We are planning our first USA trip as a family (2A and 2C 7yo and 6yo girls) from Australia. We will be travelling September/October. We are fast pace travellers and do road trips a lot. We have looked at all the places we would like to go and our musts are Disneyland, monument valley, Yellowstone and Yosemite. If there is an easier way to see these 4 musts please let me know.

This is what I have come up with:
Day 1: arrived in LA midday
Day 2: Hollywood
Day 3: disneyland
Day 4: disneyland
day 5: disneyland
day 6: Santa Monica/santa Barbara?
day 7: universal
day 8: leave LA, drive through Palm Springs, Joshua tree national park and stay in scottsdale
day 9: Scottsdale to Grand Canyon national park via Sedona and oak creek canyon
day 10: Grand Canyon national park to Lake Powell via Cameron trading post, monument valley, and glen canyon dam
day 11: lake powell
day 12: lake Powell to Zion national park via Bryce Canyon national park
day 13: Zion national park
day 14: Zion national park to salt lake city
day 15: Salt Lake City to jackson
day 16: Jackson to Yellowstone national park
day 17: Yellowstone national park
day 20: Yellowstone national park to twin falls (this looks to be the stop to get to Yosemite?).
day 21: twin falls to Lake Tahoe
day 22: Lake Tahoe to yosemite
day 23: Yosemite
day 24: Yosemite to San Francisco
day 25: San Francisco

this is obviously very general and there will be lots of stops and potential day tours at some sites. We have worked out all the travel time from place to place and hubby is happy to drive them however we are a bit unsure about getting from Yellowstone to Yosemite. Any must stops or tips please let me know.

That a LOT of miles in the car. I would suggest cutting the destinations by half at least. You said you have mapped out the mileage and time but if I were a 6/7 year old in the back of the car this would be a nightmare vacation for me !! Spoken as someone who grew up in southern California and did a lot of road trips and camping with my family as a kid that age.

3 entire days for Disneyland? But no time for Los Angeles itself or the coastal beaches. Santa Monica is close if you are in LA but Santa Barbara is ~2 hours up the coast, only to turn around and come back to LA for one day then on to the desert? No time for the Pacific coast towns in California? No time in Palm Springs?

Are you just going to San Francisco to get a flight home?

Just a few thoughts of the top of my head. Happy planning but yes I do think the itinerary is "crazy"

I don't have time to digest your entire plan until later tonight, but when someone asks "Are we crazy with this itinerary?" . . . the answer is almost invariably yes!

A couple of things that initially jump out are Day 8 - about 9 hours car time plus stops (why Scottsdale -- Flagstaff is much closer to the Grand Canyon). Days 21-22 will give you no time at all at Lake Tahoe. There are other issues but I need to look closer later . . .

Others will have ideas

I visited as a child and honestly disliked Vegas and the Grand Canyon. I did not want to visit this part and would prefer the California coast however my husband outlined the national parks. My must is the 3 days of Disney. His are monument valley, Yosemite and Yellowstone. We were finishing in San Francisco to fly to Hawaii but have not booked flights so super flexible. If flying will allow us to spend more time in other places and less travel time we are very happy to do this and happy to take on board any suggestions.

I agree: that's too long at Disneyland. Cut out a day at least. You might consider going to Laguna Beach instead of Santa Monica or Santa Barbara. Laguna Beach is an artist community with lots of natural areas. It has many fine arts galleries and museums and great restaurants. The beach town has coves, tidal pools, and 74 parks and natural areas.

If you have time when in Jackson, WY, check out adjacent majestic Grand Teton National Park. One can ride bicycles on a path from Jackson to Jenny Lake in the the park. One of the better hikes is the Mt. Washington trail from Dunraven Pass. You’ll be awe-struck by the beauty of the mountains. Besides Old Faithful in Yellowstone NP, the main attractions are the Lamar Valley which has roaming herds of bison and elk plus wolves feeding on them (guided tours are available) and the Great Canyon of the Yellowstone which has a steep, deep canyon with waterfalls and hot springs. There lie three spectacular waterfalls: Lower, Upper and Crystal Falls. The Grand Prismatic Spring is a must-see.

A view through my FutureScope:
Ma, are we there yet?
Just a few more hours.
Ma, are we there yet?
We are just stopping to eat.
Are we there yet?
Yes. You have 15 minutes before we have to leave.
Ma, are we there yet?
etc.

Moral: Less is more.

I would say it is a lot in a short timespan. Leaving only a small amount of time in each national park doesn't allow you to see much of it. Also, be aware that there are reservations required for Yellowstone, Zion and Yosemite (I don't know about Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon). The parks will be really crowded and when I went to Zion I had to wait in a long line just to get on a shuttle to the trails. I think this would be better as 3 different trips if you really want to enjoy each park and city.

Yes, a crazy itinerary.

Just a couple of comments and you, hopefully, re-think the plan:

If you absolutely must go to Universal Studios, see a tiny bit of Hollywood (ugh IMO), and a very tiny bit of Santa Monica/L.A. (forget the idea of Santa Barbara), do all of that before you go to Disneyland. It makes much more sense to start the drive to Palm Springs/Joshua Tree/Scottsdale from Disneyland.

Is Lake Tahoe a "must"? You're not spending any time there (a shame) and you could drive Yellowstone N.P. to Lee Vining, CA, and perhaps gain a day in Yosemite. And be aware, the earliest closing date of Tioga Pass (the road into Yosemite from the east) has been October 17th. If it's a somewhat "dry" winter with no late snow storms, the closing will likely be a few weeks later, but there are no guarantees.

Agree with cutting Santa Barbara from the list. Too far north from your LA section. Also wary of all the full day drives--many back to back. I could almost survive the LA to Yellowstone route, but I would suggest looking at flying from Jackson to Tahoe. Driving that stretch feels brutal. My two-cents as a Utah resident is that you'll be exhausted after Yellowstone. I would fly to California and do either Tahoe or Yosemite and spend a few days relaxing at one or the other before heading to San Francisco for your flight to Hawaii. I would also consider cutting Lake Powell from your itinerary. Do you plan to rent a boat? It's just a lot. Try to avoid driving from southern Utah to Salt Lake City on a Sunday night, especially if it's around school fall break time here, which can be brutal on the roads and in the national parks. I can check back if I hear when those school breaks are scheduled.

You could also look into flying from St. George, Utah to Jackson, WY to cut two days of driving off your list.

While I absolutely agree that this is way too much, I'll suggest that at a minimum you consider reversing the order of your whole trip.

By October, winter can be well on its way in Yellowstone, and many tourist facilities are winding down or already closed. Conversely, September can still see very high temperatures in much of the Southwest, including southern California.

I'd also suggest that navigating LA area traffic right off the bat, accompanied by jetlagged children, is not the best idea. Save Disney etc. for the end when you can get the full benefit for the fortune you'll be shelling out.

But again, I'd suggest trimming your plans. Big time.
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Gardyloo That is a very good idea to reverse the order due to temperatures. September in the American Southwest can still be in the 100s, while you could easily have snow in October anywhere north of southern Utah.

I would suggest an itinerary more like this:
Fly in to SF see the Goldengate Bridge, Presidio, maybe visit one of the fun amusement parks in San Jose, visit a winery, then go to Yosemite Ntl Park, then maybe Sequoia Ntl Park.
On south to Joshua Tree Ntl Park and Palm Springs, see the nice Air Museum, nice Tahquitz Canyon hike, play a little tennis, maybe go up the Aerial Tramway, stay at a place with a nice pool, etc.
Then on into LA, see the Griffith Observatory, the Getty, go to Disneyland, see La Brea Tar Pits, Marine Mammal Care Ctr
Drive south and stop in Escondido for the fun San Diego Safari Park, San Diego Sea World, check out Balboa Park area, Coronado, etc and then fly back
Just an idea!

I was more focusing on Yosemite and didn’t think about Yellowstone- yes IF you keep Yellowstone in the plan DEFINITELY reverse the order. Get to Yellowstone as early in the trip as possible

Thank-you all!

We have decided on a few changes after considering comments - thank-you for your input.

Flying into San Francisco we can do this direct from Brisbane so thought this is a better option and flying instead of driving to a couple of places. We have taken out Lake Tahoe as recommended. We don’t mind if it is cool when in Yellowstone.

day 1: land in San Francisco at 6:55am and see the sites
day 2: Napa valley
day 3: Napa valley to Yosemite
day 4: Yosemite
day 5: Yosemite
option 1-
day 6: Yosemite to Fresno
day 7: Fresno to San Simeon
day 8: San Simeon to LA with coastal stops
day 9: LA
day 10: Disneyland
day 11: disneyland
day 12: disneyland
day 13: universal
day 14: ? Hollywood
day 15: fly to Denver
day 16: Denver
day 17: Denver to Glenwood springs
day 18: Glenwood springs to Moab
day 19: Moab (monument valley)
day 20: Moab to Salt Lake City
day 21: salt lake city
day 22: Salt Lake City to Grand Teton
day 23: Grand Teton
day 24: Grand Teton to Yellowstone
day 25: Yellowstone
day 26: Yellowstone to Jackson hole to fly to Hawaii

does this sound more doable? Would it be better to fly LA to Jackson hole and go opposite to Denver? Not sure the best way to get from Yellowstone to Hawaii.

"We don’t mind if it is cool when in Yellowstone"

I think you may have really misunderstood the comments about Yellowstone. We weren't concerned with it being 'cool'. By October Yellowstone is in 'Winter mode'. Many roads are closed, most accommodations are closed, services are limited.

From the YNP website:
OctoberVisitation: Moderate to low
Services: Limited
Access: Roads begin closing for winter season (and weather causes many temporary closures)
Suggested Activities: Hiking, backpacking, fishing, ranger-led programs, and wildlife watching
Highlights: Bears return to lower elevations and are more visible along roads, elk rut (Mammoth Hot Springs, Grant Village), raptor migration (Hayden Valley), fall color (below 7,000 feet), and snow begins to accumulate (above 7,000 feet)
Significant Dates: Dunraven Pass and Beartooth Highway (outside northeast entrance) close (Mid-October)

Whereas for September it says:

September
Visitation: High to moderate
Services: Full to limited
Access: All roads open (weather may cause temporary closures)
Suggested Activities: Camping, hiking, backpacking, fishing, guided trips, ranger-led programs, and wildlife watching
Highlights: Campgrounds begin to close for season, elk rut (Mammoth Hot Springs, Grant Village), black and grizzly bears (roadside meadows), raptor migration (Hayden Valley), fall color (above 7,000 feet), and fewer mosquitos
Significant Dates: Boating services close for season on Yellowstone Lake (Mid-September)

You REALLY do need to consider moving Yellowstone to near the front end of your trip. Don't think of October in Yellowstone as 'Autumn' - it can be closer to full on 'Winter'.

See the sights of San Francisco in one jet lagged day? And then drive? That's not just unrealistic, IMO, it's downright dangerous to you and anyone else on the roads. Please re-think!

My apologies we did misunderstand regarding Yellowstone in October. Would you recommend flying Brisbane to San Francisco and then onto Denver so to do this first?

We have been to San Francisco before hence why we weren’t planning to stay long however I understand the concern around driving the day after an overnight flight and will consider this.

Thank you!