Red Rocks & Geysers Loop
A scenic loop through the iconic red rock landscapes of Utah and the geothermal wonders of Yellowstone National Park.
Moab → Arches → Bryce Canyon → Zion → Salt Lake City → Idaho Falls → Yellowstone Canyon → Old Faithful → Mammoth Hot Springs
The Red Rocks of Moab
Start your journey in Moab. I'd head straight for the Delicate Arch trail while your legs are fresh. It’s about a 3-mile round trip, and seeing that freestanding arch against the blue sky is the quintessential Utah moment.
Arches National Park
Arches National Park is a national park that is in Utah's Canyon Country near the town of Moab. It is home to the world's greatest concentration of natural arches, including Delicate Arch, one of the state's most famous icons.
The Windows Section
This area has a high concentration of arches with very little hiking required. Walk through the North Window and Turret Arch for some easy, massive scale photos.
Park Avenue Trail
End the day walking between the towering sandstone "skyscrapers." The shadows get long here around 5 PM, making the red rock glow like it's plugged into an outlet.
Canyons and Painted Cliffs
We’re heading south and then west toward the high plateaus.
Depart
We’re heading south and then west toward the high plateaus.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park in Utah's Canyon Country. Some 35,835 acres (14,502 ha) or 56 mi² (145 km²) in extent, the designated area around the spectacular Bryce Canyon (not actually a canyon, but rather a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion) became a United States National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a National Park in 1928.
Inspiration Point
Catch the late afternoon light hitting the silent city of rocks below. It’s chilly up here even in summer, so keep a hoodie in the car.
The Narrows and Great Temples
Enter through the East Entrance to drive the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway; the tunnel is an engineering marvel. Once in the canyon, take the shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava.
Zion National Park
Even among America's national parks, few can match the stunning beauty of Zion National Park. Situated between the Dixie and Canyon Country regions of southern Utah, the park protects a series of incredible rock formations and high sandstone cliffs, and is a favorite spot for hiking, backpacking, canyoneering and climbing.
Riverside Walk
This is the gateway to the Narrows. You can walk the paved path along the Virgin River. If you want to wade into the water, make sure you checked the flash flood flash at the visitor center first.
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
The Floor of the Valley Road, also known as the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, follows the canyon of the North Fork of the Virgin River, also known as Zion Canyon, through Zion National Park, Utah.
The Long Road North
Today is our "big mile" day to bridge the gap between the desert and the mountains.
Depart
Today is our "big mile" day to bridge the gap between the desert and the mountains.
Temple Square
Temple Square is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately adjacent to Temple Square.
Idaho Falls River Walk
A beautiful spot to break the final leg of the drive. The man-made falls right in the middle of town are surprisingly peaceful and a great place to decompress from the highway.
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Grab a coffee and enter the park through the West Entrance. This is the heart of grizzly and bison country, so keep your eyes peeled.
West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone, Montana, is a rustic mountain town nestled between National Forest lands and is the gateway to Yellowstone National Park. It is only a mile from the park entrance, and the town's airport is the closest to the park, and to attractions like Old Faithful.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is the first large canyon on the Yellowstone River downstream from Yellowstone Falls in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The canyon is approximately 24 miles (39 km) long, between 800 and 1,200 ft deep and from 0.25 to 0.75 mi wide.
Hayden Valley
Hayden Valley is a large, sub-alpine valley within Yellowstone National Park straddling the Yellowstone River between Yellowstone Falls and Yellowstone Lake. The valley floor along the river is an ancient lake bed from a time when Yellowstone Lake was much larger.
Geysers and Prismatic Pools
Go to the Midway Geyser Basin. To see the colors best, take the Fairy Falls trail to the overlook—looking at it from ground level doesn't do the rainbow colors justice.
Grand Prismatic Spring
The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, after Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand and Boiling Lake in Dominica. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin.
Old Faithful
Old Faithful is a cone geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States. It was named in 1870 during the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition and was the first geyser in the park to be named. It is a highly predictable geothermal feature, erupting on average every 92 minutes, with the period between eruptions ranging from as short as 35 minutes to as long as 120 minutes.
West Thumb Geyser Basin
The geothermal areas of Yellowstone include several geyser basins in Yellowstone National Park as well as other geothermal features such as hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. The number of thermal features in Yellowstone is estimated at 10,000. A study that was completed in 2011 found that a total of 1,283 geysers have erupted in Yellowstone, 465 of which are active during an average year.
Mammoth Hot Springs and Departure
Drive north to see the travertine terraces. They look like a frozen white waterfall. It’s a completely different landscape from the geysers we saw yesterday.
Mammoth Hot Springs
Mammoth Hot Springs is a large complex of hot springs on a hill of travertine in Yellowstone National Park adjacent to Fort Yellowstone and the Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District. It was created over thousands of years as hot water from the spring cooled and deposited calcium carbonate. Because of the huge amount of geothermal vents, travertine flourishes.
Roosevelt Arch
The Roosevelt Arch is a rusticated gate at the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Montana, United States. Constructed under the supervision of the US Army at Fort Yellowstone, its cornerstone was laid down by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903.
Gardiner
Grab a final burger in this rugged mountain town before you start your journey toward your flight or the long drive home.
- Day 4: 7h 37m driving — plan rest stops