Going on your first US southwest roadtrip? How exciting!
Planning a road trip can be a little overwhelming, here are some things you should know to help you start planning the perfect trip
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Going on your first US southwest roadtrip? How exciting!
Planning a road trip can be a little overwhelming, here are some things you should know to help you start planning the perfect trip
You'll want to see everything, but it's not always possible and it's better to concentrate on one or two areas and not regret staying somewhere longer & therefore want to go back in the future. Each state is unique and has so much to offer. Besides cities and national parks there are also state parks, and hidden gems to explore.
Know that the US is a very large place & getting around from one place to another can take a few hours, even if on the map they look close by. Calculate how far away it is from where you're staying to the places you are visiting and decide how much driving you want to do per day. You'll have to "kill" some days on driving if you're not taking flights.
My best tip is to download the Alltrails app and pay for the Alltrails Pro plan, it is worth it.
Before you leave for the day, download the maps of all the hikes you plan on doing that day because most places don't have reception and you can start losing reception as early as an hour away from the destination. Now, most places do have signs on the trail, and as long as you know which trails to follow you are okay, but not all have signs and if you don't have a map you CAN get lost!
For instance, Birthing Cave in Sedona has no signs and we passed by it and ended up walking for 2 hours in the hear with no reception. That is NO FUN!
Thanks to Covid, Most of the people hiking in the US are the locals, and Americans tend to plan their trips years in advance so do take that into consideration when you're planning a trip, especially if you're traveling during the busy season (vacation days and holidays). If you don't plan ahead it might be hard for you to find accommodation, book activities, or even find campgrounds available.
You can always make reservations with free cancelation if need be, and change plans while on the go, just make sure to get free cancelation up to 24 hours before your stay.
When you decide on the hikes you want to do, do your research on that hike. Find out the level of difficulty, read people's reviews on this hike, and prepare yourself for it. If you don't read you won't know because some hikes might be short but can be very strenuous. We started training months before our trip because we wanted to be able to do a hard hike like the Narrows in Zion, Angel's Landing in Zion, Cathedral Rock in Sedona, and more..
If you’re planning multiple overnight pit stops, have a small backpack ready each time, instead of having to carry your whole suitcase with you each time you check into your accommodation.
If you're looking to explore off-road you'll need a 4x4. There are so many beautiful spots in Utah-Arizona that you can't get to unless you have a 4x4 so rent one ahead of time to save money.
You can get by with a regular car, and try to make it to remote areas like Moonscape Overlook in Hanksville or Bentonite Hills near Capitol Reef, I know of people who have done it, but if it rains your car probably won't be able to make it and you'll regret it. Plus, if you take a regular car and get into car trouble going on a road made for 4x4 that could be very costly.
If you're going to visit a few parks or visit one for various days, it is best to buy the pass for 80$.Usually, it costs 35$ to enter a national park.
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