Two adults and two teenagers want to visit the Grand Canyon in a motorhome this July, with a stop at Rocky Mountain National Park. Have 10 days for the round trip.

Would love suggestions on route, stops, campgrounds, etc. Thanks so much.

When my family drove through Colorado and Utah about 10 years ago, we enjoyed Glenwood Springs, CO, Arches National Park (Monument?), Timpanogas Caves, and the Canyonlands in Utah.

Leadville in CO was also an interesting place - we took a tour on a narrow gage train which was a lot of fun.

10 days! Do realize that this is over 4000 miles round trip? Have you done long trips in a motorhome before? Will there be more than one driver?

To have any time for siteseeing once you get to the Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountains you are going to have to do some really long, hard driving days to get to and from the area.

You would have to drive 1000 miles per day for two days just to get to the Grand Canyon by the fastest route and that will mean driving for 16 hours both days. Then you will have to do about the same thing to get home.

That would mean you would have to start driving around 6 a.m. and keep driving until 9 p.m. to make it there in two days by the fastest route. I would not recommend this if you only have one driver. Driving a motorhome is a little more tiring than driving a car.

I would come out the fastest route which would be to come down to Oklahoma city and take I-40 to Flagstaff.

You can return via the Rocky Mountains and there are several good routes depending if you want to see red rock area via Utah or mountains via Colorado. Also let us know if you like private campgrounds with hook ups or out of the way areas without hook ups.

OK, lets say you take 2 days to come out and 2 days to go back that only leaves you 6 days for site seeing. If you spend this much time coming and going then you are going to want to spend some time at the Grand Canyon. Plan on at least two nights at both the Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Park and at least one more day driving between the two and that doesn't leave you any more time.

If you want to camp at the Grand Canyon then you better make your reservations as soon as possible. There are two campgrounds. Mather doesn't have hookups and the Trailer RV park in the park does.

Personally, I don't think you have enought time for both. Go to the Rocky Mountains and do some other areas of Colorado and leave the Grand Canyon for another time.

Utahtea

Utahtea's plan sounds "do-able" to me -- especially (& only if) there are TWO drivers.

Be sure the teens understand the 2 long days going/coming will all be worthwhile once you get there, & "they'll live through it"!

You won't have much time to enjoy other stops other than Grand Canyon & Rocky Mountain NP.

Happy motoring!

Also - if THIS July - better make your camping reservations NOW at the parks...

Wow - thanks so much for the wonderful replies. I think the trip sounds like too much driving too, but I'm not making the decision this time. Utahtea, as usual, great advice. Hopefully he'll rethink this.

BarbaraS,

I take it this is your DH's choice. Then make sure you head to Rocky Mountain National Park first and maybe he will change his mind about going farther!

My DH is the only one that drives our motorhome and we like to keep it under 400 miles per day. Once in a while if we want to make time we do 500 miles. If you can only do 500 miles a day then it will take 8 of your 10 days just to do the driving.

Good Luck!

Utahtea