The Ultimate One Week Southwest USA Road Trip Itinerary

Researching the Southwest can be overwhelming. There is so much to see and do that no amount of time feels like enough. To make the most of our time off, we bookended the weekend with four vacation days. Each destination was an easy two hour drive to the next which allowed for a full day in each spot, and packed the most punch into a one week Southwest USA road trip itinerary.

Sedona → Grand Canyon → Page → Zion → Las Vegas 

Quick Tips to Remember

• Before booking your trip, be sure to check local guidance.
• Be respectful of the reservation land that surrounds most of these locations.
• Always remember to leave no trace so the next person and generation can experience all of the natural beauty just the way you found it. 

What to Pack for a Southwest USA Road Trip

What you pack for the Southwest will greatly depend on the season. There are a few things you’ll need for a one week Southwest road trip regardless of weather. All of my must-pack items are linked here for your packing ease!

• America the Beautiful park pass. If you plan to visit the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, and Zion, it will be worth it to buy an annual American the Beautiful national park pass in advance. Buy online for $85.
• Snacks and refillable water bottles
• Sunscreen and SPF lip balm 
• Hiking boots, sneakers, and water shoes if traveling in the summer 
• Camera, charger, memory card, and lenses
• Plastic baggies to keep valuables dry 
• Nuun tablets or other electrolyte supplements 
• Winter hat and ball cap 
• Lots of layers! The weather greatly varied over the course of the day, so having the ability to add or remove layers will keep you comfortable. 
• Band-Aides to cover any blisters
• A backpack to keep it all in during your hikes

How to Spend One Day in Sedona

After landing in Phoenix, we picked up our rental car and made a quick pit stop at In-N-Out Burger. Once fueled, we hit the road to Sedona, the first stop on our week long Southwest road trip. Sedona is the kind of place where you can start and end your day with a hike. Devil’s Bridge is best experienced early in the morning, and Cathedral Rock is a sunset and moonrise you can’t miss in Sedona.

Devil’s Bridge

When to Get to Devil’s Bridge

Plan to be at Devil’s Bridge by 7am to avoid the crowds. Even arriving by 9am during the off season left us waiting 20 minutes for pictures at the top.

How to Get to Devil’s Bridge

In order to access the Devil’s Bridge trail head, you have three options: 4WD vehicle directly to the trailhead, hike via Dry Creek Vista Trail, or hike via Mescal/Chuckwagon Trail. I don’t recommend attempting to drive to the trailhead with a rental car. The two hiking options add about two miles roundtrip to your journey, but make for a nice active morning. We opted for the more scenic, less traveled, Mescal trail. It brought us four miles round trip through relatively flat desert terrain before meeting with the Devil’s Bridge trail. 

Birthing Cave

The Mescal Trailhead Parking lot is less than one mile to the Long Canyon Trailhead. This is where you’ll find the access point to reach the Birthing Cave. If you’re in the area for Devil’s Bridge and have the time, it’s a quick two mile in and out to the cave. That is, if you don’t miss the turn off the Long Canyon Trail and end up on the wrong side of the cave like we did. Our journey ended up much further and on some dicey turrain.

After a quick refresh at the hotel, we were off to Page Springs Cellars for sips and lunch.

Cathedral Rock for Sunset

If you only have time for one hike in Sedona, make it Cathedral Rock. We arrived an hour and a half before sunset and parking was already tough to come by. Arrive early to allow yourself enough time to park and begin the 1.5 mile round trip climb. Notice I said climb. This is no leisurely stroll in the park. There will be points where you’re using your hands and feet to get to the top. 

It’ll be obvious when you reach the top — between the view, the groves of people, and the iconic “End of Trail” sign. Pack a cold drink to enjoy at the top as you watch the sunset. As you descend towards the east, be on the look out for the moon rising over the Sedona mountain.

Many restaurants in Sedona were running on a reservation only basis due to the pandemic. We were luckily able to walk into The Hudson and enjoy Spicy Rita cocktails outside while waiting for a table. 

With endless hikes and outdoor adventures, it’s easy to choose your own adventure in Sedona. To break up the hiking, check out the Pink Jeep Tours, sunrise hot air balloon rides, or spa treatments.

How to Spend One Day at the Grand Canyon 

From Sedona, it is a two hour drive to the south entrance of the Grand Canyon. At the time of our visit, the East and North entrance were closed. Pay close attention to driving directions and what you input into your GPS — heading towards the wrong entrance could cost you hours to backtrack, and if you only have one day in the Grand Canyon you don’t have hours to lose. 

Spend a Day Hiking the Grand Canyon

We parked the Visitor Center, bought sandwiches at the Bright Angel Bicycles Cafe and hopped on the Orange Shuttle towards South Kaibab Trailhead. South Kaibab Trail can be as long or as short as you make it — just remember that as far as you go down you have to get back up, and the way up will take nearly twice as long. We hiked down to Ooh Aah Point, then continued on to Cedar Ridge before heading back up. If you’re feeling ambitious, Skeleton Point is the next viewpoint and the first spot you will be able to clearly see the Colorado River winding through the canyon.

Angel Trail is another popular option for a day hike, but we avoided it due to icy conditions when we visited in February. 

Watch the Sun Set Over the Grand Canyon

Depending on what time of year you go, shuttles may be required to access certain viewpoints. Because the Red shuttle wasn’t running in February we drove to Hopi Viewpoint to watch the sunset before getting back on the road to Flagstaff. 

How to Spend One Day in Page, AZ 

Page, AZ may not ring a bell to most, but this quiet town bordering Lake Powell is home to Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, making it a must stop on any Arizona road trip. 

In normal times, Page is a quick two hours from the East Entrance of the Grand Canyon. Due to the pandemic, the cut through road located on reservation land has been closed to through traffic, which required us to backtrack an hour and a half to Flagstaff before heading two hours north towards the Utah border. Be sure to stock up on snacks, water, and gas before making the trip, as the route north from Flagstaff cuts through reservation land with no available stops.

Kayak Lake Powell to Antelope Canyon

If you’re at all considering a trip to Arizona, chances are you have seen or Pinned a picture of Antelope Canyon. The only way to enter by foot is through a Navajo-run guided tour to either the Upper or Lower canyon. Due to the pandemic the tours have been suspended until further notice, but luckily there is a back entrance through Lake Powell that requires high effort for high reward. 

Single and double kayaks are available to rent through Antelope Point Marina. They will provide you with a map and directions on how to access the canyon by boat. The round trip journey will take at least four to five hours, depending on how long you spend in the canyon and allot to swimming if weather permits. Check out this guide for everything you need to know about kayaking into Antelope Canyon.

Horseshoe Bend Sunset

The second wonder of Page is Horseshoe Bend, a 270 degree bend in the Colorado River carved by the water millions of years ago. Just off the $10 parking lot, you’ll find an easy to walk path to the scenic viewpoint, only about one mile round trip. Go at sunrise or sunset for the best views. 

Reward yourself after a long day of paddling with a fried chicken sandwich and local beer from Birdhouse. 

We stopped at LP Espresso for a grab-and-go coffee and breakfast on our way out of town. If you have time, try your hand at sand boarding at Coral Sand Dunes on the way from Page to Zion. 

How to Spend One Day at Zion 

There are infinite ways to spend one day at Zion. Luckily — but also unluckily — there were a number of trail closures when we visited that narrowed it down for us. 

When driving into Zion from Page, you will enter through the scenic East Entrance that winds around and even sometimes through the mountains. Just before the main tunnel is a small parking lot and the trailhead for Canyon Overlook, a relatively easy one mile round trip hike to a scenic vantage point overlooking Zion Canyon.    

From there, you can continue on through the tunnel and down the switchback roads you saw from the top of Canyon Overlook towards the Visitor Center and the three mile Watchman Trail trailhead. 

Other popular but challenging hikes are Angel’s Landing, Observation Point, which was closed due to rockfall, and The Narrows which was discouraged due to a harmful algae bloom in the river. 

After a morning of hiking, we sat outside for lunch at Zion Brewery, overlooking the stunning rock formations just outside the park’s south gate.  

With a few hours of sun left, we drove the Zion Scenic Drive up towards the Temple of Sinawava to take in the surroundings and stroll the Riverside Walk before dinner in Springdale. 

Thai Sapa provided a welcome change to the palate after a few days of protein bars and sandwiches. 

End Your Southwest USA Road Trip in Las Vegas

After breakfast and coffee at Deep Creek Coffee Company, we were on our final stretch of road to Las Vegas. 

If you have time and still have an adventurous spirit, the Valley of Fire is not far out of the way on a road trip from Zion to Las Vegas. You will add about one hour or to the drive, plus the time you spend exploring. 

We were pretty exhausted by this point after squeezing so much into a few days. We opted for a relaxing afternoon by the pool and a nice dinner out.

What did I miss? Comment below with your favorite destinations that should be included on any one week Southwest road trip.