The Ultimate Southwest Road Trip: Parks Hopping Itinerary

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Our first southwest road trip in the summer was when we did our National Parks hopping for the very first time. We traveled west from North Texas to New Mexico, Arizona, up to Colorado (a bit of West region), and back to New Mexico again before we headed home.

During this road trip to the southwest, we visited 5 National Parks and 3 National Monuments, as well as 3 museums and some other interesting places along the way. All in 13 days. Sounds crazy and ambitious, huh? But I tell you, it was one of the very memorable vacations for us. And no, it’s not ‘been there done that’ kind of a holiday. Trust me.

Below you will find the best places during southwest road trip that you need to put in your itinerary. As always, we started from North Texas, and you can adjust this itinerary from where you will start.  

Southwest Road Trip: Parks Hopping Itinerary

Day 1: Home (North Texas) to Whites City, NM ( 454 miles, about 7 hour. Destination is in a different time zone.)

Place Visited:

• Carlsbad Caverns National Park. When we arrived in the afternoon, it was too late to enter the caverns from the Natural Entrance. So, we took the elevator from the Visitor Center to do the Big Room Self-Guided Trail down under. Then we went back in the evening for Bat Flight Program, but it was canceled due to lightning. 

Entrance Fee:

• Free with National Park Pass; or $15 per person for 16 and older, free for 15 and younger. Good for 3 days. (prices updated on 4/30/21)

Accommodation & Meals:

• We stayed at Rodeway Inn and ate dinner at Velvet Garter Saloon and Restaurant by the entrance. Both were pretty bad but we came for the caverns. You can stay and eat at better places in Carlsbad for an extra 30 minutes driving (one-way).

Day 2: Whites City, NM to Alamogordo, NM (166 miles, about 3 hour.)

Places Visited:

• Carlsbad Caverns NP in the morning to do Natural Entrance Self-Guided Trail. However, this entrance is not recommended for visitors with heart or respiratory conditions. The trail is extremely steep. Depending on if you decide to hike up or down, you gain or lose about 750 feet (229 m) – equivalent to walking up or down a 75-story building. If you arrive in the morning and everyone is in a good health, enter the caverns through the Natural Entrance, do the Big Room Trail, then take the elevator to go to the Visitor Center.
• New Mexico Museum of Space History, Alamogordo. My friend from Tucson, Arizona suggested this museum because she knew our son likes everything outer space. And we didn’t disappointed. In May 2016, the Lonely Planet published a book about 50 museums around the world to blow your mind. New Mexico Museum of Space History was one of them. 
• White Sands National Park, Alamogordo. One of the world’s great natural wonders, where you can sled, hike, or walk on the world’s largest gypsum dunefield. What I like about the gypsum sand, they feel cool to the touch and don’t stick to your skin. 

Entrance Fee:

• NM Museum of Space History: Adult (13-59) $5; Senior (60+), Military, NM Resident $5; Children (4-12) $5; Tots (3 and under) Free. (a temporary reduced entry fee of $5 per person due to ongoing renovation and other projects. Updated on 4/30/21)
• White Sands NP: Free with National Park Pass; or $25 per vehicle, $15 per person (per person fee is only charged if there is only one person in the vehicle), and $20 per motorcycle. Entrance fees are valid for entry for seven consecutive days from the date of purchase. Or, buy a $45 White Sands National Park Annual Pass.  (prices updated on 4/30/21)

Accommodation & Meals:

• Plenty of hotels and restaurants to choose from in the city. Some hotels fee included snow-saucer to use when you visit the park.

Day 3: Alamogordo, NM to Tucson, AZ (349 miles, about 5 hours. Destination is in a different time zone.)

Places Visited:

• White Sands National Park for more fun.
• The World’s Largest Pistachio Nut at McGinn’s Farm, Alamogordo. A quick stop for a roadside attraction, and of course, pistachios for snacking in the car. 
• Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona until dark. A unique park where you can see saguaro cactus. When visiting in the summer, make sure to arrive late afternoon or early in the morning. Temperature above 110 F is normal here, and it is super dry as well.    

Entrance Fee:

• Saguaro National Park is free with National Park Pass; or $25 – vehicle weekly pass; $15 – individual weekly pass (entering by foot or bicycle); $20 – motorcycle weekly pass. Entrance fee is good for seven days and includes both the Tucson Mountain District (West) and the Rincon Mountain District (East.) (updated on 4/30/21)

Accommodation & Meals:

• We stayed at Hilton Hotel near the park and it was the cheapest hotel we had during the trip: $69/night including tax. It’s an old one but they upgraded all the rooms like the new ones. You can find all kinds of restaurant around the area.

Day 4: Tucson, AZ to Holbrook, AZ (237 miles, about 4.5 hours.)

Place Visited:

• Petrified Forest National Park. A place to see petrified wood from sizes as tiny as your fingernail to as big as an old Elm tree. You will also enjoy colorful badlands and painted desert here, and it is the only National Park that contains a section of Historic Route 66. We entered through South End and exited through North End when it got dark.  

Entrance Fee:

• Free with National Park Pass; or $25 – auto/7-days pass; $15 – bike/person; $20 – motorcycle (flat fee). (prices updated on 4/30/21.)

Accommodation & Meals:

• Choice of roadside hotels and restaurants in Holbrook, AZ.

Day 5: Holbrook, AZ to Grand Canyon National Park, AZ (182 miles, about 3 hours.)

Places Visited:

• Meteor Crater in Winslow, AZ (about an hour from Holbrook). This is a place where you can see the world’s best preserved meteorite impact site on earth. A spectacular result of a collision that rock the American Southwest about 50,000 years ago with the energy of more than 20 million tons of TNT. It wasn’t in our original Southwest road trip itinerary, and we’re glad we made a stop here. Too bad Meteor Crater is a private own, so they don’t recognized your National Park Pass here.     
• Grand Canyon National Park, south rim (about 2 hour from Winslow). Definitely a must-visit! We entered through the East Entrance, so we started our day in the park from the Desert View all the way to the Village. I think we stopped at every view points between the two places. 

Entrance Fee:

• Meteor Crater: – Adults $22.00, Seniors $20.00 (age 60 years and over), Juniors $13.00 (age 6 through 12 years), 5 and under are free, Non-Active Duty U.S Military/Veterans (with I.D.) $13.00, Active Duty U.S. Military (with I.D.) FREE. If you buy ticket online, you will save $2 each. (prices updated on 4/30/21.)
• Grand Canyon NP: Free with National Park Pass; or $35 – vehicle permit; $30 – motorcycle permit; $20/person – individual permit when entering by foot, bicycle, park shuttle bus, Grand Canyon Railway and private rafting trip. Individuals 15 years old and younger are admitted free of charge. (For 7 days, incl. North and South Rim). (prices updated on 4/30/21.)

Accommodation & Meals:

• We stayed at Yavapai Lodge and ate at the restaurant in the Grand Canyon South Rim Village.

Day 6: Explored Grand Canyon National Park.

Places Visited:

After we picked up the Junior Ranger booklet from the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, we walked to the famous Mather Point then follow the Rim Trail all the way to Bright Angel Trailhead. After lunch we went to Hermits Rest. We joined  three Ranger Programs and we ended the day by watching sunset at Yaki Point.

Notes:

We parked the car in front of our room and used the shuttle bus around. I also noticed that the family who stayed in the next room brought along their small grill. I saw the husband grilled hot dogs in the evening and I think it’s a good idea for saving money. Food prices at the Village are not cheap, and if there are 4 adults and 2 children in a family like them, prices add up easily. Not to mention if you stay more than 2 nights.  

Day 7: Grand Canyon NP, AZ to Page, AZ (131 miles, about 2.5 hours.)

Places Visited:

• Grand Canyon in the morning. Before we left for our next destination in this Southwest road trip, we hiked to Ooh Aah Point at the South Kaibab Trailhead. I highly recommend you to do this hike. Views were amazing and the weather in the morning was cool. Going up is not as easy as going down though, but children will love their times here.    
• Antelope Canyon in Page. I had no idea that you must booked your ticket for Antelope Canyon in advance to secure a place. Fortunately they had slots for our family. Remember! We went there in 2014 and today Page has ton of tourists from all over the world. 

Entrance Fee:

• Antelope Upper Canyon Tour price is varied, depends on time of tour; Adult (8 & older) $62, Children (0-7) $52. There is an additional $8 Navajo Park Fee for those aged 8 and above, plus surcharges. (prices updated on 4/30/21)

Accommodation & Meals:

• Page is a vacation destination with its Lake Powell, so lots of hotels and restaurants to choose from.

Day 8: Page, AZ to Mesa Verde, CO (245 miles, about 4 hours.)

Visited:

• Horseshoe Bend Overlook, Page. We make a stop at this famous place before we continued to Mesa Verde NP in Colorado. A very beautiful nature that you shouldn’t skip during your road trip to the Southwest. Back in 2014 parking was small and free, and no toilets like today. I would say less than 30 visitors that morning. So different when we came back in 2018 with my sister and her family. 
• The Four Corners, Teec Nos Pos, AZ. In my opinion, you don’t need to make a special trip here unless you will drive through this area during your Southwest road trip.
• Mesa Verde National Park, CO. The cliff dwellings in the park are amazing. You must do at least one of the house tours and buy the tickets right when you arrive at the Visitor Center. That’s what we did when we got there in the afternoon, we booked house tour tickets for the next day. After looking through the exhibit, we drove all the way to Mesa Top Loop Road and stopped at several view points. It took an hour to get there from the Visitor Center.

Entrance Fee:

• Horseshoe Bend Overlook is free, however you must pay for parking now. $5 – motorcycle, $10 – passenger vehicles (incl. RV and motorhome), and prices are subject to change without notice. 
• The Four Corners: $5 per person, ages 6 and younger free.
• Mesa Verde NP: Free with National Park Pass; or Private vehicles (Jan. 2 – April 30 2021 & Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2021: $20; May 1 – Oct. 31: $30); Motorcycle (Jan. 2 – April 30, 2021 & Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2021: $15; May 1 – Oct. 31, 2021: $25); Cyclist or individual on non-commercial bus (Jan. 2 – April 30, 2021 & Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2021: $10; May 1 – Oct. 31, 2021: $15). Good for 7 days. (prices updated on 4/30/21)

Accommodation & Meals:

• We stayed at Far View Lodge in Mesa Verde National Park. No TVs. It’s very quiet and peaceful in the evening. We ate at restaurants in the park.

Day 9: Explored Mesa Verde National Park.

Places Visited:

Our day in the park starting with one-hour, ranger-guided tour to Cliff Palace. It is the largest cliff dwelling in the park. After the tour we continued with hiking the Soda Canyon Overlook Trails that is in the Cliff Palace Loop, too.

From here we visited Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum  and Spruce Tree House that are located just before the Mesa Top Loop. Spruce Tree is a self-guided tour, but today the site is closed for the foreseeable future due to safety concerns related to rock falls.

Before we went back to our lodge, we drove the Mesa Top Loop again to visit places that we didn’t get to see the day before. Then we ended the day at the Far View Sites.    

Day 10: Mesa Verde, CO to Santa Fe, NM (294 miles, about 5 hours.)

Places Visited:

• In the morning we went to Wetherill Mesa on the other side of the park. We did a self-guiding tour to Step House, before we continued to our Southwest road trip next destination. Back to New Mexico.
• Arrived late afternoon in Santa Fe. We browsed downtown area to get a picture of the city. Beautiful one.

Accommodation & Meals:

• Lots of hotels and restaurants that will match your budget in Santa Fe.

Day 11: Santa Fe, NM to Los Alamos, NM (33.8 miles, about 40 min.)

Places Visited:

• Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe. Famous for its miraculous staircase that has no visible means of support, Loretto Chapel is a wonderful addition to your Southwest road trip. We arrived before they opening hours to avoid crowds. Just make sure to check their website before you visit, because this beautiful chapel is a favorite for weddings.
• Canyon Road in Santa Fe. Not too far from Loretto Chapel, Canyon Road is a street dedicated to the country’s finest art. Enjoy a pleasant stroll while admiring art pieces created by artists from all over the U.S. and the world. Besides art galleries, the street is also home to Santa Fe’s finest jewelry and dining establishments.  
• Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos. An interesting place where you can walk through the archeological sites and climb into cavates (small human-carved alcoves). You can also climb to the Alcove House, locate 140 feet above the floor of Frijoles Canyon. There will be four wooden ladders and a number of stone stairs that you must climb to reach the house. I didn’t touch my camera at all when we climbed the ladders. Too scary for taking pictures.   

Entrance Fee:

• Loretto Chapel: $5/person, children 6 and under Free.
• Bandelier NM: Free with National Park Pass; or $25 – private vehicle 7 day permit; $12 – individual 7 day entry permit; $20 – motorcycle 7 day permit. (prices updated on 4/30/21)

Accommodation & Meals:

• We moved to Albuquerque to get closer to places we visited the next day. Again, lots of hotels and restaurants that will match your budget. In Santa Fe, we had lunch at Cowgirl BBQ.

Day 12: Santa Fe, NM to Albuquerque, NM (64 miles, about one hour.)

Places Visited:

• Petroglyph National Monument. If your children like history, this is a place for them to learn about Native Americans and Spanish settlers from 400-700 years ago. Our son had fun finding petroglyph on volcanic rocks while doing his Junior Ranger Program here.  
• Explora (the science center and children museum). If only our local Children and Science Museum like Explora. We had fun exploring this museum that is full with hands-on activities.  
• New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Like Explora, you can’t miss this museum while in Albuquerque. You will take a journey through billions of years of New Mexico’s natural history, watching how scientists extracting dinosaur fossils from the rock matrix, exploring the night sky of New Mexico, and so much more. And this museum located right across the Explora.   

Entrance Fee:

• Petroglyph NM: Free with paid parking ($1 weekdays, $2 weekends).
• Explora: Free with your museum membership card (check with Explora first); or Children (ages 1-11): $6, Adults (ages 12-64): $10, Seniors (age 65+, with ID): $7, Students or Military (with ID): $7. (prices updated on 4/30/21. They still closed as of today.)
• NM Museum of Natural History and Science: Free with your museum membership card (check with the museum first); or adults (13-59) – $8, seniors (60+) – $7, children (3-12) – $5. (prices updated on 4/30/21. Open only Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.))

Day 13: Albuquerque, NM to home in North Texas (644 miles, about 9.30 hours. Destination is in a different time zone.)

General tip:

• We bought National Park Pass for the trip that was also good for National Monument. (Cost $80).
• Booked hotels in advance, especially for Grand Canyon NP.
• Found information online, travel blogs, from magazines, and friends who’d been to these places or live around the area.