Part I: Nevada

The American Southwest is one of my favorite parts of the country to visit and to road trip through. It’s one of those places where there is so much to see and explore, it gives you that elusive sense of time slowing down again.

This trip itinerary is centered around our 3 night / 4 day backpacking adventure to Havasu Falls. Once I secured 2 permits to go over Memorial Day Weekend in 2019, I was able to plan the rest of the trip based on how many extra days we wanted to tack on either side.

We call this trip our High Desert Road Trip, because while it spans 3 different states — Arizona, California, and Nevada — our route is geographically located in the Mojave and Colorado deserts between 2,000 and 4,000 feet in elevation.

Our adventure starts off in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Friday May 24

Home base for our trip is Las Vegas; centrally located and lots of flight options make it a great starting point, plus we had people we could stay with. Always plan for the unexpected when traveling. Following my own advice, we purposefully fly out to Las Vegas a few days before we need to, planning for a weekend to explore Vegas and also just because things can go wrong…

Lo and behold, due to a mechanical issue, our flight is delayed for hours. We hang in there and manage to upgrade to first class, stay overnight in a hotel in Charlotte, NC, then catch the first flight out to Vegas the next day.

Saturday May 25

We arrive in Vegas hours later than we planned and quickly pick up our rental car. Case in point — if you’re booking flights to get to Havasu Falls, don’t fly out the day before. Give yourself extra time.

After getting situated, we head out to Red Rock Canyon for golden hour. Red Rock Canyon is a national conservation area 30 minutes outside Las Vegas. The 13-mile scenic drive passes by whimsical red sandstone formations, Native American petroglyphs, and hiking trails. Calico I and II are beautiful overlooks where you can get out of the car and explore the canyons and take some photographs.

Always plan for the unexpected when traveling. If you’re booking flights to get to Havasu Falls, don’t fly out the day before. Give yourself extra time.

For the remainder of the night, we eat out in downtown Las Vegas and then head to the Strip to check out the casino scene.

Sunday May 26

We are early risers on our trips. Today we set out early to explore Valley of Fire State Park, just a 1.5 hr drive from Vegas. We arrive at the park at 8am to beat the crowds and the desert heat. We did a short 1.5 mi hike out to the Fire Wave, about 1 hr round trip. The hike starts at the third parking pullover and features wavelike sandstone formations (reminiscent of Vermillion Cliffs - but you don’t need a permit!).

Further up the scenic drive, we wander through the White Domes area, a 45 min, 1.25 mi loop trail which features a pastel pink slot canyon and an arch you can walk through. On our way out of the park, we get our money shot by pulling over on the side of the road somewhere between Fire Canyon Road and Rainbow Vista. Overall we enjoyed Valley of Fire over Red Rock, so if you are short on time you might consider just visiting this park.

After we spend the morning exploring Valley of Fire, it is time to head on to the next portion of the trip, the much-anticipated Havasu Falls!

Continued in Part II: High Desert Road Trip.

It is so important to never stop looking for places that make you feel something. Whether that’s your hometown library or the turquoise blue waterfalls of Havasupai, never stop exploring.