Hike the Great National Parks of the Western USA: Self-Launched Edition

Fly into Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) and make your own way to a budget hotel or hostel on or near the Strip. The Las Vegas Hostel and Linq Hotel are both affordable options centrally located. Spend the evening exploring Fremont Street or the Strip — just don't stay out too late, you're heading out early tomorrow.

🚌Airport to city centre: RTC bus Route 108 or WAX (~£2.50), or rideshare (~£12-16)

🛏Las Vegas Hostel or budget hotel near Fremont Street (~£35-50/night for private room, ~£18-25 for dorm)

• →Explore Fremont Street Experience (free)
• →People-watch on the Las Vegas Strip (free)
• →Optional: casino hopping

Hire a car from Las Vegas (book in advance for best rates — ~£45-60/day from Enterprise or Hertz at LAS). The drive to Zion is around 2.5 hours (160 miles). Enter via the South Entrance and hop on the free Zion Canyon Shuttle. Hike the Canyon Overlook Trail (1 mile, easy-moderate) for sweeping views, then tackle the Emerald Pools trails for waterfall and canyon scenery. Drive to Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground near Bryce Canyon for the night — book ahead online.

🚌Hire car from LAS — drive Las Vegas to Zion to Bryce Canyon (~160 miles total, ~3.5hrs driving)

🛏Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground, Bryce Canyon (~£30-40/night for tent pitch)

• →Free Zion Canyon Shuttle to trailheads
• →Hike Canyon Overlook Trail (1 mile, easy — free with park entry)
• →Hike Lower Emerald Pools Trail (2 miles — free with park entry)
• →Scenic drive through Zion-Mount Carmel Highway

Rise early to catch sunrise over Bryce Amphitheatre from Sunrise Point — it's spectacular and completely free with park entry. Descend below the rim to hike the classic combination of Peekaboo Loop, Navajo Loop and Queen's Garden trails (~7 miles total, ~4 hours). The hoodoo formations are unlike anywhere else on Earth. Pick up packed snacks from the camp store for lunch on the trail. Return to Ruby's Inn for another night.

🚌Hire car — use free Bryce Canyon Shuttle in peak season (May–Sep)

🛏Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground, Bryce Canyon (~£30-40/night)

• →Sunrise at Sunrise Point (free with park entry)
• →Hike Navajo Loop Trail (1.3 miles — iconic Thor's Hammer hoodoo)
• →Hike Queen's Garden Trail (1.8 miles — connects with Navajo Loop)
• →Optional: Peekaboo Loop extension (~5.5 miles total loop)

Pack up camp and drive south into Arizona (~2.5 hours). Stop at Horseshoe Bend for the iconic Colorado River viewpoint — the 1.5-mile round trip hike from the car park is straightforward and stunning. Then head to Antelope Canyon: Upper Antelope Canyon (also called 'The Crack') requires a guided Navajo Nation tour, which you can book directly with operators like Antelope Canyon Tours or via GetYourGuide (~£45-60pp). Book well in advance — slots sell out fast. Camp at Wahweap Campground on Lake Powell or find a budget motel in Page for the night.

🚌Hire car — drive Bryce Canyon to Page, AZ (~150 miles, ~2.5hrs)

🛏Wahweap Campground, Page (~£28-35/night) or budget motel in Page (~£60-80/night)

• →Hike to Horseshoe Bend viewpoint (1.5-mile round trip, ~£6 parking fee)
• →Guided Antelope Canyon tour — book via Antelope Canyon Tours or GetYourGuide (~£45-60pp)
• →Evening stroll along Lake Powell waterfront

Drive west to the Grand Canyon South Rim (~2 hours from Page). Entry is ~£30pp (7-day vehicle pass covers this and future NP visits — consider an America the Beautiful Annual Pass at ~£60pp if visiting 3+ parks). Hike the Bright Angel Trail down into the canyon (go as far as the 3-Mile Resthouse for a satisfying 6-mile round trip with epic canyon views). Alternatively, hike the South Rim Trail along the rim for effortless panoramas. The canyon is largely self-navigated anyway — this is where independent travel truly shines. Camp at Mather Campground inside the park (book months ahead on recreation.gov).

🚌Hire car — drive Page to Grand Canyon South Rim (~120 miles, ~2hrs). Free park shuttles within the rim.

🛏Mather Campground, Grand Canyon Village (~£25-35/night — book recreation.gov months ahead)

• →Hike Bright Angel Trail to 3-Mile Resthouse (6 miles round trip)
• →Walk sections of South Rim Trail (flat, accessible, stunning views)
• →Visit Mather Point and Yavapai Point at sunrise/sunset (free with entry)
• →Optional: ranger-led programme at the visitor centre (free)

Hit the open road on America's most iconic highway. Stop in Seligman, Arizona — the town that inspired Radiator Springs in the Pixar film 'Cars' — for a classic diner breakfast and a browse of kitschy Route 66 memorabilia shops. Continue west and detour to Oatman, a near-ghost town in the Mojave Desert famous for its wild burros roaming the streets. Drive on into California and overnight in Barstow — a classic Route 66 pit stop. The Route 66 Motel or similar budget options on Main Street work well.

🚌Hire car — drive Grand Canyon to Barstow via Seligman and Oatman (~230 miles, ~4.5hrs with stops)

🛏Budget motel in Barstow, CA (~£55-70/night — Route 66 Motel or similar)

• →Breakfast at Westside Lilo's Café or Delgadillo's Snow Cap in Seligman
• →Browse Route 66 memorabilia shops in Seligman (free)
• →Visit Oatman and feed the wild burros (free)
• →Photo stop at classic Route 66 signage

Drive north from Barstow into California's Sierra Nevada foothills (~3.5 hours to the park entrance). Stop at a supermarket in Visalia or Three Rivers to stock up on food for the next two nights of camping. Enter Sequoia NP and visit the General Sherman Tree — the world's largest living organism by volume (it's free to walk to from the Wolverton trailhead shuttle). Hike up Moro Rock (350 stairs, 0.5 miles) for sweeping views over the San Joaquin Valley. Camp at Three Rivers Hideaway Campground or Lodgepole Campground inside the park.

🚌Hire car — drive Barstow to Sequoia NP (~200 miles, ~3.5hrs)

🛏Three Rivers Hideaway Campground or Lodgepole Campground (~£28-40/night — book recreation.gov)

• →Walk to General Sherman Tree via free Wolverton shuttle (included with park entry)
• →Hike Moro Rock Trail (0.5 miles, 350 stairs — magnificent views)
• →Drive the scenic Generals Highway through giant sequoia groves
• →Wildlife watch for mule deer and black bears in meadows

A full day to explore both parks — they share a single entry fee (~£30pp vehicle pass). Drive the 30-minute scenic road into Kings Canyon and hike Zumwalt Meadow Loop (1.8 miles, easy) for granite domes and river views, then push on to Roaring River Falls (0.3 miles, easy). Back in Sequoia, tackle the Congress Trail (2-mile loop through giant sequoias) or the more challenging Lakes Trail (13 miles if you're feeling strong). Keep eyes peeled for black bears — the park has one of the highest bear densities in the USA.

🚌Hire car — self-drive between Sequoia and Kings Canyon (free Kings Canyon Shuttle in peak season)

🛏Three Rivers Hideaway or Lodgepole Campground (second night, same as Day 7)

• →Hike Zumwalt Meadow Loop in Kings Canyon (1.8 miles — free with entry)
• →Visit Roaring River Falls (0.3 miles — free)
• →Walk Congress Trail in Sequoia (2-mile loop through giant sequoias)
• →Optional: Lakes Trail for a longer, more challenging alpine hike

Drive north from Sequoia to Yosemite (~2.5 hours via CA-41). Your first views of Yosemite Valley are genuinely jaw-dropping — pull over at Tunnel View for the classic panorama of El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil Fall. Take the free Yosemite Valley Shuttle to Yosemite Falls trailhead and hike to Lower Yosemite Falls (1-mile loop, easy) for your first taste of the valley. Book your campsite at Indian Flat Campground (outside the park's western entrance, ~£30-40/night) or Hodgdon Meadow Campground inside the park via recreation.gov.

🚌Hire car — drive Sequoia to Yosemite (~130 miles, ~2.5hrs). Free Yosemite Valley Shuttle within the valley.

🛏Indian Flat Campground, El Portal (~£30-40/night) or Hodgdon Meadow Campground inside park

• →Stop at Tunnel View for the iconic Yosemite Valley panorama (free)
• →Hike Lower Yosemite Falls Loop (1 mile — free with park entry)
• →Valley floor walk to base of El Capitan (free)
• →Evening in Yosemite Village — ranger talk at the campfire programme (free)

Your big Yosemite day. Use the free Valley Shuttle to reach trailheads. The Mist Trail to Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall is unmissable (~5.4 miles round trip to Nevada Fall, strenuous). For something slightly calmer, Mirror Lake Loop (5 miles, easy) offers stunning Half Dome reflections in the lake. The ambitious can tackle the Half Dome hike (~16 miles, requires a permit via recreation.gov — apply months ahead in the lottery). End the day with a celebratory dinner in Yosemite Village or drive into Mariposa for a meal at a local restaurant.

🚌Free Yosemite Valley Shuttle between trailheads

🛏Indian Flat Campground or Hodgdon Meadow (final night camping)

• →Hike Mist Trail to Vernal Fall (~3 miles round trip) or Nevada Fall (~5.4 miles)
• →Mirror Lake Loop for Half Dome reflections (5 miles, easy-moderate)
• →Optional: Half Dome hike (permit required — apply via recreation.gov lottery)
• →Celebratory dinner in Mariposa town or Yosemite Village

Pack up camp for the last time and drive west towards San Francisco (~3.5 hours via CA-120 and I-580). Drop the hire car at SFO airport or a city-centre location (check your rental agreement for drop-off options). Arrive in the city by early afternoon — grab lunch in the Mission District (excellent burritos and coffee) and walk to a vantage point for Golden Gate Bridge views (Battery Spencer in the Marin Headlands or Baker Beach are free and stunning). Depart from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on flights from 16:00 onwards, or stay on to explore the city.

🚌Hire car — drive Yosemite to San Francisco (~190 miles, ~3.5hrs). Return hire car at SFO or city centre.

🛏N/A (departure day) — or HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel if staying on (~£35-50 dorm)

• →Scenic drive through California's Central Valley and Bay Area
• →Lunch in San Francisco's Mission District (~£12-15)
• →Walk to Baker Beach or Battery Spencer for Golden Gate Bridge views (free)
• →Optional: ride a historic cable car (~£5pp)