Best Southwest US Region Parks

As previously discussed, the area of the four corners (aka Golden Circle of National Parks) doesn’t just encompass National Parks but also Navajo Tribal Parks, National Monuments, BLM areas, and National Recreation areas. Below is my take on the “best” of the major parks and areas. I have expanded the “Southwest” to include Oak Creek Canyon south of Flagstaff and Death Valley National Park west of Las Vegas. Later posts will focus on lesser known, lesser developed areas worth exploring on subsequent trips.

The criteria for my rankings are;
A) Landscape variety and uniqueness
B) Historical significance and completeness of educational efforts
C) Lack of Crowds

1) Arches National Park/Canyonlands National Park, UT – “Sister” Parks along the Colorado and green river along with the world’s most extensive collection of sandstone arches make this number one. Hundreds of miles of hiking only, jeep only, and mountain bike only trails make this an outdoor adventurers dream come true. One could spend a week in Moab and not see/do everything. Bonus points for a golf course in Moab and another great little course called “The Hideout” 40 miles down the road in Monticello, Utah.
2) Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, AZ – Iconic mesas made popular by John Ford westerns. Breathtakingly beautiful, serene, and mystical. If lucky, you might hear the “thunder” of a rock fall.
3) Antelope Canyon Navajo Tribal Park, AZ – Famed “slot” canyon now closed to groups only. Back in the day you could get a day permit from the chapter house and hike back and be relatively alone. STILL well worth the cost and hassle. Think of it as being a cave with light shafts. Absolutely gorgeous. But go in midday as the more light can reflect down the walls the better the colors.
4) The Grand Canyon National Park, AZ – The big Kahuna is extremely crowded. Tour buses arrive from Las Vegas and visitors from all over the world converge. Worth the stop but extremely difficult to navigate. The further west you go along the south rim the more room and fewer people. The road to the east comes out on Hwy 89 the main road to Zion, Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon in Page, Monument Valley, etc.
5) Capital Reef National Park, UT – most remote and least visited park on this list. It boasts fantastic landscapes, buttes, spires (in the Cathedral Wash section) and a neat historical area depicting the Mormon pioneer life in the early 1900s. Lots to see and do.
6) Canyon de Chelly National Monument, AZ – I rank this as the best of the Anasazi historical Parks. Like Mesa Verde and Navajo National Monument, it contains extensive cliff dwellings that you can hike to. Many are closed but you can get very close. What is has over the other sites is dramatic 800-1000 foot cliff drop-offs to Chinle creek. Iconic Spider Rock resides in the upper reaches.
7) Zion National Park, UT – Very Similar to Capital Reef in history and landscape it is much more crowded. It is on the “loop” tour of Zion and Bryce from Las Vegas. It differs from Capitol Reef in that it has the Virgin River Gorge and a true canyon.
8) Death Valley National Park, CA - This Park is a “winter” Park in that it can get extremely crowded with tours from LA and Las Vegas in the winter when the weather is tolerable. Practically deserted in the summer due to high temperatures. However, if you can time a late fall or early spring trip it is blast. A wide and diverse set of landscapes, the park itself is enormous. The Playa sections with “racing” rocks, the bad water basin area with salt deposits and other worldly terrain. Bonus for the world’s “lowest” elevation golf course.
9) Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument/Paria Wilderness BLM Area – Again in the Page AZ area this large expanse of high country desert hosts “The Wave” sandstone formation, Buckskin Gulch, Paria River, some ghost towns, slot canyons too numerous to mention and Devils Garden. Overlooks along remote 4 wheel roads showcase Lake Powell from the north.
10) Lake Powell National Recreation Area/Rainbow Bridge National Monument, AZ – UT – enormous lake for boating and fishing that offers scenic wonders around every bend. Shear sandstone cliffs rise 100s of feet out of the water, isolated coves and slots, and Rainbow Bridge National Monument.
11) Mesa Verde National Park, CO – Most extensive collection of Native American dwellings and structures dating from 800-900 AD. Great views of the surrounding SW Colorado and NW New Mexico area.
12) Bryce Canyon National Park, UT – Very busy park with tour buses from Las Vegas. Tour buses only allowed in sunset Pt Overlook. So Grand Overlook (I believe) is the second major overlook.
13) Oak Creek Canyon/Sedona, AZ – Red Rocks of Oak Creek and the town of Sedona. Very busy town particularly on weekends. Red Rock Crossing State Park (lower area) and Slide Rock State Park (upper area). Lots of hiking and fall foliage.