7 Day Ultimate Colorado, Utah, and Arizona Road Trip
Looking for an unbelievable road trip through the southwestern United States? You’ve came to the right place!
An adventure filled with jaw dropping scenery, challenging hikes, and personal transformation. This itinerary will leave you feeling like you need to get in a car, turn on some tunes, and head straight to the mountains, ASAP.
Get ready, your days are about to be packed with UNREAL destinations, attractions, and time well spent!
So, let’s get into the 7 day Colorado, Utah, and Arizona Road Trip!
This is how excited I am to share this road trip with you ^ I can’t stop smiling and reminiscing while writing this!
Let’s jump right in!
Day 1
- Flew into Denver
- Rocky Mountain National Park (~ 2 hour drive)
- Emerald Lake Hike
- Denver Airbnb
Wooohooo! Day 1 of this awesome road trip! The first day was dedicated to Colorado. Since we only had 7 days, we had to be particular about where and how much time we were spending at each place. 3 states, 7 days, thousands of places we could go. Since there were other national parks we wanted to spend more time in (hint hint: Zion), we just spent one day in the rockies.
We hopped off the plane, picked up our rental car, and since we couldn’t check into our Airbnb until 3pm, we headed straight for the rocky mountains to begin our first hike – Emerald Lake.
Things to know about Emerald Lake:
- 3.5 miles (roundtrip)
- Elevation gain: 650 feet
- Rated easy
- Can be snowy and wet
This was such a great hike to start our road trip with. The entire hike was serene, beautiful, and not too challenging. One thing I will never forget was when we first arrived at the lake… we plopped down, got out our protein bars, and glanced over at the mountain on the other side. There were skiers getting dropped from helicopters and skiing down the mountain! They looked like little ants! I just remember sitting there in awe watching this take place thinking, “I’m so lucky to be here right now. I’m with my best buds, enjoying nature, and smiling from ear to ear. Life cannot get any better.”
Since Rocky Mountain National Park was only 2 hours from Denver, we went back and stayed in an Airbnb for the night. That evening we checked in and went straight to the grocery store to get some road snacks and anything else we needed for camping.
Day 2
- Started trek to Utah early morning – stopped at Utah sign
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Camped out in Moab, Utah (Pack Creek campground)
We were on the road to Utah early morning, and let me tell you, this drive is unbelievable. You’ll see mountains and different shades of rock that are absolutely stunning. The winding roads and music turned all the way up definitely makes for a boost in serotonin levels and a true feeling of freedom and happiness.
We saw the Utah sign and of course we had to stop, Such a classic sign we couldn’t pass up! There are 7 different Utah signs you could hit, but if you’re following this route you’ll most likely hit the one on I-70 East.
Next stop was Arches National Park. This place was so cool! It really makes you wonder how all the cool rock formations were formed and when.
Our hikes in Arches:
- Double Arch (10-15 minute walk)
- Drove to Balanced Rock and completed the short hike (0.3 miles)
- Delicate Arch (3 miles roundtrip)
Delicate Arch had to be my favorite out of all three. A little more of a challenging hike, but so worth it when you get to the top. I had to see the structure that’s on everyone’s Utah license plates first hand of course!
The path was pretty smooth and not very rocky. This trip was in May, so I can’t speak for colder months. It may get slippery or muddy so definitely be careful of that!
Next up was Mesa Arch at Canyonlands National Park (about a 6 hour drive from Denver – 1.5 from Arches). I thought this place was incredible, and it was only about a 20–30-minute hike! Accessible all year round and such an awesome place for sunset, we were just a little too early!
We then pitched our tent in Moab, Utah at Pack Creek Campground. I highly recommend this campground. It had everything we needed (which isn’t a lot). Fire pits, showers, free parking, and even plug-in access for electronics. We cooked some stuffed potatoes over the fire, watched the sunset, and shared too many laughs – such a wholesome night!
Day 3
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Zion National Park
- Lower Emerald Pools
- Camped at Bryce Zion Campground
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Bryce Canyon since I was so hyped about getting to Zion, but I was blown away. I highly highly highly recommend you stop here, it is so unique.
We didn’t stay too long (1:30pm – 3:30pm) since we wanted to get to Zion, so we just walked around the canyon for a bit and made it a very short walk/hike. It surprisingly started snowing! The canyon looked stunning with the mixture of red rock and patches of snow laying on it.
There are definitely great picture spots! Check out the one I caught below!
Now for ZION! Only about a 1.5 hour drive from Bryce Canyon. We arrived around 5:15pm and only had time to get a short hike in. We did the Lower Emerald Pool Trail which was about 1.4 miles long. A perfect hike to end the night!
We then pitched a tent at Bryce Zion Campground. Not our best idea. We weren’t prepared for it to get as cold as it did that night. We were wondering why the campground was so empty when we got there… oh well! I put on every layer of clothing I had and curled up like a little burrito and called it good.
Day 4
- Zion National Park
- Angel’s Landing (5 mile strenuous hike)
- Bryce Zion Campground
If you guys read my post The 1 hike in Zion National Park You Won’t Regret well, spoiler, this is it! Angel’s Landing! Unbelievable. It’s definitely top 3 favorite hikes of mine. Head over to that post for more of an in-depth synopsis of the hike.
I’ll summarize it for you here!
- Lot’s of switchbacks
- Very strenuous towards the top (need to hold onto a chain at one point)
- Extreme drop-offs
- Takes about 4-5 hours
- 100% worth it
You will most likely spend all day doing this hike. I personally wanted to collapse after because it was such a good workout. I recommend starting it as early as you can so you don’t bake in the sun. Since our last night at Bryce Zion Campground was freezing and it was supposed to be even colder this night, we decided to rent a hotel for the night (yes we are babies). We got to shower – which is honestly the best feeling in the world after camping/hiking.
Day 5
- Zion National Park
- The Narrows
- Horseshoe Bend
- Lone Beach Campground
We actually didn’t get to do The Narrows because it was closed for construction. We were SO SAD. This hike and Angel’s Landing were the two hikes we were most excited for. I guess it’s just another reason for us to go back to Zion! I’ve heard the best things about The Narrows which is why I’m still including it. If it’s open when you head to Zion, do it!
Next up was Horseshoe Bend. Another unique spot! A quick and easy hike with many photo opportunities. Since our time was limited, we just walked around it and didn’t stay for too long. If you have more time and want to stay longer, they have hikes, boat tours, AND you can book an airplane and fly above it! So cool! Head over to https://horseshoebend.com for more info.
We then headed to our next campsite – Lone Rock Beach Campground in Page, Utah. Extremely spacious and beautiful. It gets its name because, well, there’s a huge lake with a massive lone rock in the middle! If you have a camper, you can drive right up to the shoreline and be next to the water the entire night. You can swim and boat if you’d like too!
We had ourselves a night… got some drinks, made a fire (yes, four drunk girls can in fact start a campfire – who would
have thought), and watched the sunset. We loved having our own little spot by the water far away from people and just being in each other’s company.
I got up early on my own and watched the sunrise by myself. I love finding times on trips when I can be alone in nature
for a bit. I seem to always get deep in thought and end up finding out something new about myself. I realized I love camping with friends… more than I thought. The bonding and togetherness of it all is so heartwarming. On hikes, around the campfire, even in the car you can get into really deep conversations where you find out a lot more about somebody. I cherish those moments and I’m so grateful for these adventures I get to take and connections I get to make.
Day 6
- Antelope Canyon
- Lake Powell
- Camped out on Antelope Island (you have to kayak to get here – so fun!)
- You don’t need to reserve a campsite here
Another one of my favorite days! Who am I kidding though, I say that for every day. We went to the famous Antelope Canyon which was absolutely incredible. A ton of sandstone rock formations where the light hits perfectly on all angles. The guides are extremely helpful and even show you spots and camera angles to get the best pictures. When you see pictures online they really don’t do it justice, you have to go and see it for yourself in person.
After Antelope we rented kayaks from Lake Powell Paddleboards and Kayaks and kayaked around Lake Powell. This was so stunning – I was in complete zen. Perfect weather, a calming outdoor activity, and a beautiful location. I couldn’t ask for anything better! We actually had to kayak to where we were camping that night because it was on an island – and we were the only ones! Another night of watching the sunset, cooking hot dogs over the fire, and belly laughs.
Renting the kayaks is super easy and they have a nice little loading area for you to use. We kayaked around for awhile and then pitched our tent on the island. We spent another morning watching the sunrise curled up in our sleeping bags and ready to tackle the day – AZ bound today!
Day 7
- Grand Canyon
- Airbnb in Phoenix
- Relax by poolside and pack for flight next morning
Today we kayaked back and headed to the Grand Canyon. It was about a 2.5 hour drive from Lake Powell. We officially made it to Arizona! I was super excited to see the Grand Canyon – apparently I went with my family when I was extremely young but I don’t remember any of it… so
I was thrilled to get the opportunity to see it again. When I say this place is insane, this place is insane. I couldn’t believe my eyes. No wonder it’s one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.
This was the best place to end on. After the Grand Canyon we had an Airbnb in Phoenix which had a pool! We thought we would want to live lavish for at least one day at the end of this trip. We showered, organized, and did some much needed relaxing by the pool.
As you can see, we did a lot in 7 days. Each day was packed, but that’s how we like it! So much to do, so much to see, no time wasted. I hope you enjoyed this itinerary and look back at it as a resource if you choose to do this road trip.
As always, let me know your thoughts and please let me know if you want any more recommendations or advice! Talk to you soon!