7 Epic Stops, 1000+ Miles, and 10 Days You Won’t Forget
The U.S. Southwest is home to some of the most extreme and otherworldly landscapes on the planet, and yet somehow, so many of its best parks still fly under the radar. Much of it is accessible by car, affordable to visit, and within a short flight from most major U.S. cities.
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If you’ve ever wanted to experience the best of the U.S. Southwest, this Ultimate Las Vegas to LA Southwest Adventure Road Trip might just be your answer! Fly into LAS, pick up a rental car, and spend 10 days working your way through some of the most diverse and jaw-dropping landscapes in the country before dropping the car off in LA and flying home. No backtracking, no wasted miles, just an epic adventure from start to finish.
We hit 7 parks and protected lands across Nevada and California on this 1,000+ mile trip and we soon realized that the U.S. Southwest has more to offer than most people realize. Here’s an overview of the highlights at every stop along the way.
The Itinerary at a Glance
Day 1: Arrive in Las Vegas + Wander the Strip
Every great road trip needs a starting point, and Las Vegas is a hard one to beat. We stayed at Park MGM on the Strip our first two nights and used the city as our base before heading out into the desert. We chose Park MGM specifically because it’s one of the only entirely smoke-free hotels on the Strip (a rare and wonderful find!) and it’s dog-friendly too! Whether you’re into the shows, the food scene, or just people-watching, Vegas is worth at least one full evening before the real adventure begins.
Day 2: Valley of Fire State Park, NV
Just about an hour outside of Las Vegas, Valley of Fire State Park is one of the most underrated day trips in Nevada, and was one of our favorite stops on this entire itinerary. Named for its brilliant red Aztec sandstone formations that seem to glow in the afternoon light, Valley of Fire is a photographer’s dream and a hiker’s playground.
The Fire Wave is the must-see. This swirling, striped rock formation is one of the most photogenic spots in the entire Southwest. Mouse’s Tank Road (also known as White Domes Road) is an Instagram-worthy stop for a photo. And be sure to take a quick climb up to a viewing platform at Atlatl Rock to see petroglyphs that were carved into the rock over 4,000 years ago!
Things to note: Many of Valley of Fire's trails close annually from May 15 through September 30 because of the dangerous desert summer heat. Spring and fall are your sweet spots. We visited in early March and had perfect hiking conditions. Fee is $15/vehicle for out-of-state plates. Day-use visitors must exit by sunset.
Day 3: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, NV
Only 20 minutes west of the Strip, Red Rock Canyon is easy stop before you officially leave Vegas behind. The 13-mile one-way scenic drive is beautiful, and Calico Tanks is arguably the best trail in the park. Just know that timed entry reservations are required October through May, so plan ahead! The fee is $22/vehicle, but if you have a U.S. National Park Interagency Annual Pass, you’ll only have to pay the $2 reservation fee!
Optional Detour: Mojave National Preserve, CA – A word of warning here: we made a detour to the Mojave National Preserve specifically to hike to the famous Lava Tube (a 0.5-mile trail with incredible light beams)… and it didn’t go according to plan. What we didn’t realize until we were already deep in the park with no cell service is that getting to the trailhead for this hike requires 10+ miles of driving on narrow, muddy, rough back roads. With the sun going down, a rental Nissan Rogue that was not exactly built for the occasion, and several hours of driving ahead of us, we had to turn around and made the detour for nothing. If you want to visit the Mojave, go for it, but do your homework before you go, and give yourself way more time than you think you’ll need.
Days 4–5: Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park is the crown jewel of this road trip, full stop. It’s the hottest, driest, and lowest national park in the United States, and it truly feels like another planet. We crammed 9 Death Valley must-dos into just 48 hours (check out the full post HERE), and it has firmly landed in our top 5 national parks of all time. From the giant sand dunes of Mesquite Flat, to the vibrant colors of Artist’s Palette, to the vast salt flats of Badwater Basin, the landscapes of Death Valley are incredibly diverse. We stayed in Beatty, NV, which is about 45 minutes from the main section of the park. There are also some lodging options inside the park which we would probably choose on our next trip to eliminate some driving time!
Full post: How to Cram 9 Death Valley Must-Dos into Just 2 Days
Day 6: Alabama Hills Recreation Lands, CA
After two full days in Death Valley, we drove to Lone Pine, California and spent some time exploring Alabama Hills, a stunning landscape of rounded granite boulders and natural arches with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains as a backdrop. Don’t miss the iconic Movie Road where hundreds of westerns and sci-fi films have been shot, and keep your eyes peeled for Cyclops Skull Arch, one of the coolest natural rock formations in the area. Alabama Hills has no entrance fee, which is always a bonus!
Day 7 (Drive-Through): Red Rock Canyon State Park, CA
Not to be confused with Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada (yes, the naming is confusing), this California state park sits along the road between Alabama Hills and Joshua Tree and makes for a great quick stop. We did the Hagen Canyon Nature Trail — a flat, easy 1.2-mile loop through striking red rock cliffs — and while we didn’t spend a ton of time here, it was a worthwhile detour to stretch our legs.
Days 7–8: Joshua Tree National Park, CA
Despite the name, the main event at Joshua Tree National Park isn’t the Joshua Trees… it’s the rocks! From the giant boulders in the Hidden Valley, to the spooky slot canyon scramble of Hall of Horrors, Joshua Tree’s rocks are iconic. If you’re feeling brave, track down the Chasm of Doom — bring headlamps, and skip this one if you’re claustrophobic (there’s a section called the Coffin that feels just the way it sounds). We stayed at a small Airbnb in the town of Joshua Tree both nights.
On your way to the next stop, we’d recommend stopping by Farm in Palm Springs for a bite to eat. Farm is a super cute farm-to-table, Provençal-inspired restaurant with outdoor seating that makes you feel like you’re dining in the south of France.
Day 9: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, CA
The largest state park in California and one of the most underrated stops on this entire trip, Anza-Borrego is wild and remote and wonderful. We visited in early March and were pleasantly surprised to witness the peak desert blooms of their wildflower season. It’s hard to miss the incredible 130 large-scale metal sculptures by artist Ricardo Breceda scattered across the desert! See how many you can spot!
If you have the right vehicle, Fonts Point offers dramatic badlands views – we got there in our Nissan Rogue rental car, but the road is pretty sandy and can be sketch depending on the time of year. We strongly suggest not attempting the trek to Vista del Malpais unless you have a Jeep and feel comfortable off-roading (don’t ask us how we know). For a short and interesting hike, we recommend The Slot. Anza-Borrego has a $10/vehicle fee for day-use.
We splurged for a night at La Casa del Zorro, which was the perfect place to relax before the final stretch of this road trip!
Day 10: Los Angeles + Fly Home
From Anza-Borrego it’s about a 3 hour drive to LAX. Drop off your rental car (don’t forget to fill up before you return it!), grab a good meal, and congratulate yourself on completing one of the best road trips the American Southwest has to offer!
Tips for Doing This Trip Right
Rent an AWD SUV with higher clearance. We went with a compact SUV for the better gas mileage on this 1700+ mile trip, and while it certainly saved us money, there were moments — particularly in the Mojave and Anza-Borrego — where we wished we had something beefier and with better clearance. A Jeep or similar would have allowed us to explore some more off-the-beaten path locations.
Download everything before you go. Google Maps offline, AllTrails maps, and any park-specific maps. Cell service disappears fast once you’re deep in these parks, and there were multiple moments on this trip where we learned that lesson the hard way.
Fill up on gas when you can. This road trip has long stretches without access to gas stations, so plan ahead. Be sure to fill up before you get into Death Valley National Park, where the gas can be $3+ more per gallon than in the nearby town of Beatty, NV.
Book reservations early. Booking accommodations and rental cars early often results in better prices and availability. Red Rock Canyon requires timed entry reservations October through May.
Use a GPS-based driving guide. We highly recommend using Guide Along for the Death Valley and Joshua Tree portions of this road trip! Throughout the years, we have used so many of their tours across the U.S. and we love the local history they provide and the gems they introduce us to!
When to Do This Trip
The short answer: early spring, or late fall.
Here’s why: This route strings together parks that can get dangerously hot in the summer. Death Valley holds the world record for highest recorded air temperature (134°F in 1913), and summer visits there are not advised. Valley of Fire closes many of its trails from May 15 through September 30 for the same reason. Joshua Tree and Anza-Borrego can get brutally hot in summer too. Essentially, the entire route becomes difficult to enjoy — and in some cases unsafe — from late May through September.
We thought March was perfect. Death Valley daytime temps are in the 50s–70s, great for all-day hiking. Valley of Fire trails are fully open. Joshua Tree is less hot and less crowded before the spring crowds peak. And if you time it right, you might catch the tail end of wildflower season in Anza-Borrego, which is spectacular. The one trade-off: you might end up being cold on occasion or at elevation (we woke up to temps around 30°F on several days), so be sure to pack layers!
Where to Stay
- Las Vegas: Park MGM (entirely non-smoking and dog-friendly!)
- Death Valley area: Airbnb in the town of Beatty, NV (~45 min from the park) or stay within the park at Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs, or the Oasis at Death Valley (The Inn or The Ranch)
- Alabama Hills area: Airbnb in the town of Lone Pine, CA
- Joshua Tree: Airbnb in the town of Joshua Tree, CA
- Anza-Borrego: La Casa del Zorro (worth the splurge)
This Las Vegas to LA road trip is one of those routes you could do again and again and always find some place new to explore. Whether you follow this jam-packed itinerary exactly or just borrow a stop or two to craft your own perfect road trip, we hope it inspires you. The Southwest is waiting!
