My 2020 National Park Road Trip Itinerary

Over 5,000 miles, 14 states, 7 national parks, 3 weeks, 2 best friends! The majority of this trip, we camped in or right outside of National Parks, but we had a few notable splurges in stops like San Fransisco and Santa Fe. I carefully planned the route to avoid marathon driving days, ensuring we had plenty of time to relax and explore. Many stops included two full days so we could truly soak in the beauty and experiences without feeling rushed.

Day 1 – June 7

Route: Chicago, IL → York, NE

• Drive Time: 8 hrs 40 min

• Distance: 570 miles

Spend the majority of the day driving through the vast expanse of uninterrupted sky and gorgeous green grass.

Overnight: Stay at America's Best Value Palmer Inn in York, Nebraska, or similar.

Day 2 – June 8

Route: York, NE → Denver, CO (leave early if you want time to explore Denver)

• Drive Time: 6 hrs 30 min

• Distance: 440 miles

Activity: Spend the rest of the day exploring Denver

Overnight: stay at hotel or hostel downtown.

Day 3- June 9

Then: Denver → Rocky Mountain National Park

• Drive Time: 1 hr 30 min

• Distance: 67 miles

Activity: After spending the morning in Denver, make the drive to town outside of RMNP.

Overnight: Car camp near RMNP

Day 4 – June 10

Activity: Full day in Rocky Mountain National Park.

-Hike to Mills Lake (5 miles)

Overnight: Stay at Moraine Campground in RMNP

Day 5 – June 11

Activity: Second full day in Rocky Mountain National Park

-For a moderate hike: Emerald Lake Trail (3.2 miles).

-For a more challenging option: Sky Pond via Glacier Gorge Trail (8.6 miles)

💡Total mileage so far: ~1,077 miles💸 Estimated gas cost: ~$138

Overnight: Night 2 at campground

Day 6 – June 12

Route: RMNP → Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs)

• Drive Time: 2 hrs 20 min

• Distance: 163 miles

Activity: Explore Garden of the Gods

Then: Garden of the Gods → Great Sand Dunes National Park

• Drive Time: 3 hrs

• Distance: 270 miles

Overnight: Stay at campsite in nearby Mosca (20 min from park)

Day 7 – June 13

Activity: Spend the day in Great Sand Dunes National Park. Bring LOTS of water, and wear a hat and sunscreen! There is no shade/covering in the park.

Overnight: Night 2 at campground

Day 8 – June 14

Route: Great Sand Dunes → Taos, NM (leave early for time to explore Santa Fe)

• Drive Time: 1 hr 55 min

• Distance: 108 miles

Activity: Stop for breakfast/brunch in Taos

Then: Taos → Santa Fe, NM

• Drive Time: 1 hr 30 min

• Distance: 70 miles

Activity: Spend the rest of the day in downtown Santa Fe. Visit the galleries, or one of the many musuems in town (New Mexico History Musuem, Georgia O'Keeffe Musuem, Museum of National Folk Art)

Overnight: AirBnB in town.

Day 9 – June 15

Route: Santa Fe → Antelope Canyon, AZ (leave early as it is a long drive + a stop)

• Drive Time: 6 hrs 50 min

• Distance: 430 miles

Activity: Explore Antelope Canyon

Then: Antelope Canyon → Kaibab Lake

• Drive Time: 2 hrs 20 min

• Distance: 132 miles

• 💡 Total mileage so far: ~2,300 miles💸 Estimated gas cost: ~$285

Overnight: Kaibab Lake Campground

Day 10 – June 16

Route: Kaibab Lake → Joshua Tree National Park, CA

• Drive Time: 4 hours 40 minutes

• Distance: 311 miles

Activity: Explore town of Joshua Tree

Overnight: Camp near Joshua Tree, find options on HipCamp

Day 11 – June 17

Activity: Spend the day hiking in Joshua Tree National Park

Overnight: Night 2 at campsite.

Day 12 – June 18

Route: Joshua Tree → Malibu, CA (leave very early)

• Drive Time: 2.5 hrs

• Distance: 155 miles

Activity: Spend an hour or two beach side in Malibu to break up the driving

Then: Malibu → Big Sur via Pacific Coast Highway (note that there are very few gas stations along the PCH near Big Sur)

• Drive Time: 5 hrs

• Distance: 265 miles

Overnight: Camp in Big Sur at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground

Day 13 – June 19

Route: Big Sur → San Francisco, CA

• Drive Time: 2.5 hrs

• Distance: 145 miles

Activity: Spend the afternoon in the city. Visit Golden Gate Park, explore Lombard Street, or take the ferry to see the infamous Alcaraz.

Overnight: Hotel in San Francisco

Day 14 – June 20

Route: San Francisco → Crater Lake National Park, OR

• Drive Time: 6.5 hrs

• Distance: 400 miles

• 💡 Total mileage so far: ~3985 miles 💸 Estimated gas cost: ~$455

Activity: Enjoy views of the scenic lakeside campground

Overnight: Camp at Diamond Lake (20 min from Crater Lake, wear lots of bug spray with DEET- mosquitoes are bad at this campground in the summer)

Day 15 – June 21

Activity: Explore Crater Lake

-If you have plenty of time in the afternoon, hike around Diamond Lake. 10.5 miles but flat, gorgeous views. (Again, lots of bug spray)

Overnight: Night 2 at campground

Day 16 – June 22

Route: Crater Lake → Glacier National Park, MT (leave early, longest driving day)

• Drive Time: 12 hrs 30 min

• Distance: 740 miles

Overnight: Car camping near Glacier

Option to break up driving: quick lunch in Bend, Oregon

Day 17 – June 23

Activity: Full day in Glacier National Park

-Hike to Avalanche Lake (5.9 miles), or if you want something shorter, Hidden Lake Overlook (2.7 miles)

Overnight: St. Mary Campsite in Glacier National Park (reserve well in advance)

Day 18 – June 24

Activity: Second full day in Glacier National Park

-Hike to must-see Grinnell Glacier Trail (10 miles), or Saint Mary and Virginia Falls Trail (2.8 miles)

💡Total mileage so far: ~4,725 miles 💸 Estimated gas cost: ~$540

Overnight: Campsite in Glacier National Park

Day 19 – June 25

Route: Glacier National Park → Yellowstone National Park

• Drive Time: 6 hrs

• Distance: 375 miles

Activity: Spend late afternoon driving through Yellowstone

Overnight: Camp in the park at Madison Campground. Make sure to reserve campground well in advance

Day 20 – June 26

Activity: Full day in Yellowstone National Park

-Explore sites like Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, Lower Yellowstone Falls, Lamar Valley, and West Thumb. Plenty of hikes available as well!

Overnight: Night 2 at campground

Day 21 – June 27

Route: Yellowstone → Grand Teton National Park

• Drive Time: 10 minutes (!)

• Distance: 7 miles

Activity: explore Grand Teton National Park

-For a challenging hike, head to Delta Lake (7.3 miles). For something more chill, the Taggart Lake Loop is great (3.8 miles)

Overnight: Camp in Bridger-Teton National Forest. (Reserve well in advance)

Day 22 – June 28

Activity: Explore Grand Teton National Park

-For a challenging hike, head to Lake Solitude (13.9 miles) for a moderate hike, Phelps Lake (5.2 miles) is an excellent option, for an easy hike, look no further than Inspiration Point (1.8 miles)

Overnight: Stay at a hotel in town

💡Total Distance: 5,412 miles.

💸Money Spent on Gas: around $615

Day 23 – June 29

Activity: Day in Jackson Hole, WY

-Explore town square, visit Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, tour local breweries/wineries, do a float on the snake river. Lots of options!

-At night, have dinner at Snake River Grill, and visit the famed Million Dollar Cowboy Bar

Overnight: Stay at hotel in town

Day 24- June 30- head home!