Top 10 Must-See Destinations on a Western Road Trip

Top 10 Must-See Destinations on a Western Road Trip
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Thanks to Getty Images for the pictures and videos!
For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the most stunning, unique and picturesque natural destinations in Western America that you need to check out on your next road trip.
#10: Monument Valley
Utah and Arizona
#9: Valley of Fire State Park
Nevada
#8: Sequoia National Park
California
#7: Horseshoe Bend
Arizona
#6: Jackson Hole
Wyoming
#5: Lake Tahoe
California and Nevada
#4: Upper Antelope Canyon
Arizona
#3, #2, #1 . . .??

[@manovaistraveling]

Saving you 8 minutes : 10. Monument Valley (Utah and Arizona) 9. Valley of Fire State Park (Nevada) 8. Sequoia National Park (California) 7. Horseshoe Bend (Arizona) 6. Jackson Hole (Wyoming) 5. Lake Tahoe (California and Nevada) 4. Upper Antelope Canyon (Arizona) 3. Zion National Park (Utah) 2. Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico) 1. Grand Canyon (Arizona)

[@Mr3213215]

Thanks, but I'm study English and came here due to the nice accent of this girl with lovely voice.

[@itschrisandalex]

Pro tip: DO NOT go to Horseshoe Bend at sunset. Instagram crowds and tourists have caused such havoc with their careless behavior. We saw people perching their children and dogs on cliffs to get the perfect shot, bus loads of seniors with shopping bags tied around their shoes stumble around, people laying down on the edge and dangling their feet - all within inches of an unforgiving fall down below. BUT! If you want a much more wholesome, anxiety-free experience, show up for sunrise. There’s barely any people and there’s a lot less hectic behavior out and about.

[@jamescooper3571]

Thank you. Any more tips? I want to go west (for the first time in my life) to photograph, and am concerned about throngs of people at these sites.

[@itschrisandalex]

james cooper My girlfriend and I actually have a travel Instagram and did quite a few spots in Arizona last fall! You can find us @burritoandtortilla, DMs are always open for travel advice!

[@jamescooper3571]

Chris & Alex , Thanks very much to the both of you. There are some great spots in the mountains of the northeast. But if your timing is wrong, you just have to drive on by. For me, these natural wonders are ruined with hundreds of tourists around. Hectic is the perfect word. Your area really does look spectacular!

[@shibememes]

Out west in Utah and Arizona it is truly just something else that everyone should see. Many people just assume its a plain old desert but dont understand how beautiful and incredible (especially in person) it actually is.

[@justinrenda4451]

Just got back. Utah is amazing

[@daqiancao3754]

Just a friendly reminder that many of these sites have very fragile ecosystems, so please always follow Leave No Trace Principles: 1. Plan ahead and prepare. 2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces. 3. Dispose of waste properly. 4. Leave what you find. 5. Minimize campfire impacts (be careful with fire). 6. Respect wildlife. 7. Be considerate of other visitors. Our planet will thank you!

[@Hi-jw7oq]

Don’t feed the animals!

[@Cherrybubbles321]

Zion is one of my favorite parks! We visited in December and we saw tons of wild life, water was flowing... Incredible, a must see park 👌

[@WedartStudio]

Thank you for this nice trip with you!😊🌐🌐😊

[@letsgo4383]

There are so much to see here in the US..The small attractions are equally beautiful and awesome as the big ones..I am trying to cover as much as I can in my channel..

[@zakaa3068]

Man there are some very stunning place to visit. America is beautiful I'm in love 😍

[@Rsreekanthsrk]

WoW America...... the beautiful.

[@FindingTheForce]

What are refreshing video made surprisingly of mostly photos. The audio sounded super professional.

[@SSJ3rocks]

No Yellowstone or Yosemite? Unless you're doing a list of the lesser known parks and places, that's just not right.

[@stevegarcia7637]

I was thinking the same thing

[@malvinnathaniel987]

Including the places you mentioned, how long would the trip take if all these locations are on your checklist?

[@bakergames6275]

MalvinNathaniel I’m not exactly sure but from New Mexico the redwoods alone would be a 15 hour drive.

[@amir4barca]

@@malvinnathaniel987 Been to every place on the list except Carlsbad Caverns. It's not advised to include everything in one trip. I would say breaking the list in 3 separate trips would be much more enjoyable. but if someone insist on hitting every spot in one trip, I would say with a detailed plan it's doable in a month or so however it will be very very rushed and hectic.

[@p_wilk1237]

There’s too many places to name, and they’re all amazing

[@shibememes]

Consider these Western spots!! -Yellowstone National Park, WY -Grand Teton National Park, WY -Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, ID -Canyonlands National Park, UT -Dead Horse State Park, UT (very similar to & close to Canyonlands) -Arches National Park, UT(also close to Canyonlands) -Monument Valley, UT and AZ -Antelope Canyon (Upper or Lower), owned by Navajo tribe -Bryce Canyon, UT

[@diggingmystyle]

No Bunny Ranch?

[@BluemoonTraveler]

So beautiful place and the scenery is great! Thanks for your upload. Your video is great. Super Liked... Have a great time.👍👍

[@WayApp]

Very well put together video with an awesome list showing beautiful places to travel to!

[@worldtravelrafhat7886]

Amazing 😉 Stunning views. Thanks

[@skippydw1228]

The Grand Canyon is so awesome it's on this list twice.

[@USARoadtrip364]

Wow amazing qualify of footages...was able to enjoyed, thanx for sharing...

[@deniseroberts7481]

Well I have relatives that live out in the middle of all of this specifically out around Arizona and they love it there !

[@alessandrotroiani1501]

Last August I visited the West Rim of the Grand Canyon and it was AMAZING. Greetings from Rome, Italy

[@philip0722290386]

Amazing.

[@thecaptain6994]

Very Nice job! You identified some dandys.

[@shibememes]

So happy Jackson Hole was on there. I’ve been going there for 13 years and it is just incredible. The town of Jackson is right by Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, which are absolutely beautiful and incredible places. The Jackson Hole area is definitely a place to go.

[@rw9495]

I plan to visit over half of these on my trip next year! Thanks for the video, you've confirmed all the spots I wanted to see :)

[@skylarbrooks4524]

yes, agree w/ your pics! thanks!!!

[@paul99036]

Change the title to Southwest US otherwise you miss the mark by a mile.

[@Prez3D]

Bryce, Arches, Moab, Grand Staircase Escalante, Yosemite, Olympic National Park, Glacier National Park and of course Yellowstone....we are lucky we live in this amazing land.

[@dutchrevolutionist1409]

Most beautiful country in the world! I love the states its a dream to visit it one day! Western europe is so boring....

[@justinrenda4451]

Glacier national park is stunning!

[@simplysing]

@@justinrenda4451 - Glacier Park= Heaven

[@rubyrubia9090]

@@dutchrevolutionist1409 so is Germany

[@dutchrevolutionist1409]

Ruby Rubia Holland nature is boring... South Germany is nice you know Bavaria and the Alps region.

[@timwoody3835]

All of these places are wonderful. The order is always debatable and up to personal choice, as are places left off. Worth including are Yosemite NP, Kings Canyon NP, Death Valley, Devils Tower and its little brother in California Devil’s Post Pile, Avenue of the Giants, Olympic NP, San Juan Islands, Yellowstone, Glacier, Canyonlands, Arches, Mt. St. Helens, Rocky Mtn. NP, Saguaro NP. Oops, that makes 25 in all and I’m sure we could come up with more.

[@monicacampos5018]

Great video! Thanks so much. Heading there next week with my teen daughter. This was very helpful!

[@etransform]

Lovely video. Glad to note that Sequoia Park and Lake Tahoe is included since they are in our backyard(Silicon Valley). We visited Jackson Hole last April 2017. Was OK. Visited Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion and Canyon Lands in May 2018 and I would have rated them higher in your list but that's OK. Thanks for a great video.

[@traveltheworldhack]

Just finished my roadtrip, great video 👍👍👍

[@brandonreimers7926]

Rocky Mountain, anyone? Yellowstone? Yosemite? There are just too many to name. I'm very glad I live in the West 😉

[@Golf8802]

There are a lot of great places that are so close they're pretty much a package deal so to speak. Examples are Carsbad Caverns/Guadalupe Mountains, Yellowstone/Grand Teton, Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Mount Rushmore/Devil's Tower, Olympic/Mount Ranier, Zion/Bryce Canyon.

[@CaptainGnarkill]

Love it

[@TheECSH]

Been to most of these places, as well as most western national parks. Also lived in Asia and Europe for many years. Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite, or the Big 3, are the most well-known among foreigners.

[@michaelaivazianyt6695]

I watched this to try to get out of Arizona. Y’all just gave me a bunch of reasons to stay.

[@Cherrybubbles321]

Also consider Joshua Tree National Park! I live right outside of it and I go hiking all the time.

[@Maxmilion6004]

Im debating driving through it. How is it?

[@blakew5672]

If you’re at horseshoe bend spare an extra hour and drive 10 minutes away to Antelope Canyon. It’s on reservation land, and requires a guided tour by a tribe member, but it was easily the best $54 I spent on my trip. Go to the upper canyon in summer, but choose the lower canyon in fall/winter/spring. You’ll get better light exposure in the canyons during those seasons and AMAZING photos.

[@dutchrevolutionist1409]

Beautiful nature in the USA!

[@mylibertyvan5650]

Beautiful

[@GregoryWJohnson]

Yosemite must be on the next 10. Can't believe you left it off this list.

[@takeadrive]

Awesome videos ! 👍

[@gloriabonia5173]

So beautiful!! One day🖤

[@Tv71440]

Great list!

[@youtubewest9506]

9 out of 10 so far

[@BeCoShooter]

This list could easily be a top 25 destinations.

[@claudioroberto1272]

very very good!

[@jgonzalez5634]

Havasu falls 😍😍

[@Camkong32]

When u live 45 min away from Zion national park 😂

[@thisdude4225]

Lucky I live a day from there

[@jacksunderlandgolf]

St. George?

[@Camkong32]

Jack Sunderland yes

[@jacksunderlandgolf]

CamKonG32 same

[@Camkong32]

Jack Sunderland sick dawg

[@WanderlustAweSyndrome]

Places I must visit in the US!

[@williewai3978]

The Magnificient Five from Utah plus Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyons, Grand Canyon (north and south rims), Jackson Hole (Grand Tetons)and Yosemite. Not too hard to make the list.

[@skpinkosvlogs485]

Amazing 😉

[@skpinkosvlogs485]

My channel still new hope you stop by. Hehehe

[@whatagreatday4906]

Sedona is my favorite place in the west :) lake Powell is also beautiful. We just put up our 7 hour cross country road trip video ❤️

[@SunflowerGirlRV]

What A Great Day! Absolutely Sedona Holy Cross Baby! 😊😊

[@Maxmilion6004]

I agree man. Lake powell i was just absolutely blown away by when i went. Paddle boarding through the slot canyons was just an absolute once in a lifetime thing

[@playmovingpictures]

Your awesome 😎 thanks

[@marshaflorom5036]

Love to see Utah,! Marsha

[@frawldog]

Been to all of these

[@porbit101]

I've been to most of the places mentioned in the video. In terms of visual beauty, I would have to say Yosemite National Park is best in my opinion. Grand Teton is also way up on my list.

[@jean-pierrepodik9638]

Hello! Wonderfull Contry.

[@jakebutler291]

Maybe do a list specifically for the Northwestern US? I would suggest places like Crater Lake, Columbia River Gorge, Cape Kiwanda, Olympic Ntl Park, Redwood, Craters of the Moon, Glacier, Beartooth Pass, etc.?

[@justinrenda4451]

Glacier NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Arches NP, Dead Horse Canyon SP, Sedona, AZ....

[@Manuel-hd8qf]

I like this channel

[@richardharmon647]

Antelope is a short tour but you can get some really good photos there, the tour guide adjusted the settings on my camera and I got some good photos

[@ralanis6]

I have been to all these places and some that did not get mentioned that should be on this list. Yellowstone and Yosemite are a must see on any list. There is also Crater Lake, Bryce and Arches-Canyonlands. Should you make it to the Pacific you must see Big Sur in California and the numerous stops along the Oregon Coast too.

[@brettlee8775]

How was Yosemite not on this list ???

[@psal8715]

Because its overrated

[@brettlee8775]

@@psal8715 have you ever been there ? I bet you wouldn't be saying that shit if you've been there . Or you just don't know or can't fathom the beauty of nature .

[@psal8715]

@@brettlee8775 Yes, i have many times. Comparing it to other place on just this list it pales.

[@brettlee8775]

@@psal8715 right on .

[@EchelonIV]

Leaning towards the title of the video... must-see is something else than other activities. Sounds like a bucket list thing. Yosemite is absolutely amazing and probably close to the top 3 in Western-US when it comes to hiking or climbing imho.

[@426superbee4]

I never seen this be for!

[@dgemini2]

Good choices, though this list seems to be mostly concentrating on the southwest. In that case, I would recommend Utah Route 12 in its entirety, including Bryce Canyon and Capital Reef, then continuing on SR 24 west to SR 95 southwest to Blanding; Moab, UT, including Arches, Canyonlands, and the Upper and Lower Colorado River Scenic Byways; Utah State Route 14 through Cedar Canyon, including Cedar Breaks; the San Juan Skyway in CO. You could just spend a month in Utah and still not get to all the unbelievable sights.

[@robertturner1308]

What about Yosemite? Huge miss leaving it out.

[@944Tomcat]

Missing Bryce Canyon and Arches Park...both are amazing as well

[@LoganCharlesII]

I would rate Grand Canyon number one too. But Number two for me would be Yellowstone. I liked it better than Zion National Park, though Zion is beautiful too. Yellowstone is great in the winter if you like the snow and cold weather like I do. It's less crowded then.

[@tanjungbenoapanorama7369]

wow beautiful places deep a like dreams 👍fery2 pretty 👀👀

[@roseandstem8054]

I live in Arizona so I've seen most of these

[@fernandoramirezlugo2972]

Anybldy know what the music in the video is? These are all such beautiful and amazing places.

[@tahirrazzaq9494]

Sounds so familiar. I can't put my finger on it

[@danielsonnv]

How about Sedona, Crater Lake NP, Yosemite, Yellowstone, or Mt Rainier NP?

[@fredmertes7077]

Great video! Found some new places to add to my must see bucket list... Amazing that there are some nut jobs who believe that the Grand Canyon was carved by the fairy tale Great Flood.....

[@jburnett8152]

Been to 8.

[@USARoadtrip364]

What camera did you use? curious...

[@ForrestNeal]

should have added Barringer Crater! It's a humungous meteor crater in Arizona!

[@coatney]

I have been to all Canyon based National Parks, and I would easily take Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison over the Grand Canyon to be perfectly honest.

[@MadisonGlenn]

Sleek Web Marketing the grand canyon is stunning and definitely something that should be on everyone’s bucket list but for a park to return to i would put grand at the bottom. it’s just way to touristy...a summer in zion is EMPTY compared to grand canyon south rim haha

[@coatney]

@@MadisonGlenn My first trip to the Grand Canyon South Rim: We lucked out by finding the last space in the last lot (8 miles from the Visitors Center) right as someone had pulled out. Other people had parked on the side of the road, and cars were getting towed left and right. Most of our day consisted of waiting in long lines for shuttle buses. Fun Times

[@Golf8802]

I liked Bryce Canyon and Zion both better than the Grand Canyon. That's comparing them to both the North and South Rims.

[@multiyapples]

The Grand Canyon has to be number 1.

[@hitty9]

I've been to 9 out of 10 on your list and urge tourists to do their own research. You have chosen some of the most comercial spots, or just plain haven't seen all the stuff that I have. Leaving out some of the complicated geysers in Yellowstone or Going to the Sun highway in Glacier NP just to name a couple that you missed and come in way better than your top ten. Also check out Santa Alana Canyon raft trips in Big Bend NP in Texas. Capital Reef and Canyonlands are amazing. Also for something never mentioned, check out driving up the Moki Dugway in Utah. It's like nothing else you've ever seen.

[@tjwash5118]

hitty9 some people are sadly only interested in easy access to natural beauty. For the disabled it’s nice that there is plenty to see, for the able bodied, get off the roads and parking lots and hit the trails to truly bond with nature.

[@lifeadventuresrentalsinc2026]

What? I was expecting Yellowstone to be number one. Even Yosemite, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands and Crater Lake are not there lol

[@josiahmccallister3150]

William Ronquillo I agree about Yellowstone. But the vast amount of places not listed here just shows how much there is to see out West

[@robtankbuster5215]

You said it, i would add the painted desert also.

[@kevinl8440]

Yellowstone sucks. Near by Grand Tetons which they do have listed is so much better.

[@miacities1577]

West is BEST in USA for sights to see, so travel like the wind as you travel through our National Parks! We have traveled to 47 National Parks in the lower 48, including Hawaii’s National Parks and American Virgin Islands (Note: British Virgin Islands are the place to visit, especially The Baths!). The eastern USA has its sights , especially if you were raised in the shadows of NYC, your first trip to the West will be full of memories for life! The pics in the video are great, but based on spending time in 47 National Parks there few places in the West like Yellowstone National Park (Our First National Park) which is the Serengeti of the USA for wildlife; a place where you can watch a pack of Wolves attack a heard of Elk and be successful in taking down the weakest in the heard! Yosemite National Park is another place where you can follow in the footsteps of John Muir as you ponder at the granite walls which put your place in perspective in the world! Another Is Death Valley National Park, which may give rise to 20 Mule team wagons and tragic endings to a wagon train heading West to California Gold Rush, but pause for a moment in the expanse of this beautiful valley and be amazed at the myriad of life that is viewed in this so called valley of death. I can go on and on but there is never a bad list of US National Parks, National Monuments (sometimes a predecessor to National Parks) National Seashores, National Historical Parks, National Battlefields, National Wetlands, National Museums, and last and certainly not least, the National Monuments of Washington (Not the state) District of Columbia! So enjoy your travels to the USA’a National Attractions, Be Safe, Help others in need, and Enjoy Life’s Moments as They Are Gifts!

[@hitty9]

@@kevinl8440 Minority opinion

[@discoverydave254]

Don't forget "The wave", Glacier National Park, and Yosemite!

[@annecrighton5770]

Yes. Going to the sun Highway in Glacier is a must see Magnificent experience

[@diggingmystyle]

The Wave? LOL....talk about a place that's just about impossible to get in unless you have tons of time to wait there day after day. No thanks.

[@joshuabennett5891]

YOSEMITE!!

[@diggingmystyle]

If your time is limited, go to Page, AZ and spend 2 days there. There's Horseshoe Bend, Upper & Lower Antelope Canyons, and beautiful Lake Powell. It's also not super far away from Bryce Canyon if you have an extra day.

[@psal8715]

Also not to far away from Zion.

[@randallstewart175]

I have traveled to photograph landscapes in the SW a number of times. I always make Page AZ the hub where I stay. It's a population of about 2,000 with adequate services, inexpensive, and centrally located to the mentioned sites plus Monument Valley, slot canyons all over, both rims of the Grand Canyon and (if you are lucky enough to get a golden ticket) a hike to The Wave.

[@diggingmystyle]

Yes...forgot about Zion. Zion is great for hiking but requires at least 2-3 days on its own.

[@diggingmystyle]

Your chance of getting to see the Wave is literally 1 in a million.

[@jameslee2330]

yosemite? where you at?

[@CJspitz]

Although I haven’t been to all of this list, I have to disagree. Not counting the world’s very first national park; Yellowstone, iconic half dome and el capitan; Yosemite, collections of wonderous arches and rock formations; Arches, one of the most beautiful driving road put there, Going-To-The-Sun Rd; Glacier, all-in-one collection of natural sight; Olympic, hoodoos and indescribable rocks to see; Bryce Canyon, and highest driving road in the US; Rocky Mtns. But still, your picks are good as well. My top pick from your list is Zion then Grand Canyon.

[@bethanytaylor1704]

I live in Northern Utah, seen a bunch of these.

[@MrDjdanv]

Ok?

[@jondoe5338]

Where are the best places out west to visit? Thinking about taking a big Roadtrip.

[@kelleyhice]

If you only have a week, fly into Las Vegas spend a 1 night then drive 4 hrs. to North rim of #1 Grand Canyon stopping at #9 Valley of Fire State Park to stretch your legs. 2 or 3 nights at Grand Canyon then another 4 hrs to Bryce Canyon for a night then Zion Canyon for a night and then back to Vegas. Very tight schedule but better than spending 10 hrs round trip just to see more rocks, desert and rocks.

[@randallstewart175]

IMO the north rim of the Grand Canyon is the sweet spot here. It get relatively fewer visitors, no crowds, and the facilities are nice but relaxed. If that's what you want, it's atmosphere is like the south rim must have been 75 years ago.

[@Sargent.Pierce]

Yosemite? Huh?

[@Maxmilion6004]

Someone told me to check out carlsbad caverns. So we stopped. Without doing any research. We thought it would be this tiny hike to see some bats..... but it just kept going deeper and deeper. We saw the famous black hole. Honestly glad we stopped to see it. Absolutely amazing. And seeing the bats come out at night. If anyone reading this goes. If you get there early enough they have guided tours deeper into the cave. Wish id have known about it.

[@jamesgallagher4726]

These places are someones opinion. Yes there could a top 15 or 20. I've been to 7 of this 10 and would like to see all. Capital Reef, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point State Park, and Yosemite should all be on the list.

[@frawldog]

He is looked at as a hero in Philippines

[@Saetanify]

Arches national park?

[@richardharmon647]

Arches is amazing I want to go back there

[@CJspitz]

And Bryce Canyon, I meant all Mighty Fives

[@shaylynneshelley6976]

I live in Moab

[@JillianLovesBooks]

Arches and Monument Valley are similar enough, that I think having just one of the two on a list suffices. But I agree, Arches is pretty awesome compared to Monument, and I didn't get to spend nearly enough time there.

[@jacobbecker1905]

Very underrated, loved it

[@Juan08135]

Yosemite

[@eliduncan-gilmour5028]

Jackson WY is numbers 1 thru 5 imo lol

[@malvinnathaniel987]

How long would it take to visit all of them in a single road trip?

[@saleyus1]

Bend Oregon

[@jwt1035]

Its Eliot Shhhh. Let’s keep that one to ourselves.

[@aitornavarro6597]

I know this is s top 10 therefore Grand Canyon should be #11. Missed so many great parks more deserving....

[@Walkercolt1]

How about "Kodachrome Canyon" just outside of Amarillo, Tejas? A micro-Grand Canyon just off the Interstate and full of critters up-close and personal. Roadrunners, Coyotes, Bears, Raccoons, Possums, Deer and more visited my tent. Too skittish to come close are Prong-Horn Antelope you can see just about dawn out on the grassland above the canyon. I had a big owl talk to me all night. Another one missing is Wind River Canyon in Wyoming on the state road into Yellowstone. You might not see another vehicle on the road for 150 miles or more, and it makes the leisurely four hour drive enchanting. Give yourself 6 hours to drive and stop and take pictures, it's worth it!

[@britten7497]

Arches? Bryce canyon? Yellowstone?