How to Plan the Perfect Southwest Road Trip of a Lifetime in 2024

Welcome to my Southwest USA Road Trip of a Lifetime Blog Series! 

Buckle up; I’m about to take you on a wild ride through the Southwest region of the USA! In this blog post, I’m sharing all the tips and tricks you need to plan the perfect Southwest road trip of a lifetime.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of hitting the open road, bumping over the red rocks of Sedona or the dazzling White Sand dunes unfold before your eyes, and feeling free and wild in your own little van. Trust me, I know because I spent 6 weeks living out of a van wandering through the whole Southwest to avoid winter.

Now clean from all the dust and sand, I wanted to share all the fun detour-worthy things to do in Southwest USA, all 100+ of them. 

But, planning a Southwest road trip takes a bit of work, but don’t worry! In this post, I’ll give you all the insider tips and tricks I learned on the road and highlight all the remote, underrated, and even downright weird attractions you must see along the way. So, pack your bags, and let’s hit the road for an epic Southwest USA adventure!

Best Rental Car Company

BEST USA CAR RENTAL: DISCOVER CARS

If you’re looking to rent a car for this epic road trip, I recommend and use Discover Cars.

They search all car rental companies available in the area so you get the best deal!

Book Now with Discover Cars

Routing an Epic Southwest Road Trip Itinerary

First things first, let’s talk about how to choose the best route. This will change drastically depending on the time of year you want to travel, the type of vehicle you’ll be using, your interests, how much time you have, and who’s coming along for the ride.

Like any road trip, there is no wrong or right way to plan your trip, except you have to plan and make a list of road trip essentials. With so many scenic drives and activities to do, you don’t want to miss out on anything you might regret when you were “right there!”

The driving distances are long, and cell phone signals could be poor. The adventures, national parks, mountains, art exhibits, cities, and roadside attractions may be few and far between in Southwest USA.

Planning is essential to maximizing your time to do the activities you want to do. Here is my Southwest itinerary, starting from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.

Which States are Included in Southwest USA?

Southwest USA is usually defined as Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Southern Nevada, Southern California, and Utah. 

Tip! Utah can be frigid in the winter, so I modified my plans to cover only the southernmost part of Utah and included Texas instead.

American Southwest Road Trip of a Lifetime Itinerary Map

Here is the general map of my Southwest USA trip itinerary of attractions and stops.

Timeline of a Southwest Road Trip

How Long Should you Spend on a Southwest USA Road Trip?

It is difficult to give a straightforward answer since it depends on your priorities. However, if you’re embarking on a journey similar to mine that spans 5 states and over 5000 miles, I suggest giving yourself at least a month. Just to give you an idea, I spent six weeks on the road and still felt a bit rushed during my Southwest USA itinerary.

Spending time on activities and attractions is less of a consideration compared to the effort of actually arriving at the destination. If you are short on time, create a shorter loop across fewer states. 

What are the Best Months to Travel the Southwest?

From November to February, I’ve lived through temperatures from 0F to 100F. Winter storm. Windstorm. Dust storm. Normal Storm. Heat Advisory, and even an escape from a nearby brush fire.

The best time of year for a road trip to Southwest USA is spring or fall to avoid the area’s extreme heat and cold temperatures. Even within one state, there can be such a significant variance. 

Summer Weather Problems

For those planning a summer road trip through America’s Southwest, it’s important to be cautious of extreme heat in certain areas. A few precautions to consider include bringing plenty of water and being aware of the risk of vans overheating and solar panels getting burnt in places like Death Valley and Tucson during the summer.

Summer also coincides with wildfire season, which catastrophically burns parts of the West Coast every year. Check local fire reports and clog your nose, as the smoke can blow hundreds of miles from the source.

Most national parks are busiest during summer, resulting in large crowds, long lines, and limited parking. To manage the number of visitors and protect the parks, many have implemented a reservation system. If you plan to camp in a national park, book well in advance.

Winter Weather Problems

The winter temperatures along the northern borders of Southwest USA states can drop to freezing or just below, especially during the unexpected storms that have been happening in recent years.

Due to snowy conditions, Utah will see limited National Park access and many road closures. While Grand Canyon National Park will be open, walking on the south rim may be difficult due to ice. Despite these conditions, I would still choose winter over the heat of the summer.

What to Pack

Better to have than to need, at least when you have the space. In these lands, the weather forecasts can change rapidly, and driving for 8 hours can take you to a completely different season.

Here are a few things I recommend carrying so you’re prepared for anything, especially in the winter.

• 7 Gallon Water Jug (can be filled at most supermarkets)
• Spare Tire and Tire Changing Tools
• Flashlight or headlamp
• Good Hiking Shoes – from one of my favorite hiking shoe brands Asolo
• Water Shoes (Chaco’s or Teva’s)
• Electric Blanket – This 12V blanket literally kept me alive
• Sleeping Bag
• Snow Chains – type your tire size into the search
• Winter Clothes
• Reflectix for your car Windows

Helpful Apps & Websites for Planning a Road Trip​

Ready to add more apps to your already crowded smartphone? These are my favorite apps in each road-tripping category. I promise you, these are well worth downloading or checking during any road trip in America.

Related Post: Here, I detail the most helpful road trip websites/apps I have found, from things to do to hiking to boondocking.

Is there an app for planning a road trip?

Roadtrippers is my favorite app. This app helps you plan your route, find food, lodging, and attractions along the way, and even estimate your fuel cost.

How do you plan gas stops on a road trip?

Planning gas stops on a road trip is crucial so you don’t run out of fuel in remote areas. And remember to factor in any unexpected detours in your route. Here are some ways to do it:

• Use online tools to estimate fuel consumption, such as GasBuddy.
• Plan to refuel when your gas tank is halfway or one-third full.
• Use gas station-finding apps like GasBuddy to locate gas stations along your route.

Budgeting for your Road Trip

Before you hit the road, try to estimate what you’ll need to spend each day on necessities. If you’d like a benchmark, I approximately spend ~45 days on the road, and my average road trip cost turned out to be ~$94/day, everything included.

Your budget will change based on the duration of your trip, mode of transportation, gas prices, accommodation style, and activities you wish to engage in. Now, let’s look at the cost ranges you should consider for your Southwest USA road trip.

Cost of Road Trips

Budgeting for a two-week road trip, you might expect to spend around $1500 to $2500 per person. However, costs vary greatly depending on your itinerary and preferred accommodation type. For example, boondocking is free, but hotel stays can add up quickly.

Gas is the single largest other factor. When budgeting for gas, consider your vehicle’s fuel economy and the distance you’ll need to cover. Gas prices across the Southwest can fluctuate, where California will cost $2 more than Texas.

For food and drinks, you can save money by cooking some meals and getting food from low-budget grocery stores, like Aldi, 99 Cent Store, Grocery Outlet, Lidl, and Walmart. If you don’t have a stove in your vehicle, you can buy affordable Coleman Burners and propane at Walmart and Home Depot.

👉 I used this Coleman 2 Burner Stove for two years while Vanlifing and would recommend it any day!

It’s challenging to find inexpensive food options in the United States, particularly in remote areas where fast food places may be your only choice. But in the big cities, gorge on new culinary cuisines like on these LA food tours or these Las Vegas ones.

Many attractions throughout Southwest USA are cheap or free, such as hiking, visiting national parks, or simply strolling through the streets of historic towns or Route 66 attractions.

Related Post: If you’re looking to save more money, check out my post on budgeting for road trips.

Helpful Road Trip Tips

• Little Public Transportation: If you had any hope of using public transportation in this geographic area of America, you are sure to miss almost everything super cool. Most attractions are far out of towns, and even the towns themselves are usually fairly spread out. The best way to get around is with a camper van or at least a rental car.
• Buy the “America the Beautiful” National Park Pass: If you plan to visit at least two paid national parks service areas in a year, purchase the $80 annual pass. Otherwise, most national parks cost $15-$30 per vehicle. Not only for national parks, the America the Beautiful Pass is also good for any area managed by the National Park Service. 
• Time Zone Changes: Southwest USA spans three time zones, PST (CA, NV, AZ), MST (UT, AZ, NM), and CST (TX). Arizona is confusing as they do not use Daylight Savings time, except for Navajo Nation land. 
• Respect the Native American culture!

Safety Tips

Here are a few safety tips and precautions to keep in mind as you plan your trip and go on your adventure. The southwest is a remote place, so you really don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere.

• Always make sure your vehicle is in good condition before hitting the road. Check tire pressure and fluids, and have a spare tire available.
• Do not pet the wildlife! Every year, you hear of people touring Yellowstone getting gored. Don’t get too close to wild bison or other large mammals.
• Flash flooding can happen very quickly in the desert. If it starts raining, make sure you are in an elevated area, not in a wash or slot canyon.

List of Southwest Destination Guides

Build out your epic Southwest USA road trip itinerary! 

1. How to Plan the Perfect Southwest Road Trip of a Lifetime
2. 17 Adventures On A Las Vegas To Page AZ Road Trip
3. 11 Heart-Stopping Adventurous Things to do in Page, AZ
4. A Champion’s Northern Arizona Road Trip Guide: 15 Best Detours
5. Southern Arizona Road Trip Guide: 17 Detour-Worthy Things to Do
6. Southern New Mexico Road Trip Guide: 8 Detour-Worthy Adventures
7. Boquillas del Carmen Border Crossing: Mexico for Lunch and Other Big Bend Things
8. One Perfect Day in San Antonio, Texas: First Time Tourist Itinerary
9. Weekend in Houston: A No FOMO 3 day Houston Itinerary for First Timers
10. 24 hours in Dallas? The No FOMO One Day Itinerary for a First Time Visitor
11. Unrivaled Northern New Mexico Road Trip Guide: 34 Detour-Worthy Things to Do
12. Highway 395 California Desert Road Trip: 25 Detour-Worthy Adventures
13. Cost Of Road Trips: How To Road Trip On A Budget In The USA

Bucket List Places: USA Southwest Road Trip of a Lifetime

Throughout my blog series about the Southwest USA road trip, I have written about 100 recommendations for the top attractions in Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Southern Nevada.

The American Southwest boasts a wide range of attractions, including Native American culture, revolutionary history, state parks, national monuments, deep canyons, and the winding Colorado River.

What activities do you want to add to your bucket list? If you prefer adventure and art over museums and cities, I compiled a list of the best things to do in Southwest USA based on my personal preferences.

Best Places in Southern Nevada

• If it’s the first time on the strip, go see the iconic things to do there
• Area 15 & Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart
• The Hoover Dam
• Valley of Fire State Park
• Ash Meadows (if you’re going to Death Valley)

Best Places in Arizona (Some Attractions are in Southern Utah)

• Snow Canyon State Park (Utah)
• Zion National Park (Utah)
• Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
• Buckskin Gulch via Wire Pass
• Permit Needed: The Wave
• Alstrom Point View of Lake Powell
• Slot Canyons in Page (Antelope Canyon)
• Lake Powell
• Backhaul Kayak Horseshoe Bend
• Grand Canyon National Park
• Permit Needed: Havasu Falls
• Sedona
• Piestewa Peak in Phoenix
• Saguaro National Park

Best Places in New Mexico

• White Sands National Park
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park
• House of Eternal Return by Meow Wolf in Santa Fe
• Bisti Badlands/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
• Native American Pueblos

Best Places in Texas

• Boquillas Crossing at Big Bend National Park
• Texas BBQ
• Gun Range
• Line Dancing
• NASA Johnson Space Center
• Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park
• The Sixth Floor Museum

Best Places in Southern California

• Amazing undeveloped hot springs
• Mono Lake
• Death Valley National Park
• Alabama Hills
• Fossil Falls
• Joshua Tree National Park
• Salton Sea’s Bombay Beach and Salvation Mountain

Final Thoughts: Planning a Southwest Road Trip of a Lifetime

As we come to the end of this guide to planning an unforgettable Southwest USA road trip, I hope you’ve gained valuable insights into how to prepare for this adventure. Remember to pre-plan a route, budget accordingly, and take necessary safety precautions along the way.

The Southwest USA region is home to some of the world’s most remote landscapes, historical cultures, and cool experiences. From hiking through beautiful national parks to trying local cuisines, the rewards are undoubtedly worth it.