utah, grand teton and yellowstone national parks, wyoming, mammoth hot springs, wyoming, getting around.

It’s no secret that the West is sprawling and wide open. Cars are definitely necessarily if you want to really explore these landscapes. Luckily, it also offers some of the most scenic drives and best road trips in the country.

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Western United States

Welcome to the region of evergreen giants, painted deserts, and pink-hued stone citadels. Our Western USA tours immerse you in lands woven with legend and lore, cowboy culture, and steaming National Parks.

• ITINERARIES
• FEATURED TOURS

Welcome to the West

Here legends larger-than-life loom over landscapes sculpted in sand. Rivers tunnel through time leaving cavernous canyons in their wake. Geysers steam like clockwork precision and rocks balance, arch and bridge in whimsical formations. Go west with Tauck and you'll find evergreen giants, painted deserts, pink-hued stone citadels as you ride with cowboys, hike with naturalists and raft with guides passionate about the places they roam. 

Yellowstone national park, seriously... there's no other place on earth like it – yellowstone national park.

There's everything else, and then there's Yellowstone; it's truly like no other place on Earth. Why? Because it sits atop the largest "supervolcano" on the North American continent – one of the hottest spots on the planet. It's called the Yellowstone Caldera, and it lurks beneath the surface, giving rise to Yellowstone National Park's host of gushing geysers, steaming fumaroles, hot springs, mud pot and more – nothing less than the largest concentration of geothermal features on Earth, spectacular in winter or summer. In an amazing setting such as this, pretty much anything you do – from a wildlife safari in the summer, to a snowcoach ride in the winter… or hike, climb, horseback ride, ski, snowshoe, watch a sunrise or a sunset – is something you'll never forget.

Yosemite National Park

Through a lens, brightly and darkly – yosemite national park.

What a young Ansel Adams saw through his lens as he trekked into the California wilderness more than 100 years ago – as John Muir did a half-century before him – has inspired countless visitors to explore its chiseled landscapes. Celestial bodies trump electricity. Running water falls from rocks. Residents are furred, finned or feathered. And skyscrapers with names like Half Dome and El Capitan are nature-made. Adams iconic photographs need no words or explanation. Even in black and white, they capture what he felt about places now immortalized for future generations.

Grand Teton National Park

Big sky, big mountains, big picture... grand teton national park.

Out here in the Great American West, everything is "big." For starters, Wyoming comprises part of "Big Sky Country"... where the heavens ranging above the region's vast grasslands, winding rivers and jagged mountain peaks do indeed appear to stretch on forever and ever. Then there are the mountains themselves – in this case the Tetons, crowned by Grand Teton (that's the "big" one that gives the national park its name; other peaks in the range include Middle Teton, South Teton, Mount Owen and Teewinot) – seemingly bursting right up out of the floor of the glacial valley we call Jackson Hole, to loom majestically over everything below.

Grand Canyon National Park

Coming to grips with the impossible... at grand canyon national park.

Surely you have stumbled upon some other planet... or at least it feels that way at Grand Canyon National Park. Your first glimpse of the enormous Grand Canyon strains credulity. What giants have been playing with the rock here? Or what cataclysmic force of the universe? Then the drama starts. Clouds, shadows, and the shifting sun keep transforming the landscape. As the sun flames in the west, canyon walls turn red while the giants paint the sky, creating masterpieces so beautiful they freeze you in your tracks. The Grand Canyon sprawls wide open, carved out by the Colorado River, revealing two billion years of Earth's history; here is where air meets land, where you meet what feels like destiny, with just the white-tailed Kaibab squirrel, only found here, as witness.

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Treasures of the American West

Our passion for and experience in the national parks of the West goes back generations; we pioneered air-land tours to the Western parks in the 1960s and haven't looked back since. In Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton and more, we stay at coveted inside-the-park lodges, know the best places to visit and explore, and the best ways to share our passion with you.

America's canyonlands, california's gold coast, yellowstone & grand teton national parks, majestic california: san francisco, yosemite & the pacific, traveling with tauck, never settle for ordinary.

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The 15 Best Resorts in the Western United States in 2022

The best resorts in the western United States, according to Travel + Leisure readers, beckon travelers who appreciate an easygoing sense of sophistication.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite resorts in the West.

Travelers to the western U.S. are so spoiled for amazing places to stay that many states in the region — Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming — get their own lists in Travel + Leisure 's World's Best Awards. But resorts in other parts of the West should still be on travelers' radar, especially for anyone in search of stunning forests, slopes, and shores…sans the crowds.

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels (including safari lodges) were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city hotel, resort, or safari lodge based on their locations and amenities.

Many beloved resorts in this half of the country are found in secluded locations in the mountains, on rivers and lakes, or overlooking the Pacific. But a few properties on the list offer access to another highlight of the western states: wine. Willows Lodge (No. 8) is not set directly among the vines, but its home in Woodinville, just outside Seattle, is still the beating heart of Washington's viticulture industry, with 130-plus wineries (and their tasting rooms) using grapes from around the state. "The rooms and service were absolutely amazing," one voter remarked. "We will definitely be staying here again."

Another wine haven can be found at the Allison Inn & Spa, in Oregon's Willamette Valley, which ranked No. 3. The contemporary, 85-key resort is a relaxing home base for exploring the Pinot Noirs and sparkling wines of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. ("Get a massage, then head to a winery," recommended one reader. "Can't beat it.") The Allison is in great company in Oregon: a third of this year's top properties can be found in the state. Of the No. 2 Stephanie Inn in Cannon Beach, one respondent said: "There's no better place to enjoy the outdoors."

Travelers who look beyond the busiest slopes in the Rockies will also discover some of the country's best ski resorts. One such property is this year's No. 11 entry: Sun Valley Lodge, in Sun Valley, Idaho. The destination, long a low-key celebrity favorite, is now getting a wider audience. For a less hyped experience, consider visiting in the warmer months — as one reader put it, "winter or summer, this is a fabulous place."

This year's top property is within striking distance of under-the-radar ski spots, as well as areas for hiking, biking, rafting, and horseback riding. Read on to see the full list of the best resorts in the western United States.

1. Bishop's Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico

This reborn icon — originally opened in the 1920s and recently acquired by the Auberge Resorts Collection — makes a stunning debut at the top of the 2022 list. Once the desert estate of 19th-century French missionary Jean Baptiste Lamy, the 317-acre property in the Sangre de Cristo foothills still includes the original 150-year-old chapel and lodge. The resort's 100 newly renovated rooms and suites are the epitome of sophisticated Southwest design, with whitewashed kiva fireplaces, black-and-white desert photographs on the walls, and plenty of patterned textiles and other pieces from Native artisans.

Score: 92.71

Book on Tripadvisor

2. Stephanie Inn, Cannon Beach, Oregon

Score: 92.61

3. The Allison Inn & Spa, Newberg, Oregon

Score: 92.47

4. Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, Incline Village, Nevada

Score: 92.00

5. Shore Lodge, McCall, Idaho

Score: 91.18

6. Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico

Score: 90.91

7. Brasada Ranch, Bend, Oregon

Score: 89.55

8. Willows Lodge, Woodinville, Washington

Score: 89.33

9. Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum, Washington

Score: 89.27

10. Edgewood Tahoe Resort, Stateline, Nevada

Score: 89.26

11. Sun Valley Lodge, Sun Valley, Idaho

Score: 87.53

12. The Coeur d'Alene Golf & Spa Resort, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Score: 87.08

13. Salish Lodge & Spa, Snoqualmie, Washington

Score: 86.96

14. Salishan Coastal Lodge, Gleneden Beach, Oregon

Score: 86.95

15. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Oregon

Score: 86.53

How To Plan A Trip Out West in 2024: Your Complete Guide

Oh, the wild west! Whether you want to road trip along the Kenai Peninsula, spot wildlife in Yellowstone National Park, or stroll through the vibrant Grand Canyon, there's much to explore. But with so much scattered around, is it possible to see it all? Let's break down the steps and start planning your next adventure out west.

From navigating the national parks and diving into history-rich museums to feeling the city buzz and dipping into the rugged coastline, you're spoilt for choice. Whether it's a peaceful retreat or an adrenaline-fueled vacation, there's no doubt you'll find it here. 

But with a hefty handful of things to do in the west, how can you squeeze it all in? Maybe you're heading out on a 7-day trip out west, or perhaps you're thinking about a 3-week road trip… This in-depth guide will take you through everything you need to know. Here's how to plan a trip out west! 

Step 1. Decide when you want to head out west 

How many days do you need for a road trip out west? The answer you're looking for depends highly on you. It's about your preferences, travel style, the attractions you want to see, and the activities you want to do. The best time of year to road trip out west can vary greatly depending on these factors. 

Planning a trip out west any time of the year can offer many pros and cons. Each season hosts unique experiences, like shredding on snowy slopes in winter or hiking in spring.  

The west is well-known for its sublime scenery, and an ideal time to explore is during the shoulder seasons. The springtime showcases a wealth of wildflowers as they surge across the snow-melted mountains. In contrast, the fall brings colorful foliage with a few raindrops. The low season offers backpackers more affordable prices on accommodation and flights too! 

The wintertime offers action-packed events and activities for both snow and sports lovers. If you're interested in skiing or snowboarding, now's the time to shine! Prices can soar around Christmas, so it's not ideal for budget travelers. 

The west's summertime boasts hot and dry weather, making it a stellar time for outdoor activities. Tourism is usually at its height this season, so it may not be ideal for those bound to a strict budget. 

Step 2. Create your ideal travel budget 

If you're planning a trip out west, you're probably left thinking, how much will this cost? Now's the time to construct your very own travel budget. It sounds simple and not so appealing, but it's a crucial step to get more bang for your buck. 

When creating your ideal budget, remember to factor in accommodation, transport, flights, rental car hire, food, etc. Every last detail counts! 

The standard daily budget for travelers out west can differ greatly, depending on your travel style. If you're looking to keep it low cost, stay just outside the popular tourist areas and find budget accommodation in advance. If you're planning to hire a car, remember the money for fuel and tollways!  

Traveling has become more affordable in recent years. You can make the most out of your adventures by using these comprehensive  budget travel tips .  

Step 3. Figure out the must-see destinations 

All right! The United States West is home to an inundating inventory of dazzling destinations. Whether you want to lay low in a coastal town or sweat it out in a national park, a lot goes on on this side of the country. If you're heading out on a road trip out west, here are some top destinations you could add to your itinerary: 

• Yosemite National Park 
• Museum of American West in Denver 
• San Francisco city 
• Rocky Mountain National Park 
• Jackson Hole 
• Getty Center in Los Angeles 
• Yellowstone National Park
• Space Needle in Seattle 
• Beaches in California 
• Zion National Park
• Grand Canyon 

Step 4. Establish your route  

How do you plan on getting around? Are you thinking about a 2-week road trip out west, or would you prefer a 5-day visit? Are you driving a car, campervan, or participating in a group trip? 

Whatever your preference is, there really is no right or wrong way to do it. Plan your route out west, and remember to calculate time, cost, and distance. 

Step 5. Figure out your accommodation 

Out west, there is a huge range of accommodation. Depending on your travel tastes, what you choose can vary greatly. When planning a trip out west, you'll encounter everything from budget hostels to luxury resorts. You can also choose between  Airbnb ,  Couchsurfing,  hostels , sharehouses, and hotels. 

Save yourself time by comparing different hotel options on websites like  Hotels.com . You can even sign up to score hotel deals alerts to save extra money.  

 Step 6. Research some activities and attractions 

Now's the time to ask yourself, what are some of the best things to do out west? Maybe you've seen a photo of a canyon you'd like to conquer, a beach you'd like to bathe on, or a desert spa that's calling your name… 

Whatever you're feeling, get it down on paper! Here are some activities to add to your itinerary out west: 

• Kayak through the Emerald Cove
• Hit the dunes of Las Vegas on an ATV tour
• See Palm Springs from above on the aerial tramway  
• Hike through Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park on a day tour  
• Tour the Grand Canyon 
• Hit the heights of Temecula on a hot-air balloon ride   
• Go on a Napa and Sonoma Wine Country full-day tour  

Step 7. Get down to the nitty gritty  

Now that you know how to plan a trip out west, it's time to get down to business. Get your travel visa and documents organized, and make sure you've got travel insurance too. Being prepared in case things go wrong can bring you great peace of mind. If you need help figuring out what's right for you, take a peek at this insider's guide on the  best travel insurance for 2023 .

Step 8. Start packing  

Packing doesn't have to involve running around your room, frantically fumbling through drawers, throwing clothes everywhere, and screaming, "I can't find anything"… In fact, packing can be quite the opposite. All you need to do is stay organized and pack ahead of time. 

Scan over all the items in this  complete vacation packing list  to ensure you've all the necessities. Keep your clothing organized with  packing cubes  and utilize all the room you have. Heck, even stuff socks and underwear into your shoes! 

When planning a trip out west, there are going to be some long hours spent on the road. To help make your life easier and not break the bank, don't forget these travel essentials: 

• Universal Travel Adapter
• Power Bank  
• Water Bottle  
• Travel Wallet  
• Noise-Cancelling Headphones  
• Hiking Shoes  

Why visit the west? 

This part of the United States is home to some of the most unique landscapes on earth. With rolling hilltops, sandy deserts, vibrant cities, and a whole lot more, there is something to satisfy every type of traveler. 

Rural escapes, stunning scenery, crashing coastlines, and more! 

Now that you know how to plan a trip out west, it's time to take off your serious shoes and slip into something a little more comfortable. Pilot can help you plan the most epic trip, so what are you waiting for? Start the countdown now! 

Disclosure : Pilot is supported by our community. We may earn a small commission fee with affiliate links on our website. All reviews and recommendations are independent and do not reflect the official view of Pilot.

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4 Week USA West Coast Road Trip With Kids

With hundreds of kilometres of gorgeous coastline, world-renowned National Parks, vibrant cities and the open road, the US West Coast is the perfect destination for a road trip.

The toughest decision? Where to go! There are 59 National Parks in the USA and many of them are dotted along the USA West Coast.  Los Angeles and San Francisco are fantastic city stops. The famous Highway 1 weaves along the spectacular coastline between these two cities.

This ultimate 4 week itinerary for a west coast road trip with kids includes the best of the National Parks plus some great city stops too.

• 1.1 Lonely Planet Western USA Travel Guide
• 1.2 Best time to visit USA West Coast
• 2.1 Guide to the National Parks
• 2.2 West Coast RV Trip Guide
• 2.3 America the Beautiful Pass
• 3.1 RV Rental West Coast
• 4 West Coast Road Trip Accommodation Options
• 5 uSA West Coast Itinerary
• 6.1 Where to Stay at Yosemite National Park
• 7.1 Tioga Pass
• 7.2 StovePipe Wells
• 7.3 Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
• 7.4 Badwater Basin
• 7.5 Zabriskie Point
• 7.6 Where to Stay in Death Valley
• 8.1 Things to do in Las Vegas
• 8.2 Where to Stay in Las Vegas
• 9.2 Junior Ranger Program
• 9.3 Where to Stay At Zion National Park
• 10.1 Walking Trails
• 10.2 Where to stay at Bryce Canyon
• 11.1 Lower Antelope Canyon
• 11.2 Horseshoe Bend
• 11.3 Lake Powell
• 11.4 Where to Stay in Page
• 12.1 Hiking at the Grand Canyon
• 12.2 Where to Stay at the Grand Canyon
• 13.1 Walks at Joshua Tree National Park
• 13.2 Where to Stay at Joshua Tree National Park
• 14.1 Where to Stay in Anaheim
• 15.1 Carpinteria (1 night)
• 15.2 Morro Bay (2 nights)
• 15.3 Monterey (3 nights)
• 15.4 Big Sur State Park (2 nights)
• 15.5 Big Basin Redwood State Park ( 1 night)
• 16.1 Alcatraz
• 16.2 City highlights
• 16.3 Where to Stay in San Francisco
• 17 What would we do differently?
• 18 Add it to your bucket list

USA Road Trip Essentials >> Want to explore the country by RV? Click here to compare prices. >> Plan your National Park hikes with the help of this fantastic guide . >> Save money and pre-book discounted attraction passes and unique experiences along your route. Click here to check prices and availability. >> Search for accommodation along the way on booking.com >> Snag reservations at sold-out campgrounds with CampScanner .

West Coast Road Trip Itinerary Planning

Our 4 week USA West Coast roadtrip with kids started and ended in San Francisco.

It took us east and south through some of the most beautiful and dramatic landscapes we saw on our family gap year .

Along the way we visited 6 National Parks, 3 State Parks, Disneyland, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

We also drove along sections of famous road trip routes Route 66, Route 395 and Highway 1 along the coast.

There is no doubt you could squeeze more in to a 4 week US itinerary. But we think that to really explore the national parks and keep the kids happy in the backseat, it is worth taking your time.

Related: US Road Trip – What It Costs

Lonely Planet Western USA Travel Guide

To help with planning a road trip out west, the Lonely Planet Western USA guide is a great reference to start your itinerary planning.

Lonely Planet Guides are great for getting a solid overview of the region’s highlights, distances and best times to visit.

>> Click here to see the guide and check the price

Best time to visit USA West Coast

When planning your west coast itinerary, it is important to consider the time of year.

The USA West Coast spans an enormous area and the weather will play a large part in deciding where will be the best places to go.

We visited in the shoulder season from mid-October to mid-November. That meant we decided to exclude areas north of San Francisco as they were getting cool.

On the plus side it meant places like Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley were ideal to visit.

West Coast National Parks Road Trip Essential Planning Guides

If you are planning a western national parks road trip, there are a few West Coast USA travel guide books we recommend.

These guides really helped us prioritize the places we wanted to visit and understand when the best time to go would be.

Guide to the National Parks

To help plan your Western USA national parks route, we highly recommend you pick up a copy of this National Parks Guide .

The book contained a wealth of information useful for planning which parks to visit, the best hikes with kids and it helped us decide how much time to spend in each park.

It is available as an e-book with maps that can be downloaded, but with poor mobile (cell) reception in the national parks, it was much more convenient to have the hard copy book on hand.

>> Click here to find out more and check the price

West Coast RV Trip Guide

If you want to explore the west coast by RV, this Moon Guide to RV campsites in California, Washington and Oregon is an excellent guide to carry with you.

With more than 2,000 campgrounds listed, it makes finding places to stay when you are on the move so much simpler.

America the Beautiful Pass

If you are planning to visit more than a couple of National Parks we also recommend you purchase the annual America the Beautiful pass.

This pass covers the entrance fees to all 59 national parks and is great value if you are visiting a number of national parks.

It can be purchased online before you go, but it is also available to purchase from the Ranger entry at your first national park stop.

Buy your National Parks Pass online from REI here

Road Trip Car Rental

Once you have a general plan for your itinerary, the next big decision is the type of vehicle to hire for your West Coast road trip.  

There are three main options (unless of course, you live in the US and already have a car  – bonus!):

• Rent a car and stay at hotels
• Hire an RV and stay in campgrounds or free camp (boondocking, wild camping…)
• Rent a car and take camping gear to stay in campgrounds

RV Rental West Coast

We think to truly experience the best of the West Coast National Parks you need to stay in or close to them. Which is why we chose to rent an RV for our road trip.

RV rentals can be expensive. But once we calculated the savings we would get by preparing our own meals and staying at campsites (or free camp), the total trip cost will most likely be cheaper than staying in hotels. 

Plus you get the wonderful experience of camping out under the stars.

In our case, we had just finished 5 months traveling through Europe in a large RV and wanted to try something different.

The compact Jucy camper with rooftop tent was available at a great price so we jumped at the chance to rent it for our road trip.

Overall the Jucy Camper was a great choice for our USA roadtrip.

Read next: Best gifts for RV Owners

It was a regular sized car to get from place to place quickly, we could travel and park easily on any type of road, and it comes with beds for 4 people and a kitchen. Perfect!

If a small camper is not for you, there is a huge range of RV models and sizes available to suit every style of trip.

The best vehicle will depend on the length of your road trip, the number of people, where you want to go and how comfortable you want to be. Plus of course how much you want to spend!

>> Click here to browse the options and prices for an RV Rental.

West Coast Road Trip Accommodation Options

Depending on how you are traveling, you have several options for finding and booking accommodation along your route.

For hotel or apartment accommodation we recommend booking.com . It has such a wide range of options for every budget.

If you are traveling by RV and want to stay at free campsites, register with Harvest Hosts to stay at unique sites across the country for free.

Alternatively the CampersCard offers camping fee discounts and exclusive perks at high quality campgrounds around the US and Canada.

And if you want to stay at impossible to book campgrounds in the National Parks, you can increase your chances of securing a spot by registering with CampScanner .

Simply select your destinations, create a scan and get notified the moment their bookings open up! Find out more here.

uSA West Coast Itinerary

Outlined below is the itinerary for our 4 week road trip USA we took in our Jucy camper with kids.

We share the destinations, highlights, length of each stay and recommendations for places to stay along the way.

Yosemite National Park (4 nights)

After picking up the camper in San Francisco, squeezing all our belongings inside and stocking up the fridge, we hit the road to get to our first destination, Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite is one of the most famous National Parks on the West Coast (if not the world). With dozens of spectacular hiking trails and the iconic El Capitan and Half Dome mountains, we couldn’t wait to arrive and explore.

We stopped in at the Visitor Centre to chat to the Rangers and find out what trails were open and read up on the history of the area.

Our kids enjoyed reading the information about the park. It is also where you can pick up activity sheets for the Junior Ranger Program.

The views from every location in the park were awe inspiring.

Yosemite Falls and Bridal Falls were still flowing despite the dry weather and the trail to Nevada Falls was surrounded by trees beginning to lose their leaves in a gorgeous autumn display of colour. The nights were cool but the days were perfect for hiking.

Read next: 3 days exploring Yosemite National Park

Note that although it was outside peak season the park was still crowded. There is no doubt this did take away from the experience a little.

However, the views and hikes are spectacular and it should be on any west coast road trip itinerary.

Favorite hike: The Mist Trail to Nevada Falls

We spent 3 days at Yosemite and could easily have spent more time here. But, we were seeking some warmer weather and packed up for our next destination, Death Valley.

Where to Stay at Yosemite National Park

Campgrounds.

For the more popular national parks, like Yosemite, it is necessary to book months and months in advance if you want to have any hope of staying at one of the awesome campgrounds or cabins within the park.  Check here for campsite availability.

We always luck out when this is the case – we just aren’t book in advance kind of people! It would have been incredible to stay within the National Park so if you are able to plan ahead, we strongly recommend you book early.

Alternatively, register with CampScanner to be notified the moment registrations or spots open up at high demand campsites to increase your chances of grabbing a spot.

So for our visit to Yosemite we stayed about 20 minutes drive outside the west entrance to the park at Indian Flat RV Park . It was basic but it had the advantage of being close by and allowed us to start our days early in the park.

>> Click here to find out more and read the reviews

Unfortunately there are not many budget hotel options close to the Park and you will need to book a long way in advance.

For the ultimate in convenience and comfort with kids, you can’t go past the Tenaya Lodge at Fish Camp.

For cheaper hotels you will need to look further afield to towns such as Mariposa with hotels like the Best Western .

Note that Mariposa is 50km (30 miles) from the west entrance. Another option is to look for lodges and bed and breakfasts in the area.

>> Click here to search for Hotels in Yosemite National Park

Death Valley (2 nights)

Next stop on our West Coast Road Trip with kids was Death Valley National Park .  There are two ways to get to Death Valley from Yosemite – south via Bakersfield or east via the famous Tioga Pass.

Fortunately for us, Tioga Road was still open (it closes in winter) so we could make our way directly from Yosemite to Death Valley.

We had heard great things about this drive and were so excited to take this route to Death Valley. We recommend this route over the Bakersfield route if it is open.

We set off early and made our way to the Tioga Pass. After driving through densely forested areas for an hour or so the landscape started to open up and we were rewarded with spectacular views back to Half Dome.

There are many stops on the way to take in the views – Half Dome, Cathedral Peaks and Tenaya Lake were among the most impressive sights.

There are countless marked hikes along this section of road and a couple of campsites too (open during the summer).

As we exited Yosemite National Park and made our way downwards the change in landscape was dramatic and sudden.

The trees, shimmering blue lakes and snow topped mountains are gradually replaced with a treeless, barren, red landscape.

The roads no longer need to weave around mountains and the heat wrapped around us like a warm blanket.

Read next: Road trip gift ideas

StovePipe Wells

It was a big driving day from Yosemite NP, taking 5-6 hours to make the journey. 

We spent the night at StovePipe Wells, a sparsely populated “town” with a gas station, a hotel and an RV carpark.

We parked the van in what was essentially a desert car park with 360 degree valley and mountain views.

As we set up for the night we were rewarded with a gorgeous orange sunset.  The warm air overnight was a very welcome change to the chilly nights in Yosemite.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Early the next morning we visited the nearby Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.  Rising seemingly from nothing, the 30 metre high dunes spread out over an enormous area.

The dunes are mesmerising. The colour, the feel underfoot, the shadows and formations were simply stunning.

The kids couldn’t resist climbing up and racing down the sand dunes that got bigger and bigger the further in we walked.

When we reached the tallest dunes, we got chatting to a couple who had brought sand discs with them. Before long the kids were taking a turn sliding down the dunes on the discs, screaming as they slid down the dune.

It is well worth walking out to the furthest dunes for the best views and pictures but it definitely needs to be tackled in the morning. By the time we got back to our car in the late morning, the heat was sweltering.

Badwater Basin

In the afternoon we drove down to Badwater Basin. The basin is the lowest point in North America at 282 ft (86m) below sea level and is a large salt flat. It is about 45 minutes drive from Stovepipe Wells.

To be honest, it wasn’t as white or as impressive as the salt flats we have seen in Bolivia , but it was very salty. Amelie and Harvey confirmed this as they picked pieces off the ground and licked them…(eeeww).

We had time on the way back to camp to drive along Artists Drive , a road that was obviously built by a former roller coaster designer!

It is a narrow one-way road that weaves up, down and around stunning colourful rock formations. We highly recommend this route as it is so unique and pretty.

The best time to visit is the late afternoon as the colours are simply spectacular. We suggest you stop at Artist’s Palette on the way to get out and admire the view.

Zabriskie Point

Early the next morning we made our way to Zabriskie Point. A popular lookout spot at Sunset, we opted to take in the wrinkled golden hills at sunrise and it was an impressive sight.

We almost had the place to ourselves and enjoyed the views out across the strangely shaped and coloured hills as we had our breakfast.

We loved our time at Death Valley National Park. The main challenge (apart from the heat) with Death Valley is many of the places recommended to visit or hike require a big time commitment and/or a 4wd vehicle.

Our kids were never going to be happy about a 4 hour round trip to check out a crater or the famous sailing stones at the Racetrack so we opted not to go to the outer reaches of the valley on our west USA road trip.

Favourite outing: Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes

Where to Stay in Death Valley

Stovepipe Wells – operated by the National Park Service, this is where we spent our first night. It is a large, basic campground with showers and toilet facilities.

It operates on a first come first served basis. We loved the experience of camping in the desert and it is a great budget option.

Across the road it is also possible to park your RV at the Stovepipe Wells hotel. You then have access to the hotel facilities including a pool.

Click here to check availability at Stovepipe Wells Village

Furnace Creek – For our last night in Death Valley we stayed at the campground in Furnace Creek  next to the Visitor Centre.

The kids were very excited as you have access to the pool at the adjacent hotel, The Ranch at Furnace Creek.

Read reviews on the Furnace Creek Campground here.

Furnace Creek is the best base for exploring Death Valley. Many of the major sites are within easy driving distance. There are a number of hotels in the small town.

Click here to browse available Hotels in Furnace Creek

Pahrump & Las Vegas (2 nights)

It is possible to drive direct to Las Vegas from Death Valley. However our first week had involved a lot of driving so we broke our trip to Las Vegas with a one-night stopover in the small town of Pahrump.

The kids played in the pool, enjoyed admiring the huge RVs and we had an afternoon catching up on laundry. 

We chose to stay at Wine Ridge RV Resort as it has a pool and isn’t too far from Las Vegas.  Read reviews on Wine Ridge RV Resort here.

However you could easily skip this stop and head straight to Las Vegas for a longer stop.

Things to do in Las Vegas

You won’t be surprised to know there are many things to do in Las Vegas.  

If you decide to stay longer than 1 night, Las Vegas is a convenient base for many great day trips.

• Vegas is within easy driving distance of some great hiking, including Red Rock Canyon
• Drive out to take a look at the impressive Hoover Dam.
• Visit one of the many theme parks, go to a show or admire the views from the High Roller at The Linq.
• If you aren’t planning to drive to the Grand Canyon, many bus tours and helicopter flights leave from Vegas to the South Rim.  Check out the lowest prices on Helicopter Tours in Las Vegas here

Click here to save up to 40% off tours and activities in Las Vegas

One night in Las Vegas was just enough for us to experience a little of Las Vegas and eat at an extravagant buffet restaurant!

I can’t say I enjoyed Las Vegas much. Maybe it was because we were with the kids, or that we had just been a week in the wilderness, or maybe it is just that I am getting old! 

I was happy to push on and head to our next beautiful destination, Zion National Park.

Where to Stay in Las Vegas

There are a number of campgrounds scattered around the edge of Las Vegas. We stayed at the Las Vegas Oasis RV Resort – one of the fancier stops on our road trip.

We drew a fair amount of attention as we drove our little dusty camper into our enormous “pull-thru” site next to the biggest RVs we had ever seen and piled out of the car.

>> Read the latest reviews for the Oasis Las Vegas here.

There are SO MANY hotel options in Las Vegas! Which means there are often great bargains to be found.

Click here to find a great hotel deal in Las Vegas

Zion National Park (4 nights)

Our next stop on our West coast road trip route was Zion National Park .  I can safely say it was everyone’s favourite park.

Sheer red cliffs, cool clear rivers, hanging gardens, canyons, forests and waterfalls. It has a bit of everything and everything was spectacular!

There is a lot to see and do in Zion NP. The park kept us very busy over three days and we could easily have spent a week here exploring all the trails.

There is a wide range of trails for different abilities which makes it a great destination for families.

During our three days we covered the following hiking trails:

• Observation Point
• Hidden Canyon
• Emerald Pools
• Riverside Walk
• Angels Landing (Matt did this on this own)

We also went to the start of the Narrows hike (it is where the Riverside Walk ends) and have added this hike to our bucket list for when the kids are a little older.

Favourite hike:   Observation Point & Hidden Canyon.

Junior Ranger Program

The kids completed their first of 4 Junior Ranger Programs at Zion National Park. This program was such a great find.

The Rangers provide each child with an activity book to complete during their stay. The activities are targeted to different age groups.

It wasn’t onerous and was pitched at just the right level for it to be fun and educational.

Once completed they return the book to a Park Ranger who checks it, gets the kids to state an oath to protect the park and then awards them with a badge.

This program completely changed the way our kids engaged with their surroundings while in the parks.

They learned about the local wildlife, plants and geology. They took an active interest in the information shared by the Rangers on the free tours they offer.

We all learned a lot and I cannot recommend this program enough to other families visiting the parks.

Where to Stay At Zion National Park

We didn’t realise that we had timed our visit with Utah’s fall school break.

This meant it was impossible to get a site at the National Park campground and again we had to camp just outside the park at Zion Canyon Campground in Springdale.

It was more expensive that the campground in the National Park, but it was very conveniently located to access the park.

We could walk to the free shuttle at the visitor centre and the campground had a pool, which the kids were thrilled to use at the end of each day.

>> Click here for the latest availability and best prices. 

The site had impressive views of the surrounding mountains and we loved watching the sun set over them each day.

While it is impossible to avoid every public holiday, school holiday or weekend, it makes sense to try and plan visits to popular places out of these busy times. Noted for next time!

The best place to base yourself is at Springdale. It is the last town before the park and has a large number of hotel options in every price range.

We suggest you look for availability at hotels close to the park’s entrance, as you are then walking distance to the Visitor Centre and shuttle bus.

Search for Hotels in Springdale here

Bryce Canyon National Park (1 night)

Reluctantly we left Zion National Park and made our way along the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway towards our next stop on our US west coast road trip itinerary, Bryce Canyon National Park .

The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway is another spectacular mountain drive.

We were lucky to spot a group of bighorn sheep and a herd of bison along the way. The highway connects to Highway 89 where we made our way to Bryce Canyon.

Bryce Canyon is a small park that can easily be visited in a day and is absolutely worth the detour.

It has some of the most unusual and interesting sights of all the parks we visited – the hoodoos.

The hoodoos are pillars of rock that have been shaped by erosion over millions of years. There are thousands of them scattered throughout the park and their colours and shapes make for an incredible sight.

Sunrise and sunset are especially good times to experience the beauty of the valley of the hoodoos.

The kids had a lot of fun pointing out different shapes in the hoodoos as well as searching out the chipmunks that seemed to be everywhere.

Read next : Best US Road Trips

Walking Trails

There are a number of different trails at Bryce Canyon and you can spend days exploring the park.

Many of the hiking trails are great with kids but we think the best is the Wall Street and Queens Garden Loop. You can start the loop from either end on the edge of the rim.

Walking down “Wall Street” into the valley of the Hoodoos and being able to explore them up close was a really special experience.

An interesting fact about Bryce Canyon is that the Park has some of the darkest night skies in the USA which makes it one of the best places to stargaze.

The rangers offer free astronomy tours too.  Unfortunately there wasn’t one running the night we stayed but it would be fantastic experience to book.

The park is at a much higher elevation than Zion, ranging from 8000-9000 feet above see level (2400-2700m). It experiences something like 200 days a year below freezing overnight!

We stayed just one night and early the next morning went back into the park to admire the sunrise views before setting for our next destination, Page.

Where to stay at Bryce Canyon

There are two campgrounds within the park, and they operate on a first-come-first-serve basis. You can find out more here .

We opted not to camp fearing we would be too cold overnight in our little van. We stayed at Bryce View Lodge , only a few minutes drive from the park entry.

The hotel is well priced for an overnight stop and was a great spot to stay the night.

Click here for availability and latest prices at Bryce View Lodge.

Page (1 night)

Next stop on our 1 month West Coast road trip with kids was Page, a small town where we visited two spectacular sights – Lower Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.

Lower Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon is a very popular destination and pre-booking is highly recommended. There are actually two canyons – Upper Antelope and Lower Antelope.

You must join a tour to visit either canyon and you are allocated a specific timeslot with a group and guide.  Earthtrekkers provide a great summary of the two canyons to help decide which one to visit.

We opted to visit Lower Antelope Canyon with Ken’s Tours . It took a while to actually climb down into the canyon (there are many reviews highlighting the issue with the wait times).

Thankfully it wasn’t too hot while we waited. Our guide then moved us along the canyon floor quite quickly, but despite that it was well worth a visit.

It felt quite magical walking along the sandy canyon floor. The path is narrow and you glide past rocks smoothed by millions of years of erosion into the most fantastical shapes.

The canyon is very narrow so everyone walks in single file. There are a number of short ladders to climb too. The kids LOVED this place.

We had plenty of opportunities to stop and admire the colour and shape of the canyon. The guides gave us helpful advice on how to get the best photos while in the canyon.

I could have spent hours in there! It is an expensive outing, but one of the most memorable places we visited during our road trip. It would be a great road trip gift idea .

Note that you will need to book your tickets (potentially months) in advance to visit Lower Antelope Canyon. Click here to pre-purchase your tickets.

Horseshoe Bend

Horseshoe Bend gave us our first glimpse of the Colorado River before it weaves its way through the Grand Canyon.

Here the river traces a horseshoe-shaped bend which you view from the top of the surrounding 1000 ft high cliff.

Incredibly, there are no railings.  I found myself holding my breath as I watched people with selfie sticks in hand shimmy to the edge for the perfect photo.

I nagged the hell out of the kids to stay away from the edge while admiring the view!

It is absolutely worth a stop – the views are beautiful.

Lake Powell

It was perhaps an oversight that we didn’t stop and spend a little time at Lake Powell.

There is a lot to do – including kayaking on the lake, taking a cruise down the river and visiting Rainbow Bridge.

See a full list of tours in the area here

Where to Stay in Page

We stayed at the Page Lake Powell Campground . It was unremarkable, but it was cheap and we weren’t fussed as we spent just one night and very little time there.

If you are planning a longer stop at Lake Powell there are a number of better options  closer to the Lake.

There are a lot of budget hotels in Page, so if you are planning to stay just one night or longer to visit Lake Powell, you should be able to find a reasonable deal.

Look for Hotels in Page here

Grand Canyon (2 nights)

Our next stop on west USA road trip itinerary was the Grand Canyon . We had glimpses of the Grand Canyon as we made our way from Page along Highway 89, opening up across the sparse dry landscape.

It is only a 2.5-hour drive from Page to the National Park Campground and we arrived late in the afternoon, just in time for sunset.

So much has been written about the beauty of the Grand Canyon. I don’t think I can add much other than to say it is spectacularly huge.

It is so difficult to capture the enormity of it in a photo. It is far bigger than I ever imagined and a lot of fun to explore over a few days.

Hiking at the Grand Canyon

The park provides a free shuttle for visitors which makes it very easy to get around.

We were able to experience the canyon from a number of different viewpoints by hopping on and off the bus along the rim. The bus is a great way to quickly see the canyon with kids.

South Kaibab Trail

For a unique perspective of the Canyon, there are a number of trails that make their way down towards the Colorado River.

We decided to hike the South Kaibab trail with the kids. It offers a number of different viewpoints and options to turn back which made it a great option with the kids.

Our kids are pretty good little hikers now and we hiked all the way to Cedar Ridge, which is a 3 mile roundtrip with a steep climb out.

The hike was not too difficult in the cooler fall weather and while we were all tempted to continue walking down we resisted the urge, knowing we had to make our way back up!

It is important to carry sufficient water for everyone as there is no water available on the trail.

We carried two water bottles and a CamelBak Hydration Reservoir in another pack to stay hydrated. The CamelBak hydration reservoirs are great as they can be slotted into any backback.

We are gradually getting the kids used to carrying their own packs and these reservoirs are perfect to put in their packs.

It is possible to hike to the bottom of the canyon. A number of people we met said it is pretty special to stay overnight at the bottom of the canyon.

There are a number of tours that run, but it is also possible to plan the hike independently. It is definitely something I will look into if we ever make it back.

Favourite view: Ooh Aah Point, South Kaibab Trail

Helicopter Flight

Whilst we couldn’t afford it this time around, I would LOVE to sign up for a helicopter flight over the canyon . It would look so amazing from the sky I am sure! Perhaps next time!

If you are keen to experience the canyon from air, you can check the latest prices and availability here. 

Click here for more ideas on how to explore the Grand Canyon with kids.

Where to Stay at the Grand Canyon

We stayed 2 nights at the Mather Campground , a gorgeous campground within the National Park close to the village.

They recommend you book for stays between March and November. We had no trouble finding a spot on the day in late October.

It was a great location on the South Rim from which to explore the Canyon. As it was shoulder season we didn’t need to book but in summer it is very busy.

The campground is a large site surrounded by trees.  The kids had space to run around and were amazed (and a little terrified) of the elk that frequented the campground in search of water.

The elk have learned it is much simpler to get water from the taps, so it was amusing watching people try and fill up their RVs while fending off fierce looking adult elk.

There are a number of hotels within the National Park located close to the Village.

For budget accommodation you will need to look further afield to the closest town of Tusayan.

Click here to find Hotels in Grand Canyon National Park

Joshua Tree National Park (2 nights)

Joshua Tree was the last National Park we visited on our West Coast America road trip.

The drive from Grand Canyon is about 6 hours so we broke the trip up with an unremarkable overnight stop in the small town of Needles, but it is possible to do this in one hop to save time.

On first glance Joshua Tree National Park appears desolate and barren. The beauty becomes more evident as you begin to explore.

The huge smooth boulders, the teddy bear cactus and of course the Joshua trees are such unique natural features that made this park so fun to visit. It was one of our favorite stops in Southern California.

It was still quite hot through the day in late October but cooled off quickly at night.

Walks at Joshua Tree National Park

There are a number of great walks in the park. We decided to explore the short walks on offer as the day time heat was still quite hot but there are many full day hikes available too.

The ones we loved include:

• Hidden Valley
• Cholla Cactus Garden

We joined a Ranger Led walk at Skull Rock and it was great for the kids to learn about the desert animals, plants and geology.

One great thing about the park is the relative freedom to explore off the path. The kids had so much fun choosing which boulders to climb up and over.

They discovered all types of cactus growing within the rocky outcrops and kept a watchful eye out for animals like the Jack rabbit and coyote.

Favourite walk: Hidden Valley.

Where to Stay at Joshua Tree National Park

There are 9 campgrounds at Joshua Tree and most are operated on a first-come, first-served basis.

We didn’t think we would have a problem securing a site, so when we arrived at Joshua Tree late morning on a Friday we were surprised to hear most of the campgrounds were already full for the weekend.

Thankfully there were still sites at the Cottonwood campground at the southern end of the park. While not as centrally located, we still enjoyed the desert setting with the sounds of the coyotes in the distance in the evening.

Many of the other campsites are nestled among the huge boulders.

Click here for more information on Campgrounds at Joshua Tree

There are no hotels within Joshua Tree National Park so you will need to look at the closest town, Twentynine Palms which is about 30 kms (18.5 miles) from the centre of the park.

Click here to search Hotels in Twentynine Palms

Anaheim, LA (2 nights)

We couldn’t visit the USA West Coast without a trip to Disneyland! The kids had been excited about this visit since we started our trip around the world.

They spent many hours poring over ride reviews and park maps to plan their day.

We had spent time planning the best time to go to avoid the crowds and the researching the best tools to plan the order of our rides using the fastpass.

It was a huge day, racing from ride to ride. It was a lot of fun. Although, I am not planning on riding Space Mountain again. Ever!

Where to Stay in Anaheim

For our visit to Disneyland we stayed at the Anaheim RV Park. The RV Park has a pool but the sites are all pretty close together.

However it is the closest RV park to Disneyland so it makes a convenient stop for a night or two.

The RV Park does offer a shuttle service to Disneyland, but for the 4 of us it was cheaper to book a car through Lyft instead.

Click here to read reviews on the park.

You are spoiled for choice when it comes to hotels in and around Anaheim.

Click here to compare hotel prices in Anaheim

Alternatively if you are planning a longer stay in Los Angeles, it may make sense to stay in LA and make your way to Disneyland just for the day.

Highway 1 (LA to San Francisco) (9 nights)

After our stop at Disneyland we made our way up Highway 1 from Los Angeles to San Francisco on our west coast of America road trip.

We took our time as there are so many great Highway One stops including Carpinteria, Morro Bay, Monterey, Big Sur State Park and Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

Carpinteria (1 night)

Our stop at Carpinteria coincided with Halloween. The kids were very excited to have the chance to experience Halloween in the USA and spent LOTS of time choosing outfits for the occasion!

After making some inquiries in town we found a lovely neighbourhood to take the kids trick or treating. We had all purchased costumes from Walmart (I couldn’t believe how cheap dress ups are in the USA compared to home).

Matt did an excellent job carving out a pumpkin at our site and the kids had so much fun going from house to house. They collected far too much candy and we are still finding chocolate wrappers in pockets weeks later!

The Carpinteria campsite on the beach was our stop for the night, just south of Santa Barbara.

Morro Bay (2 nights)

From Carpinteria we traveled to Morro Bay. Unfortunately at this point the weather started to turn wintery and wet.

We knew we were probably pushing our luck on the road trip in November with the weather.

While this didn’t stop the kids building sandcastles on the beach all afternoon, we didn’t really get to appreciate the area as we would have in summer.

On our way to Monterey a great stop is the Elephant Seal Rookery just north of San Simeon.  

The elephant seals spend 8 to 10 months a year in the ocean and only come to the rookery twice a year for breeding and molting.

In October the juvenile seals are on the beaches to rest. The boardwalk is very close to the beach so we were lucky to spend time watching the seals spar, sleep and generally make a lot of weird sounds at each other!

The kids really enjoyed watching them until the rain came and forced our retreat to the car.

Unfortunately due to a number of huge landslides over the past year or two Highway 1 was still partially closed which meant a detour from Cambria to Monterey was required.

The inland highway is peppered with wineries and farmland but I suspect it is far less spectacular than the coastal road.

Monterey (3 nights)

We made our way to Monterey where the weather again thwarted our plans a little.

After a wet day spent watching movies the sun came out and we got outside to explore.

Things to do in Monterey

Point lobos state park.

It is a small, pretty state park close to the town of Carmel.

The sun was out, the kids spotted sea lions and sea otters while walking along the point and it was nice way to spend the afternoon after being cooped up inside for a day or so.

There are some gorgeous little coves and beaches to explore as well as some very friendly volunteers who had displays of bones, furs and feathers for the kids to examine.

Kayaking at Elkhorn Slough

While we were in Monterey we decided to explore Elkhorn Slough, a tidal salt marsh that travels seven miles inland from the coast and is home to sea otters, sea lions and harbour seals.

You can hire kayaks and explore the slough at your own pace.

There are tours available on the weekend, but we were able to hire two double kayaks and some wetsuits to keep us warm and set off to explore independently.

Kayaking with the kids is always a little risky. They are always super keen to do it then generally one or the other of them is over it not long after starting!

The paddling was very easy and completely do-able with the kids. However, this time Harvey was having issues with his wetsuit which made him uncomfortable for much of the trip.

We tried a couple of things to reduce the itchiness but nothing really worked. After an hour or so we turned and made our way back. Ah, the joys of traveling with kids!

The good news is we all survived and enjoyed paddling out on the water.

The weather stayed clear while we were out on the Slough and we were lucky to spot many sea otters busy at work eating and sleeping as well as some very curious harbour seals. Not to mention hundreds of birds.

Pretty much as soon as we finished the kayaking the weather closed in and the rain started bucketing down!

Monterey is a busy little town with a lot to do.

Where to Stay in Monterey

We stayed at Monterey Veterans Memorial Park campground. It was a very basic site but made for a good cheap base to explore the area.

It also had a playground which was a bonus. Amelie and Harvey were pretty excited to spot our first raccoon wandering through the campground after dark.

There is a lot of holiday accommodation at Monterey so you should easily be able to find a good deal.

Search for Hotels in Monterey here.

Big Sur State Park (2 nights)

Our next stop was Big Sur State Park. The drive along Highway 1 from Monterey to Big Sur is one of the most popular west coast travel destinations and it didn’t disappoint.

The road weaves high up along the cliff edge, with beautiful views across the ocean. I was a nervous passenger at times looking out over the (very close) edge!

We were fortunate the sun was shining. The Bixby Creek Bridge was as impressive as the pictures I have seen, as were the houses jutting out along the cliffs.

Things to do in Big Sur

Fortunately the road had been repaired and recently opened just south Big Sur so we could visit McWay Falls in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. It is a pretty unique waterfall!

We also hiked to Buzzards Roost – one of the few hiking trails opened since the landslides.

The trail wandered through the redwood forest up to the top of the ridge with great views across the ocean. It was our first glimpse of the big Redwoods and we were in awe of their height and size.

Where to Stay in Big Sur

There are a number of options for good campgrounds in Big Sur.

Our campsite for two nights was the Big Sur State Park campground . It is a beautiful campsite along the river and we were lucky to arrive mid week and get a site.

There were very few campers, but apparently on the weekends it books out, so our timing was good this time!

There are a number of lovely hotels tucked away in Big Sur if you are looking for more of a treat, but it is also possible to stay in Monterey and explore Big Sur as a day trip.

Search for Hotels in Big Sur here

Big Basin Redwood State Park ( 1 night)

Our last park stop on our West Coast USA road trip was Big Basin Redwood State Park . As we made our way there the rain continued to worsen.

A downed electricity pole meant a deter along a tiny narrow road littered with leaves falling from the trees.

Despite the rain, the drive into the park was absolutely stunning. Huge old redwood trees, some thousands of years old, lined the road.

The fog and rain gave an eery feeling as we admired the autumn colours. The landscape was such a change from what we had seen for the past few weeks.

Despite the rain we were excited to see the famed redwoods we had read about.

Where to Stay in Big Basin Redwood State Park

We stayed at the Huckleberry campground within the State Park. While we were tempted by the basic cabins available for rent complete with wood fires due to the rain, our ongoing budget constraints meant we were camping.

The good news is we managed. The kids watched a movie on the laptop,  the roof tent didn’t leak and we all stayed dry overnight!

Thankfully the weather cleared long enough in the morning for us explore the Redwood Loop walk near the visitor centre.

Despite our attempts at capturing images of the Redwoods, it is impossible to convey the magnitude of these 1000 year old trees in photos.

San Francisco (4 nights)

Our road trip on the USA West Coast concluded with 4 days in San Francisco.

After 4 weeks staying in National Parks surrounded by wide open spaces, the busyness of San Francisco was quite an adjustment. We spent quite a lot of time chilling out, but also made time to explore the city.

There are a lot of things to do in San Francisco, and if you plan to visit a number of attractions it is worthwhile picking up the San Francisco CityPASS. It combines a number of attraction tickets into one pass and saves you money on the combined price.

Related: Best Anti Theft Travel Bags

Our first stop was Alcatraz. Our friends had told us to book in advance as tickets sell out and we were pleased we did.

While it was an expensive outing for us, the boat trip out to the island and the free audio guide was excellent.

Combining a harbour cruise, a history lesson and a unique look into a famous prison made for a pretty great day out.

As well as the Alcatraz ticket office , there are a number of different packages available that include a ticket to Alcatraz.

This one includes a cruise on the spectacular San Francisco Bay which would be a fabulous way to finish the day. Click here for latest prices and availability. 

City highlights

• While we were in town we took a ride on the famous cable cars and marveled at how anyone with a pram could make their way up and down the hills in the city.
• We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge in the fog which made for an eery experience and later visited Bakers Beach for a great view of the bridge once the fog cleared.
• Matt and I enjoyed exploring the Mission District alleys famed for their political murals (kids not so much)
• We had a fun time making our way up two gorgeous tiled staircases in the Sunset district.

Despite feeling like we had a busy few days we only just touched the surface.  It is well worth including a few days in your itinerary as there are so many things to do.

It is a gorgeous city and deserves far more time than we had.

Where to Stay in San Francisco

We were very fortunate to stay with friends in San Francisco at the start and end of our road trip and thoroughly enjoyed catching up.

It was also a treat to stay in a house with all the luxuries we have long forgotten (full kitchen with oven, bathrooms under the same roof as your bed, a couch to sit on!).

There are a lot of accommodation options in the city, as well as in surrounding areas. Consider the types of things you plan to do in the city and book your accommodation close by.

Click here to search for hotel deals in San Francisco

What would we do differently?

With less / more time what would we have done differently?

I have mixed feelings about the Highway 1 section of our road trip along the coast to San Francisco. We visited in early November and the wintry and wet weather meant we didn’t get to enjoy the route as much as we would have in Summer.

As sections of the highway were closed due to landslides I don’t think we really got the most out of this section of the trip.

In hindsight considering the time of year we should have included another inland National Park such as Arches or Canyonlands where the weather was sunny and warm. With less time this section could easily be covered in 1-2 nights.

We decided not to visit Sequoia National Park as it was getting too cold (which was a good decision as they got their first snowfall in the early weeks of November).

Had the weather been better I think this would make a great stop on the west coast road trip itinerary.

The other thing we would have changed is to dedicate more than a month to explore the Parks!

While we are so lucky to go on a 1 month US road trip to explore this part of the world we could easily have spent another two weeks visiting more of them.

We never tired of visiting the Parks – they were all so unique, well run and easy to visit with the kids.

The other thing to note is that it was a very easy trip to organise compared to other places we have visited, like India and Africa .

Supermarkets and gas stations were easy to find, there were no issues with availability of water and information was readily available.

Add it to your bucket list

A West Coast USA road trip had been on our travel bucket list for a long time.  We road tripped through 4 states, visited 6 National Parks and 3 State Parks and it is one of our favourite trips to date and one of the best US road trips for families.

In our Jucy camper we spent much of our time outside. Cooking, eating, sitting around the campfire toasting marshmallows and gazing up at the star filled skies made it a memorable trip and one I hope we can repeat in the not too distant future.

We highly recommend a west coast road trip with kids for families who enjoy traveling independently.

See more US Road Trip ideas here. Find some great road trip gift ideas here .

Have you visited the West Coast USA with kids? What was your favourite destination? Let us know in the comments!

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Looking for more road trip inspiration? You may like these:

• Campervan budget for a USA Family Road Trip
• Two week road trip – South Africa with kids
• Europe in a campervan with kids
• 2 week Outback Australia Road Trip

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Rachel Rodda

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8 thoughts on “4 week usa west coast road trip with kids”.

Thanks for such a comprehensive guide, we are planning to do a similar route next year and this is just perfect aid to our plans.

No problem – good luck with the trip planning.

Currently planning our 5 WL trip for June/ July. Would you recommend stopping anywhere along the coast for a few days to enjoy beach in summer?

Hi Luke, there are certainly plenty of beaches to explore along this section of coast,but we travelled it during November so were not at the beach much and can’t personally recommend where to stop unfortunately. There are a number of cheap Campgrounds close to some of the beaches along that strip of coast if you are in an rv that would be worth a look. Take a look at parks.Ca.gov for a listing of state parks with camping sites.

Great photos! Especially of the Horseshoe Bend one – very hard shot to take as the light is never right (sunset or sunrise). Your roadtrip timing matched ours (we were in Grand Canyon / Joshua Tree at the same time I think).

Thanks Simon. We really enjoyed our time there – could easily have spent more time exploring the parks. The weather was good too – not too hot during October/November.

Sounds like an amazing trip on the west coast, we were there a year ago and wanted to do the drive along the coast through Big Sur but there were landslides and it was closed so I’m jealous that you were able to do it. I can’t believe that your 12 months is almost up.

The Big Sur coastline was spectacular. I do think places in Victoria like the Great Ocean Road and Wilson’s Prom are at least as beautiful. I look forward to visiting them again soon. See you in 2018.

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10 Incredible Places to Visit out West the Whole Family Will Love

The American West is huge, full of vast open spaces, national parks, and unique traditions and culture.

Fascinating attractions wait to be discovered, such as gold mines, wild west saloons, parks, and even hot springs.

Read on to learn the best places to visit out west, perfect if you’re trying to plan a family trip but aren’t sure where to start.

1. Tombstone – One of the Best Places to Visit out West

For a true Wild West experience, look no further than the infamous town of Tombstone, Arizona. Home to the O.K. Corral, the site of many famous shoot-outs, both in the movies and in real life.

A former silver mining site, it later became a bustling town of America’s frontier days, and it’s now a great place to visit. Explore the main drag of town and it’s easy to step back in time.

There’s a lot of history here, and a lot of fun to be had. You can also enjoy walking through the swinging doors of Wyatt Earp’s Saloon or touring the underground Goodenough Mine.

2. San Antonio

Yee-haw! It’s hard to find a more cowboy town than San Antonio, Texas. Learn all about Texas history at the Alamo, the site of a famous battle in the Texas Revolution and the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, a site of former Spanish religious missions.

There’s also plenty of fun for families along the San Antonio River Walk. It’s full of shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Six Flags Fiesta Texas and the San Antonio Zoo are also big hits with the little ones.

Ready to start packing? Click here to learn more about all the cowboy essentials.

3. Zion National Park

If you’re looking for jaw-dropping natural beauty, Zion National Park, in Utah, should be on the list for any trip out west.

Full of red rock canyons, jagged mountains, and spectacular scenery, Zion is a top choice for families looking to unplug and get away to nature for a while. Enjoy easy hikes through the park or just enjoy the solitude.

Highlights of the park include The Narrows, a scenic part of Zion Canyon, Angels Landing, a landmark rock formation, and the beautiful waterfall of Emerald Pools Trail.

4. Lake Tahoe

One of the most spectacularly beautiful places to see in the west, Lake Tahoe is a sparkling emerald freshwater lake on the border of California and Nevada. It’s equally amazing in both winter and summer. Winter brings huge snowfalls that make this destination great for skiing, snowshoeing, or sledding around ski resorts such as Heavenly and Squaw Valley.

In summer, enjoy hiking and boating on the lake. There’s so much to see and do around Lake Tahoe, it’s truly a natural playground.

5. Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular landmarks in all of the US, for good reason. Thought to be between five and six million years old, the Grand Canyon is one mile deep and is 277 river miles long, and up to 18 miles in width, hard to imagine.

There are many ways to view and appreciate the Grand Canyon, including viewpoints along both the South and North Rims, or backpack or ride a mule down into the Inner Canyon.

No vacations out west would be complete without a stop at the Grand Canyon.

6. Jackson Hole

Another classic western town is Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Although many people visit in winter for the thrill of its challenging ski slopes, there is plenty more to do in town besides the snow.

Families love experiencing the incredible wildlife at the National Elk Refuge and the Teton Raptor Center. It’s also relaxing to soak your worries away in the thermal pools of the Granite Hot Springs.

Jackson Hole is also close to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, so it makes a great stopping-off point if you’re heading that way.

7. Fort Worth

Fort Worth, Texas is a great town to visit for a real western experience. One of the highlights is the Fort Worth Stockyards, where you can watch a real-life cattle drive, catch some great country tunes at the Cowtown Opry, and sample a wide range of western food and entertainment.

In addition, Fort Worth, sometimes missed out for the more well-known city of Dallas, has a lot to offer. This includes the Fort Worth Zoo, the Texas Civil War Museum, and the Fort Worth Water Gardens.

8. Yosemite National Park

Set in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, Yosemite is one of the most beautiful national parks in the west, if not the whole country.

Escape to nature and enjoy some of the highlights of the park, including Half Dome, Glacier Point, and Yosemite Valley.

9. Virginia City

Virginia City is a true cowboy town in Nevada, not far from Reno. Built turning the gold rush of the 19th century, this town has everything you’d want to find in a Wild West town- saloons with swinging doors, gold panning, quirky shops, and even a few ghost stories.

10. Deadwood

Deadwood, South Dakota, is another great Wild West town, created during the gold rush. At its heyday, infamous figures such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane roamed the town.

Visit for the town’s great museums, full of fascinating artifacts. Enjoy a vintage train ride, visit the Broken Boot Gold Mine, or come along for the 1876 Mystery Dinner Theatre.

Set within the Black Hills National Forest, it’s also a scenic area, perfect for mountain biking or hikes. Let’s Head West

Ready to go exploring? Now that you know the best places to visit out west, you can get started with planning your trip to the best places to visit out west. With so much to see, there’s plenty to take the whole family occupied.

Did you find this post helpful? If so, we’d love it if you read through some of our other great travel articles .

I would love to visit all the wild west towns. I did visit the national parks and of course would love to go again.

Growing up in Colorado, my family went on vacations to most of these places. I love Jackson Hole and spent many summers there.

I live out here in the wild wild west and love it so much. I have been to most of these places on the list. I have not yet been to Deadwood though and I would really enjoy that.

Great list that I would love to visit each of them. I have been to the Grand Canyon about 7 years and it was wonderful. I had breathing problems there – elevation. My sister in law and her daughter got to go to the Grand Canyon last summer and they also got to take a helicopter rider over and down to the bottom and have lunch. We will travel again………..

All of these locations seem like wonderful family trips. I know I always wanted to go to the Grand Canyon with my family.

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10 Best West Coast Family Vacations

Dec 19, 2017

See recent posts by Courtney Elko

Some say the left coast is the best coast. And with warm temperatures year-round in California, national parks and mountains in Washington, and beaches and skiing in Oregon, we really can’t disagree. If you have a family of outdoor adventurers, you’ll especially enjoy a West Coast vacation, where hiking, biking, water sports and fresh air abound. Here are our picks for the best West Coast family vacations.

Spokane, Wash.

This Pacific Northwest city has a cool, modern vibe. The Spokane River weaves through Spokane , where things to do include everything from children’s museums to zip-lining. Families will love this city’s natural surroundings, too, with large parks and gardens, the Spokane Waterfalls, hiking and kayaking. Even skiing can be found nearby. There is no need to choose between the city or country when visiting — families can enjoy the best of both in Spokane.

Recommended Hotel: Hotel RL by Red Lion Spokane at the Park

Dubbed the “Outdoor Playground of the Northwest,” Seattle knows outdoor adventure, but also delivers an ultra-hip city vibe, with unique neighborhoods and attractions including Ballard and Fremont. Of course, a stop at the legendary Pike Place Market and the Space Needle are musts on a West Coast family vacation to Seattle. The summer months are really the best time to visit Seattle with the family, especially because the days are longer, with nearly 16 hours of daylight. Seattle has some pretty fantastic beaches to enjoy this time of the year, too!

Recommended Hotel: Hyatt Place Seattle/Downtown

San Juan Islands, Wash.

More than 170 islands make up the San Juans , which, in the summer months, have nearly 16 hours of sunlight and little rain. Spotting whales and bald eagles is common in the San Juan Islands, and families will love to spend time kayaking in the ocean or hiking, biking or zip-lining in the forest. The islands can be reached by ferry (reservations required) or seaplane, so even arriving at the destination is part of the fun for this family vacation on the West Coast.

Recommended Hotel: Tucker House Inn

Cannon Beach, Ore.

The ability for families to walk everywhere in Cannon Beach is a great appeal for this West Coast family destination. Many of the resorts and vacation rentals are also within walking distance to the beach. The sand and Pacific Ocean at Cannon Beach itself is where you’ll want to spend the most time. If you visit in June, you may be lucky enough to witness (or even participate in!) the oldest sandcastle building contest in the country.

Recommended Hotel: Hallmark Resort Cannon Beach

Whether it’s ski or kayaking season, families will love to visit Bend, Oregon , on a West Coast family vacation. Bend is protected by mountains from most coastal storms, so it rarely rains here and there’s no humidity. It may be one of the few U.S. destinations where families can ski in the morning and mountain bike in the afternoon in the springtime! Everything is also only a short distance away when staying in downtown Bend. It’s convenient for families to stay downtown and walk to shops, restaurants, parks and the Deschutes River, but then drive 20 minutes to beautiful waterfall hiking trails and ski at Mt. Bachelor, about 45 minutes outside city limits.

Recommended Hotel: Riverhouse on the Deschutes

San Francisco

The City by the Bay is a must for families visiting the left coast. The Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, the cable cars, parks and museums – families can spend days taking in all that San Francisco has to offer. The weather can get very chilly (even in the summer) so remember, just because you’re in California doesn’t necessarily mean 90-degree temperatures. Pack accordingly. Renting a car can be a good idea, but public transportation and walking are also convenient. Maybe just do a few stretches before pushing that stroller up the many hills of San Francisco – just saying!

Recommended Hotel: Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf

Santa Monica, Calif.

Kids will love spending time in Santa Monica , which is located just outside of downtown Los Angeles. The kids won’t know where to look first when visiting the Santa Monica Pier, with its amusement rides and iconic Ferris wheel. They’ll also love the nearby Venice Beach street performers. Take a spin as a family on the more than 100-year-old Looff Hippodrome. The legendary merry-go-round still features its hand-carved horses built in 1916 and the family fun remains the same!

Recommended Hotel: Shore Hotel

Los Angeles

The City of Angels offers so much for families to do on a West Coast vacation. Beaches, museums, Hollywood history (and the Hollywood Sign itself), Universal Studios — the options are countless. Vacation rentals, luxury resorts and affordable hotels are all great options for families looking for a place to stay in Los Angeles . And you will definitely want to rent a car to maneuver around the city — just be prepared for that notorious traffic.

Recommended Hotel: The Garland

Big Bear Lake, Calif.

Located about two hours outside of downtown Los Angeles, Big Bear Lake is situated in the San Bernardino Mountains. The manmade lake is bustling with vacation rentals and resorts, so families have plenty of options for accommodations. Once you arrive, the 22 miles of shoreline are sure to relax the whole family, no matter the time of year. In the summer, Big Bear Lake is filled with days spent by the water, swimming, boating, fishing and biking. But the fun doesn’t end in the winter at Big Bear. Skiing, snowboarding and sledding take over once the snow falls in the mountains.

Recommended Hotel: Big Bear Frontier Cabins and Hotel

Less than an hour from the Mexican border, San Diego is our southernmost pick for an excellent West Coast family vacation. The weather is always pleasant and the food is delicious in San Diego – don’t miss the authentic Mexican fare in Old Town! Balboa Park and its attractions – including the San Diego Zoo – could easily fill an entire vacation. Nearby LEGOLAND, SeaWorld, La Jolla Beach and Coronado are not to be missed, either.

Recommended Hotel: Rancho Bernardo Inn

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How to Plan a Road Trip Out West

Last Updated on January 24, 2024 by Grant

Despite the fact that Grant and I live just outside Atlanta, GA, we have done MANY road trips out West. Some of those have been relatively short (1-2 weeks), while others have been a month or longer. So, let’s talk about how we plan a road trip out West (or anywhere else) and give you tips on how you can plan a similar adventure of your own.

We’ve done road trips both with and without our RV. Many aspects of planning an RV road trip are the same as a road trip with just a normal passenger vehicle. But there are some logistics that you should consider if road-tripping with an RV.

I’ll use our 2017 RV road trip that took us all the way to California as my example. This particular trip was about seven weeks long. Yours may be longer or shorter, but the planning stages are the same, regardless of the amount of time spent on the road.

Planning any trip can feel overwhelming, at least in the beginning. Even I get nervous when I start thinking about planning a trip and I’ve planned many trips and generally enjoy doing it.

The key to planning your road trip is to take it one step at a time. Do what you can, when you can and don’t stress about the details until the time comes to think about the details. You can’t figure out what hotel or campground you’re staying at if you don’t know where you’re going. Start with big ideas and then narrow things down from there.

(Disclaimer: When we link to places where you can buy our stuff or places we stayed, we are using special codes that earn us commissions on the sales at no additional cost to you. Please see our  Review Policy   for more information.)

Choosing Your Road Trip Itinerary

When choosing your itinerary, choose a few big stops that really fuel your passion and get you excited. Then add additional stops in nearby places along the way.

This 2017 itinerary had us on the road for 50 days. That beat our previous “longest road trip to date” by a whopping 12 days. Since then, we’ve typically spent about 6-7 weeks on the road every summer. Yes, both of us being teachers has its advantages when it comes to travel!

We chose this itinerary for several different reasons. Traveling West is truly one of our favorite directions to go. Almost all of our long-term trips have taken us west of the Mississippi River.

In 2016, we forced ourselves to New England for a new adventure. While we loved it, we quickly realized it had been three years since we explored the western frontier in the summer. Quite simply, we were ready to return to our “happy place.”

In planning our itinerary, we considered just about all destinations “out West,” focusing on the West Coast. We considered California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah… You get the idea. Ultimately, we had to narrow things down so that we wouldn’t be moving too much! We decided our main two stops would be Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks.

We chose Yosemite because we had not traveled to California together. Not only did we get to add another state to our list, but we got to add one of the most amazing national parks as well. Who wouldn’t be excited about that?

We chose to return to Yellowstone because it is truly one of our favorite destinations in the world. This was our fourth trip there together and we were still very excited. We always love seeing geysers, canyons, wildlife and so much more! It truly never gets old.

Wherever you decide to go, make sure it is something that you are really excited about!

Determining Your Road Trip Route & Details

Once we made the decision on the big stops, it was time to fill in the details and find additional sites to visit. National Park sites fuel many of our road trip routes. We try to string together several sites to make an interesting route, both on the way out and on the way back.

Suggestions for planning your route:

• Use Pinterest to search for interesting ideas.
• Ask coworkers and friends for suggestions.
• Visit family or friends in the area.
• Retrace the steps of a memorable childhood vacation.

Our first real stop after leaving our home in Woodstock, GA was in the Flagstaff, AZ area (after three days of driving). A work colleague told us about Meteor Crater and, with a few Google searches, we were sold!

There are several National Park sites nearby as well, which is always a plus for us. We, of course, also spent some time “standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona” while we were in the area.

Another big stop, after Yosemite , was Great Basin National Park . We had considered Great Basin for a few years. Since it is more-or-less between Yosemite and Yellowstone, this worked out perfectly for this trip!

After a trip I took with my dad and sister many years ago, I knew driving the Extraterrestrial Highway across Nevada would be interesting. My research with Google and Pinterest searches also brought up information about Cathedral Gorge State Park. And, just like that, we had an interesting route across Nevada from Yosemite to Great Basin!

Another big stop was western Colorado. It was “on the way back” and allowed us to visit several National Park sites we haven’t seen and see some family.

• Hardcover Book
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Campground or Hotel Reservations

Once you have the route mapped out, it is time to start making reservations. We sometimes struggle with how detailed we should plan things out. When we were tent camping, we could be a bit more spontaneous and wait until the last minute for campgrounds or hotels. We have found we are not comfortable doing that with the trailer and, especially when our cat, Alee, traveled with us.

First, we simply had to find a place with hookups so we could leave Alee during the day. Second, when pulling a trailer, hotels are pretty much off-limits unless they have ample parking. Even if we could park, many hotels do not accept pets, much less cats.

Sadly, we lost Alee, our camping kitty to a tumor in 2019. We miss having her with us at home and on the road.

So, we used to find ourselves planning the details a bit more rigidly than we might really want to. Now that we are traveling without a cat, we do have a little more flexibility. Still, with the rise in popularity of RVing and camping, we often find ourselves making reservations fairly far in advance.

I typically use campground reviews on RV Life , along with Tripadvisor and Campendium to research campgrounds and find us the best place to stay. I also created this document to help me compare campgrounds and pick the right one .

For hotels, we prefer the Hilton chain, where we love earning and redeeming Hilton Honors points . If there isn’t a Hilton hotel in a particular area, we use Tripadvisor to find hotels.

Once I start making campground reservations, I keep a record of everything using my Campground Reservation sheet . This allows me to know exactly what I booked and all the pertinent information of the reservation. This is especially useful for campgrounds, which are less likely to send an email confirmation than a hotel.

National Park or Other Attraction Reservations

Even when visiting national parks these days, you do have to think about timed-entry reservations. There are a few parks, like Arches NP, Rocky Mountain NP and Glacier NP that require reservations to enter some of all areas of the park. Many other sites require reservations for house tours, cave tours or other types of guided tours.

Even some museums and other attractions have begun requiring timed-entry reservations.

As you begin planning your road trip, be sure to check the website of each park or attraction to find out if you need to make advance reservations. Finding out early on that you missed your opportunity to get tickets for a specific park or tour could affect your entire trip.

When it comes to national park reservations, it is important to note that many times only a fraction of tickets are released initially, which is often several months in advance. Additional tickets are often released 1-2 days prior. We had to rely on these “last minute tickets” when visiting Arches in 2022 after the historic flooding forced us to completely cancel our entire summer trip to Yellowstone.

Read my full guide on national parks trip planning here.

When to Make Reservations

If you have more flexibility, you could certainly wait and make at least some of these decisions on the road. How much you plan in advance is totally up to you, your travel style and where you are visiting.

On that note, some places fill up quickly. Do your research and know if you need to book in advance. Yosemite is very popular in the summer, so I made those reservations in December. Others weren’t made until April.

Every destination is different, so do your homework early and know what to expect. And, if you aren’t making reservations in advance, be ready to not have as many choices or possibly even miss a desired stop because there is no availability.

That actually happened to us on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park a few years ago when we were tent camping. We didn’t have a reservation. We visited several campgrounds and hotels and found no vacancies. Cell phone coverage was basically non-existent, so we couldn’t call or do much research.

We ended up driving all the way to the other side of Denver and skipping Rocky Mountain altogether. That is always a risk when you don’t have a reservation.

On the flip side, we once had a three-night reservation at a state park in southwest Montana. Bad conditions, along with the remoteness of the campground, led us to leave early. We ended up moving on after just one night and forfeiting our payment for the other two nights.

That’s one of the fun things about travel: you never know what will happen!

A big consideration for any road trip is the budget. Your budget will often dictate, or at least influence, where you go, how long you are gone, where you stay and much more.

Hopefully, you think about your budget before you start planning. Grant wrote an in-depth article on travel finance, which covers many aspects of budgeting for travel. If you have questions on budgeting, start at Travel Finance 101 .

Budgeting for a long road trip can seem overwhelming. But there is one benefit to a long trip that is sometimes easier to deal with than on a shorter trip: You are able to use your “normal” monthly budget.

Of course, you have fixed bills at home which have to be paid even when you’re away.  Mortgage, car insurance, and electric bills are still due, even when traveling. Sure, you could turn off your cable or internet if you’re gone for a while, but that may not be worth it if you’re just gone a few weeks.

What you can use is your food, gas and entertainment budgets. Those are costs you don’t have to worry about too much (assuming your income is still consistent) since you would be spending money on them anyway. You may even find food or gas costs are lower on the road.

Traveling in a trailer allows us to keep food in a refrigerator and cook meals “at home” even when on the road. This allows us to save money by not having to eat out every meal.

If you want to compare costs on different travel styles, check out this article: Road Trip Styles – A Cost Breakdown . In this article, Grant compares the costs of staying in hotels, tent camping and RV camping.

Read more about how we save money on the road.

Leaving Your House

Of course, leaving your house for several weeks can be nerve-wracking. That is one reason we now live in an apartment (and, previously, a condo). We feel much more at ease when we are traveling knowing there are other people living in the building. If anything goes wrong, they can notify us easily.

If you don’t live in a condo or apartment, you just need to make sure you have a neighbor or friend set up to come by once or twice a week to check on things. How often will depend on what you might need to be done at home and if you are leaving behind any pets.

Even in an apartment with no pets at home, we still need someone to check the mail and just make sure nothing crazy happens. As a thank you, we generally pick up a bottle or two of a local spirit for whoever helped us out.

Complications on the Road

Of course, complications can always happen when you are traveling. That is especially true during a road trip. We’ve had several instances when our truck or camper needed service on the road. We also had to delay a trip because our truck needed service the day before our scheduled departure.

When we visited the Great Lakes region in 2019, we had to cut our trip short because the camper needed substantial repairs. Unfortunately, the same issue caused us problems again in 2021 when in Salt Lake City. Both of those were frustrating, but we handled it.

As mentioned previously, we also had to replan an entire summer trip on the road in 2022. We had made it halfway to Yellowstone when the historic flood of 2022 happened. The park was still closed to all visitors the day we were supposed to arrive for our month-long stay at Fishing Bridge RV Park. Sadly, we had to scrap the entire trip and come up with a new itinerary.

Most recently, our engine had difficulty as we approached Shreveport, LA while returning from a road trip to New Mexico. The good news is that we found a service center to squeeze us in for diagnostics the next morning. The bad news is that we had to leave the truck in Shreveport and rent a car to get us home. On top of that, we had to reschedule a planned trip to Chicago so that we could drive back to pick up the truck.

Complications while road-tripping can always happen. It’s all part of the adventure. You just have to roll with it and make the best of a difficult situation.

Need Help Planning Your RV Road Trip?

If this sounds overwhelming, consider ordering our upcoming book: Moon USA RV Adventures . That’s right! We wrote our first book and it will help simplify this entire planning process!

Moon USA RV Adventures include 25 RV routes all over the country. The itineraries range from less than a week to more than a month and include stops at many of our country’s best national parks, landmarks and other attractions.

Each route includes step-by-step driving directions along with what you should see and do along the way. We provide campground suggestions and reviews, restaurants, grocery stores and more!

• Sinclair, Bonnie (Author)
• 560 Pages – 02/28/2023 (Publication Date) – Moon Travel (Publisher)

Final Thoughts on Planning a Road Trip

We always love a good road trip. But there’s truly something special about a road trip out west. The wide open spaces that you find when you get west of the Mississippi River just aren’t the same on the east coast.

Yes, planning a road trip can be difficult. But it is absolutely worth it.

Not only can you see and do a lot on a road trip, but the drive itself is a huge part of the adventure. We never tire of watching the scenery change as we make our way across the country.

Travel Resources

What do you use to find a flight.

We use Skyscanner to find deals on flights. Skyscanner has a great interface and compares tons of airlines for the best pricing and routing. That said, it does not always have every airline and some airlines will have better deals on their website. Still, Skyscanner is a great place to start. Click here to search for a flight.

What do you use to find a hotel?

We typically stay at Hilton properties , so we use the Hilton website . You can find good Hilton Honors discounts or AAA discounts for a hotel there. We make great use of our free night certificates from our Hilton Honors American Express. Click here to book a Hilton property.

If there are no Hilton properties available, we use TripAdvisor to read reviews and book the hotel. We find we can get the best price that way. Click here to search for a hotel.

We recently partnered with Stay22 to add interactive maps to each of our destination posts. This will allow you to see a plethora of hotels and vacation rentals all in one responsive map of the area.

What if I need more space than I can get at a hotel?

We use Vrbo for the times when we have rented a cabin for a weekend getaway, like this cabin in Townsend, TN , or needed to rent a house for a large family vacation. We had a great experience with them in terms of refunding deposits when COVID hit and will continue to use them. Click here to search for a vacation rental.

Who do you use for rental cars?

As a general rule, we book with Hertz for rental cars. We have had nothing but good experiences with them. Plus, we really like unlimited mileage and not worrying about crossing state lines. We have even rented from Hertz overseas in both Slovenia and Croatia . Click here to book a rental car.

How about booking a cruise?

We have found some amazing prices for booking a cruise through Cruise Direct . We have saved a lot of money on our cruises compared to what we found elsewhere, making a last-minute Bahamas cruise even cheaper. Click here to book a cruise.

What if I want to rent an RV?

We highly recommend Outdoorsy for RV rentals. We rented a camper van for a week to visit Rocky Mountain National Park for the elk rut and Custer State Park for the Buffalo Round-Up and had a blast. The program was easy to use and we really enjoyed the freedom of having a camper van for that trip. Click here to rent an RV.

What do you use for booking tours?

We don’t often book tours. Typically, we like to do stuff on our own. That said, there are some experiences you can’t have any other way. So, when we do want to book a tour, we always check Viator first. Click here to book a tour.

Do you use anything to get discounts on the road?

We make extensive use of both Good Sam and AAA on the road. Good Sam is normally regarded as a discount card for RVers at campgrounds and Camping World but anyone can use the 5 cents off a gallon at the pump at both Pilot and Flying J. Click here to get a Good Sam membership. We have had AAA as long as we have been married and it has more than paid for itself in discounts at hotels, aside from the peace of mind of having roadside assistance. Add in paper maps and the ability to get an international driver’s license and it is more than worth it for any traveler out there. Click here to get a AAA membership.

11 thoughts on “How to Plan a Road Trip Out West”

Great article! I have now done 13 big cross-country summer road trips with my family and you covered the planning process very well.

Did you like Great Basin? We stopped there a couple years ago and loved it. The pure silence away from the usual sounds of civilization was simply amazing.

Thanks so much! To say we loved Great Basin NP is an understatement. Baker is a neat town to visit and hiking the trails was something to behold. We went out to the nearby archeological site one night to watch the stars come out. WOW! That’s something we just don’t see in the east.

Hi! Someone in my Facebook group shared this website with us so I came to check it out. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Terrific blog and fantastic style and design.

Wow! Thanks so much! We are glad you are enjoying the blog Please let us know if you have any questions… We love talking about travels and helping folks out!

Great article.

I actually had some complications of earlier cars and trucks from Enterprise rent an automobile provider, however lately, together with James assisting me with my own reservation I’ve received everything I desired. Amicable and prepared to support. That’s exactly what I can say regarding their employees. Many thanks and keep on being successful!

Thanks so much, Myrah! I have used Enterprise and Hertz in the past for rental cars. In the past, at least, Enterprise has had a restriction on crossing too many state borders, which would not work for our longer trips. That said, both companies are great in terms of service from my experience.

WOW just what I was looking for.

Excited finding your blog on long road-trips! My husband and I will leave for our first 35 day trip next week and are planning a possible 3 mo trip next summer. We’ve motorhomed for 12 day and less trips but just curious what you’re experience has been moving often. Our upcoming trip has several 3 night stops mixed in but also many harvest host one nighters and lots of 2 nighters. Concerned about how it will feel moving that much. Any thoughts from your experience?

From our experience, the longer we stay in one location, the more we enjoy it. That said, crossing the country means one night stays. We would just say to make sure you build in rest time after long driving days and overnight stops.

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Budget Tours & Trips to Western USA

Discover a varied offer of Western USA budget adventures that will take you through some of the most renowned destinations such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Each affordable tour will provide you with great experiences for some of the lowest prices on the market.

52 cheap Western USA tour packages with 1,325 reviews

• Mountain Hikes

Yellowstone & Rocky Mountain Explorer

A wonderful trip, full of variety and interest. The National Parks were all beautiful, well maintained and a credit to the Parks Service. The Grand Tetons Park was a happy surprise. I hadn’t heard of this park before this trip and it was just spectacular. Our guide, Chris, was so good humoured, accommodating and went out of his way to make sure everyone was having a good time. Will definitely recommend this trip to everyone I know

• 5% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

• Overland Truck
• Hiking & Trekking

Alaska Adventure - 20 Days

Infinite Adventures is the very very best!!!! We typically do a long trip every year and this one was the best we have ever done. My wife and two kids absolutely loved it. Dave, Tory, Nat, and Ellie made it very easy to enjoy Alaska's great outdoors without us having to plan or find the best spots. They know all the little details that made it fun. Their sense of humor was also a huge plus. After a day hiking glaciers or bear watching the camp sight was always fun and dinners/food was always on point. Natalie and Ellie made best scrambled eggs ever. Tory and Dave made best Salmon dinner's (they deserve at least one Michelin star). The bus ride was also fun, comfortable with good conversation and great music (Nat, please more ABBA next time LOL). Also, the group travel angle was great fun as we got to meet and bond with people from all over the world. Really wonderful group of people. We will definitely be doing another trip in future with Infinite Adventures and highly recommend it to others.

• 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Alaska Denali Expedition - 12 Days

What an amazing experience we have just had with Infiniate Adventures. We have done many group trips of this nature and it’s always difficult to chose a provider - so much depends on the tour guide. As Infiniate Adventures is a small company you deal directly with the owners at all times and they are determined to make each and every passenger’s experience individual and special. Dave and Tory (and Mike!) have buckets of energy, fun, enthusiasm, knowledge and calmness - they made EVERYTHING exciting and fun … even the drives - which were planned to be minimal, informative and were interspersed with stops to explore - the music was great too!! The range of activities on offer in each area were extremely well thought through, planned and catered for every interest. We would travel anywhere with this company - knowing that wherever they go it will be extremely well thought through, planned and fun from the moment you board the magic bus! A HUGE thank you to Infiniate Adventures for creating such amazing memories.

• In-depth Cultural
• Christmas & New Year

USA - The Western Deserts

We have chosen the tour specifically because it was in German and also in other languages shown. Also on our voucher was again confirmed the tour with professional, German-speaking tour guide. Unfortunately, the tour guides did not speak German. We were able to help ourselves a bit with the translation app but we also missed a lot of information. We are very disappointed about this and expect compensation. The tour guides have tried and were very nice also the tour was very nice.

Canyons, Cities & National Parks: 14-Day West Coast Adventure featuring Grand Canyon, LA, Yosemite & San Fran

Such a fun experience! Guides were so friendly and helpful. Super accommodating to our needs (being under 21 and on a longer, more budget trip). Great inclusions on the trip as well as a lot of flexibility to do your own thing. They pack in so much but you still have time to chill if you wish. 2 weeks of great fun!

Golden West Adventure

NJ is very nice traveling place in us

• Coach / Bus

Exploring America's National Parks

Many places covered well... And the tour director had good knowledge of the places we visited

USA Road Trip — Grand Canyon, Vegas & Death Valley

Canyons to California: 8-Day Group Tour Thrilling Journey Through Grand Canyon, Las Vegas & Los Angeles!

Great tour. We were a group of 7 and had lots of fun. Tour guides were really nice and friendly and itnwas a great combination of nature and the big cities.

4 day Alaska Seward Camping Adventure from Anchorage

The Final Frontier - Best Tour EVER!!! I have traveled with Bindlesitff before - in the lower 48 - visiting the Utah NP's and Grand Canyon. So cool to see them expanding! Once I saw Alaska tours on the site - I knew I had to come back and travel with them again. This tour is short - but it really includes a lot - and you see a lot. I loved the idea to stay in one location for 4 days - and the camp location they have is great! Happy I listened to the packing list and had my gortex rain gear - this helps, since Alaska weather is crazy at times. The camp meals were fun to cook - and looking out at the bay is fantastic, otters swim right up the shore as you are cooking - so cute! The scenic boat tour was great - we saw whales, glaciers, puffins (my fave) and had a ""glacierita"" - that's a margarita made from the glacier ice! The town is really cute - and Alaska surprisingly had amazing coffee! Thank you to Bindlestiff and our guide, Marie - really fantastic.

USA - The Golden Experience

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Epic American West

USA Road Trip — Joshua Tree & the Southwest Parks

Yosemite Escape Camping - 3 Days

We had a great time!! We were able to go all over the park and see so many beautiful sites-hiking trails

Outdoor Alaska

Great! Excellent itinerary! Excellent transportation van! Excellent guide!

Budget Tours & Trips to Western USA Reviews

Mesmerizing Grand Tetons! I've been with Bindlestiff before and they did not disappoint the second time! Grand Tetons was mesmerizing and I am so glad I got this done through Bindlestiff!

I highly recommend Infinite Adventures in general and this trip particularly. If you want to see the best of Alaska you have to join the team and their bus, In 20 days I have seen more from Alaska than I would ever have expected. Dave and Tory are amazing and I would travel with them any time. 5 stars all the way!!!

Jump on the bus with Infinite Adventures for a magnificent Alaskan expedition! Dave and Tory are excellent guides and will keep you informed about the areas you visit and give expert advice. I found this to be a truly joyful experience!

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16 Best Family Beach Vacations in the U.S. That Everyone Will Love

Give everyone plenty of sea, sun, and sand.

Every item on this page was chosen by a The Pioneer Woman editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

To help you plan your dream getaway, we've searched high and low to uncover the 16 hottest (sorry, we couldn't resist) beach getaways right here in the U.S. Whether you want to head north, south, east or really far west (we're looking at you, Hawaii), we've got the perfect vacation for the fam. Looking for classic sand and surf? You'll find some iconic Florida and California destinations on this list. And because we know there are trailblazers among you, we've also included a few less well-known spots.

Find places with sprawling boardwalks and classic carnival rides to keep the kiddos active or more secluded spots where you can set up your beach umbrellas and beach chairs , then let nature simply take your breath away. (Did we mention you can find wild horses on one of these beaches?) Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it here. Just make sure to plan and book ahead, so there's less stress come vacation time. Then, be sure to share all of your delightful photos with the best beach Instagram captions !

Plan even more getaways:

• Alex Drummond's Guide to Vail, Colorado
• 58 Charming American Towns You Should Visit ASAP
• 20 Best Scenic Drives in the U.S.

Destin, Florida

Situated in the Sunshine State's panhandle, Destin is one of the country's favorite towns for family-friendly beach getaways. The white sands and pretty green seas at Henderson Beach State Park and James Lee Park—which both also offer playgrounds, picnic areas and bathrooms—are just one enticement. Also, grandparents, parents, and the kiddos alike will adore the fun attractions like dolphin cruises, golfing, tours, a zoo, a massive water park, and water activities like parasailing, kayaking, and snorkeling.

Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, Alabama

For Southern hospitality with a down-home vibe, few locales beat Gulf Shores and its sister city, Orange Beach. The sugar-like sand spans 32 miles, and there are plenty of activities available for adults (championship golf) and kids (amusement parks) alike. Families can also partake in the 6,000-acre Gulf State Park, with public beach access, fishing, hiking, biking and even Segway tours all available. You might also check out attractions like The Wharf which offers shopping, dining, and one-of-a-kind entertainment thanks to its amphitheater, Ferris wheel, and arcades.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Outer Banks, North Carolina

From watching wild horses play along the shoreline in Corolla, to hang gliding off the East Coast's tallest sand dunes at Jockey's Ridge State Park, there is no shortage of unique adventures to try in the Outer Banks . We're talking museums, lighthouses, fishing, water tours, and even mini golf! But also keep in mind that this 100 mile-plus stretch of barrier islands dishes out a wealth of unspoiled, serene sand you definitely won't want to miss. And speaking of dishes, don't miss out on the local cuisine. You can't go wrong ordering the fresh catch of the day!

Maui, Hawaii

If you're going to fly the fam to Hawaii, make sure you double your fun and schedule a stop in Maui . Known as the "Valley Isle," the second-largest island in the 50th state is blessed with more than 30 miles of white, black, and even red sand beaches. Take the little ones to Baldwin State Park, which includes a "baby beach" on a lagoon. Launiupoko Beach Park, with a pool formed by a natural rock wall, is also good for younger children, while older ones will want to snorkel at Kaanapali Beach. Of course, along with stunning beaches and water activities, you can enjoy aquariums, a scenic drive on Road to Hana, hikes, and other cultural experiences.

Ocean City, Maryland

Ocean City is another big hit on the East Coast with family vacationers come summer, thanks to 10 miles of well-maintained beaches great for fishing, surfing, kayaking and more. The area also hosts free events in the warm weather months, ranging from fireworks to movie showings. In particular, teens will want to stroll the three-mile boardwalk, lined with arcades, ride and shops.

Cape May, New Jersey

With less than three miles of beaches, historic Cape May makes for a small but mighty destination for families. Popular activities on the sand and in the sea include not only swimming but also surfing, skimboarding and sand sculpting, as well as kayaking and volleyball (nets are located at both Steger and 2nd Avenue beaches). The cozy size of this island, said to be the country's oldest seaside resort, keeps it all friendly and familiar, but remember to purchase beach tags in the summer months.

Amelia Island, Florida

More laid back than some other locations in Florida, Amelia Island is situated only 30 minutes from the Jacksonville Airport, but feels a world away. You get 13 miles of uncrowded and unspoiled beaches where you can explore nature and abundant native wildlife. And yet, there are still plenty of top-notch restaurants and even music festivals to enjoy in the island's historic downtown center. Enjoy the beach and Fort Clinch State Park on a horseback tour and then head to town for dinner.

Laguna Beach, California

You might be surprised to learn it, since surfing is pretty much the official pastime in Southern California, but Laguna Beach has a few sections in its seven miles of coastline that actually feature calm-ish water. Take the whole family to see-and-be-seen Main Beach, where there are restrooms, lifeguards, a playground and volleyball courts known to be frequented by Olympians. Or, bring teens who dream of learning to "shoot the curl" to Thalia Street Beach, a great spot for beginner surfers.

Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Located just over 20 miles south of Charleston, Kiawah Island is home to ten miles of sandy beaches, over 100 acres of parks, and 30 miles of trails to hike and bike. Oh, and there are five championship golf courses! Hit nine holes one day and then go on a nature walk in Marsh Island Park to look for birds, butterflies, and even alligators. There's plenty to do for kids and adults of all ages.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach boasts a beaut that runs through more than a mile of the city's downtown. Kids will get a kick out of SkyWheel, an observation ride that rises nearly 200 feet high, but parents will also want to schedule plenty of time to explore the surrounding 60 miles of uninterrupted beaches. With lifeguards, a daily cleaning crew and access points that provide restrooms and showers, Surfside Beach is the best bet for families.

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Home to a popular aquarium, indoor skydiving, mini golf and a three-mile boardwalk, Virginia Beach provides plenty of family attractions to go with its sandy shores. But be sure not to overlook the fabulous beaches, whether you opt for an Atlantic-fronted view or prefer to dip your toes in the Chesapeake (the city is the only one located on both bodies of water). The bay's beaches, like Chic's Beach, are great for younger kids, thanks to comfortably calm waters.

Kennebunkport, Maine

When you think of Maine, you probably picture a rocky coastline battered by wild waves smashing against the shore, but sweet little Kennebunkport is home to some wonderful family beaches. In particular, three-mile-long Goose Rocks Beach, which gets its name from the barrier reef that shelters it, is gifted with tranquil waters. After splashing in the surf, the whole family can head off to a hands-on lobster boat experience aboard the Rugosa and get a true taste of the life of a fisherman. The area also offers whale watching cruises and sailing excursions.

San Diego, California

As if that nearly perfect climate year-round isn't enough to draw vacationers, San Diego entices with 70 miles of coastline. Kids love La Jolla Shores, with its gentle waves at water's edge, while Coronado Beach's wide white sands will please the kite flyers and volleyball players in the family. For a look at sea lions and seals romping, check out Shell Beach, or gather everyone up for a visit to Sea World or the San Diego's world-famous zoo.

Nantucket, Massachusetts

Perched south of Cape Cod, postcard-perfect Nantucket Island is a relaxed, classic getaway for families. Leave your car behind (just about everyone bikes on the island) take the ferry over, then hit the appropriately-named Children's Beach, where kids can safely play in the soft surf. Or, hop aboard an Ice Cream or Critter cruise—the former serves the cold treat, while the latter gives the littles a chance to handle sea life like lobsters and crabs.

Jekyll Island, Georgia

A 5,500-acre barrier island located off of the Georgia coast, Jekyll Island is home to 10 miles of shoreline, including the stunning Driftwood Beach. It's beloved for the photogenic pieces of weathered trees and branches that litter its sand, a result of natural erosion. After beach time, families can partake in dolphin cruises, a water park, horseback riding tours and biking on 20 miles of paved trails.

Grand Haven, Michigan

Not all great beaches have to be located on the sea, and Grand Haven's wealth of stellar sand along Lake Michigan proves it. Grand Haven State Park is popular not only for its lovely beach, but also it's connection to a lively boardwalk that buzzes with people enjoying the businesses lining it. It also accesses Grand Haven's historic red lighthouses, always good for a photo op. North Beach Park, in Ferrysburg, just to the north of Grand Haven, is a bit quieter and a great swimming beach for families.

Jill Gleeson is a travel journalist and memoirist based in the Appalachian Mountains of western Pennsylvania who has written for websites and publications including Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Country Living, Washingtonian, Gothamist, Canadian Traveller, and EDGE Media Network. Jill is the travel editor for Enchanted Living. Learn more about her journey at gleesonreboots.com.

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