The National Parks Trip Everyone Should Take at Least Once

If you’ve ever dreamed about the ultimate American road trip, this might be it.

In this episode of All Things Travel, Ryan and Julie break down an unforgettable journey through the Grand Circle—a scenic loop through the American Southwest that brings together some of the most iconic landscapes in the United States. Think towering red rock canyons, winding scenic highways, and not one… but 10 national parks in a single trip.

Starting in Las Vegas, this two-week itinerary takes you through breathtaking stops like Zion and Bryce Canyon, the hidden gem of Capitol Reef, and the adventure hub of Moab—home to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. From there, you’ll experience the iconic beauty of Monument Valley, the surreal landscapes of Page, Arizona (including Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon), and finish with the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon.

But this isn’t just about where to go—it’s about how to experience it.

Ryan and Julie share:

•  A realistic 2-week route (with flexibility to customize) 
•  What each stop is known for—and why it’s worth your time 
•  Practical tips for planning a road trip like this (timing, lodging, park passes, and more) 
•  How to balance must-see highlights with spontaneous moments along the way 

Whether you’re a couple looking for your next big adventure, a family planning a memory-making trip, or someone who’s always had the National Parks on your list—this episode will help you turn that idea into a plan.

Transcript

Ryan 0:00

Hello and welcome to All Things Travel. Today We're talking about combining two rites of passage in the United States for travel, the road trip, and the National Park. We're going to discuss an amazing trip around the Grand Circle where you can see 10 national parks in one trip.

Julie 0:21

Listen in with travel advisors, Ryan and Julie. He is your travel professor teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation. And I'm a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist and family travel. And together we are the co-owners of Wonder and Beyond Travel, whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel.

Ryan 0:48

So Julie, I've got some family news. We

Julie 0:51

Oh,

Ryan 0:52

moving.

Julie 0:53

woo woo again,

Ryan 0:55

Yeah. Again, well, I, I, I guess I moved to Jasmine, but now we're moving together to a new

Julie 1:02

right. But I do wanna let everyone know this is now the third time Ryan is making us update our addresses.

Ryan 1:08

yes,

Julie 1:08

I've been in one location.

Ryan 1:11

well, the goal was to now be in one location for quite a while,

Julie 1:15

All right. do you have a move date?

Ryan 1:17

We have a move date

Julie 1:20

Mm-hmm.

Ryan 1:20

it is later in April, and

Julie 1:23

Whoa.

Ryan 1:23

In fact, if all things go as they should, we will have already moved by this point.

Julie 1:30

Oh man. Big deal. Big deal.

Ryan 1:32

Yeah. Yeah. It's one of those things where, we started going to open houses to find a realtor that we liked working with, and we went into an open house and liked the house and thought about it and talked about it, and talked to a realtor that we had met, and it just kind of all fell together.

Julie 1:50

It did fall together and I really hope that it's not across from the school because we've gotta finish by a certain time, so Nala doesn't freak out about the school kids.

Ryan 2:01

my puppy definitely keeps the house safe from all of the elementary school students walking by.

Julie 2:08

I mean, you can't blame her for getting upset about that. I know how my dog is at the bus stop.

Ryan 2:13

I am super excited to talk about this today. we wanted to do a a show about national parks and road trips, and as I started to research this, this Grand Circle came up and the more I read about it, I am super excited to discuss what could be an epic road trip. Julie.

Julie 2:34

And I think that this is something that is on a lot of people's lists. I know personally like my grandparents, I feel like the national parks were a very popular travel destination for that generation. and I would like to travel to the places that they traveled to, and this would be such an amazing opportunity for a trip.

Ryan 2:54

So speaking of travel, before we do that, if you did not listen to last week's episode, we discuss all of the tasks in your countdown to your cruise, your all inclusive, or your international vacation. All right, Julie. So the Grand Circle trip is a scenic loop through the American Southwest, primarily covering Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. But you also have stops in Colorado and during this circle trip you can see 10 national parks and other amazing sites. I broke this up into a two week trip, but you could do it faster. I wouldn't recommend it. or you could do it much longer than this. So I thought two weeks sounded good because for most people that's a doable time to do a trip like this.

Julie 3:49

Yeah, agree, and I think that this just sounds so epic.

Ryan 3:53

So I think, who is this right for? It's definitely right for people that want to do road trips that are excited about that. People who are into photography, you're gonna come away with just amazing pictures. who like easy to moderate hiking. We're not talking about anything crazy here when it comes to hiking, dramatic scenery. you're gonna see some places in the United States that you can't see anywhere else on this trip. And also flexible pacing. this grand circle really gives you the chance to kind of go at your pace, but see all of these amazing things. So where are we starting with this trip, Julie?

Julie 4:32

We are going to start days one and two. We're gonna arrive into Las Vegas and go to Zion National Park. So Zion is a great first stop because it's very easy to get to from Vegas, and it's pretty dramatic as far as the landscape when you're being introduced to the American Southwest. So the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive should be on your list along with the riverside and the Emerald pools. So these are all just beautiful natural sites to go see when you're visiting Zion National Park.

Ryan 5:05

Yeah. And what I love about this starting in Las Vegas is I mean, it's easy for everybody to get to Las Vegas,

Julie 5:11

Yeah.

Ryan 5:12

you, you can either drive there if you're within that vicinity in the Western United States or fly there and rent a car, and just kind of make that your first stop. Days three and four. Then you're gonna be at Bryce Canyon National Park and you've got roughly a two hour drive from Zion. So it's a very easy drive in the morning. Then you've got the rest of the day there. Bryce stands out because of its unique rock spires. It has easy access points, to see things. There's sunrise point and sunset point. There's the Navajo loop, there's the queen garden, and then there's also a famous scenic rim drive where you can see all sorts of that southwest, landscape that you're thinking of. And then stargazing is very big at Bryce Canyon because it's known for its low light pollution and dark skies,

Julie 6:07

Oh my gosh, that would be my husband all over it.

Ryan 6:11

He's a space guy, isn't he?

Julie 6:13

He's a space nerd.

Ryan 6:14

he's a nonfiction and fiction space guy.

Julie 6:18

you're right. We were talking about that before the podcast and I was like, he's obsessed with black holes.

Ryan 6:23

And one thing to remember with Bryce is it does sit at a higher elevation than some of these. So weather could be cooler even if you're going in the warmer time of the year. Julie, then from Bryce Canyon, where are we headed?

Julie 6:39

All right. Days five and six, you're going to be on Scenic Highway 12 and heading to the Capitol Reef National Park. So the first part where you're on that highway, it's considered to be one of the most beautiful drives in the US and I feel like my brain can't even probably compliment how beautiful that is when you're going between all these national parks out there. A couple of highlights of the Capitol Reef National Park is it tends to be quieter and it's very much a natural wonderland. It is home to the water pocket fold, which is a 100 mile long wrinkle in the Earth's crust that formed roughly 50 to 70 million years ago, and that is incredible.

Ryan 7:24

you, that you look that up. I also look that up when I put this together. I'm like, I need to know what that is.

Julie 7:29

it just sounds weird. Water pocket fold.

Ryan 7:33

One of the things, both you and I had not heard of Capitol Reef National Park before, putting this show together. And so that's actually one of its superpowers.'cause it's a quieter park that many travelers end up being one of their favorite spots, but they're focused on some of the more popular or well-known national parks. Day seven you're gonna go to Moab. Utah and that's gonna be your base camp for the next couple days. While you experience arches and Canyon Lands National Park, why do you wanna spend multiple nights in Moab? Moab is one of the best hubs in the southwest when it comes to kind of things to do. So we're talking about good restaurants and lodging. It gives you some recovery time. you're not having to drive quite as far to other places. So in Arches National Park, you have delicate arch viewpoints and hikes. You have windows section. You have those balanced rocks that look like they're kind of set like Lego blocks on each other. arches has more than 2000 documented natural stone

Julie 8:39

Oh, okay.

Ryan 8:40

as part of its landscape. And then Canyon Lands National Park has an island in the Sky District. It also has a Mesa Arch Sunrise. Grand viewpoints and all of those just sound absolutely amazing. I looked at some of the pictures as I put this together, and if I could take any good pictures of any of this stuff, I would be over the moon.

Julie 9:04

Maybe we'll get you a photography class before you go.

Ryan 9:07

I love it. this is the type of trip where it would be great to invest in something like that. to learn how to get the most out of it. before we talk about the second half of the trip, Julie, I wanna talk about where in the world is wonder and beyond Travel. I had a great booking this last week because it's some of my best friends and we've been talking about this trip for years, and one of their wedding anniversaries is coming up soon. A trip that she's always wanted to go on is she wants to go to Spain and then go to Portugal and do a river cruise. And so finally they made it happen. They chose their dates and they are going on a Doro River cruise with Amma waterways. And one of the reasons they chose this was there is an included. land portion before the cruise in Madrid, which is a city that she always wanted to go to, and they are just going to have an amazing time, looking at Portugal and Spain on this river cruise. you know, Alma Waterways is gonna do it right. So I am really honored to be part of their anniversary, um, celebration, and I can't wait to hear about this cruise with Amma waterways.

Julie 10:25

that sounds so cool. Right up your alley.

Ryan 10:27

Well, we love celebrating with our clients, especially when they're celebrating a milestone, like a wedding anniversary, it inspires curiosity in both them and us to talk about their travel. And we can't wait to hear about their trip before, after, and during. And if you work with Julie or myself, who knows, maybe we'll feature your trip on the show. All right, Julie, so we now have left Moab and we're on day 10 of our trip. Where are we finding ourselves on this grand circle?

Julie 11:00

Okay, so we are still in Utah and heading toward Arizona visiting Monument Valley National Park, and this is a great stop because it really has those classic southwest landscapes when you think of the iconic kind of sandstone in that area. You can take some really beautiful scenic drives here. Maybe consider a guided Navajo tour and learn a lot about the history of the land and some sunset photography after Ryan takes his photography class.

Ryan 11:32

Well, days 11 and 12 we're gonna be in page Arizona, and this is, optional on the Grand Circle, but highly recommended. And again, this is where you can expand or contract it, it could be a five day trip. It could be a multi-week trip. So days 11 and 12 here, were in Page Arizona. Why? Because that breaks up the drive. It adds some variety. What are some things you can do here? You can go to Horseshoe Bend. There are overview points of Lake Powell. Which is a big spot in the Southwest. And you can also take a guided tour of Antelope Canyon and guided tours are required and you can book those times in advance. So again, you can step out of the national parks there. But see some great southwest scenery.

Julie 12:20

Okay. And we are finishing up the tour visiting the Grand Canyon South Rim. This is kind of the big, you know, pun intended, grand finale,

Ryan 12:29

The

Julie 12:30

and you also.

Ryan 12:31

Canyon.

Julie 12:33

You're gonna wanna definitely head out to some of the rim trail viewpoints and take those iconic photos. view the sunrise and sunset along the canyon. Once you're, even if you've seen photos of the canyon, the scale of it can feel completely different in person. And I know others may feel the same, even if you haven't been, just like flying over the canyon is a whole experience. and then it's very easy to get back to Las Vegas from the Grand Canyon and you know, that's. Where we talked about starting from, so that's where you have your full circle circling right back to Las Vegas.

Ryan 13:07

So depending on your travel route and how much you kind of, veered off of the main drag you've done between 800 and 1500 miles on this grand circle. So really, you have done it. You have seen. a major part of the United States and really taking it all in. We do have some practical tips when it comes to a trip like this. The first is, don't overpack the itinerary, so build in slower mornings or scenic stops, because that's often where the magic is. it's not the point of getting to the hotel as quickly as we can. It's seeing what's there along the way.

Julie 13:48

Mm-hmm.

Ryan 13:49

some of that's gonna be dictated by how much time you're allowing yourself. Book your lodging early, especially if you're going in the spring and the fall. if you want to stay closer to the parks, you need to book that lodging early to make sure that you, have access to where and what you want. What are some others, Julie?

Julie 14:09

So getting the America the beautiful pass is a great way to save money. When you're visiting multiple parks, a lot of these parks, you're gonna have entrance fees, and this is gonna kind of be like a pay one time to get into multiple parks fee. As you start to prepare for taking these long drives, Ryan mentioned those hundreds and hundreds of miles. You wanna download offline maps. your service could go in and out as you're visiting the park. So having a map that is not relying on the internet, Make sure you carry water and snacks, especially if you're traveling later in the springtime or into the summer. It's gonna be super hot. and also gas stations can be sparse in some of the more remote areas of these drives. So make sure that you're filling up your tank when you can.

Ryan 14:56

You also wanna make sure that you respect the weather and elevation, both in what you pack and your level of physical activity. For instance, Bryce is cooler than Zion. Summer heat can be intense, in the lower elevations and keep in mind elevation when it comes to, your fitness or your

Julie 15:16

Mm-hmm.

Ryan 15:17

be out and seeing things.

Julie 15:18

Mm-hmm.

Ryan 15:19

You also want to reserve your key items, early. So again, not only your accommodations, but if your national park, if there's timed entries there, if you're gonna be doing the Antelope Canyon tours and with popular lodging, making sure those key anchors are in place. And then the rest can kind of be the discovery along the way. And then lastly, we've talked about this a lot on the podcast, haven't we, Julie? The

Julie 15:47

Yeah.

Ryan 15:48

is set for an enjoyment. It's not a checklist, even though it sounds like we had a big checklist here. you want to leave room for sunrises, sunsets, spontaneity.

Julie 15:59

Yeah, agree. And I, you know, as we kind of wrap up this episode. This trip to me, I'm just like, my wheels are spinning. Like when can we do this? And obviously when the kids are older, I feel like a great age for, this is like teenage years, right? You know, sometimes they start to get a little disinterested in family vacations. But just the sites that you can see here are so incredible. And I would even say. instead of circling back to Vegas, keep going down to Sedona and Flagstaff and Scottsdale and, and fly home from Phoenix. Maybe

Ryan 16:34

I love that idea. Absolutely.

Julie 16:37

the world is full of wonder and your next great adventure is waiting at Wonder and Beyond Travel. We work with you to create a one of a kind journey, taking the stress off your plate so you can focus on the joy of exploring and the memories that will stay with you forever. If you're ready to start planning or just want to dream a little bigger, head over to Wonder and beyond travel.com. We'd love to help you get started.

Ryan 17:03

We look forward to talking to you next week on All Things Travel. When we discuss Transatlantic cruising, so we were in Savannah having breakfast and every place we sat outside'cause we had her, which was perfectly fine. So she was underneath the table. And a dog walked by. And so she started, she barks'cause she wants to interact. Not that she's like mean. she gets up and starts going towards the dog, wraps herself around my chair. and somehow there's enough leverage that she's able to pull herself out of her harness. So then she gets out into the sidewalk and both Jasmine and I see that, and so we're like freaking out, right? That she's gonna start running down the street.'cause that's what she would normally do. So I get up, but I'm twisted around. And so of course I fall flat down on my butt. In front of this cafe. And so they're like, are you okay? Are you okay? And I'm like, I'm trying to save my dog from running down the street in this city I've never been to before.

Julie 18:11

Was like, leave me alone.

Ryan 18:12

And, and so luckily there was this woman now just went right up and went right into her arms. And I'm like, oh my gosh, girl, you're gonna be the death of me.

Julie 18:21

Jasmine was probably so embarrassed.

Ryan 18:24

Well, was embarrassed. And then everybody's like, are you okay? And I'm like,

Julie 18:27

the wait. They're like weird to fill out an incident, a port. This old guy fell out of his chair,

Ryan 18:32

I'm not as old as I look. I'm just, I

Julie 18:36

can get a shirt that says that.

Ryan 18:38

Oh boy. But anyway, that was our adventures. Alright.

Julie 18:43

I love that.