Choosing Your Route
The Grand Circle is a renowned road trip route that loops through the American Southwest, covering parts of Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. It is especially beloved by travelers because it offers a dense concentration of natural wonders within a relatively short distance, making it possible to experience a variety of breathtaking landscapes in one trip.
This area is famous for its stunning red rock landscapes, sculpted canyons, and unique geological formations that reveal millions of years of Earth’s history. The route includes 6 of the 63 US National Parks, each showcasing different aspects of the Southwest’s natural beauty-towering cliffs, narrow slot canyons, vibrant sandstone colors, and desert vistas. Many simply visit the National Parks, but there are so many equally as remarkable stops along the way including State Parks, Monuments, lakes, hikes, waterfalls, and more!
National Parks along the route:
- Zion National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
State Parks along the route:
- Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
- Valley of Fire State Park
- Kodachrome Basin State Park
- Goblin Valley State Park
Other major sights and experiences along the route:
- Oljato - Monument Valley
- Mesa Verde National Park (slightly off the route, but reasonable to add!)
- Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument
- Lake Powell
- Antelope Canyon (permits required - unless you kayak into the less visited area of the slot canyon)
- Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument
- Lake Meade
- Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
- San Raffael Swell (home of Little Wild Horse Canyon!!)
- The Wave (permits required)
- Havasupai Falls and Mooney Falls (permit required)
The Grand Circle map below shows National Parks as red star icons and other stops in yellow. While this is not a completely extensive list of all potential stops along the route, I hope you will find it useful if you are planning a Southwest road trip!