Southwest Road Trip Adventure - Itinerary help please :)
 

We are working on rescheduling a trip to the Southwest that we had planned for last year. We’ve decided to drive cross country (east to west) starting in mid May with our travel trailer and our 5 year old son. We have around 26 days to make the trip. We’d like to do a combination of camping in the travel trailer (RV parks and free camping) with a handful of nights at a hotel. We’ve come up with an itinerary of places we’d most like to visit. Since we are unfamiliar with this part of the country, we’d love feedback on our itinerary from the experienced and the experts here :) - i.e. sights not to be missed and/or best travel routes we might not be aware of, any issues you see, etc. Many thanks in advance for your help!!

Days 1-4:

Drive North Carolina to somewhere near White Sands National Park, New Mexico (averaging 6 hour drives each day)

**Any suggestions where to stop along the way? Fun stops for kids? Best/Most interesting route?**



Day 4:

Spend the night near White Sands.

**Best town to camp near White Sands National Park?**



Day 5-8:

Visit White Sands National Park in the morning, then Drive to Tucson, AZ - (5 hours drive)

We’ve booked a ranch stay for a few days to recover from the long drive out.



Day 9:

Drive to Sedona, AZ (3.5 hours drive)

Visit Out of Africa Wildlife Park on the way

**Any suggestions where to camp near Sedona?**



Day 10:

Sedona, AZ

Hiking

**Best hiking or sights in Sedona with kids?**



Day 11:

Drive to Page, AZ (3 hour drive)

See Horseshoe Bend

**Favorite RV park or camping location near Page?**



Day 12:

Spend time on Lake Powell in the morning, then

Drive to Zion National Park/Springdale, UT (2.5 hours)

**Recommendations for where to camp with a travel trailer near Zion?**



Day 13:

Zion National Park, UT

Hiking



Day 14:

Zion National Park, UT

Hiking



Day 15:

Drive to Bryce Canyon, UT (2 hours)

**Suggestions for camping near Bryce and/or shorter hike/activity for day of arrival?**



Day 16:

EITHER stay at Bryce Canyon for a second day of hiking OR travel to Escalante to see Peek-a-boo slot canyon

**Suggestions?**



Day 17:

Drive to Moab, UT (4.5 hours)

Making stops at Fruita District/Gifford Homestead in Capitol Reef (2.5 hour drive from Bryce), and then stop at Goblin Valley State Park (1.5 hour drive from Capitol Reef)

**Is this a feasible day with these two stops? Also any suggestions for scenic camping near Moab?**



Day 18:

Moab, UT

White water rafting on the Colorado River



Day 19:

Moab, UT

Arches National Park - kid-friendly hikes



Day 20:

Moab, UT

Canyonlands Island in the Sky District (45 minute drive)

**Must-do activities here?? Hiking? 4WD Shaffer trail?**



Day 21:

Moab, UT

Arches National Park - kid-friendly hikes



Day 22:

Drive to Santa Fe, NM (6.5 hour drive)

**Could use some guidance on this day please- do we drive all the way in one day or is there a must-see stop along the way that we’re missing? Also, best places to camp near Santa Fe or Bandelier National Monument?**



Day 23:

Santa Fe, NM

Visit Bandelier National Monument in the morning, then tour the plaza and possibly O’Keefe museum



Day 24:

Start the drive back east to North Carolina

Days 24-27

Drive an average of 6 hours each day

**Any suggestions on best/most interesting route and stops along the way?**



THANK YOU so much for any feedback or input!!

The 6 to 7.5 hour drives coming from Asheville NC are: Jackson TN, Texarkana (AR or TX), Abilene, TX and Alamogordo NM. There is a White Sands/Alamogordo KOA which is the best you will find near White Sands National Monument
While you are in the Tucson area, be sure to see Tombstone and the Queen Mine near Bisbee.
Turn off I-17 at one of the Camp Verde exits to Rt. 260 east to get to the Clear Creek NF campground. You can call for a reservation.

I would suggest you stop for a day and night at Mesa Verde, between Moab and Santa Fe.

Day 17. After Capitol Reef drive to Goblin Valley SP. There is a campground there with trailer sites (back in sites) up to 45 feet. I do remember a campground inside Arches but I don't know if it has trailer sites. There is also a campground in the town of Green River along the river.
In Arches you will walk through a slot canyon to get from the parking area out to Landscape Arch. The other big hike to do in Arches is out to Delicate Arch.
If you are looking for a cheap motel I do recommend the Robbers Roost motel in Green River. My wife and I stayed there rather than pay high prices for lodging in Moab.

We bought toboggans and went sledding at White Sands. Maybe not as exciting for those who get snow but a fun way to spend time at the park.

Day 22: Drive to Santa Fe, NM (6.5 hour drive) **Could use some guidance on this day please- do we drive all the way in one day or is there a must-see stop along the way that we’re missing?---You are absolutely missing Mesa Verde!!! This is a fabulous place to visit. Sadly due to covid most of the cliff dwelling tours are not being offered. Still worth checking out. You are going through Durango and we love doing the roundtrip train between Durango and Silverton.

Is there a reason you have decided to skip the Grand Canyon? I would say this is a not to be missed site in Arizona if not all of the southwest.

Thank you all for your input!!

Tomfuller, it's so helpful to know good stops on the way out! I wasn't aware of the campground at Goblin Valler SP, so maybe that's a better idea rather than continuing on to Moab that day.

There's SO much to see in this area! We've been having trouble narrowing it down. Suzanneaz, Mesa Verde (as well as Monument Valley) was on our bucket list for the trip (my son would love to climb the ladders!), but we weren't sure if we'd be able to tour the Cliff Palace at that time of year and/or due to covid. If the tours aren't running, are there recommended hikes that make it a worthwhile stop? Suggestions for where to overnight if we add this stop to the itinerary? The Durango train sounds fun too. Thanks for the suggestion. We've been to the Grand Canyon on previous trips so that's the reason we didn't include it this time.

When driving from Moab to Santa Fe, do you all recommend a specific, more scenic route? Would it be better to stay closer to Bandelier or get closer to Santa Fe and then day trip to Bandelier?

You are kind of doing a drive by without spending much time in any one place, which is fine if that is your style. But, you are going right by Grand Canyon between Sedona and Page without stopping to see it or hiking down into it a bit. IMHO it is worth more than time spent at Horseshoe bend or most of the other places on your route. At least look into taking a smooth water raft trip on the Colorado river from the dam in Page to Lees Ferry, it goes through horseshoe bend and gives a little bit of a feel for being in the Canyon. The hike out to see Horseshoe bend is through soft sand and there was no fence,railing , or barrier at the edge when we went so keep a hand on your child near the edge if you go there.

There are Native American ruins along the route to Page, before you get to the turnoff to GC, look for signs to Wupatki on the right. Or stops at Taos Pueblo and see people still living in the pueblos.

Bandelier would be a nice complement or replacement to Mesa Verde, and will be fun for your son to climb up the ladders into the ruins.
It may be quite hot when you are at Zion and in Moab. Look at higher elevations for generally cooler temps. Plan on hiking very early in the morning if it is hot. Lots of the areas in Arches are easy for kids, the Windows, and Devils garden area are quite kid friendly, but might be hot. Drink twice as much water as you think you need and be sure the little one does too.

Have a great trip.

If the tours aren't running, are there recommended hikes that make it a worthwhile stop?

We visited Mesa Verde last June and pretty much had the park to ourselves due to COVID.

We felt it was very worthwhile - we spent the better part of a day there, having visited as a side trip from Durango. We're going back in May to check out the tracks we missed the first time.

https://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit/hiking.htm

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a64568b4c6.jpg

Bandelier is an easy day trip from Santa Fe. Just get an early start, it'll probably be hot.

When you are in Page, I would definitely recommend visiting Antelope Canyon. My kids really enjoyed it and it is a photographer's delight.

Not sure if Antelope Canyon will reopen for tours by May. There's currently no anticipated reopening date.

Be aware that you'll need to purchase shuttle tickets in advance for Zion. Here's the schedule for when those tickets are released https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvis...le-tickets.htm

Which ranch in Tucson? Just curious.

Just before you get to White Sands you will pass by Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Do you plan to stop there. I think you can see the 'main event' there in just a couple of hours.

In Tuscon be sure to spend some time (few hours) in Saguaro National Park. Also in that area is the Sonora Desert Museum (gardens and animals, not a 'normal' museum) and Old Tuscan Studios. Here's my photos of those places - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p338965114

You mention you want to get out on Lake Powell. How do you plan to do that? Do you have your own boat? The boat tours from the Marina in Page are currently not running due to Covid. Also, yes Antelope Canyon is an absolute must if open, but I rather doubt it will be by May. Photos of it - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p720018711

I agree that unless you all have seen the Grand Canyon that you should plan a half day at least. You really don't need to spend a long time, or see all the overlooks but just to see it is amazing. You don't need to do any hiking to enjoy it.

You have Bandelier but not Mesa Verde. I think Mesa Verde is much more impressive and you'll be passing pretty close. I would probably steal a day from other places and in addition to Mesa Verde go from Durango to Silverton while you are right there (and then skip Bandelier). Here's my photos from there - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p702853768

Yes! I'm struggling with not spending more time in certain locations! There's just so much we want to see!! But we only have a certain number of days for the trip, so we were trying to fit in as much in as possible without feeling too rushed.

We love the Grand Canyon but we decided to use our time this trip on sites we've never seen before.

Thank you for the Native American ruins recommendations! We had wanted to see Taos Pueblo, but read that it is still closed due to Covid.

This looks amazing! We were really disappointed to read that we couldn't tour Cliff Palace. It seems tours don't start until mid June. I'm not sure if that's due to Covid or time of year/weather.

Did you find Durango convenient to side trip from? Debating on driving from Moab to Durango or Silverton and trying to see Mesa Verde en route somehow.

You're correct, Patty. As of now, I don't think Antelope Canyon will be open. We are so disappointed! That was high on our trip bucket list.

Thank you for the shuttle info! The ranch is White Stallion. Are you familiar with it?

Wow, isabel, thank you for sharing your beautiful images! I'm a photographer myself so these got me so excited about the trip! :) I appreciate all of your great suggestions as well. We had not planned to stop at Carlsbad Caverns, but now you've got me wondering if we can fit it in. :) I wasn't sure if it would be tough for a 5 year old?

We've seen the Grand Canyon, which is why I didn't include it in the itinerary. But I'm wondering if we just wanted to drive by an overlook or two if it would be way out of the way. I'll have to look into that.

I really wanted to include Mesa Verde. The only reason I didn't was because I thought we wouldn't be able to tour the Cliff Palace. The website says tours start in mid-June which would be after we're there. Do you happen to know if you can get close to Cliff Palace if the tours aren't running?

I like your idea of adding a day and going through Silverton! It looks stunning! Any advice coming from Moab and heading towards Santa Fe (we'll be pulling our travel trailer)? Would it be best to stop in Silverton to overnight and then visit Mesa Verde the next day, and then drive on to Santa Fe? Or better to spend the night in Durango? Silverton just looks so beautiful.

I love White Stallion! Have you been before? I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

If you decide to include Carlsbad Caverns, they're also requiring reservations. Reservations open 30 days in advance. There is an elevator available.

I wouldn't stay in Silverton for Mesa Verde. Durango is OK. The dwellings are actually some distance from the park entrance, at least another 40 minutes or so. Also the Cliff Palace Loop Rd is closed for construction until June 15th so I don't believe you'll be able to see it from any distance https://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

The drive from Durango to Ouray is beautiful but twisty so may be more enjoyable without towing a travel trailer. I'm getting ready to start a trip report with some photos from the drive.

Here's a possible alternative slot canyon hike https://www.americansouthwest.net/sl...ss/canyon.html The trail head is about an hour from Page.

Click on my user name to find trip reports (with kids) in Bryce, Zion, Page/Kanab, Capitol Reef, Escalante, Moab, Arches, Canyonlands with emphasis on hiking. Peekaboo slot is really cool--just know its 3-5 miles round trip. And you will need to take just your car/towing vehicle on the Hole in the Rock Road. Schedule NOW for campgrounds in the park. The one in Capitol Reef is amazing. Zion is nice as well for camping. Arches--check out websites for BLM camping. Plenty of sites along Route128 on the river.

Did you find Durango convenient to side trip from? Debating on driving from Moab to Durango or Silverton and trying to see Mesa Verde en route somehow.

Yes, Durango is only 35 miles from Mesa Verde. Moab to Mesa Verde is just over two hours. If you left Moab early, you could spend a few hours in Mesa Verde enroute to Durango. Silverton is just over an hour past Durango. I'd stay in Durango over Silverton any day.

The photo I posted above is a shot of Cliff Palace from afar. No tours running when we were there last June due to COVID, but that didn't detract from our visit at all. We rather enjoyed having the park mostly to ourselves.

You are correct there is so much to do. You could spend a week in Moab alone.

Don't shoot the messenger but as I was thinking more about your trip, I realized you very sadly probably should eliminate all the New Mexico stops. They still have extremely strict covid restrictions. Coming from pretty much every state in the lower 48 requires 2 weeks of quarantine regardless of a negative test. https://www.newmexico.gov/2020/10/21...OVID-19%20test.

if you have been to Grand Canyon then you can skip it and spend your time elsewhere. The rafting trip would be incredible but would probably be better of your son would older.

If you want to see the Grand Canyon--go to the North Rim instead. Then you are not going so far out of your way. I also have a trip report for Mesa Verde. It is amazing. I would just say--UNDERPLAN everything with a 5 year old. When my kids were that age, we spent an entire day at the Windows trail/parking lot in Arches. We hiked the Windows primative loop in the morning, had a picnic lunch, and they hiked to the arch on the other side of the parking lot in the afternoon and played in the sand. And that was it. It's not like the sights are on/off a highway. You have to drive a long way into Mesa Verde, for example. And you will need to check if visitors centers are open--we were at Arches in February and it was closed. Rangers were outside to answer questions, but that was it. I suggest buying some kids naturalist books--we had "Who pooped on the Colorado Plateau" for years and my kids loved it!! There is a book on Desert Holes, Scats and Tracks, etc. I am pretty sure you can find the park bookstores online--they are usually run by "Friends of Zion", "Friends of Canyonlands" etc. They have great books and great ideas like--Best Easy Day hikes. Check out the nps.gov website for each park. Look at the park newspaper--they will tell you if ranger talks are on, what campsites are available, they list every hike in the park and give it a rating. A great stop is Kanab--the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary tour is a hit! And check out all the critter tracks in the sand where you go--mice, birds, lizards, beetles, etc. Really fun to investigate.

We live in Tucson and leave May 1 for the summer due to the heat. And Tucson is cooler than Phoenix due to a higher altitude so be careful.

Patty, we haven't been to White Stallion before. We just wanted to incorporate a ranch stay in the trip and came upon it. We're really excited! I'm glad to hear you recommend it!

About how long is the tour in Carlsbad Caverns once you get down into the caverns? Is it self-guided, go at your own pace?

I'm so conflicted about whether to include Mesa Verde. We really wanted to go there! But if the road to Cliff Palace is closed, I'm wondering if we should still stop?? Especially if its another 40-45 minutes off the route.

I'm trying now to figure out how to incorporate the Durango/Silverton/Ouray area into our itinerary on our way to Santa Fe. It looks incredibly beautiful! I'm not sure if it makes more sense to stay in Durango and drive to Silverton, or stay in Ouray. I guess it depends whether we do Mesa Verde.

StantonHyde. thank you for this wealth of info! It's sounds like you have lots of experience with kids in this area! You are so right about underplanning with a 5 year old. I always say, if we see or accomplish one thing in a day, we've done an amazing job. lol I have been looking for books to use during the trip (we are homeschooling), so your suggestions are perfect! Thank you!! We love animals too, so I'll be looking into the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Are you familiar with the Out of Africa wildlife park outside Sedona?

We really wanted to see Mesa Verde...what are your thoughts about going with a child (since it's a long way off the main road) if the Cliff Palace Road is currently closed and we won't be able to tour Cliff Palace? Should we still make it a priority? Or tour Bandelier instead?

For Peekaboo slot, is it worth spending only one day in Bryce and then going to Escalante to do Peekaboo on the next day? We were thinking we'd only hike the Peekaboo portion and then turn around before Spooky (since we'll have a child with us). Or would we better to spend our two days in Bryce?

Thank you all so much for your guidance! This forum is SO helpful!! There have been so many great suggestions that I’m now having trouble completing the itinerary for the end of the trip. Lol We want to see it all!! As per suggestions (after visiting Moab and en route to Santa Fe) we’d love to incorporate Ouray or Silverton, CO and/or Durango and also a drive through Monument Valley. I’m having trouble figuring out which route would make most sense to accomplish as much of this as possible. Could anyone please suggest a route?



Places we’d like to see-

Depart from Moab-

Monument Valley

Mesa Verde (questioning this now since Cliff Palace Rd and Cliff Palace tours are closed)

Durango (considering taking the narrow gauge train- but not the one to Silverton as it would be too long for my 5 year old)

Silverton

Ouray

Arrive in Santa Fe



Would we be missing out if we just went to Durango and not Silverton or Ouray? We love Switzerland so I got really excited when I read that Ouray is the “Switzerland of America”! But I’m not sure how to make it fit in the itinerary. Or should we definitely go through Ouray and Silverton and skip Durango and riding the train? Trying to see as much as we can in a short amount of time, but we don’t want to stretch ourselves too thin. Thanks again for your help!

Carlsbad Caverns is self guided (the guided tours to other parts of the cavern aren't operating due to covid) https://www.nps.gov/cave/planyourvis...ided_tours.htm

I also recommend the tours at Best Friends. Book early as they're limiting numbers Book Now | Best Friends Animal Society There are some short self guided hikes on the property as well. The setting is beautiful.

If you go to Peekaboo, you can stop at Devils Garden on the way back. It's along the same road and the formations start right by the parking area https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/devils-garden

There's an easy slot canyon hike closer to Bryce but the road to the trail head has an uphill sandy stretch that may require AWD/4WD https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/u...-narrows-trail

For all of the slot canyon hikes mentioned in this thread, you'll need to take just the vehicle.

How many nights can you spare between Moab and Santa Fe? Monument Valley is a detour out of your way and may or may not be open. It sounds like you can self tour Step House at Mesa Verde https://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvis...ffdwelling.htm I've never seen that one as I've never been to the park during the months when Wetherill Mesa Rd is open.

Since you mentioned animals, you might be interested in the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum while in Tucson Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ - Zoo, Botanical Garden and Art Gallery

The information shared about quarantining in New Mexico is outdated. Quarantining here is now recommended for 10 days, but not required.
https://cv.nmhealth.org/travel-recom...20of%20lodging.

You can do the Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns in about an hour. It is stunning. I also recommend the sunset walk at White Sands if it's currently being offered.

If you can't do the tours at Mesa Verde, I would skip the whole park and save it for another trip. Bandelier National Monument near Santa Fe is open and has ladders that your son might enjoy.

If you're able to, visit The Needles section of Canyonlands. I would skip a second day at Arches to do this one.

Goblin Valley is a lot of fun. Have you seen "Galaxy Quest"? The scene where they go to the rock planet is set in Goblin Valley.

Lee Ann

ok--I would skip Mesa Verde with a 5 yo and come back another time. The ranger guided hikes are really amazing. For Peekaboo--it's an hours drive (one way) down a washed out, bumpy road to get there. It is an all day trip with a 5 yo. In fact, just go into it from the top vs. trying to get in from the mouth of the slot--there is a cliff you have to climb up into it. There is Dry Fork slot down there as well--very short, very flat, very easy. I think if you park at the first Dry Fork parking lot, you actually walk through or along Dry Fork to get to Peekaboo. I would absolutely skip Spooky at that age.

If you are working in Goblin Valley after a stop at Capital Reef, you could hike Little Wildhorse Canyon--or do the slot canyon suggested above that is close to Bryce. For small kids--I suggest the Bristlecone Loop trail at Bryce and then either the Mossy Cave trail or the slot noted above. I wouldn't go below the rim with a 5 yo because it is a haul back up :-)

I would do Needles District for Canyonlands--and i would do the the Cowboy Spring Cave or Cowboy Cave or Cave spring hike. (gah!)

And yes, all of my trip reports for these places are with kids--and I have them for every NP in Utah plus Page/Kanab area, and Escalante. Mine are teens now but we have been doing road trips with them to Southern Utah and surroundings since they were quite small. For any hiking--remember that bribes are a must :-) I used to put M&Ms in a baggy and shake it behind me when we would go up steep hills--a few more steps and you can have another one! :-) I love, love, love looking at all of the "critter" tracks in the sand. You can see so much--lizards, mice, ground squirrels, beetles, etc. That Desert Tracks and Scat book is great. I think another book is "Oh Yuck" and talks about things like Desert Toads being able to burrow under the sand and keep moist in their own urine until it rains and they emerge. Again, great book!

If you decide to skip Mesa Verde, then stop at Aztec National Monument which can be on a pretty direct rout between Moab and Santa Fe. There is a restored kiva there which is very interesting as well as ruins. It is part of the National Park system..

Do get the America Beautiful pass for the National park properties. It gets you into all the parks, monuments etc. and will save you money on this trip.

if you decide to skip Monument Valley, consider doing a drive through Valley of the Gods. It is north of Monument Valley and there is no VC there, but is an easy drive through on a mostly flat gravel road with similar formations and perhaps some free range cattle. Do avoid all the unsaved roads if it has been rainy. They turn to mud that gets very greasy.

Thank you so much for your information and recommendations! They’ve been keeping me very busy researching and reading trip reports!

Thank you for mentioning the restrictions in NM. We were unaware. We will be monitoring the quarantine recommendations in all states between now and then. Hoping/wondering if requirements will be different for those that are vaccinated.

So, you’ve convinced me… :)
I am trying to see if we can leave a day early to fit Carlsbad Caverns in.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum looks awesome! If you had to choose between this and Saguaro National Park, which would you choose?

It doesn’t look like Best Friends has any animal tours available when we’d be traveling through Kanab, but maybe we should still stop to hike around and stretch our legs?

Do you think Peek-a-boo Slot Canyon is worth forfeiting our second day at Bryce? It looks like a great adventure! Willis Creek is a great suggestion too. We had not heard of that one. Is it as visually striking as Peekaboo? (I’m a photographer ;))

Is 2 nights enough at Zion or would 3 be best?

I think sadly we’ve decided to skip Mesa Verde since it is farther off the route and we’ll be doing a LOT of driving with our young son. Plus the Cliff Palace Road will be closed and no tours will be available. We’re hoping to visit Bandelier National Monument this trip since it appears to be open. And also maybe the Aztec National Monument.

We can spare 2-3 nights between Moab and Santa Fe. I saw that Monument Valley was not too far from Moab so I thought it might fit nicely after Moab. It sounded like a not-to-be-missed location. Or would it be better to visit Monument Valley before Page, AZ? It’s really coming down to whether or not we visit Ouray/Silverton, CO after Moab. Does anyone have thoughts on this? It looks gorgeous! But will we be missing out on the best scenery if we skip Ouray and only visit Durango?

Here are two options I’m considering…

Option 1:

Moab to Monument Valley/ Valley of the Gods (spend 1 night, unless this is more of a drive through?)

Monument Valley to Durango (ride the train) (spend two nights)

Durango to Santa Fe

Head back East



Option 2:

(Move Santa Fe to the beginning of the trip)

Moab to Monument Valley/Valley of the Gods (spend one night)

Monument Valley to Durango (one night)

Durango to Ouray (one night)

Head back East

Thanks again!!

If you decide to include the Needles district of Canyonlands, you could do that on your way to CO or MV. It's about 1.5 hour from Moab and you would be driving in that direction. My recent trip report also covers the Needles and Cave Spring trail there https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...to-ca-1696564/

We also went to Valley of the Gods and other places in the southeast corner of UT. There's Goosenecks State Park which is similar to Horseshoe Bend and several short easy hikes to ruins in this general area. You could spend a few days here.

Just saw your reply. The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is right next to Saguaro West so you could do both. There are quite a few saguaros at White Stallion and if you end up riding there, the scenery is similar to the park.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f256a5bb1f.jpg

This is what the Best Friends Sanctuary looks like
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...805bcb506d.jpg

And this is along the Hidden Lake hike
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b4c5e920ad.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3678172f91.jpg

If you're stopping there on a travel day, you may need to unhitch your trailer near the welcome center.

You may also be interested in hiking at the Toadstools https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/u...-hoodoos-trail It's right off of 89 between Page and Kanab.

I haven't been to Peekaboo so can't compare the two. Willis Creek is not a super tight slot.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a360851fe2.jpg

You don't need a lot of time at Valley of the Gods itself and you can disperse camp there if you don't need hookups but there is a lot more to see in this area.

Thank you, Patty for the photos! It's always helpful to see the actual sights when planning a trip! :) You made me even more excited about riding at White Stallion! And that's great to know about the museum and Saguaro being close to one another. We had been trying to decide whether to use one of our ranch days to visit Saguaro National Park or to see it en route to White Stallion.

With all the great suggestions, we're now shifting a few days of the itinerary to gain a day or two for other sights along the way. Could anyone weigh in on how many days you suggest for each park in Utah? This is what we're thinking, but I'd love some feedback. We'd obviously love to spend 5 days at each, but we're trying to fit in a lot in the time allowed for our trip. :) Is 2 nights, 1 day enough for Zion with a child?? Or would it be better to give Zion another night and reduce Bryce/Escalante by one?

Zion- 2 nights, 1 full day
Bryce - 2 nights, 1 full day
Moab (Arches/Canyonlands/Rafting) - 5 nights, 4 full days

The Senoran Desert Museum in Tucson is amazing--really, truly fantastic. My kids loved it. And we drove through Saguaro NP on the way to the Museum and called it good! Check to see if Monument Valley is open given that it is on the Navajo Reservation. The East entrance to Grand Canyon NP just opened up--it is in the Navajo Reservation--so that could be a sign that more things will open up. The Rez got hit really, really hard with Covid--so many people died. They are still reeling. There has been a massive vaccination campaign but they will not hestitate to shut things down if they need to do so.

For Kanab--just a short distance outside it is the Pipe Springs National Monument. That is a fun, short sight to see.

Peekaboo is amazing because it is in the red, Kayenta layer and has natural bridges and pour offs inside of it. Google it to see some of the pix. But I would ditch the trailer to go down that washboard road for an hour.

Thank you, StantonHyde! We are definitely adding the museum to our must see list in AZ! Since you have such vast experience with the Utah parks, what would be your thought on number of days in each park with a child? I know it's quick since we're trying to tour different states, but I don't want to have regrets either. This is what we're thinking...
Zion- 2 nights, 1 full day
Bryce - 2 nights, 1 full day
Moab (Arches/Canyonlands/Rafting) - 5 nights, 4 full days
I'm worried we may feel 1 day is not enough in Zion. We don't plan to do the Angels or Narrows hikes since we'll have our son with us. Should we take a night from Bryce and add it to Zion? Or keep 2 nights at each? Thoughts?

If you have the time I suggest you take an inner tube down the virgin river in ZION, it is an easy drift, fun for the entire family - you are dropped off at the starting point.

donnae_b, that sounds like SO much fun!! My son would love to do that! Unfortunately, we just found out about the toxic cyanobacteria bloom in the Virgin River and streams of Zion NP. :( Have you heard anything about this? It just popped up on the NPS website when we were researching Zion.

With a 5 yo, you can see Bryce in one day--do the Bristlecone Loop and Mossy Cave. In Zion, do the Emerald Pools trail, go to lower, middle, upper, and that's enough for one day. You can take the shuttle to the end and do the River Walk and let your little guy play along the river there. In Moab, 1 day for Canyonlands, 2 days in Arches, and 1 day rafting and you are done. And yes, they are having issues with the river--always check the park website for the most up to date info. Again, check out my trip reports for details on the hikes to do in each park with kids. As for taking nights, etc. The bottom line is that you don't want to drive after dark in this area. Too many deer, elk, cows on the road. So use that as your guide.

I've been to Tucson and Phoenix. I HIGHLY recommend that you go to Phoenix instead of Tucson. It's a shorter drive from New Mexico, for one thing- straight across I-40. There are some fabulous things in Phoenix for kids- including a dinosaur exhibit at the Science Center. THere's a nearby "ghost town", too, with panning for gold and an old time train ride. It's also closer to Sedona, and then you MUST go to the GRand Canyon! I can't believe it's not on your list! It's not far from Sedona. There's a campground right there. You'll also find that it's much cooler when you get that high up, and you'll appreciate the break from the heat.