5 weeks in the American West with family in summer 2026

What a beautiful trip! ... In summer, the only downside is that you’ll have to deal with crowds and the intense heat. Is this your first trip to the USA? ...

I think it’s a shame to miss out on so many sights just to spend extra days in a few places.

Yes, I agree—house swaps can be a bit restrictive since some hosts require a minimum number of days. But it also gives us a chance to catch our breath because road trips are often exhausting! I’ve noticed I’m missing out on some sites I can’t see, but you’ve got to make choices... We’re alternating visits, hikes, and activities to keep the kids happy (they’ll be 12 and 17).

By planning the itinerary day by day, I don’t think there’s *that* much downtime. I’ll have to jot down what I’m planning so you can see. And yes, this is our first time in the West! We did a 1-month trip to Florida in 2018, and it was amazing. We alternated between hotels and swaps.

For Bryce, do you recommend waiting to book Sunset Campground, or are both campgrounds pretty much the same and I should reserve North now?

Similarly, if I can only do one hike in Grand Teton, which one would you suggest? I was thinking Taggart Trail or Jenny Loop Trail?

Is there a must-see I’ve missed that I *absolutely* need to include?

I hadn’t noted the point about house swaps, indeed. I’m not familiar with the campgrounds you mentioned in Bryce since I usually sleep in the wild. But yes, I’d recommend it if you can (I’m correcting my message following our friend Mitch341’s comment below because reservations are impossible in the parks... first come, first served).

Never underestimate the fact that there’ll be crowds in the parks in summer. And even traffic jams. In Yellowstone, for example, don’t hesitate to get up really early to make the most of it before the crowds arrive.

If you’re camping in Grand Teton, I’d recommend Colter Bay campground—it’s cheaper and really nice. The showers, however, are in the village.

For hikes, I’d advise getting a one-year subscription to the AllTrails app right now (it shouldn’t cost more than 30 € for a year). It’ll let you see all the hikes on your route, with traveler photos so you can get an idea. Plus, you can plan the hikes you’ll do and download the maps to your phone for when there’s no signal. It’s super handy—I’ve had the app for years, and it’s saved me more than once.

I really loved Jenny Lake. Very peaceful early in the morning (though that was in September).

Yes, there’s so much to do everywhere you’ll go, but unfortunately, for example, 1 day in Page isn’t enough. You’ll miss out on sites like Buckskin Gulch, Toadstool Hoodoos, Cottonwood Canyon Road, Paria Townsite... There’s enough to keep you busy for at least 2 days minimum there.

I also think it’s a shame to miss sites like Moonscape Overlook, Temple of the Sun, Factory Butte... Also, on the way to Bryce, Calf Creek Falls, for example.

Same near Monument Valley—Goosenecks State Park, Moki Dugway, Muley Point...

In Durango, have you planned anything in particular to do?

I hadn’t noted the point about house swaps, indeed. I’m not familiar with the campgrounds you mentioned in Bryce since I usually sleep out in nature. But yeah, I’d advise you to book if you plan to camp in the middle of summer—most campgrounds fill up super fast.

Watch out, Usafan Fellow Traveler—there’s no camping reservation system in US national parks! First come, first served. That’s the catch! 😅

Hello everyone! D23- 8/3/2026- Vernal / Grand Teton D24- 8/4/2026- Grand Teton D25- 8/5/2026- Grand Teton / Cody D26- 8/6/2026- Cody / Yellowstone

Hi there!! From Grand Teton to Cody, that’s quite a detour! Any way to shorten it?

Hello, I’ll admit I don’t know since I never stay there overnight. But Colter Bay Campground does take reservations—I had booked. So it’s probably not considered a national-park campground. That said, in summer it must be hell trying to find a spot... Personally, I head to the small state parks or just out in nature.

Hi, I’ll admit I don’t know since I never sleep there. But Colter Bay Campground does take reservations. I had booked. So it must not be a campground considered a national park. So in summer, it must be hell to find a spot... I go to small state parks or just out in nature.

Of course, there are campsites that take reservations, but yeah, not in US national parks! And at Yellowstone, you’ve got to get there super early like you said! 😉

For Grand Teton if you're going camping, I recommend Colter Bay Campground—it's cheaper and really nice. The showers are in the village, though.

I wanted to go to Jenny Lake Campground but didn’t get a spot, so I booked 1 night at Gros Ventre Campground and 1 night at Colter Bay.

For hikes, I’d suggest getting a yearly subscription to the AllTrails app right now (shouldn’t cost more than 30 € for a year). It’ll let you see all the hikes along your route.

Oh, I hadn’t thought of getting a paid app for hikes. We won’t do 50,000 of them, but it’s always good to have a precise and accessible app no matter where you are.

In Durango, did you plan anything specific to do?

That’s where I’m struggling a bit with the itinerary... It’s an exchange, and there was a minimum number of nights required for it to be accepted. In my mind: arrive the evening of Wednesday, July 22. Thursday: nothing in the morning, then explore the city on foot with a "tourist" circuit. Friday: steam train day trip to Silverton. Saturday: I don’t know yet... either we’ll go to Mesa Verde or I’d like to hike in the San Juan National Forest. Initially, I wanted to do a rafting trip, but I saw that it’s better suited for Glenwood Springs. Sunday: early departure with stops in Ouray and Ridgway.

Watch out, fellow traveler—no reservations for camping in US parks! First come, first served. That’s the tricky part!

Well, I’m not sure if we’re talking about the same thing, but most campgrounds open for reservations 6 months in advance. Except for Yellowstone, which opens way earlier (I booked 10 months ahead, though I’m not sure if it was possible to do it even sooner).

And Bryce is a bit weird… North Campground works on a first-come, first-served basis (so I’ll be on it in 2 days to snag my spot), but Sunset Campground also takes reservations—just 14 days in advance! I think there are a few first-come, first-served sites, but in peak summer, I didn’t want to "gamble"!

I’ve already booked all my campgrounds: Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone. Just Bryce left…

Hello!! From Grand Teton to Cody, that’s quite a detour! No way to shorten it?

Well, I was planning to hit the southeast part of Yellowstone and the West Thumb Area on the way before heading to Cody, to "optimize" the visits. Then, leaving Cody, I wanted to take the Beartooth Road to see the viewpoints, pass through Lamar Valley, and do Tower-Roosevelt before arriving at Canyon Village campground.

Hello!! From Grand Teton to Cody, that’s quite a detour! No way to shorten it?

Well, I was planning to hit the southeast part of Yellowstone and the West Thumb Area on the way before heading to Cody, to "optimize" the visits. Then, leaving Cody, I wanted to take the Beartooth Road to see the viewpoints, pass through Lamar Valley, and do Tower-Roosevelt before arriving at Canyon Village campground.

That’s better!! 😉 And in Cody, the evening Rodeo and the Buffalo Bill Museum! Not to mention the recreated cowboy town at the entrance of Cody!

Rodeo planned! For the Buffalo Bill Museum, I’d love to go, but it closes at 6 PM. That means we’d need to get there around 4:30-5 PM, but I’m worried we might be cutting it a bit close if we do West Thumb first. Is it really worth it? Can you still understand everything even if you don’t speak English?

Rodeo planned! For the Buffalo Bill Museum, I’d really like to go, but it closes at 6 PM. That means we’d need to get there around 4:30-5 PM, but I’m worried we’ll be a bit tight if we do West Thumb first. Is it really worth it? Can you understand it even if you don’t speak English?

Yeah, I see you’re not spending much time in Cody. Too bad. The museum is definitely worth the detour if you like American history—both the good and the bad, since everyone is represented there. Plan for a good half-day to visit.

Two photos:

Dang, it took us four one-month trips to do this same route, but I get the constraints! First thoughts off the top of my head: - If you don’t have a campsite at Bryce Canyon, there are awesome spots for wild camping (totally legal and in amazing settings) nearby—either west toward Losee Canyon (where there are some great short hikes like Arches Trail) or east at the start of Cottonwood Canyon Road. There’s also Kodachrome Basin State Park as an option; the camping is great (from what I remember, half reservable, half first-come, first-served). - Going from Durango to Glenwood Springs in one day is such a shame—this stretch is a trip in itself with the San Juans, Gunnison, and the Colorado mountains. Plus, Glenwood Springs is kinda ugly with the highway right through the middle. Silverton, Ouray, and Ridgway are these super charming little towns with a great Wild West vibe—perfect for staying a few days. But if you just need a road-trip break, I’d suggest a detour to Black Canyon of the Gunnison instead. - Durango has a lot going on around it, but everything’s about an hour’s drive away: Island Lake (the flagship hike of the San Juans, but you’ll need to head up to Silverton), Mesa Verde (more for the archaeological sites than the scenery, and you’ll need to book the main NP tours in advance), Pagosa Springs for floating down the San Juan River or checking out the hot springs all over the place. - Moab’s a whole other story—so much to do, and it really depends on your vehicle. Just know it’s gonna be scorching, and this might be the spot to think about rafting (the Colorado River’s pretty tame around here) to cool off a bit.

Thanks for all these tips!

Wow, it took us 4 month-long trips to do this same route, but I get the constraints

Yeah, I know... but we had to make choices... I preferred to skip some parks or sights to focus on other things! We’re still taking our time, though!

- if you don’t have a campsite at Bryce Canyon, there are great spots for wild camping (totally legal and in amazing settings) nearby, either to the west toward Losee Canyon (where there are some really nice short hikes like Arches Trail) or to the east at the start of Cottonwood Canyon Road...

That sounds so pretty!! For Bryce, I know I didn’t spend enough time there... For Losee Canyon, I saw there are horseback rides there.

there’s also Kodachrome Basin State Park, which is an option—the camping is great (from what I remember, half reservable, half first-come, first-served)

Thanks for the info. I’ll admit, for a first road trip, we focused on the must-sees, but there are definitely other gems to discover.

- going from Durango to Glenwood Springs in one day is such a shame—this route is a trip in itself, with the San Juans, Gunnison, the Colorado mountains... and Glenwood Springs is still pretty ugly with the highway right through the middle. Silverton, Ouray, and Ridgway are great little towns to stay a few days in with their Old West vibe, but for a road break, I’d suggest a detour to Gunnison Canyon instead

I know, I know!!!!!! It breaks my heart to have had to skip it. Those mountain towns were in my original itinerary (2021), but this time, I couldn’t find a house swap there, and the accommodation prices were pretty steep. So, oh well... I had Gunnison on the list initially, but it was too much of a detour, and well, choices had to be made...

- Durango has a lot around it, but everything’s about an hour away: Island Lake, the flagship hike of the San Juans, but you have to go up to Silverton; Mesa Verde (more for the archaeological sites than the landscapes, and you need to book the main NP sites in advance); Pagosa Springs for floating down the San Juan River or the hot springs all over the place

In my imagination, Durango was the typical Western town—there’s the train, so I thought there’d be stuff to do... But if I had to do it over, I’d definitely focus my search on Ridgway instead. I’ve planned an evening at the hot springs in Durango—the setting and price are nicer than Glenwood, which I’d initially planned.

- Moab has too much to say; the possibilities really depend on your vehicle, but it’s going to be scorching, and that’s maybe where you should consider rafting—on the Colorado River, which is very calm here—for a bit of coolness

We’ll have a Pacifica, so not great for rough roads... For rafting, I’d considered Moab, but after some research, it’s too calm! That’s why I chose Glenwood instead. For the heat, my host in Moab suggested getting the "pool pass" to take advantage of it during the hottest hours!

Durango is a real city... so it’ll have the perks too, like a lively downtown, shops, etc.

Ridgway is a tiny village, and it reminds me of a great exchange we had there (Kyle & Nicole) when we occasionally used the HE network. It’s true that minimum stays are sometimes mentioned, but in the U.S., that’s often due to cleaning company constraints. If you talk to the hosts and offer to handle the cleaning yourselves, you can usually work something out for shorter stays.

Silverton is a bit bigger than Ridgway, and Ouray is even larger and more touristy, especially with the big hot springs in town. If you’re choosing between the three for that Wild West vibe: Silverton—unless you’re hiking to Island Lake for the day, which would let you stop by. Just take summer thunderstorms in the San Juans *very* seriously. Always check the weather and start your hikes as early as possible. From that perspective, a visit to Mesa Verde is definitely less risky.

Oh, you went to Kyle and Nicole’s place?!! That’s awesome!! I contacted them for late July, but they were only available in August!! Bad timing, but I’d *love* to plan another special Colorado trip and crash at their place! (I haven’t even done this first trip yet, and I already want to go back!!)

We stayed with them in July 2024—their house is amazing. For a future trip to Colorado, I’ve got some other *great* spots, like Crested Butte, Pagosa Springs, or Estes Park near Rocky Mountain National Park. You could return to this state ten times and still discover new places every time. And if you add the plateaus of neighboring Utah, a lifetime wouldn’t be enough.

A minivan won’t let you venture onto some of the trails around Moab. I’d recommend checking out the Needles district in Canyonlands National Park—it’s a bit of a drive, but the landscapes are fantastic and way less crowded than Arches or Island in the Sky. If you head out at dawn to beat the heat, the Chesler Park hike is especially beautiful.

You can also head up into the La Sal Mountains above Moab (or Bear Ears further south) to escape the heat, but you’ll end up in pine forests, which isn’t really the red-rock vibe you’re after in Utah.

A few other random thoughts: - As a free alternative to Alltrails (mentioned earlier) for offline maps, there’s the excellent app Maps.me - We tried Yellowstone and Grand Teton in the summer without reservations, relying on first-come, first-served camping—we wouldn’t do it again. You’ll usually snag a spot each day, but you’ll waste 2–3 hours every morning lining up by 6 a.m. at the campground entrance waiting for departures. After a few days, we preferred camping outside the park in bivouac mode, in the surrounding forests

In my imagination, Durango was the typical Western town—there was the train, so I figured there’d be stuff to do... Well, if I had to do it over, I’d have focused my research on Ridgway instead. I’ve planned an evening at the hot springs in Durango; the setting and price are nicer than Glenwood, which I’d originally planned.

Hey, Durango is a bit of a hipster and touristy town, but I thought it was pretty cool.

For the train, definitely don’t take the diesel one—it belches out black smoke that’s not great...

Nearby, you’ve got the Million Dollar Highway, which winds through the mountains with stunning landscapes!

Glenwood Springs is a small town that’s basically split by both the highway and the train, but somehow it works. The town’s known for its huge hot springs pool—it’s got real character. The Hotel Colorado, just above it, is a really well-preserved 19th-century landmark.

From there, you can head to Aspen, a cute little billionaire ski resort with an incredibly beautiful setting around it...

Hi Ally, A really beautiful trip to do with family—I’ve done a large part of it in three 15-day road trips, and it was amazing every time. We always have to make choices based on our own constraints and desires, but the important thing is to do the trip that suits you. I’ve no doubt yours will be wonderful. To help you best, you could share what you’ve planned to visit day by day. That way, we can let you know if it’s doable or not and suggest additions. A few examples: on the road between Monument Valley and Durango, a quick detour to Goosenecks State Park is easy to do. It looks like Horseshoe Bend but in black. In Moab, a really pleasant hike to Corona Arch, especially great for teens with a cool echo near Pinto Arch. Grand Teton NP: We loved the Jenny Lake trail—Inspiration Point and Hidden Falls.

For choosing hikes, I use this site a lot: https://www.hikingproject.com It has descriptions, photos, difficulty levels, time needed, and ratings. On the ground, I use the free version of Komoot.

Happy planning!

Hello! Thanks to everyone for your messages! I’ll try to detail my itinerary—sorry if it’s a bit long... We’ll have a Pacifica minivan.

D1 - 7/12/2026 - Los Angeles Arrival around 6:30 PM - pick up rental Pacifica Night in Sherman Oaks (house swap)

D2 - 7/13/2026 - Los Angeles AM = Need to pick up a second rental car at Hertz Marriott (having two rentals was cheaper than one with a Sunday arrival) PM = Stroll around Venice (canals, beach, Santa Monica Pier)

D3 - 7/14/2026 - Los Angeles Universal Studios

D4 - 7/15/2026 - Los Angeles AM = Warner Bros. PM = Beverly Hills, Melrose Place, Walk of Fame, beaches near Malibu, Pacific Palisades

D5 - 7/16/2026 - Los Angeles Hollywood Sign with a walking tour, Griffith Observatory, Chinese Theatre... (I’m not sure how to optimize my visits on D4 and D5 or if I can add more on D3)

D6 - 7/17/2026 - Los Angeles / Kingman Stop at Joshua Tree Visitor Center, photo stops along Route 66 (Roy’s Motel and Café, Needles, Oatman via Topock, Cool Springs Station). Night at a motel (booked)

D7 - 7/18/2026 - Kingman / Grand Canyon Photo stop at Hackberry General Store, Seligman, Williams, and the Grand Canyon, then sunset at one of these spots: Hopi, Pima, Mohave, or Yaki Point. Night at Mather (booked)

D8 - 7/19/2026 - Grand Canyon / Page Sunrise at Mather or Hopi Point, then a walk along the rim (or a short hike to Ooh Aah Point) Dinner at Big John’s. Night at Wahweap (booked)

D9 - 7/20/2026 - Page Loop around Lake Powell, then Horseshoe Bend and Lower Antelope Canyon (booked). Night at Wahweap (booked)

D10 - 7/21/2026 - Page / Monument Valley Relax at Lake Powell, then drive to MV with a walk on the Wildcat Trail and stay at The View cabin for sunset (booked)

D11 - 7/22/2026 - Monument Valley / Durango Guided tour of MV with a Navajo guide Stops at Goosenecks State Park, Four Corners, Mesa Verde Visitor Center, and arrival in Durango (house swap)

D12 - 7/23/2026 - Durango Relax and explore the town on foot

D13 - 7/24/2026 - Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (steam train out, bus back)

D14 - 7/25/2026 - Durango Relax or hike in San Juan Forest (still planning) Evening at Durango Hot Springs

D15 - 7/26/2026 - Durango / Glenwood Springs Stop in Ouray via the Million Dollar Highway, Ridgway, and Glenwood. Night in a house swap

D16 - 7/27/2026 - Glenwood Springs AM = Rafting PM = Loop around Aspen (scenic overlook, Grotto Trail, Independence Ghost Town, and lookout)

D17 - 7/28/2026 - Glenwood / Moab AM = Explore Glenwood on foot PM = Drive to Moab Night in a house swap

D18 - 7/29/2026 - Moab Island in the Sky Evening = Shafer Road (just the paved section)

D19 - 7/30/2026 - Moab The Needles + short walk

D20 - 7/31/2026 - Moab Explore Arches (viewpoints, Double Arch, Devils Garden Trail, Delicate Arch Trail)

D21 - 8/1/2026 - Moab Still planning!

D22 - 8/2/2026 - Moab / Vernal Drive through Dinosaur NM via Scenic 128 and explore Dinosaur NM Night above Vernal (booked)

D23 - 8/3/2026 - Vernal / Grand Teton Stops at Flaming Gorge, Welcome to Utah sign, Rock Springs, and Jackson with a walk around town Night at Gros Ventre Campground (booked)

D24 - 8/4/2026 - Grand Teton Stop at the Mormon Row and various spots, then Jenny Lake Lookout and Inspiration Point / Hidden Falls Night at Colter Bay (booked)

D25 - 8/5/2026 - Grand Teton / Cody Yellowstone West Thumb area, visit Cody and the Buffalo Bill Museum if still open, then a rodeo in the evening Night at a hotel (booked)

D26 - 6/8/2026 - Cody / Yellowstone Stops at Beartooth Scenic Highway, Rock Creek Vista, Lamar Valley, Tower Junction Visitor Center, Tower-Roosevelt area Night at Canyon Village (booked)

D27 - 7/8/2026 - Yellowstone AM = Loop around the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone PM = Loop around Mammoth Hot Springs Night at Canyon Village (booked)

D28 - 8/8/2026 - Yellowstone AM = Norris area PM = Madison area Night at Madison Campground (booked)

D29 - 9/8/2026 - Yellowstone Madison area + anything we didn’t get to Night at Madison Campground (booked)

D30 - 8/10/2026 - Yellowstone / Salt Lake City Drive and explore SLC (still planning) Night in Murray (booked)

D31 - 8/11/2026 - SLC / Bryce Canyon Drive to Bryce, then combo Queen and Navajo Loop trails Night at North Campground (booked)

D32 - 8/12/2026 - Bryce Canyon / Zion Horseback ride on Peekaboo Loop at Bryce Stops at Coral Pink Sand Dunes and Canyon Overlook Trail Night in a house swap in Springdale

D33 - 8/13/2026 - Zion Relax, then hike Emerald Pools Trail / The Grotto

D34 - 8/14/2026 - Zion Hike The Narrows

D35 - 8/15/2026 - Zion / Las Vegas Stops at Grafton Ghost Town, Valley of Fire scenic drive, Red Rock Canyon (optional), Bass Pro Shop, and Las Vegas Outlets Evening at the Neon Museum and Fremont Street Night in a house swap in Henderson

D36 - 8/16/2026 - Las Vegas Tour of the Strip’s casino hotels, then a show (TBD) and some casino time

D37 - 8/17/2026 - Las Vegas / Los Angeles Stops at Nelson, Peggy Sue’s Diner in Yermo, Bagdad Café, Calico Ghost Town Night at a hotel in Lake Forest (booked)

D38 - 8/18/2026 - Los Angeles Laguna Beach and drive up the coast to Manhattan Beach Night at a hotel in Manhattan Beach (booked)

D39 - 8/19/2026 - Los Angeles / Brussels Pack up, return rental car around 2 PM

D40 - 8/20/2026 - Brussels / Home

Hi Ally, here are a few notes (underlined) for you to consider or not!

D3- 14/7/2026- Los Angeles Universal Studios Option to do Mulholland Dr (with nice views over LA) in the late afternoon

D5- 16/7/2026- Los Angeles Hollywood Sign with a walk, Griffith if you're not too tired after the Hollywood Sign, it's possible to walk to Griffith Observatory from the lower parking lot, Chinese Theatre... (I'm not sure how to optimize my visits on D4 and D5 or even if I can add things on D3) Little idea: since Route 66 will be your common thread for the first few days, check out the points of interest in LA: End Point / Ending Point (on D2?) then along the same axis or nearly: Chicken Boy - Colorado Street Bridge - Astro Motel - Denny's - Mr D's Diner - Cucamonga Service Station - First Original McDonald's Museum.

D6- 17/7/2026- Los Angeles / Kingman Stop at the Joshua Tree visitor center you’ll probably do the Scenic Drive too?, photo stops along Route 66 (Roy's Motel and Cafe, Needles, Oatman via Topock, Cool Springs Station). Night at a motel (booked)

D7- 18/7/2026- Kingman / Grand Canyon Photo stop at Hackberry General Store, Seligman, Williams, and the Grand Canyon, then sunset at your choice: Hopi, Pima, Mohave, or Yaki Point. Night at Mather (booked) Long day since you can spend quite a bit of time in Seligman (especially with teens), so you might need to adjust with D8 depending on your arrival time and fatigue. For the West Rim, you can adapt by doing some parts on foot and others with the shuttle.

D8- 19/7/2026- Grand Canyon / Page Sunrise at Mather or Hopi Point, then a walk along the rim (or a short hike to Ooh Aah Point) Dinner at Big John’s. Night at Wahweap (booked) If you like pretty bridges, a small detour to the Historic Navajo Bridge (the northern one is for pedestrians only) Possible sunset spot: Wahweap Overlook

D9- 20/7/2026- Page Loop around Lake Powell, then Horseshoe Bend and Lower Antelope Canyon (booked). Night at Wahweap (booked) Option to go canoeing

Part 2:

Day 15 - July 26, 2026 - Durango / Glenwood Springs Stop in Ouray via the Million Dollar Highway, Ridgway, and Glenwood. Night: house swap I didn’t do it, but along the way there’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, which looks interesting.

Day 17 - July 28, 2026 - Glenwood / Moab AM: exploring Glenwood on foot PM: drive to Moab Along the way and easy to do, we really enjoyed Colorado National Monument (with a great echo at Upper Ute Canyon View)Night: house swap

Day 18 - July 29, 2026 - Moab Island in the Sky We had time to do: Mesa Arch - Upheaval Dome - Green River Overlook - Murphy Point - White Rim Overlook - Grand View Point, ending at Dead Horse Point Evening: Shafer Road (just the paved part)

Day 19 - July 30, 2026 - Moab The Needles + short hike There are lots of possible trails; we loved the one from Elephant Hill to Chesler Park, even though the path wasn’t always well-marked.

Day 20 - July 31, 2026 - Moab Exploring around Arches (viewpoints, Double Arch, Devils Garden Trail, Delicate Arch Trail) We did this over 2 days to really enjoy it—don’t rush if you’re doing it in one day Day 1: Park Avenue Trail - Balanced Rock - The Windows Trail - Double Arch - Delicate Arch Day 2: Skyline Arch - Devils Garden Trail / Primitive Trail - Broken Arch Trail - Sand Dune Arch

Day 21 - August 1, 2026 - Moab Still under construction! Don’t miss it—we really loved the trail to Corona Arch. It’s a bit technical with great views of the Colorado River, plus a little detour to Pinto Arch for a nice echo. We also did: Grandstaff Canyon, which is worth it mainly for the Morning Glory Arch site—it’s really pretty Mill Creek North Fork Trail to the waterfall—fun to do, you’ll get your feet wet. Do it if you have time left and aren’t too tired In Sal Valley, we enjoyed the Clark Lake Loop Trail from Oowah Lake

continuation: Grand Teton / Yellowstone, long days but there’s so much to see...

D25- 8/5/2026- Grand Teton / Cody Yellowstone west thumb area, visit Cody and the Buffalo Bill Museum if it’s still open, then a rodeo in the evening Sit in the stands opposite the entrance if you want to see all the prep and setup Night at a hotel (booked)

D28- 8/8/2026- Yellowstone AM = Norris area PM = Madison area It might be a good idea to do the Fountain Paint Pots and Firehole Lake Drive that day, otherwise there’ll be too much to do the next day.

D29- 9/8/2026- Yellowstone Madison area + whatever wasn’t done Grand Prismatic Spring: to get the best view, don’t forget to hike the Fairy Falls Trail It’s a bit of a trek to Morning Glory Pool, but the colors are so pure it’s totally worth it. On the way, you might get lucky and see the regular geysers (there are approximate schedules at the visitor center). Waiting for Grand Geyser can take a while, but it’s a real fireworks show. Night at Madison Campground (booked) No comments on the rest—you’ve picked the best trails for Bryce and Zion. Near Bryce Canyon, you can take a short walk in Red Canyon.