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If you are one that loves nature, adventure, exploration, and enjoys different experiences keep reading for an absolutely amazing road trip itinerary to Southern Utah. Earlier this month I stepped into the next milestone of my life, my thirties! As one of my favorite movies once said, “30, Flirty, and Thriving”! As I step into the next decade I wanted to take a moment and reflect on my 20s and what I have learned thus far. You can check out my blog post “30 Things I Learned Before 30” and comment on any tips you may have for stepping into this new milestone. 🙂
To bring in the new decade we celebrated by taking another road trip to Utah!!! Yay!! Last year we went on an unforgettable road trip in an RV to three different National Parks I wrote about here. Zion National Park in Utah was our last stop and was our absolute favorite National Park thus far and just literally left wishing we had more time to do my bucket list hike, Angels Landing Trailhead, and The Narrows. My 30th birthday was the perfect excuse to go back. Just when I thought my last road trip couldn’t be topped, this trip was absolutely unbelievable and so many lifetime memories were made, adventures were had, annnnnnnnd I got engaged y’all!!!!! I’ll talk more about the proposal in my blog post here.
Keep reading below for our itinerary. Warning: This perfectly curated family-friendly itinerary will be filled with wanderlust, thrill, exhilaration, and adventure!
Itinerary at a glance:
Day 1: Start the Adventure!
Day 2: Horseshoe Bend, AZ
Day 3: Zion NP- Angels Landing
Day 4: ATV/UTV Sunset Tour at Sand Hollow State Park
Day 5: Zion NP- The Narrows
Day 6: Bryce Canyon NP
Day 1: Hit the Road. Start the Adventure!
Driving from Northern CA we decided to go make a few stops along the way to Utah making the 11-hour drive much more enjoyable.
World famous clown motel
We made a stop at the World Famous Clown Motel such a colorful and quirky place and they have a small clown museum with all kinds of clowns you can think of!
Extraterrestrial Highway
Stop by the Extraterrestrial Highway sign for a photo op at the intersection of Highway 6, NV-375, Tonopah, NV 89049, and the Alien Cowpoke Gas & General Store for stickers, souvenirs, or snacks.
Stop at the State welcome signs
OOTD
T-Shirt – Size M | I got us matching T-Shirts, “Life is what you make it. Make it an Adventure” to wear on the road and it turned out so cute! It is a Live Life as You design, you can find it on Etsy here. Leggings Size M TTS | Oversize Aviator Sunnies OS | Sports Fanny Pack | Teva Sandals Size 8 | My absolute favorite outdoorsy sandals, so comfortable and durable for hiking. I don’t go on any hiking trips without these!
Where we stayed
We stayed in the town of Springdale which is the absolutely perfect place to stay especially if you will be visiting Zion National Park. If you stay in the town of Springdale they provide free shuttle service stops throughout the town and will take you directly to the Zion National Park entrance. We rented this stunning home rental, Infinity Edge Pool Newer Luxury Home on Virgin River from VRBO which I highly recommend for large groups/ families. The location of the home is perfect it is right alongside the Virgin River and has so many awesome amenities and local hikes. I write more about this stunning home here.
Day 2: Short Hike – Sightseeing
Horseshoe Bend Paige, AZ
We decided to do the Horseshoe Bend on Day 2 because we knew the following day would entail a more intense hike (4- 6 hours) to Angels Landing so a short walk to Horseshoe Bend and sightseeing was perfect. The 1,000-foot drop, horseshoe shape of the Colorado River, and the color and serenity of this attraction make this beauty a must-see for your road trip.
OOTD
Hat OS | Oversize Aviator Sunnies OS | Boots Size 8 | Racerback Tank Top Size M TTS | Leggings Size M TTS | Fringed Jacket Size M TTS
Grand Canyon North Rim
We started our day a little later but if you get an early start to your day I would highly recommend going to the Horseshoe Bend and then going to the Grand Canyon National Park – North Rim just a couple of hours from the Horseshoe Bend and on your way back home to Springdale.
Day 3: 30th Birthday!!! 30 Flirty and Hiking!!!!
Zion National Park Angels Landing
Zion National Park has unbelievable orange mountains and its grandeur is just absolutely breathtaking, pictures do not do it justice. You can’t go wrong with any of the hikes. Angels Landing is one of the hikes I’ve had on my bucket list for a while and I am so grateful that I was able to check it off this year! The journey, the thrill, the sense of danger, the heights, and the challenges of this hike were worth every second on the trail. If this isn’t on your list of hikes already, add it to your list now, you will not regret it! For more details about this awesome hike, check out my post, Hiking Angels Landing Zion National Park.
OOTD
Hiking Boots | Hiking Socks | Custom Shoe Tags | Leggings Size M TTS | Sports Fanny Pack | Crop Top Tank Size M | Plaid Long Sleeve Shirt (Similar)Size M | Hiking Cooling Bandana Scarf |
Hiking Boots | Custom Shoe Tags | These are the cutest tags! You can customize it with whatever message or select from the images the shop has.
He Proposed ….and i said YES!!!!
I spill all the beans and Gabriel talks about ” behind the scenes” up to the moment. See post here.
Day 4: Exhilirating & Thrilling ATV/UTV Sunset Tour
ATV/ UTV -Ing At Sand Hollow State Park
This was a perfect experience to do after the day before of intense hiking. We reserved our ATV/UTV Sunset Tour at Sand Hollow State Park on Viator where you can search for different adventures and experiences to make an unforgettable trip. No need to search “Things to do in…” all over the web, it is all in Viator which is super convenient and offers flexibility in payment. THIS ATV/UTV TOUR IS A MUST. It was worth every single penny. This is a family-friendly activity as young as 2 years old can enjoy the thrill! It was nothing short of amazing!!
OOTD
Boots Size 8 | Leggings Size M TTS | Sports Fanny Pack | She Said Yaasss T-Shirt Size M | Long Sleeve Black and White Plaid Shirt Size M |
Day 5: Trekking in the Virgin River
Zion National Park -The Narrows
The Narrows hike in Zion National Park is also a hike that should be on your hiking list, there is nothing else like it. You trek through the canyons of Zion National Park through the Virgin River as you feel the rushing cold water wrap around you with every step that you take looking up at the tall orange mountains as you are overwhelmed by a sense of adventure and awe. Just pause, look up, and take it all in because this beauty stimulates all of your senses and makes you feel alive and small compared to the grandness that nature is.
I blog all about the details of this hike and the clothing equipment used, tips, and suggestions for this trail here.
Day 6: Short Hike and Sightseeing
Bryce Canyon National Park
Only a couple of hours away from Zion National Park resides another beautiful nature anomaly at Bryce Canyon National Park with unique rock formations covering the entire landscape called “hoodoos”. You can take the easy sightseeing route at Sunset Point or explore the Navajo Trail Loop which I’ve heard is beautiful and has similar switchbacks to Angels Landing Trailhead. There are many different hikes and trails for all skill levels and you can’t go wrong with any of them, the scenery is insane!
Day 7: Return Home
This time returning home we decided to go through Las Vegas and made a couple of stops along the way. Have a photo op at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign, grab a drink at Fat Tuesday and go for a walk on the strip.
If you have time stop by the Seven Magic Mountains! The colors of the rocks are spectacular and vibrant.
I hope this itinerary has inspired you to go on an adventure to Utah, there is so much beauty there and so many adventures waiting to be had.
