Denver to Las Vegas 1 – A beautiful breathtaking route that features spectacular scenery – perfect for nature lovers. This diverse route combines the glacial peaks of the Rocky Mountains (in Colorado) with the deserts of southern Utah. In addition to visiting the cities of Denver Las Vegas and charming small towns (Aspen, the towns along the Million Dollar Highway and more), this route leads to 8 (!) National Parks – Rocky Mountains, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mesa Verde, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce and Zion, in addition to few National Monuments and State Parks and many other nature sites. This route crosses the Rocky Mountains several times, and in cases of extreme weather (especially during transition months in Autumn) roads along it may be temporally closed.
Day 1 – Land in Denver and spend a few hours in the city
Lodging location: Denver
Day 2 – Drive to the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain National Park and visit this area of the park, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Estes Park
Day 3 – Hike and travel in the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain National Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Estes Park
Day 4 – Cross the Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road and stop and hike along this scenic route, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Grand Lake
Day 5 – Drive to Aspen in scenic route 82 and enjoy the afternoon in the town, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Aspen
Day 6 – Visit Aspen and enjoy this town’s many activities and in the afternoon drive to Montrose, 3 hours drive
Lodging location: Montrose
Day 7 – Visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and then continue south to Ouray, 1.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Ouray
Day 8 – Drive south on the scenic Million Dollar Hwy and visit the picturesque towns and natural areas along this route, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Durango
Day 9 – Drive to Mesa Verde National Park and spend the day in this park, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Mesa Verde or Cortez
Day 10 – Drive to the Monument Valley spend the day in this magnificent area, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Goulding’s or The View Hotel
Day 11 – Drive to north Moab and visit sites along the way or go on an half day rafting tour on the Colorado River (out of Moab), 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Moab
Day 12 – Visit Arches National Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 13 – Visit Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky district), 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 14 – Drive to Bryce National Park through Capitol Reef National Park (it is highly recommended to drive via roads 24 and 12), 5 hours drive
Lodging location: Bryce
Day 15 – Visit Bryce National Park and drive to Zion National Park on scenic route 9, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Springdale
Day 16 – Spend the day in Zion National Park’s Canyon
Lodging location: Springdale
Day 17 – Drive to Las Vegas and enjoy the afternoon in the city, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 18 – Spend the day in Las Vegas
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 19 – Fly Home
– In order to fill this route with content – see our Southwest USA destinations pages, where you can find articles that include suggestions what to do in various locations along this route.
