RV Road Trip in the USA: Exploring Arizona and Utah

RV Road Trip in the USA: Exploring Arizona and Utah

The Inspiration for an RV Road Trip:

Have you ever seen the Robin Williams movie RV? If you have, you’re probably thinking to yourself one of two things. Either “wow that looks hilarious, we should totally do that”, or “absolutely no way, no how, never gonna happen”. Well not surprising, my family were all the latter. I was met with a bit of resistance to say the least. I on the other hand have been waiting for the day when we could finally take a cross country RV Road Trip. So it was 3 against me, naturally I won and we all did it anyway ! 

Oh yes, 4 adults, consisting of my parents, my partner (who had never met my parents in person because 3 years of pandemic), me and my four legged fur child all packed together in a 28 foot RV for two fun filled cross country weeks. Buckle up ladies and gentlemen cause we’re going for a ride ! 

The Execution of Planning an RV Road Trip:

Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to plan a two week trip for four people from two separate continents, but if you haven’t let me tell you how much fun it can be…. The planning alone probably would weed out the majority of people. However, I am my fathers daughter and this time I even had him to aide in the planning! There was no stopping us (despite his best efforts).

You need to plan out your days, distance traveled, type of vehicle, parks, restaurants, activities, park permits and passes and oh so much more! I’ll admit, this type of trip is not for the faint of heart. However, if this is something you think you would enjoy, I encourage you to persevere because it can absolutely be worth it in the end! With that being said, let’s dive in. 

Click here to skip ahead to any of these items:

Transportation

Accommodation

Tickets & Permits

Part 1: Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park

Little Painted Desert County Park

Petrified Forest

Winslow

Meteor Crater

Horseshoe Bend

Antelope Canyon

The Wave

Part 2: Utah

Lake Powell

Arches National Park

Mystic Hot Springs

Monument Valley

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TRANSPORTATION:

I think people underestimate the amount of planning an RV trip actually takes. First you need to decided on which type of home on wheels is best for you. We went with a Class C , but perhaps a Class A or a 5th-wheel would suit you best. All I can say is do your research!

If you are staying for longer periods of time in the same park then perhaps a 5th wheel is your best option as long as you have a vehicle capable of towing it. If you’re staying shorter periods or don’t have the vehicle to tow, then decide what you need out of your RV and go from there. Many rentals have a flat rate and then a mileage rate as well if you exceed the set amount per day. This can definitely add up if you don’t plan out how far you plan to travel each day. Then there’s the main issue for the times of today, gas prices. We used Gas Buddy app to help us find the best deals. It won’t be cheap, accept it, budget for it and then move on ! 

ACCOMMODATION: 

This is where I have to give a huge shout out to my dad because he really took over all the research and planning to find the RV parks. It’s not enough to look for a park close to your location but you need to make sure they have the right hook up capabilities. I won’t go into all the details in this particular post but trust me when I say there’s a lot you need to know. We can also recommend the Allstays Camp & RV app which helps you find parks in different states along with the details of facilities, capabilities, vacancies, reviews and more.  

For now, here’s a list of the parks we stayed at for each stop. 

• Oasis RV Park 
• Meteor Crater RV park 
• Trailer Village RV Park
• Wahweap RV Park
• Mystic Hot Springs
• Sevier RV park 
• Portal RV park 

TICKETS AND PERMITS: 

We were on a mission to explore some of the best national parks in the United States. While many of the parks do in fact have free entry, lots of them require a pass, ticket or permit! Please don’t make the mistake of showing up and assuming you can just go wherever you wish. More and more parks are becoming protected after thousands flocked to them during the pandemic. In order to preserve them, lots of places now require time slotted entry, a permit (from lottery) or one of the main park passes. Here are some resources we used for out trip:

• America the beautiful pass 
• Recreation.gov permit for the Wave
• Recreation.gov permit for vehicle timed entry to Arches National park 
• Ken’s Tours Lower Antelope Canyon 

PART 1: ARIZONA:

Grand Canyon National Park

Many famous sites around the world are hyped up so much that when you finally visit they fail to live up the expectations that you have set. The Grand Canyon is not one of them. I know a lot of people say, it’s basically a hole in the ground, and while that’s accurate- it’s a SUPER impressive hole! I cannot express how massive the Grand Canyon is. 277 miles (124 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and over a mile deep… it can be a bit overwhelming! It’s important to know which part of the canyon you want to visit. However, no matter which you choose you won’t be disappointed. There’s the Grand Canyon North Rim, South Rim, East/Desert View Entrance, and the West Rim, so please look into what it is you’re wanting out of your trip! 

Little Painted Desert County Park

This little overlook offers some of the prettiest views you will ever lay your eyes on, all without having to spend a dime (aside from gas money, that is). Enjoy a quiet environment and beautiful views at this park near Winslow. We had this completely to ourselves and we spent around 2 hours just exploring down into the canyons and walking around the park. The landscape gives you Mars vibes and it’s so cool from above.

Check out or YouTube video for a better look at Little Paint Desert County Park :

Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest National Park is one of three national parks in Arizona (Grand Canyon and Saguaro are the other two) and it should be on your bucket list. It is open 8 am – 5 pm (visitor centers and park road). Arizona is on Mountain Standard Time year round.

Winslow

“She was standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona, such a fine sight to see”. If you don’t sing this song as soon as you hear the name Winslow, I’m not sure we can be friends. Of course we had to make a stop at the famous spot off Route 66 and enjoy the quaint town. We also had a delicious dinner here at the Relicroad Brewing Company. 

Meteor Crater natural landmark 

The Arizona Meteor Crater is the world’s best preserved meteorite impact site on Earth, located off 1-40 and Route 66 in Northern Arizona near Winslow. The Meteor Crater (also known as the Barringer Crater) is 3,900 feet in diameter and 560 feet in depth. It’s surrounded by a rim that rises 148 feet above the surrounding plains. The actual Apollo test capsule and American Astronaut Wall of Fame are the highlights of the Astronaut Memorial Park outside. However, if you’re a true space nerd I recommend you take the full tour inside and out.

Horseshoe bend 

Another famous spot that’s totally free to visit. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to visit but be prepared for crowds! Parking at these times will not be free however and could be difficult to find. Horseshoe Bend Overlook is about .75 miles one-way (1.5 miles round trip). To start with, the trail climbs over a hill and then gradually descends to the canyon’s edge. But, good news! It is wheelchair accessible now and to top it off, there are two shaded resting points along the way.

Antelope Canyon

If you haven’t visited a slot canyon before, here’s your chance to visit the most famous one. Antelope canyon is split into two sections, upper and lower. This means depending on which you choose, you’ll have different tours and experiences. Lower antelope canyon is deeper and famous for those light beams coming down. Upper antelope canyon is much less crowded however. Therefore, pick which suits your preferences.

This is on Navajo land which means you cannot visit it without a tour guide. Have no fear though, the guides are amazing and we loved our experience with him! They have tons of knowledge and know the tricks for getting some great photos. There are two companies you can book tours with and we used Kens tours. Price: $50 per person plus Navajo tax and Navajo permit = $194 for 3 adults. You can book tickets for Upper or for lower here. Either tour you choose will be incredible!

The Wave

As I mentioned, after the pandemic resulted in a huge influx of traffic in national parks, lots of places started to require permits and timed entry to limit the amount of visitors. However, the Wave is one of those places that has had permit requirements in place for ages. It’s based on a lottery system and people told me it’s basically impossible to get (as in they were waiting 12 years for a spot). However I was blessed beyond measure and we got the lottery permit on our first try – including my dog!!!

It’s $7 per person and $7 for a dog so with the 5 of us it came out to $35. This is nothing for how incredible this place is. I will warn you that if you are not in shape, used to hiking in heat and aren’t prepared with lots of water than this might not be the hike for you. There are no trail markers but if you attend orientation they give you a map with photos of landmarks that help you trek your way to this breathtaking location. 

Check out our YouTube video for even more looks at this once in a lifetime hike !

PART 2: UTAH:

Lake Powell

This lake is actually split between Arizona and Utah but we happened be be camping on the Utah part so I will include it here in part 2. The running of the lake can be a little confusing, so here is a brief explanation. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is run by National Park Service. Aramark is the park concessionaire (runs the stuff in the park) for everything but Antelope Point and Hite. Wahweap (and Bullfrog, Halls Crossing, and Dangling Rope) is part of Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas. All the names can be confusing but have no fear, a little googling can answer your questions. The lake is massive. It has more shoreline than the west coast of the United States (almost 2,000 miles). You can rent boats, kayaks, paddle boards and other water sports here. 

Here’s a quick Youtube video if you want to see more:

Arches National Park 

Another park that has started to require timed entry tickets ($2) in order to enter the park. You can enter by car, bike or on foot. Arches Park is a wonderland of desert vistas, short hiking trails, strange rock formations, and you guessed it, of course arches. Not only will you find over 2,000 arches here, but you will also see hoodoos, fins of sandstone rocks, massive mesas, and balanced rocks. My family was hesitant to come and this ended up being one of their favorite parts of the entire trip! 

Mystic hot springs

Some might think we were crazy to go to a hot spring in the middle of the desert when it wasn’t winter, but let me tell you after all the hiking, your body will thank you! You can actually stay on site in one of their “converted” school buses (yes I was absolutely geeking out), or you can book a time slot to come just for the springs. Price can vary based on day passes or camping. We didn’t opt to stay on site but it was cool to check out the grounds and see the bus conversions.

Monument Valley

Movie lovers have to get excited for this one as it’s part of one of the most famous scenes in none other than Forrest Gump. I wanted to save this for our last spot for a special reason. We visited the exact location Forrest decides “I think I’ll go home now”, so of course we had to recreate this before we all packed up to head back home! Be careful when taking pictures in the road as some people will not slow down despite the crowds of tourist running in and out of the famous spot. 

Yay! And with that, the highlights of our first cross country road trip out west are complete! However, keep in mind this is just the tip of the iceberg of the beautiful national parks that you could experience out west. I have so many places on my wishlist that I wasn’t able to make it to this trip but fear not, I will be back! Vanlife will be in my future one day hopefully, but this was a great first experience. I hope this will help you plan your adventures to for your own road trip.

Happy travels xx 

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