The US west coast is a fantastic part of the world!
Also known as the pacific coast, there’s so much to see and enjoy here, from stunning coastline, jaw dropping landscapes, world famous National Parks, and unmissable adventure activities.
Honestly, there really is something for everyone.
We’re no stranger to a good old road trip; in fact we're currently driving around the world!
However, the USA is definitely one of the best places in the world for a road trip.
We spent 2 months road tripping the west coast, starting in Vancouver (yes, not America I know!) and weaving our way through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, and winding up in California.
So yeah, quite the adventure! And we’d love to be able to share it with you.
Having completed this epic trip ourselves, we know how much planning and organisation is required.
So we’ve created this USA west coast road trip itinerary, to save you some of the hard work.
No vehicle? No road trip! Simple as that.
There’s a few options when it comes to vehicle renting. The preferred mode of transport for a west coast USA road trip, has to be a campervan/RV.
There are a variety of vehicle sizes you can get depending on your group size, the facilities you require, and the size of vehicle you feel comfortable driving.
Ultimately you have to decide whether you want to rent a car or motorhome/small campervan.
There are of course benefits to each:
Our recommendation has to be an RV, as there’s much more flexibility. It also enables you to wild camp in most places!
If you road trip in a car, you are reliant on weather conditions permitting outdoor camping.
Alternatively, you could stay at hotels or Airbnbs en route, but that’ll of course significantly increase your road trip costs.
There are a whole host of great motorhome rental firms based in the US. Our 2 top recommendations to begin your search are:
We also have a more detailed guide outlining the best US RV rental firms, to help you decide the best rental option.
If you’re more interested in renting a car, Rentalcars is the best place to start a search. You can also check out our guide to the best car rental sites.
So here goes - our best 2 month USA west coast road trip itinerary!
To make the itinerary more manageable we’ve split it up into 2 week blocks.
We’ve included west coast road maps at every stage so you can see the exact route that we took, and even follow the same route yourselves!
The first two weeks of this road trip take us from Vancouver, all the way to Salt Lake City. The total drive time is 27 hours, across over 2500 km.
So I’m sure you can imagine this is a jam packed fortnight!
So day one - the best place to start an itinerary don’t you think!
We began our trip in Vancouver - starting a USA road trip itinerary in Canada, how rogue of us!
But if you choose to begin, or end, your west coast USA itinerary in Seattle, we won’t judge you.
Either way, there are great rental options in both Vancouver and Seattle.
After entering America from Vancouver, we headed straight for Seattle. Seattle is a brilliant city with the perfect combination of city life and nature!
There are so many things to do in Seattle, so we recommend spending two days here, to really get a feel for the city and see some of the best sites.
You may want to check out the Seattle City Pass too as it can save you up to 44% off entrance fees if you're visiting five iconic attractions.
Our top recommendations include:
After Seattle we head to Portland. This journey sees us cross over the state border from Washington to Oregon!
Portland is the largest city in Oregon so it's a good pit stop on this ultimate west coast road trip.
The route between these cities follows the I-5 highway, so it's really easy to navigate.
This city is the perfect destination for foodies so whilst you're here, head out on a underground donut tour!
Whilst there’s plenty of things to see and do in Portland itself, the real magic happens when you head out of the city.
Now, wine enthusiasts will know Oregon for its pinot noir, but there are so many vineyards in Portland that have more to offer.
Venture out into the countryside where there’s an abundance of fantastic vineyards offering spectacular views and amazing tasting rooms.
If you’re looking for a truly unique nights stay, then we’d really recommend joining Harvest Hosts.
This is an RV camping membership which entitles you to RV camping at over 4,600 wineries, farms, breweries, and attractions, with no additional camping fees.
We signed up whilst we were exploring Portland’s surrounding vineyards, and HIGHLY recommend it!
It gave us the opportunity to stay at the likes of Kramer Vineyard for the night.
It’s free to stay, it’s just expected that you buy a bottle (or several if you wish) of wine.
We also spent an extra night at a Lavender Farm, all of which you can find on Harvest Hosts.
An excellent attraction to squeeze into this section of the ultimate US west coast itinerary is the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. It’s home to the famous Spruce Goose.
We kicked off Day 6 of this West Coast Road Trip with a Farm to Fork Tour.
This unique culinary tour gives an exclusive insight into Oregon’s artisan food, sustainable farming, and local flavours.
We got to see how the food is grown, and try samples of the seasonal products.
The tours are done in partnership with many local farms, fisheries and restaurants so there’s a real personal touch, and connection between visitors and the local community.
The tours typically last between 5 and 6 hours so it’s an all-day activity!
After the tour we headed to our stop for the night - Mount Hood.
It’s 70 miles from Portland and is the highest point in Oregon, at 11,239 feet.
It’s found in the Cascade mountain range, and is the fourth highest peak within this range.
Mount Hood is well known for its history, geology, natural environment, and culture.
These characteristics have helped to shape not just northwest Oregon, but the entire Pacific Northwest.
And if this all wasn’t cool enough, Mount Hood is a dormant volcano!
Located in the Mount Hood National Forest, there’s hiking trails, camping and fishing spots, and skiing that lasts for almost the entire year!
We kicked off our morning with a hike in Mount Hood.
Depending on the time of year you’re visiting, some of the trails might be inaccessible due to the large amounts of snow seen in the winter and into spring.
Check the snow levels before heading out, and check recent trail reports as conditions can change quickly and without warning.
Some great hikes in Mount Hood include McNeil Point, Bald Mountain via Lola Pass, and Tom Dick and Harry Mountain.
There are some great trails that incorporate waterfalls too including Ramona Falls, and Tamanawas Falls.
From Mount Hood, we drove around 150 miles to Painted Hills, our stop for the night.
Painted Hills is one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon and it’s not hard to see how they got their name! The delicately-coloured stratifications in the soil and the golds, yellows, blacks and reds are best seen in the late afternoon.
The ever-changing light and moisture levels mean the tones and hues of the hills may change from one visit to another - now there’s not many attractions you can say that about is there?
The unique colours of Painted Hills formed over 35 million years ago. Over the years, the colours have altered and changed thanks to various volcanic eruptions, climate change patterns, mixed with different types of soils, minerals and plant material.
After a stop over, we walked along one of the trails in the morning.
It’s not really a park for hikers, as there are just a few short trails which allow you to get a different perspective, or a better view.
However, two unmissable trails have to be Painted Hills Overlook Trail and Painted Cove Trail.
These are definitely the most photogenic.
Some other great trails to check out in the area include Carroll Rim Trail, Red Scar Knoll Trail, and Leaf Trail Hill.
After a blast of fresh air, and getting your steps in, in the morning, head onto Shoshone.
Shoshone is the largest city of Lincoln, Idaho. It’s a total driving time of 6.75 hours from Painted Hills to Shoshone.
Remember to break up your journey, take rest breaks, and split the driving if you can.
We arrived in Shoshone at around midday so there was plenty of time to explore and enjoy some of the sites. Some of Shoshone’s best attractions include:
There’s some incredible and interesting geological specimens to find at Black Magic Canyon in Shoshone. It is possible to hike here, but don’t expect it to be an easy hike!
You’ll need to ensure you’ve got a good pair of sturdy hiking boots on your road trip packing list, as there’s plenty of scrambling throughout this hike. You’ll have to scramble over smooth basalt which can be very slippery, so watch out!
The canyon is also a popular spot for rattlesnakes, especially in the summer, so keep your wits about you.
Once you’ve finished at Shoshone it’s time to head to Craters of the Moon for the night. This is a National Monument and National Preserve in the Snake River Plain, in central Idaho.
Found between the small towns of Arco and Carey, Craters of the Moon has an average elevation of 5,900 feet above sea level. It takes around 1 hour 45 minutes to drive from Shoshone to Craters of the Moon.
You can camp here at the Lava Flow Campground. As the name suggests it’s surrounded by a young lava flow. It’s a really well located campsite as it's in close proximity to the visitor centre and popular trails.
Opening of the campsite is weather dependant - so check the conditions before you travel. Also bear in mind that the campsite is first come first serve.
To claim a campsite, leave an item in your desired spot, and then register your vehicle at the fee machine on site. Payment is via card only, and costs $20/night.
If you're unable to secure a spot you can always check iOverlander to see if there are any other awesome camping options nearby. It's one of our favorite travel apps and we've used it extensively whilst road-tripping in our van.
There’s plenty to do at Craters of the Moon, depending on how much time you have.
In just a quick 30 minutes you can drive along the scenic 7-mile loop road, and soak up the views.
We decided to go hiking at the Craters of the Moon in the morning. There’s a variety of hiking trails to choose from, of varying length and difficulty.
Some of the most popular include Broken Top Loop trail which is 1.8 miles long, and incorporates lots of unique volcanic features.
Another 2 miles trail is Tree Moulds Trail which winds through the wilderness. The trail gets its name from the moulds of ancient trees encased in lava that you can see throughout the walk.
If you’re after something a little longer, there’s the 3.5 mile North Crater Trail loop.
Inferno Cone is a short but steep hike, offering awe-inspiring views from the top.
There’s the chance to do some cave exploring at Craters of the Moon too. You can get a free cave permit from the visitor centre.
The two most popular caves are Indian Tunnel and Dewdrop Cave. These are easily accessed by the 1.6 mile round trip caves trail.
After hiking here, we headed towards Yellowstone National Park. The total drive time is around 4 hours 15 minutes.
Find somewhere to stay outside Yellowstone that night.
Dating back to March 1872, Yellowstone is the world’s first ever National Park.
It spans across a whopping 2.2 million acres and gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy a whole host of hydrothermal and geological features, as well as amazing opportunities to see wildlife.
With such a vast area to explore, you can easily spend more than one day in Yellowstone National Park, but on this USA west coast trip we only spent a day.
Before driving into the park, check the road conditions.
With a limited time to spend in Yellowstone, you’re going to have to plan your visit carefully.
Some of the best attractions include:
If you're just looking to see the best of the park then check out this small-group guided tour!
It's important to note that you can’t camp or park anywhere in Yellowstone.
Overnight vehicle parking in pullouts, picnic areas / grounds, or anywhere other than a designated campground isn’t permitted, and you’ll be fined and asked to move on for doing so.
After spending the full day in Yellowstone, drive back out and find a place to park for the night.
You can often find camping / parking spots available in neighbouring communities and forests just outside the park.
We spent a lot of day 12 on the road, making the 500 mile journey from Yellowstone to Salt Lake City, the state capital of Utah.
Of course, you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time for the drive so you can take in all the scenery, and take adequate rest breaks.
Famed for its mountains, canyons, and Ski resorts, Salt Lake City is not a place to be missed.
There’s so much to see and do in and around the city. You could easily spend more than a day here!
A great way to make the most of your time there, is to use the Salt Lake Connect Pass.
This makes sightseeing really easy and affordable.
We have a complete guide of things to do in Salt Lake City, but some of the highlights include:
If you have more time in the city, check out Salt Lake Paragliding and Salt Lake Brew and Bike Tour.
We spent the night parked near Salt Lake City, but there are plenty of accommodation options in the city itself. If you're looking for a bargain, then check out our guide on how to get cheap hotel rooms...
We finish up the first week by leaving Salt Lake City and exploring more of Utah, before heading into a new state for the next leg of our USA west coast road trip….
The next 2 weeks of the trip takes up slightly less kms than the first leg.
But we’re still covering over 1000 km of ground, so there’s still plenty to take in!
This section of the west coast road trip itinerary sees us travel to Utah, and some of its amazing Mighty 5 National Parks, as well as other national parks throughout Colorado.
This is probably a good time to recommend the National Parks pass!
They cost $80 for a year pass, which gives you access to over 2000 recreation areas.
These are fantastic value for money, as the entrance fee is around $30-40 per park.
If you visit all 5 of the Utah Mighty 5, it works out much cheaper to get the annual pass.
Each annual pass can have up to two owners, and permits the pass owner and all passengers in a non-commercial vehicle, entry to the parks.
We’re going to be passing through some of our favourite destinations in the world, so it’s set to be a fantastic couple of weeks.
On the morning of Day 13, we left Salt Lake City and headed to the first of Utah’s National Parks on our itinerary, so get your annual pass ready!
Capitol Reef National Park is filled with amazing landscapes; cliffs, canyons, domes, bridges, and more. It’s also home to the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long ‘wrinkle’ in the Earth’s crust, which is between 50 and 70 million years old.
Most cars, pickups and vans can navigate the roads without difficulty, but it’s important to check the weather conditions before you travel.
Once we got to Capitol Reef we spent the night there. It’s a great place to camp, with one developed campground, two primitive campgrounds, and loads of spots for backcountry camping.
Camping here is fantastic especially as the night sky is absolutely incredible.
There are plenty of sights and activities to enjoy in Capitol Reef including rock climbing and bouldering, Goosenecks Overlook, Chimney Rock pillar, Hickman Bridge Arch and Cathedral Valley.
If you’re looking to get off the beaten track in Capitol Reef, head to the Waterpocket District. It’s more remote and rugged than the rest of the park.
If you’re heading out into the Capitol Reef backcountry, be aware that the weather can be varied and unpredictable. Temperatures often stay below freezing in winter, but reach to over 37°C in the height of summer.
There are a bunch of hikes to do in Capitol Reef, and this is how we kicked off our morning in the park.
If you’re not feeling a hike and would rather just see the sights from your car with shorter walks and viewpoints, then The Scenic Drive is a great option.
It’s a 7.9 mile paved road with spurs into the Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge. It isn’t a loop, so you’ve got to go out and come back, but it means you’ll see many of the famous viewpoints in Capitol Reef NP.
We stopped at Etta Place Cider on the way through Capitol Reef to pick up some Utah cider!
After spending some time enjoying this national park, we headed to Goblin Valley State Park.
This is a totally remote, but totally unique site, so it’s well worth a visit. In fact, it’s often considered one of the coolest places to visit in Utah state.
The name ‘Goblin’ comes from the thousands of ‘hoodoos’, some of which are several metres tall.
These have become known as ‘goblins’ by the locals, hence the name of the state park. It’s the perfect stop on the way from Capitol Reef to Moab.
As it isn’t a National Park, there are separate fees to enter this state park. You also need a permit if you wish to use a drone.
After spending some time with the Goblins, it’s time to head to our stop for the night - the epic town of Moab around 100 miles away.
Enjoy some good food on your first night in Moab. Some great places to eat include:
Moab is the gateway to Arches National Park, the second of the Utah Mighty 5 on this west coast road trip.
It’s only 4 miles from Moab town to Arches National Park, and the latter gets its name from the 2,000 sandstone arches it’s home to.
This makes it home to the highest density of natural arches in the world!
Whilst fees can be covered by your National Park Pass, reservations are required before visiting the park.
The time you book your slot for, will depend on when you head to the national park.
Our advice would be to head there early in the morning, or later in the day after the coach trips have left.
It’s guaranteed to be busy here, as Arches National mark is probably one of the 2 most famous national parks in Utah.
Its incredible landscapes and geological features make the park feel truly out of this world.
Of its 2000 arches, two of the most famous are Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch. Landscape arch is the longest natural arch in the USA.
Arches is the perfect place for adventure activities too including mountain biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, canyoneering, camping, and hiking.
You can even take a 4x4 jeep tour into the national park if you wish!
There are also hiking trails for all abilities. Some of the shortest trails take just 15 minutes, whilst longer hikes can last for 4 hours.
We wouldn’t want you to miss these activities and sights when visiting Arches National Park:
The scenic drive is the perfect way to see all the best spots in the National park, with only a few short walks required. We did a 4-hour drive itinerary and managed to see a lot!
Some highlights for us were:
If the driving option isn’t for you, here’s a suggested hiking itinerary for Arches National Park:
Start with a hike to Delicate Arch. This is moderately challenging, but a good one to get done first thing!
It’s an easy 1 hour hike from here to Landscape Arch.
This arch is part of the Devil’s Garden, a challenging 3-4 hour hike combining 6 arches. You could spend the rest of your day in Arches National Park doing this, or come back the following day to complete the 7.2 mile hike if you have the time.
After visiting Landscape Arch at the very north end of the park, you can start making your way towards the park entrance. Along the way there are short, easy trails to reach Skyline Arch and Sand Dune Arch.
You can also make quick 15 minute stops as Balance Rock and Fiery Furnace viewpoint. Fiery Furnace is a maze of slot canyons. There’s a trail here but it’s only for permit holders. Visitors can only look from the viewpoint!
I know you shouldn’t have favourites, but I have to say, this was my favourite national park on this road trip.
And I’m not the only one that’s a huge Canyonlands Fan!
Author Edward Abbey once described Canyonlands as "the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth—there is nothing else like it anywhere."
Canyonlands National Park is split into four different sections: The Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze and the Green, and the Colorado River. Honestly, It’s easy to spend days exploring here!
When we visited Canyonlands, we went to Island in the Sky. This is the most popular section of the park, and has some absolutely insane views.
Island in the Sky is also a great part of the park to camp in.
Some of our favourite sights here were:
Mesa Arch is one of the most iconic and famous sights in all of Utah, especially for sunrise and sunset.
It’s also known as Rotary Arch and Trail Arch, and has amazing views of canyons, La Sal Mountains, Monster Tower and Washer Woman arch. These views are considered to be some of the best in Utah’s National Parks.
It’s really easy to get to Mesa Arch, via an easy 0.5 mile hiking trail. Sunrise is renowned for being significantly iconic, so head here first thing to avoid the crowds.
Tip: Make sure you fuel up before you head into Canyonlands National Park as it’s one road out and back, and there is nothing there.
Close to Canyonlands National Park is Dead Horse Point State Park. It’s definitely worth a visit, especially as you’ll pass by it on your way out of Canyonlands.
It’s a $20 entrance fee for a vehicle, and this isn’t included with your national park pass (because it’s a state park). The landscape of Dead Horse Point has a very “grand canyon” feel to it. So much so in fact, it was used as the “grand canyon” in the movie Thelma and Louise.
There isn’t a lot of hiking to do in the place, but there are a bunch of bike trails if you like to do that, and you can stay overnight in your campervan if you have one!
Driving Time: It’s a 30 minute drive from Moab to the entrance of the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park. Then it’s another 20 minutes to drive between Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point State Park.
This is certainly one for the adrenaline junkies amongst us. Moab Adventure Center offers some amazing Moab activities, including river rafting, off-roading, rock climbing and canyoneering.
Their most popular activity is Canyoneering at Grandstaff Canyon.
It’s easy to think that canyoneering is similar to rock climbing, but there’s quite a significant difference.
Rock climbers use textures, bumps and cracks in the walls to reach the top, whilst canyoneers slip or rappel into areas that can only be accessed by rope.
Canyoneering in Moab promises to be an unforgettable day out. Rappelling 120 feet off Morning Glory Arch down into Ephedra’s Grotto is certainly an experience like no other.
There’s the option for a private canyoneering tour for a more customisable experience.
Moab Adventure Centre also offers the only ziplining tour in Moab.
Yes we are STILL in Moab! But there is so much to see and do in and around the city that it’s well worth the time.
Some of the best things to do in Moab include:
It’s finally time to leave Moab!
We’re heading out of Utah and beginning our road trip of Colorado, kicking off this new state by getting our teeth into another national park.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison is home to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rocks, and craggiest spires in the whole of North America.
There’s also a whole lot of history laced within this park. It all began around 60 million years ago when the Gunnison Uplift took place. This exposed 1.8 billion year old metamorphic rock to high elevations which has since been buried in volcanic rock.
The Gunnison River started to flow around 2 million years ago, eroding the volcanic rock to form what we now know to be the Black Canyon of Gunnison.
On arrival here, we got hiking straight away.
There are a variety of different hikes that are worth checking out including:
North Vista Trail is brilliant as it incorporates Exclamation Point, where there are some of the best inner-canyon views.
Then you continue to the Green Mountain where there’s panoramic vistas including the San Juan Mountains, the West Elks, Grand Mesa, the Uncompahgre Plateau, as well as an aerial perspective of the Black Canyon.
If hiking isn’t your cup of tea, there are some amazing driving routes in Black Canyon and the Gunnison National Park. One of the best has to be the South Rim Drive, the main road to access all viewpoints and hiking trails.
It’s only 7.2 miles long but checks off 12 viewpoints including Gunnison Point, Pulpit Rock, Chasm View, Painted Wall and Sunset View.
Two tips for visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison:
Aspen is a well known ski resort town in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, but it’s a popular year round destination for outdoor activities and recreation.
Some of the best Aspen attractions include:
This drive takes you via Glenwood Springs, which is definitely worth a stop.
It’s a really cute town that also has some amazing hot springs!
Depending on the season, there’s a whole host of activities available here including skiing and snowmobiling in the winter, and climbing, hiking the Hanging Lake Trail and aerial activities in the summer.
You'll also want to go on a rafting trip if you have the chance!
The Glenwood Springs hot springs are always worth a visit and there are three to choose from:
We’d definitely recommend setting aside an hour or two for a dip at one of these amazing hot springs.
From here, head to Georgetown Loop Railroad, which is around 115 miles away.
This is a narrow gauge US heritage railroad. It’s one of the most authentic living museums and historically immersive experiences in Colorado.
Although it doesn’t take very long to enjoy this experience, it’s really fun and definitely worth the stop.
The tourist train runs between Georgetown and Silver Plume - you’ll need to book this in advance.
The route weaves mountainous terrain, ascending to an elevation of 640 feet, so there’s certainly some amazing views to see.
Find somewhere to stay nearby Georgetown Loop Railroad for tonight.
This leg of the journey sees us pass through another National Park - so get your pass ready!
The Rocky Mountain National Park is bursting with landscapes with meadows, mountains and alpine lakes.
The park is best seen and enjoyed from a hiking trail, of which there are 300! The shortest and most popular hike is the Bear Lake Hike.
Other popular hikes include Gem Lake, Alpine Ridge Trail, Twin Sisters and Sky Pond.
There are some great opportunities for wildlife spotting here too, with around 600-800 elks roaming within the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Within the park is Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved road in the entire US national park system. The highest point of the road sits at 12,183 feet.
Other great things to see and do at Rock Mountain NP are:
After spending some time exploring the park, we completed the final 46 miles of this journey to Fort Collins.
This is a brilliant city, and the fourth most populous in Colorado state.
We spent 2 nights in Fort Collins together with the tourism board, so we had 1 evening and 2 days of sightseeing.
Like I said before, we had a fair bit of time to sightsee in Fort Collins - we absolutely loved the city!
It’s a super fun and exciting place to explore, no matter how long you’re in Fort Collins for.
There are some great eateries, cafes, nightlife and hikes to enjoy, and there’s always amazing views of the mountains.
We have a full guide on the best things to do in Fort Collins, but our top highlights include:
As Fort Collins has such a great food scene, I'd recommend heading out on this old town food tour if you have the time!
It was with a heavy heart that we had to prize ourselves away from Fort Collins.
It’s only around 63 miles from Fort Collins to Denver, the state capital of Colorado.
As we didn’t leave Fort Collins until the evening, we didn’t quite reach Denver, and found somewhere to stay outside the city.
Yes, two or three nights in Denver is needed as there's plenty to see in this hip city!
There are lots of great things to do in Denver so you won't want to rush your time here.
Not only is it the state capital and the most populous city of Colorado, but there’s a lot going for it, most significantly it’s 300 sunshine days a year!
It’s also exactly one mile above sea level.
Denver is a really cool city, with an abundance of sports, arts, the great outdoors, eateries and breweries. Honestly, there's something for everyone here!
Some of our top recommendations for Denver include:
To save yourself some cash, check out the Denver City Pass!
Depending on how much time you want to spend in Denver, will depend on how late you leave to head to Colorado Springs.
It’s only a short journey from Denver to Colorado Springs. We stayed just outside of Colorado Springs.
Make sure you look out for ‘Castle Rock’ on the way down.
The next fortnight sees us spend a lot of time in Colorado, and understandably so as there are so many fantastic places to visit here!
We'll then creep back into Utah, before ending up in Arizona.
Of course there’s a few National Parks on the cards for the next fortnight, so make sure you’ve got your National Park Pass at the ready.
To start off this Colorado road trip section, you'll be in Colorado Springs which has an elevation of 6,035 ft so is home to some amazing landscapes.
It’s a fantastic city found close by to Pikes Peak, a site that was carved by glaciers just a few million years ago.
Pike Peak is an important landmark in Pike National Forest. There are lots of hiking trails here, as well as a cog railway which leads to the peak summit at over 14,000 feet.
Some of our Colorado Springs highlights included:
In the evening, head towards Royal George Railroad. This is about an hour from Colorado Springs.
The Royal George Railroad is the perfect combination of breathtaking scenery, and amazing food served with exceptional service.
The food is all locally sourced and serviced fresh on board, for all three meals of the day.
There are up to four daily departures and a variety of options for all guests including Murder Mystery Dinner Trains and First Class Lunch.
All meals are served with a selection of award winning wines, sourced from all over the globe.
It’s certainly a unique experience which we loved and would really recommend! However, you’ll need to book tickets in advance as it's a popular attraction.
After this, head towards Great Sand Dunes National Park in the early afternoon, and stay there for the night.
Great Sand Dunes NP is rated an International Dark Sky Park, so try your hand at stargazing.
The very aptly named Great Sand Dunes National Park is home to the tallest sand dunes in North America, with some reaching as tall as 750 ft!
It’s a totally unique place with wetlands, alpine lakes, grasslands, tundra and forest, to keep the dunes company.
Some of the best things to do here are sandboarding, and walking up the sand dunes, though I don’t recommend doing this in the intense summer heat!
Just be aware of the extreme weather conditions here!
The park’s high elevation makes it susceptible to tough winter conditions and snowfall anytime from November all the way through to April.
After spending the day enjoying the Sand Dunes, head towards Mesa Verde National Park. This is a fairly long drive, so you might want to stop at Durango on the way.
Another day, another National Park!
Don’t forget to get your annual National Parks Pass to save money on entry fees.
Mesa Verde National Park is our favourite Colorado National Park, and it’s not hard to see why.
Not only is it spectacular to look at and explore, but it actually has a lot of history, something the United States often lacks in general.
Mesa Verde is full of dwellings that date back nearly 900 years. These dwellings were built by Ancestral Puebloans from 1190 to 1260.
You need a guide to see all the dwellings, aside from The Step House, so planning is key for your trip to Mesa Verde!
In order to see some of the most popular dwellings, you need to pre-book.
Some other great things to do in Mesa Verde are:
We end the day in Bluff, a small Utah town which was nominated as one of Budget Travel Magazine’s coolest small towns.
In the morning, head to Valley of the Gods, which is home to one of the coolest driving loops and landscapes we’ve ever seen.
Better still, it’s free to enter!
We’d recommend spending around 2 hours at Valley of the Gods.
Although the driving route is only 17 miles long, it's all dirt and gravel, so it’s pretty bumpy and you’ll want to take it slow to take in all the sites.
The best thing about visiting Valley of the Gods is the road is usually deserted! You really feel like you’ve escaped civilization and everything associated with modern life - it’s a special place.
If you wanted to, you can actually stay overnight in your camper in Valley of the Gods as it’s BLM land.
However, we carried on and headed to Goosenecks State Park. It costs $5 per car to enter, and again you can camp if you wish.
Despite there being no maintained trails or access to water, the views are incredible so it’s well worth a visit!
It's fantastic landscapes makes it a top spot for photography, even night photography as it’s remoteness means there is very little light pollution.
The final journey of the day is to head to Lake Powell via Monument Valley which is right on the Utah-Arizona state line. You can find ‘Forrest Gump Point’ here so it’s definitely an iconic stop!
But more importantly, it’s a fantastic place to catch the sunset. What a way to end the day!
Lake Powell attracts 3 million visitors annually (so it must be good!)
It’s not actually a real lake, it’s a man-made reservoir. But nonetheless it’s a fantastic spot, and the ideal palace for hiking, camping, climbing, rappelling and even water skiing in canyons!
From here, it’s a 2 hour drive to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.
The sand here dates back to the Middle Jurassic geological period. A magical combination of iron oxides and minerals creates the dreamy pink colour that dominates the landscape.
We spent around 2 hours exploring here and recommend you do too.
The park is a popular sport for ATV riders, with about 90% of the dunes open to ATV riding.
All of the dunes are open for hiking, or simply just playing in sand!
There’s a varied biodiversity here, including the Coral Pink Tiger Beetle which is unique to this area.
Melting snow sometimes creates small ponds in the dunes that can attract amphibians like toads and salamanders.
Year on year the landscape here is changing! Thanks to the wind the dunes can move as much as 50 feet each year.
Once you’re sick of all the sand in your toes, it’s time to tick off another National Park on this USA west coast road trip - Bryce Canyon National Park.
This was our favourite of all the Utah national parks - I can’t even begin to describe the beauty on display here!
It’s home to the largest concentration of Hoodoos on the planet and you’ll need at least 2 hours to enjoy Bryce.
Perhaps you could take on one of its many hiking trails.
There are plenty of unmissable sights at Bryce, including:
We stayed overnight in Bryce National Park in one of their dedicated campsites. It was lovely and we’d highly recommend it. We stayed at Sunset Campground.
As the campsites are first come first served, you aren’t guaranteed a spot.
If you’re unable to find space at a campsite, there’s a subway spot near the overlander entrance where you can park up and stay the night.
The 1 hour drive to Cedar Breaks passes through Dixie National Forest - another beautiful drive!
There’s almost 2 million acres to explore here. Choices of activities include hiking in the wilderness and mountain biking. There’s even cross-country and downhill skiing in the winter!
There’s also the option to stay here either at a designated campground or out in the backcountry.
Allow yourself around an hour to enjoy Cedar Breaks National Monument. Often referred to as a ‘mini Bryce Canyon’, it sits at over 10,000 feet, overlooking an amphitheatre which buries down over half a mile! The entry fee is $10.
And then guess what?! You guessed it - another National Park!
The trails in Zion National Park date back centuries, and the park prides itself on a rich and vibrant history.
There are three campgrounds to choose from in Zion where you can spend the night.
A great way to see the best of Zion is via a scenic drive.
There’s a shuttle which takes you along the drive and it connects the Zion Canyon Visitor Centre to stops on the scenic route.
This takes around 1.5 hours out and back, and they leave every few minutes.
Aside from the drive, Zion is packed with beautiful hikes. Some other great things to do in Zion are:
From Zion, we then headed south to Grand Canyon Village. The drive takes a total of 5 hours, so it might be worth finding somewhere to stop along the way!
Grand Canyon Village is found on the south rim of the Grand Canyon National Park.
It’s the place where most visitors head to admire and marvel at the canyon.
Some popular things to do in Grand Canyon village include:
From here we headed round to Grand Canyon West, which takes around 4 hours and spent the night there.
Our second opportunity to marvel at the Grand Canyon is here at Grand Canyon West. Some great spots to enjoy the spectacular views are Eagle Point and Guano Point.
Here you can find the world famous Skywalk, white water rafting in the Colorado River and ziplining.
From here, it’s time to head to VEGAS! But on the way there’s time for a pit stop at Hoover Dam.
If you did want to head straight to Las Vegas, then you can always visit Grand Canyon West and the dam on this fantastic bus tour from the city. However, it just makes sense to do it along the way if you've got the time!
I doubt there’s a single person on the planet that hasn’t heard of Las Vegas.
It’s the sort of place you’ll want to hang around for a while - we spent 4 nights here!
There’s some amazing things to do here so you can easily fill your time. To save some cash check out the Las Vegas all-inclusive pass.
We’ve got a complete guide of the best attractions in Las Vegas, but here are some of the top recommendations:
Like many of the other road trip sections you can easily do this drive the other way around, especially as there are plenty of awesome RV rentals in Las Vegas.
And just like that we’re into the last quarter of our west coast national parks road trip.
We’ve just given ourselves a chance to rest and reset, with a 4 day stop in Vegas.
So it’s time to get back on the road and hit the ground running!
The last fortnight promises to be just as spectacular and jam packed as the first three.
After 4 days to enjoy the world renowned Vegas, it’s time to move on and continue the adventure.
We kicked off this final section of the journey with a long drive over, crossing into California, to Yosemite National Park.
As it’s a long drive of just over 450 miles, don’t do the journey in one go.
Stop somewhere along the way and spend the night! There's also plenty of places you can visit along the way between Vegas and Yosemite.
Now that you’re well rested, you can complete the long haul to Yosemite National Park, aiming to arrive by the early afternoon!
Yosemite is a fantastic national park, and again, you could spend much longer than just a day exploring.
Tunnel View has to be one of the best vistas at the national park. You can see Half Dome from a distance here, but if you want to get up close and personal, head to Mirror Lake.
You can actually climb up Half Dome, but ensure you have the necessary permits.
Some other great things to do in Yosemite include:
We spent the full day exploring Yosemite and then stayed here overnight.
There’s a fair few campgrounds to choose from but some of them require advance reservations so make sure you’re organised.
On day 46 we hit the road late morning, giving us a few more precious hours to soak up Yosemite and all its beauty.
It’s then a 3 and a half hour drive to Napa.
Napa is the principal city of Northern California’s wine country, so it would be rude to come here and not do a Napa Valley wine tour.
It’s famous for making really good wine, so to see if the rumors' are true you’re going to have to find out for yourself!
The Napa Valley is ideally placed to make world renowned wine thanks to California’s sunshine and cool, foggy mornings.
Wineries and vineyards are spread throughout the valley, which is situated between the Vaca and Mayacamas mountain ranges.
Aside from wine, other things to do in Napa Valley include kayaking on the River Napa, taking a hot air balloon ride, hiking, and olive oil tasting.
Once you’ve finished enjoying Napa, it’s a 1.5 hour drive to San Francisco - but not if you’ve been doing any wine tasting!!!!
We spent a total of 3 nights in San Francisco, and I think it’s definitely earned our time after it was voted the best city in the world in 2021!
Of course no trip to San Fran would be complete without getting eyes on the Golden Gate Bridge - a seaplane tour can give you some of the best views.
You'll also want to do the 1.7 mile walk across the bridge, a walk that’s best done at sunrise to avoid the crowds!
Another iconic attraction that’s likely on your bucket list is Alcatraz Island, and I'd also recommend going on a Golden Gate bay cruise.
And despite being a city there is still the opportunity for a hike, where you can admire the views from Twin Peaks San Francisco.
There are plenty of things to keep you busy in San Francisco, which is why we stayed put here and paused our west coast road trip for a few nights.
For a full list of the best things to do in San Francisco, check out our guide here!
After 3 nights in San Francisco we certainly had itchy feet again, so it’s time to get back on the road and head south to Santa Barbara.
This journey passes through Big Sur. This rugged stretch of California coast line, found off the Pacific Coast Highway is known for its winding turns, seaside cliffs and views of the coastline, which is often misty.
The Big Sur region is very sparsely populated, but has numerous state parks which are great for camping, hiking and beachcombing. You'll also find plenty of things to do in Big Sur, CA.
There’s totally unmatched scenery along here, and an ‘eclectic vibe you can’t find anywhere else’.
This long drive to Santa Barbara also incorporates plenty of other spots which are great for surfing. Simply stop to admire the pros riding the waves, or you could make some time to try and handle some of the ‘gnarly waves’ yourself.
After the long drive from San Francisco, we stayed in Santa Barbara for 2 nights. Santa Barbara is a coastal city, with the dramatic backdrop of the Santa Ynez Mountains.
The architecture here makes a nod to the Spanish colonial history of the city, with Mediterranean-style white buildings, with red tiled roofs.
With an average of 283 sunshine days a year, your 2 nights here are almost guaranteed to be blessed by the weather.
There’s a lot of great things to do in Santa Barbara including:
So we’ve done San Francisco, we’ve done Santa Barbara, but there’s another iconic California city we haven’t reached.
It’s LA of course!
No road trip along the USA west coast would be complete without heading to Los Angeles.
As the largest city in California state, there are SO many fantastic things to do in Los Angeles…
The quickest and most direct route from Santa Barbara to LA is the US-101 which takes around 90 minutes.
However, if you want to take the scenic route, which we always do around here, then head for the Pacific Coast Highway. This takes around 2 hours, unless you decide to make some stops on route.
And, there are some great stops on this journey such as Santa Monica, Malibu and Getty Villa.
We gave ourselves 4 nights in Los Angeles to enjoy all that the city has to offer.
Highlights of course include Santa Monica Pier and beach, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Venice Beach, but our Los Angeles travel guide includes all our top recommendations to help you plan your trip.
Like many of the cities in the United States, LA has an all-inclusive city pass which will save you money on attractions!
Now you could finish the road trip in Los Angeles, as of course this is a great hub for transferring to another destination, or flying home.
Or you could check off another California city, and head down to San Diego to spend a couple of days here.
If you're interested, here's some information on the best things to do in San Diego...
If 2 months feels a little too long for you, then you could cut out going east and stick to the actual west coast instead.
To bulk out the itinerary a little more, there’s plenty of worthwhile stops in between Portland and San Francisco you could add to your 1 month west coast road trip.
It’s time to venture to… Alaska!
Although not strictly the west coast of America, this will add an extra month nicely onto your itinerary, if you’re not quite ready for life on the road to come to an end just yet!
It will take 3 weeks to fully enjoy an Alaska road trip itinerary, followed by an extra week to drive between Alaska and Canada, to pick up the start of this USA west road trip itinerary in Vancouver or Washington.
Our Alaska road trip starts by entering Alaska via Little Gold Creek. There’s plenty of awesome stops on this route including Anchorage, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, Homer and Valdez.
There’s even the opportunity to drive up to the iconic Arctic Circle Sign.
Not only is Alaska the largest state in America, but it also has the longest coastline in the United States.
It’s without doubt a totally unique and incredible destination, so we’d of course recommend bolting this onto your ultimate USA west coast road trip.
Another great thing about Alaska is that there are some great RV rental companies to choose from!
There are tons of awesome adventures to be had in this incredible state but you'll need to be well-prepared. Check out our Alaska packing list if you're wondering what to take with you!
As you can there are so many amazing places to visit if you're traveling down the West Coast of America.
The great thing about this itinerary is that it's completely interchangeable depending on how much time you have!
However, there are some must-see spots in the states and that includes both cities and national parks.
When it comes to cities in the U.S, some of the most iconic include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Denver, and Seattle.
Each of these cities may require a day or two to see all the best sites so just keep that in mind!
You've also got endless national parks to choose from including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, Grand Canyon, and the Rockies.
So which are your must-see destinations along Americas West coast?
Will you follow our itinerary? or make your own?
For those who have a bit more time, why not include Death Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, and Olympic National Park in your itinerary?
If you're planning a North America road trip then here are some other guides you may find helpful:
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