Fly Drive USA

Depart the UK on your chosen scheduled flight to Salt Lake City. Upon arrival, independently make your way to your hotel, where you spend the first night of your adventure.

Collect your motor home from the Cruise America’s Salt Lake City depot. Drive directly south 42 miles, exiting toward Springville. East Bay RV Park is three miles off the freeway, nestled beneath the majestic Rocky Mountains, ten minutes from Brigham Young University and Seven Peaks Water Park. A great location to get used to your motorhome – all sites include water, electric and waste water hook-ups. Visit: Timpanogos Cave National Monument.

South on scenic Route 6 past the Uinta National Forest. With over two million ecologically-diverse acres, this is one of the most frequently visited forests in the nation. Forty miles north of Moab, turn off towards Canyonlands National Park and the Islands in the Sky Visitor Centre. The Island in the Sky mesa rests on sheer sandstone cliffs over 1,000 feet above its surroundings. Every overlook offers a different perspective on Canyonlands’ spectacular landscape. The Island is the easiest district to visit in a short period of time. Driving time back to your campground is roughly forty minutes. Alternatively base yourself right in Moab at Canyonlands RV Park. Visit: Green River for its outstanding River History Museum.

Moab is a great centre for seeing the Canyonlands/Arches National Park area. How about a half-day Jetboat tour on the Colorado River or, for the more intrepid, a white water raft trip through the rapids. Add a half day 4WD, off road, tour to either and make a real day of it. You can relax afterwards on an evening Dinner Cruise or the Sound and Light Cruise. Visit: Adventureland Family Fun Centre and the restaurants and shopping Moab offers.

Explore Arches National Park which preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch. Nature has exposed a landscape of contrasting colours, landforms and textures unlike any other and the greatest density of natural arches in the world. 72 miles south to tonight’s stop in an area of the USA known as Four Corners; it is in the corner of four states. Northwest is Utah, northeast is Colorado, southeast is New Mexico and southwest is Arizona. Maybe add a side trip to Cortez, Colorado; or south into Monument Valley. You may want to make Blue Mountain RV Park your base for exploring; it’s centrally located to much of the Four Corners’ most spectacular scenery. Visit: Devil’s Garden and The Windows in Arches NP

West on Route 276 crossing the mighty Colorado aboard The Charles Hall ferry between Halls Crossing Marina and Bullfrog Marina. They’re just over three miles apart and it takes around 30mins. The ferry crosses every other hour Mid-May through Mid-September. From Bullfrog drive 100 miles, past Glen Canyon National Recreation Area; where you may want to stop. Escalante State Park features colourful deposits of mineralized wood and dinosaur bones. The 130-acre Wide Hollow Reservoir on the park’s boundary adds water recreation and fishing. The park is located 1.5 miles from the quiet western town of Escalante off State Route 12. Facilities include a visitor centre, 22-unit campground, modern rest rooms with showers, and interpretive trail. Visit: Escalante Canyons before reaching the town and Escalante State Park.

Bryce Canyon National Park has been described as a scientist’s laboratory and a child’s playground. It certainly is ‘one of a kind’ and spectacularly different from anything you have seen before. Natural amphitheatres lie above an array of white and orange limestone columns and walls sculptured by rain, snow, and frost. You are (currently) permitted to drive in the park but it is strongly recommended that you use the free shuttle that serves twelve stops, including the finest lookouts and trailheads, plus your campground. Visit: Sunrise, Sunset and Inspiration points within Bryce National Park.

Head south on scenic Route 89, with the Dixie National Forest on your right, to see a very different National Park. A unique experience awaits you at Zion National Park. Massive canyon walls ascend toward a brilliant blue sky. To experience Zion, you need to walk among the towering cliffs, or challenge your courage in a small narrow canyon. These unique sandstone cliffs range in colour from cream, to pink, to red. They could be described as sand castles crowning desert canyons. We recommend the Watchman Campground within the park; it has 63 sites for RV’s with electrical hook-ups and it is open all year. The shuttle is mandatory and definitely the way to see this fragile site. It serves nine stops at lookouts and trailheads along the Canyon Loop. Visit: The Zion Human History Museum.

Enjoy Zion National Park and make your stop-over tonight at the Fillmore KOA. Your journey time will be under three hours so no need to rush to make an early start. Visit: Old Cove Fort. Please note: Having seen so many natural wonders, you may want to amend this trip to take in the amazing man-made wonder that is Las Vegas. Las Vegas is about 150 miles from this point. Alternatively, this tour could be started at this point by collecting your RV from the Cruise America Las Vegas depot and heading to Zion for your first night.

Reach Salt Lake City in a little over two hours. It certainly is worth spending time in the city which laid the foundation for the Mormon faith. You may have heard of the Family History Library, but you might not know how easy and inexpensive it is to book a genealogy research trip there. Enjoy your time at Camp VIP, a KOA campground only 14 blocks from Temple Square. If time permits extend your stay and visit 2 more iconic National Parks – world famous Yellowstone & The Grand Tetons. Visit: the Mormon Tabernacle. Hopefully you’ll hear the 11, 623 pipe organ in action, ideally accompanying the world famous choir.

It is just a 10 mile drive to drop off your motorhome at the Salt Lake depot. Make your way to the airport and check in for the flight back to the UK.