Southwest national parks road trip

Touring Great Basin, Arches, Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon national parks. (Links will send you to either official sites or Pit Stops for Kids reviews.)

Day 1-2: Drive from Reno NV to Great Basin National Park, NV via Hwy 50: The Loneliest Highway in America (approx. 7 hours). Explore Great Basin!

Day 3: Continue on Highway 50 from Great Basin National Park to Moab, Utah (approx. 7 hours).

Day 4: Explore Arches National Park and Moab. Take a hike, rent bikes, or shop in town!

Day 5: Explore Arches National Park and Moab. Consider a side trip to nearby Canyonlands National Park!

Day 6: Drive Highway 191 and 491 from Moab, UT to Mesa Verde National Park, CO (approx. 5 hours). Spend 3 nights at Morefield Campground.

Day 7: Explore Mesa Verde National Park. Be sure to book tours of the ruins in advance!

Day 8: Explore Mesa Verde National Park.

Day 9: Drive Highway 160 from Mesa Verde NP to Grand Canyon National Park. Consider a stop at the Tuba City Dinosaur Tracks.

Day 10: Explore Grand Canyon National Park and the Maswik Lodge.

Day 11: Drive Highway 64 from Grand Canyon National Park to Sedona, AZ (approximately 2 hours). Explore Slide Rock State Park.

Day 12: Drive I-40 from Sedona, AZ to Las Vegas (approx. 4.5 hours).