Denver to Las Vegas 2 – 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 – Enjoy the morning in the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain National Park and then cross the park on Trail Ridge Road and stop and hike along this scenic route, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Grand Lake
Day 4 – Drive to Aspen in scenic route 82 and enjoy the afternoon in the town, 4 hours drive
Lodging location: Aspen
Day 5 – Drive to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and visit the park and then continue south to Ouray, 4.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Ouray
Day 6 – Drive south on the scenic Million Dollar Hwy and visit the picturesque towns and natural areas along this route, continue to Mesa Verde National Park and spend the afternoon in this park, 3.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Mesa Verde or Cortez
Day 7 – Drive to the Monument Valley and spend some time in this magnificent area and then drive north to Moab, 4.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Moab
Day 8 – Visit Arches National Park, 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 9 – Go on a half day rafting tour on the Colorado River (out of Moab) and then visit Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky district), 1 hour drive in each direction
Lodging location: Moab
Day 10 – 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 11 – Visit Bryce National Park and drive to Zion National Park on scenic route 9, 2 hours drive
Lodging location: Springdale
Day 12 – Spend the day in Zion National Park’s Canyon and in the afternoon drive south to Las Vegas, 2.5 hours drive
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 13 – Spend the day in Las Vegas
Lodging location: Las Vegas
Day 14 – 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.
