Route Overview
About this Tour
The American Southwest is a world unto itself: monumental canyons, red deserts, surreal rock formations, and a sky so vast it seems endless. This region is home to Utah's 'Mighty Five', the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley (known from countless Westerns), and the gambling city of Las Vegas, which appears like a mirage from the desert. For RV travelers, this is the ultimate adventure.
Your Journey in Detail
🏜️Las Vegas & Grand Canyon
Las Vegas is the perfect counterpoint to the wilderness that follows – a city that explodes every night. The 'Strip' with its mega-casinos (Bellagio, Venetian, Caesars Palace) is a spectacle of superlatives: dancing fountains, replica Eiffel Towers, volcanoes, and free shows on every corner. The buffets are legendary (and cheap!), the pool parties wild. From Vegas, the Grand Canyon is reachable in 4-5 hours – the South Rim is the classic viewpoint, a chasm so vast that the eye can barely comprehend it. Sunrise at Mather Point is transcendent, sunset at Hopi Point no less so. The canyon is one mile deep, 16 kilometers wide, and tells 2 billion years of Earth history in its layers.
🌄Utah's 'Mighty Five'
Utah has five national parks, each unique and unforgettable. Zion is the most dramatic: 600-meter sandstone walls in red, pink, and white through which the Virgin River flows. The 'Angels Landing' trail is one of the most famous (and dizzying) in the USA – the final section leads over a narrow ridge with chains. 'The Narrows', a hike in the river through a narrow canyon, is another experience. Bryce Canyon isn't a canyon but an amphitheater of 'hoodoos' – tens of thousands of red-orange rock spires that look like armies of stone. Arches National Park near Moab has over 2,000 natural stone arches – Delicate Arch is Utah's icon, ubiquitous on license plates and postcards.
🎰Monument Valley to Yosemite
Monument Valley on the Arizona/Utah border IS the image of the Wild West – iconic red rock monoliths (called 'buttes') rising from the desert floor. John Ford shot his classic Westerns here, and the landscape has remained unchanged. The area belongs to the Navajo Indians, and tours with Navajo guides offer insights into culture and history. From here, head west to California. Death Valley is extreme: the hottest place on Earth, the lowest point in North America (Badwater Basin, 86m below sea level), but also surprisingly colorful (Artists Palette, Zabriskie Point). Yosemite is the majestic conclusion: El Capitan and Half Dome, waterfalls plunging hundreds of meters (Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls), and giant sequoias in Mariposa Grove.
💡Practical Tips
- ✓BLM land in the Southwest allows free camping (boondocking) – perfect for adventurers!
- ✓National park passes are worth it: the 'America the Beautiful Pass' costs $80 and is valid for one year for all parks.
- ✓Water, water, water – in the desert ALWAYS carry at least 4 liters per person per day!
At a Glance
Duration
14-21 Tage
Distance
2.500 km
Difficulty
Moderate
Highlights
- ⭐Grand Canyon
- ⭐Monument Valley
- ⭐Zion National Park
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